Baird's and other sandpipers - 5 Sep 2010

There wasn't much evidence of songbird migration this morning, except for large numbers of Tree Swallows moving down the beach and some BOBOLINKS (16 at SoFo Museum in Bridgehampton and 2 at Teddy Roosevelt CP in Montauk). A PALM WARBLER and EASTERN WOOD PEWEE were also in the SoFo field. Two AMERICAN KESTRELS (always a welcome sight out here) and a TURKEY VULTURE were enjoying the breeze over the ridge at Teddy Roosevelt. On the north side of Montauk Point, 31 COMMON EIDER were visible in the surf but generally there was little activity. Large numbers of terns and Laughing Gulls were gathered over the rips at Shagwong Point (and roosting on the beach there) but were too distant to study. This has been a good spot for jaegers in the past.

For me the bird of the day was SOLITARY SANDPIPER, with a healthy count of 12 (3 Bridgehampton Golf Course pond, 5 behind the SoFo museum, 2 pond across road from SoFo, and 2 at Rita's pond in Montauk). Also in the pools behind SoFo I found a beautiful juvenile BAIRD'S SANPIPER that circled repeatedly seeming reluctant to settle in such a vegetated area, a juv PECTORAL SANDPIPER (likely same bird also seen across the road), a Semipalmated Sandpiper, several Least Sandpipers and a WILSON'S SNIPE that kept popping up out of the longer grass. In addition to the Solitaries, Rita's pond hosted 15 LESSER YELLOWLEGS (juvs with 1 adult) and a female GREEN-WINGED TEAL.

The young PEREGRINE continues on the flat at Mecox Inlet, harassing pretty much everything including the plastic owl atop one of the houses and at one point daring to swoop down on me. Most of the shorebirds gave the area a wide berth but 4 BLACK SKIMMERS (incl. 1 juv) were hiding among the gulls and at least 25 FORSTER'S TERNS joined the Commons and Least.

An adult LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was on the closed cut at Sag Pond, which is so full that it's flooding the road into Sagg Mains. 'Larry', the Lesser Black-backed Gull that has wintered for several years now along the channel between the Lazy Point community and Hick's Island, has returned to his/her favorite spot. Larry's arrival coincides with that of 'Freddy', the bird wintering on Fort Pond Bay, who was sighted by Vicki a few days ago. At least 70 (yes, seven-zero) BLACK TERNS were hawking over the north end of Napeague Harbor. Accabonac Harbor was virtually shorebirds free (surprising?), with only 2 GREATER YELLOWLEGS noted there.