Cupsogue Flats and Beyond, with Eileen Schwinn, 8/20/2022

Registrar: Debbie Mullins
Participants: 10
Weather: 78 degrees F, sunny, southerly winds 7 mph
Bird Species: 38

Under the expert leadership of Eileen Schwinn, an expert Long Island birder with extensive knowledge of local hotspots, we had a wonderful outing to Cupsogue County Park on Moriches Bay. We started our walk with a survey of the bay from the elevated platform between the beach and the parking lot. It was low tide, and seeing an abundance of shorebirds, we set out for the flats.

Arriving at the bay, we spotted an immature Clapper Rail on one of the ponds in the adjacent saltmarsh. Along the shoreline were numerous shorebirds, gulls, and terns, including Royal Terns (a “first-of-year” species for many participants), Common Terns, and Least Terns. Large numbers of Black-bellied Plovers were present, as well as a few Piping Plovers.

After several productive hours on the flats, we headed back to the parking lot as the tide started to come in. On the way we had great looks at several Saltmarsh Sparrows on the edge of the marsh. Passerines, including Barn and Tree Swallows, American Goldfinch, Red-winged Blackbirds, Song Sparrows, and a Common Grackle, were also seen in the saltmarsh and in the brushy area along the path to the road. We ended our outing with a leisurely lunch before heading back to the city.

Species List

Birds 
Mute Swan
Mallard
Mourning Dove
Clapper Rail
American Oystercatcher
Black-bellied Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Piping Plover
Killdeer
Ruddy Turnstone
Sanderling
Least Sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Spotted Sandpiper
Greater Yellowlegs
Willet
Lesser Yellowlegs
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Least Tern
Common Tern
Royal Tern
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Osprey
crow sp.
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Northern Mockingbird
American Goldfinch
Saltmarsh Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle

Bugs and Birds, Brookfield Park, Staten Island, with Maya Bank-Shikhman, 8/13/2022

Registrar: Debbie Mullins
Participants: 9
Weather: 89 degrees Fahrenheit, sunny, northerly winds 4 mph
Bird Species: 25

This was the Linnaean Society’s first field trip to Brookfield Park. Once a landfill, the park has undergone remediation and is now a beautiful grassland with miles of trails, small ponds, marshes, and creeks. Many thanks to our expert leader, Maya, who possesses a wealth of knowledge about both birds and bugs. She pointed out various butterflies and other insects, caterpillars, and spiders as we walked along, and discussed the symbiotic relationships they have with various native plants. The plants we saw included Purple Loosestrife, Evening Primrose, Swamp Mallow, Queen Anne’s Lace, Birdsfoot Trefoil, American Senna, Mullein, Milkweed, and Giant White Clover. Shorebirds were present in the smaller ponds, and herons and egrets were seen in the marshes along Richmond Creek. Barn Swallows were especially prevalent, with several dozen perching on a building near the parking lot. This park certainly warrants a return visit, perhaps in winter when Short-eared Owls and Northern Harriers are present. 

After leaving Brookfield Park, the group travelled to Oakwood Marsh to look for the immature White Ibis that had been seen there for several days. Unfortunately, the ibis did not make an appearance while we were there. 

Species List

Birds
Mallard
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Semipalmated Plover
Least Sandpiper
Spotted Sandpiper
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Black-crowned Night Heron
Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Black Vulture
Osprey
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
American Goldfinch
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird

Butterflies
Monarch butterfly
Viceroy larva
Furcula family caterpillar
Spicebush Swallowtail
Pearl Crescent butterfly
Eastern Tailed Blue butterfly

Moths
Hummingbird Moth (Clearwing Moth)

Odonates
Black Saddlebags bragonfly
Carolina Saddlebag
Green Darner

Leafhopper
Spotted Lanternfly

Insects and Arachnids
Tortoise beetle
Cucumber beetle
Large Milkweed bug
Swamp Mallow beevil
Carpenter bee
Carolina grasshopper
White-banded Crab spider

Central Park Botany Walk with Regina Alvarez, 8/6/2022

Registrar: Richard Davis
Participants: 19
Weather: 82 F with humidity/heat index 85 F at start. Sunny, winds N/NE 4 mph.
Bird Species: 16

Nineteen Linnaeans and botany enthusiasts gathered on a simmering morning in the midst of an August heatwave to wander in available tree shade and light breezes around the Pool and briefly into the Ravine of northern Central Park. Many participants commented on the insight and enthusiasm of walk leader Regina Alvarez, whose history with Central Park and teaching experience are an excellent combination for transmitting knowledge of the plant life of the Park and the way it has been managed over the years.

She pointed out the plants that are native and those that are invasive. For example, we quickly encountered Pokeweed, which is native and produces berries that birds love but is highly toxic to humans. In contrast, Porcelain Berry, an invasive from temperate Asia in the grape family, should always be quickly removed from gardens and other habitats, as it will overwhelm and destroy native plant life. Then we came upon Mugwort, also not native, which was probably brought over by colonists as a medicinal plant. Mugwort, among other plants, produces compounds to deter insects; this can create a detectable odor, which wanes by late summer, after plant reproduction has occurred.

The native Hackberry offered an opportunity to examine galls, a gall being an abnormal growth on a plant that appears as a bump, wart, or bulb to wall off an offending invader—in this case, an insect egg that becomes a larva. The plant creates additional tissue to protect itself and the insect takes advantage of this to eat the tissue. Certain insect secretions further incentivize tissue production from the plant. A sort of back and forth between the plant and insect begins to occur. It also happens that birds know about galls and what is inside them, and they take the opportunity to eat them.

We noticed that the invasive Phragmites on the west end of the Pool at the new boardwalk (built with wood planks from Black Locust) are especially high. The Pool at this end is covered in Duckweed, one of the smallest plants in the world. It looks like algae, but in fact crowds out algae and creates food for ducks and shade for organisms beneath the surface. Mixed in with the Duckweed is Wolffia, the world’s smallest flowering organism.

There was a spirited discussion of Poison Ivy and the fact that half of the human population may not be allergic to it; however, it is not worth testing whether you fall in the unaffected or the affected group (potentially painful). Undisputed is the fact that Poison Ivy produces berries popular with 60 species of birds.

Towards the end of our walk we encountered Bittersweet Nightshade, a member of the tomato family. There was a brief discussion about nightshades that can affect autoimmune conditions like arthritis or inflammatory bowel disease when consumed.

Species Lists

Birds
Mallard
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Downy Woodpecker
Eastern Kingbird
Warbling Vireo
Blue Jay
European Starling
American Robin
House Sparrow
Baltimore Oriole
Common Grackle
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Northern Cardinal

Plants

Trees—Native
Black Locust
Honey Locust
Hackberry
American Sycamore
Black Cherry
Tulip Tree
Tupelo Tree (Black Gum)
American Sweetgum Tree
Bald Cypress
Sassafras
Baby Oak Trees
Red Oak
Black Walnut
Red Maple
Red Buckeye
Pin Oak
Hornbeam
Sweetbay Magnolia
Hickory (species)
Serviceberry or Shad Bush

Trees—Hybrid
London Plane

Trees—Non-Native
Weeping Willow
White Mulberry
Ginkgo

Shrubs, Vines and Flowers—Native
Sweet Pepperbush
Purple Flowering Raspberry
Pokeweed
Hackberry
Blackberry
Jewelweed
Poison Ivy
Woodland Sunflower
Wolffia (Watermeal)
Duckweed
Virginia Knotweed
American Plantain
White Baneberry (Doll’s Eyes)
Spicebush
Wild Bergamot (Beebalm)
Native rose
Viburnum (species)
White Wood Aster
White Snakeroot
Cutleaf Coneflower
Purple Coneflower
Staghorn Sumac
Black Raspberry
Witch Hazel

Shrubs, Vines and Flowers—Non-native
European Plantain
Mugwort
Wineberry
Porcelain Berry
Japanese Knotweed
Bittersweet Nightshade

Grass—Native
Bottlebrush Grass

Grass—Non-native
Phragmites

Butterflies
Silver-spotted Skipper
Pearl Crescent
Zabulon Skipper

Gastropods
Snail

Odonates
Slaty Skimmer

Mammals
Eastern Gray Squirrel
Eastern Chipmunk
Brown Rat

Herps
Red-eared Slider

Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge with Gabriel Willow, 7/24/2022

Registrar: Linda LaBella
Participants: 13
Weather: High 93 degrees, sunny, breezy
Bird Species: 69

The forecast for the day was hot, humid, and overcast, but a cool breeze kicked up and the sun came out, making for more tolerable conditions. We started at the south end of the East Pond, picking through the Short-billed Dowitchers to look for Long-billed. Gabriel helped us identify the hendersoni subspecies of Short-billed from central and western Canada by pointing out how they differed from the more common griseus of northeast Canada.This instruction turned out to be quite helpful as we walked around the pond examining various groups of dowitchers and finding a few long-bills hidden in the flocks.

We had a great group of tireless birders who were eager to push on into the afternoon, and Gabriel graciously extended his time to lead us all the way up to the north end of the pond, where we were rewarded by beautiful views of the Hudsonian Godwit and other rarities. Walking back, we were hot and hungry but very happy with our day’s impressive list of 68 species.

Species Lists

Birds
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Gadwall
Mallard
American Black Duck
Ruddy Duck
Pied-billed Grebe
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
American Oystercatcher
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
Hudsonian Godwit
Stilt Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Short-billed Dowitcher (hendersoni)
Long-billed Dowitcher
Spotted Sandpiper
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Bonaparte’s Gull
Black-headed Gull
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull (American)
Great Black-backed Gull
Least Tern
Gull-billed Tern
Common Tern
Forster’s Tern
Black Skimmer
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron (immature)
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Glossy Ibis
Osprey
Red-tailed Hawk
Belted Kingfisher
Peregrine Falcon (immature)
Willow Flycatcher
Warbling Vireo (Eastern)
Fish Crow
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Bank Swallow
Barn Swallow (American)
Marsh Wren
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Finch
American Goldfinch
Song Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Boat-tailed Grackle
Yellow Warbler (Northern)
Northern Cardinal

Fresh Kills Park, Staten Island with Shannon R. Curley and Jose Ramirez-Garafalo, 7/9/2022

Registrar: Mary Beth Kooper
Trip report: Debbie Mullins
Participants: 17
Weather: 79-85 degrees Fahrenheit, partly sunny, northerly winds 5-8 mph
Bird Species: 46

Our leaders, Shannon Curley and Jose Ramirez-Garafalo, shared their field observations and extensive knowledge of Fresh Kills Park with an enthusiastic group of birders. Twenty-one years after closing as New York City’s only garbage dump, Fresh Kills Park is fulfilling the objective of becoming a rich habitat for numerous species of birds that are declining in New York State. We observed both Grasshopper and Savannah Sparrows visiting probable nesting sites. Although we did not see Sedge Wrens on this trip, Jose pointed out that they have been observed later in the summer in previous years. Four species of swallows were observed, including Cliff Swallows, whose nests in the park were first documented in 2020. A surprising find was a Black-bellied Whistling Duck: we all heard a distinct call that we couldn’t identify until Jose realized it was the flight call of the duck. Many interesting butterflies, odonates, and insects, including a Gulf Coast Tick—one of the largest ticks in the US—were also spotted. Numerous egrets, several species of raptors, and a beautiful male Blue Grosbeak—together with the lovely rolling hills and waterways and the Manhattan skyline in the background—made for a rewarding and enjoyable field trip.

Species List

Birds
Black-bellied Whistling Duck (h)
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Gadwall
Mallard
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Killdeer
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Peregrine Falcon
Eastern Kingbird
Warbling Vireo
American Crow
Common Raven
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Tree Swallow
Bank Swallow
Barn Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Marsh Wren
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Finch
American Goldfinch
Grasshopper Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Common Yellowthroat
Yellow Warbler
Blue Grosbeak

Herp
Diamondback Terrapin

Butterflies
Black Swallowtail
Cabbage White
Orange Sulphur
Clouded Sulphur
Eastern Tailed-Blue
Monarch

Odonates
Spot-winged Glider
Wandering Glider
Black Saddlebags

Insects and Arachnids
Carolina Grasshopper
Soldier Beetle
Spotted Lanternfly
Gulf Coast Tick

Great Swamp, New Jersey with Richard ZainEldeen 7/3/2022

Registrar: Sherry Felix
Participants: 8
Weather: 85 degrees Fahrenheit, cloudy in the morning. The wind shifted from NW to S. 
Bird Species: 56

Our small group of dedicated birders met at New Jersey Audubon’s Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary at 8:30 am. We caught sight of a Scarlet Tanager, and an Eastern Towhee was singing high atop a tree. We walked within the sanctuary as far as the Passaic River. 

We ate lunch by the Purple Martin houses at Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, our second stop in Morris County, then drove around looking for other birds within the Great Swamp. The highlight was a Ruby-throated Hummingbird sitting on a tiny nest by the road. 

Our third and last stop was at Lord Stirling Park in Somerset County. We took our time walking because of the heat, which was bearable in the shade.

Species Lists

Birds
Mourning Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo (h)
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Double-crested Cormorant
Turkey Vulture
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker (h)
Northern Flicker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Yellow-throated Vireo (h)
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee (h)
Tufted Titmouse
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
White-breasted Nuthatch (h)
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
House Wren
Marsh Wren (h)
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Eastern Bluebird
Veery
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
House Finch
American Goldfinch
Chipping Sparrow (h)
Field Sparrow (h)
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow (h)
Eastern Towhee
Baltimore Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Grackle
Ovenbird (h)
Common Yellowthroat 
Yellow Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Indigo Bunting

Butterflies
Great Spangled Fritiary
Mourning Cloak
Spicebush Swallowtail
Little Wood Satyr
Common Wood Nymph
Silver-spotted Skipper
Cabbage White

Odonates
Ebony Jewel Wing

Van Cortlandt Park Nature Walk with Ken Chaya, 6/18/2022  

Registrar: Amanda Bielskas
Trip Report: Janet Wooten
Participants: 17
Weather: Partly sunny to overcast, 64–68F, windy
Bird Species: 38
 
While Van Cortlandt Park’s 1,146 acres provide plenty of habitat for a wide range of interesting plants and wildlife, the participants of this field trip were laser-focused on insects. We began at the brushy area behind the Van Cortlandt House, where we found Least Skippers and a Banded Hairstreak, and where the experienced and sharp-eyed Mike Freeman spotted numerous other insects. From there, Ken Chaya, a renowned naturalist with many areas of expertise, led the way along the John Kieran Nature Trail to the Lake, where we studied the differences among damselflies of various species, so delicate and colorful as they weaved among the grasses.

Next we hiked past the Parade Grounds to the Cass Gallagher Nature Trail and the Northwest Forest, where we spent the afternoon searching for our target species for the day, the Silvery Checkerspot, as well as other insects. This lovely orange- and black-patterned butterfly prefers wooded areas like this one, but it has a short life. Despite unseasonably cool and windy conditions, we did find a Silvery Checkerspot to admire as it perched on a vine leaf, wings spread flat to absorb as much energy as possible from the light. We were thrilled! 
 
But we also took note of many plants and birds. Naturally growing Purple Milkweed was just about to blossom. The Sassafras forest impressed us with its straight trunks and sheer volume, and the beautiful Black Cohosh was in flower. At the base of a tree we found Dead Man’s Fingers, a saprobic fungus that looks eerily like pale and fuzzy fingers poking up from the ground. We couldn’t ignore the 17 Wood Ducks on the Lake, or the breeding Tree Swallows and House Wrens feeding their young, or the croaking calls of Common Ravens overhead. An Osprey visited the Lake, as did a Green Heron. And a tiny Eastern Cottontail quietly munched on some clover. 
 
Our heads were spinning with the numerous insects Ken encouraged us to observe. Soon everyone on the trip was noticing various syrphid flies, moths, wasps, beetles, and bugs of all kinds. A tiny Praying Mantis nymph, an Orchard Orbweaver Spider in its web, an Orange Bluet, a pair of Snipe Flies, a Parasitic Wasp—all captured our attention. The many photographers and iNaturalist users in our group documented our finds, giving us hope that what we learned about insects on this nature walk will stay with us and provide a foundation for deeper discovery.

Species Lists
 
Insects
Coleoptera
Lady Bird Beetle (Coccinelloidea family)
Red Milkweed Beetle (Tetraopes tetrophthalmus)
Clavate Tortoise Beetle (Helocassis clavata)
Black Firefly (Lucidota atra)
Rove Beetle (Staphylinidae family)
 
Diptera
Common Oblique Syrphid Fly (Allograpta obliqua) 
Crane Fly (Tipulidae family)
Snipe Fly (Chrysopilus fasciatus)
Marsh Snipe Fly (Rhagio tringarius)
Green Bottle Fly (Lucilia genus)
Tachinid Fly (Tachinidae family) 
Robber Fly (Asilidae family)
Long-legged Fly (Dolichopodidae family)
Stilt-legged Fly (Micropezidae family)
Eastern Calligrapher (Toxomerus geminatus)
European Drone Fly (Eristalis arbustorum)
 
Hemiptera 
Large Milkweed Bug (Oncopeltus fasciatus)
Spittle Bug (Cercopiodea family)
Plant Bug (Miridae family)
Leaf Hopper (Cicadellidae family)
Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula)
Pale Green Assassin Bug (Zelus luridus)
Leaf-footed Bug – nymph (Coreidae family) 
Virginia Creeper Treehopper (Telamona ampelopsidis) 
 
Hymenoptera 
European Hornet (Vespa crabro)
Eastern Yellowjacket (Vespula maculifrons)
Ensign Wasp (Evaniidae family)
Nomad Bee (Nomada sp.)
Common Eastern Bumble Bee (Bombus impatiens)
Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
Eastern Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa virginica)
 
Mantodea
Praying Mantis (Mantidae family)
 
Mecopteran
Hangingfly (Bittacus sp.)
 
Lepidoptera
Cabbage White (Pieris rapae)
Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis)
Least Skipper (Ancyloxypha numitor)
Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus)
Banded Hairstreak (Satyrium calanus)
Summer Azure (Celastrina neglecta)
American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis)
Zabulon Skipper (Lon zabulon)
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)
Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis)
Polyphemus Moth (Antheraea polyphemus)
Plume Moths (Pterophoridae) ?
Grape Plume Moth (Geina periscelidactylus) 
Delicate Cycnia Moth (Cycnia tenera)
Little Devil Moth (Dichomeris nonstrigella) 
 
Odonates
Eastern Forktail (Ischnura verticalis)
Fragile Forktail (Ishnura posita)
Orange Bluet (Enallagma signatum)
Variable Dancer (Argia fumipennis)
Ebony Jewelwing (Calopteryx maculata)
Spot-winged Glider (Pantala hymenaea)
Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis)
Common Whitetail (Plathemis lydia)
 
Arachnids
Araneae
Orchard Orbweaver Spider (Leucauge venusta)
Golden Jumping Spider (Paraphidippus aurantus)
 
Opiliones
Harvestman 
 
Birds
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)      
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) (Columba livia (Feral Pigeon))  
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  
Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica)  
Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum)  
Green Heron (Butorides virescens)  
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)  
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)  
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)  
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)  
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens)  
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) (Colaptes auratus auratus/luteus)  
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)  
Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus)  
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)  
Common Raven (Corvus corax)  
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)  
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis)  
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)  
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)  
House Wren (Troglodytes aedon)  
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)  
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  
Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)  
Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)  
Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina)  
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)  
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)  
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  
Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula)  
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)  
Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia)  
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)  
 
Fungus
Dead Man’s Fingers (Xylaria polymorpha)
 
Mammals
Eastern Cottontail (Sylviagus floridanus)
Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus)
Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)
 
Plants
Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron genus)
Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis)
Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata)
Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina)
Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)
Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)
Purple Milkweed (Asclepias purpurascens)
Black Cohosh (Actaea racemosa)
Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)
Northern Spicebush (Lindera benzoin)
London Plane Tree (Platanus x acerifolia)
Common Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis)
American Wintergreen (Pyrola americana)
Summer Grape (Vitis aestivalis)
Wineberry (Rubus phoenicolasius)
Blackberry (Rubus ursinus)
Linden (Tilia tomentosa)
Bog Yellowcress (Rorippa palustris)
Common Cattail (Typha latifolia)

Terns of Nickerson Beach with Patricia Lindsay and Shai Mitra, 6/10/2022

Registrar: Mary Beth Kooper
Participants: 17
Weather: 72 F, clear skies, bright sun, light westerly breeze
Bird Species: 44

Our group met at 8 am at the beach, where we were treated to an extensive investigation of the various bird species that flock to Nickerson in the summer for nesting, resting, and foraging. By far the most numerous that day was the Common Tern, which numbers in the thousands at this location in the summer. We spent time observing the various ages and stages of the species’ molt that are seen at this time of year. We were hoping for some of the more rare tern species to study, but none were found on this visit.

We also observed the other nesting birds of Nickerson: Piping Plovers, Black Skimmers, and American Oystercatchers. Among the interesting facts we learned was that some American Oystercatchers have a dark speck in their eyes (iridial depigmentation), just below the pupil. This is a trait found in all species of Oystercatchers, and studies have been done to figure out if this is a way to distinguish the sexes. The next time you see an Oystercatcher of any kind, be sure to check out the eye and see if you can find this unusual trait.

Instead of ending the trip early because of the low diversity of tern species at Nickerson, Shai and Pat very generously offered to lead the group over to the Jones Beach Coast Guard area, where some rarities had been reported earlier in the day. Everyone was able to caravan to that nearby location, where we added many new species to our trip list, including White-rumped Sandpipers, a Red-necked Phalarope, and—for those who were able to wait it out—a White-winged Dove. It was an exciting and fun field trip, and everyone learned a great deal from our expert and very gracious leaders.

Species Lists

Birds
Canada Goose
Mallard
Surf Scoter
Black Scoter
Rock Pigeon
White-winged Dove
Mourning Dove
American Oystercatcher
Piping Plover 
Killdeer 
Sanderling
Dunlin
White-rumped Sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Red-necked Phalarope
Willet (Eastern)
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Least Tern
Common Tern
Black Skimmer
Double-crested Cormorant
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Glossy Ibis
Osprey
Willow Flycatcher
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
American Robin
House Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Grackle
Boat-tailed Grackle
Common Yellowthroat
Yellow Warbler
Northern Cardinal

Mammals
Dolphins

Butterflies
Monarch Butterfly