Joseph DiConstanzo has been leading the Linnaean Society Montauk trip for over 40 years. His generosity and expertise were greatly appreciated. Although the trip is made up mostly of experienced birders, we had a few enthusiastic newcomers who saw some life birds. We all shared memories of lovely year birds.
Our group met at the West End Coast Guard Station where we enjoyed views of various water birds, including a male Surf Scoter. The hardy American Oystercatchers that over wintered deserve honorable mention. We then proceeded to Point Lookout. An interesting feature of Point Lookout parking lot is its attraction for shorebirds. We saw Red Knots and two Dunlins among the Black-bellied Plovers. Common Eiders, Long-tailed Ducks, Horned Grebes, the graceful Red-throated Loons and Common Loons were among the expected water birds we saw in the ocean at Point Lookout. We continued to Oak Beach and saw beautiful Greater Scaup.
Our next destination was Eastport where we saw several American Wigeons, two Hooded Mergansers, American Coots and other water birds.
We were surprised at the large numbers of Lesser Scaup among the Greater Scaup. We then proceeded to Shinnecock Inlet where we were greeted by a female King Eider. The sighting was not easy in the wind and rough water. The eiders were not that close. Our leader taught us how to identify it under difficult viewing conditions. The day was waning, and it was decided that we go straight to Montauk Point. The three scoter species were waiting for us. Some Razorbills were flying and quickly disappearing into the distance. We did see a few Northern Gannets. The light was fading, so we left the Point looking forward to an early dinner at the Shagwong Tavern and an early night at Daunt’s Albatross.
Sunday morning was crisp and sunny. We went straight to Montauk Point North Lookout once more. Again we saw many Black, Surf and White-winged Scoters, Common Eiders and Razorbills. One Common Goldeneye made an appearance. We eventually made our way to Old West Lake Drive where we saw the male Barrow’s Goldeneye among the Common Goldeneyes and a few Red-breasted Mergansers. We visited the west side of Lake Montauk Inlet, and were happy to see our target bird an Iceland Gull. Another very exciting site was Culloden Point. Standing out in all its beauty among huge flocks of all three scoter species and Common Eiders was a male King Eider. A new trail had been created which ended at a nice overlook. As we listened to the scoters calling it brought back memories of former trips at Montauk Point. It was a lovely place. Our final destination was 56 Three Mile Island Drive hoping to see the Townsend’s Solitaire, but we had to be satisfied with a Hermit Thrush. The light was fading, and it was time to go home.
Species Lists
Birds Brant Canada Goose Mute Swan American Wigeon Mallard American Black Duck Greater Scaup Lesser Scaup King Eider (female and male) Common Eider Surf Scoter White-winged Scoter Black Scoter Long-tailed Duck Bufflehead Common Goldeneye Barrow’s Goldeneye Hooded Merganser Red-breasted Merganser Horned Grebe Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove American Coot American Oystercatcher Black-bellied Plover Red Knot Dunlin Razorbill Bonaparte’s Gull Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Iceland Gull Great Black-backed Gull Red-throated Loon Common Loon Northern Gannet Double-crested Cormorant Great Blue Heron Turkey Vulture Northern Harrier Red-tailed Hawk American Kestrel Blue Jay American Crow Black-capped Chickadee Carolina Wren European Starling Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird Hermit Thrush American Robin House Sparrow House Finch White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Red-winged Blackbird Common Grackle Yellow-rumped Warbler Northern Cardinal
Mammals Eastern Gray Squirrel White-tailed Deer Harbor Seal Total Mammal Species: 3
Registrar: Debbie Mullins Participants: 13 Weather: Sunny progressing to overcast, calm winds, high 20’s Bird Species: 27
After a two-week postponement due to snow and ice on the original date, we finally had a clear, but very brisk day, for our trip to Ulster County. We started the day with a trail walk through the grass where we saw several Red-tailed Hawks and an American Kestrel, as well as an owl pellet. The feeders and the surrounding area held a nice collection of woodpeckers and passerines, including an American Tree Sparrow. Red-tailed Hawks, a Common Raven and Black Vultures were seen at Gale Park, and a Common Merganser, American Black Ducks and Canada Geese were seen from the Birch Road bridge over the Wallkill River. We returned to Shawangunk late in the afternoon for our target bird, the Short-eared Owl. We were not disappointed! Three owls put on a beautiful show, soaring around the grasslands to the delight of a large group of birders and photographers. Overall, we saw twenty-eight bird species, and all participants had life birds or year birds.
Species Lists
Birds Canada Goose American Black Duck Common Merganser Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Double-crested Cormorant Black Vulture Turkey Vulture Northern Harrier (including gray male) Cooper’s Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Short-eared Owl Downy Woodpecker Northern Flicker American Kestrel Blue Jay American Crow Common Raven Black-capped Chickadee Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch European Starling American Goldfinch American Tree Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Red-winged Blackbird Common Grackle Northern Cardinal
The trip included Strawberry Fields, north along the Lake, across Oak Bridge, into the Ramble, Maintenance Meadow, the Feeders, the Oven and to the Boathouse for an early lunch. From there, back to the Ramble, the feeders (in hopes of some Purple Finches – but no success), along Turtle Pond, to the Pinetum, along the west side of the Reservoir and up to the west side of the Ballfields near 97th Street to see the immature Red-headed Woodpecker. The hardy bunch of the group continued up to the Pool to try and find the female Green-winged Teal (also no success).
The highlights were: Two Eastern Towhees, a Cooper’s Hawk being chased by a red-tailed Hawk, a male Red-winged Blackbird and a White-breasted Nuthatch in the Ramble, an American Coot, Pied-billed Grebe, Hooded Mergansers and Buffleheads on the Reservoir and the immature Red-headed Woodpecker near the West side of the Ballfields, this time we saw it South of the 96th Street transverse. We also saw the leucistic Common Grackle in the huge flock of Grackles near West 95th Street along the bridle path but missed the female Boat-tailed Grackle that had been seen with the flock previously.
Species Lists
Birds Canada Goose Northern Shoveler Mallard Bufflehead Hooded Merganser Ruddy Duck Pied-billed Grebe Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove American Coot Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Double-crested Cormorant Cooper’s Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Red-headed Woodpecker (immature) Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Blue Jay White-breasted Nuthatch European Starling Northern Mockingbird American Robin House Sparrow House Finch American Goldfinch White-throated Sparrow Eastern Towhee Red-winged Blackbird Common Grackle (one partially leucistic) Northern Cardinal
Registrar: Mary Beth Kooper Participants: 11 Weather: Cloudy, Calm winds, low 40’s F. Bird Species: 33
The trip was a loop from Coney Island Beach (and Pier) to Coney Island Creek Park, Coney Island Creek/Kaiser Park, and Coney Island Creek/23rd Street Overlook. It was a very calm day with a calm ocean, allowing for great looks at numerous Surf Scoters, Black Scoters, and Long-tailed Ducks. An over wintering Lesser Black-backed Gull, nicknamed Stumpy, was a highlight as we left the pier. Further down the beach we got close up looks at a Razorbill before it went further out to sea. Nearby were three Purple Sandpipers.
Continuing to the Coney Island Creek side, waterfowl was the highlight including a Common Goldeneye, Redhead, Greater and Less Scaup. An American Kestrel appeared just as the walk was ending at the 23rd Street Overlook.
Species Lists
Birds Brant Canada Goose Gadwall Mallard American Black Duck Redhead Greater Scaup Lesser Scaup Surf Scoter Black Scoter Long-tailed Duck Bufflehead Common Goldeneye Red-breasted Merganser Pied-billed Grebe Horned Grebe Rock Pigeon American Coot Sanderling Purple Sandpiper Razorbill Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Great Black-backed Gull Red-throated Loon Common Loon American Kestrel American Crow Fish Crow European Starling Northern Mockingbird House Sparrow
Registrar: Kathleen Howley Participants: 7 Weather: Sunny am, later pm, low 30’s F to 40 F, wind 5 mph Bird Species: 41
I would like to thank our excellent leader, Richard ZainEldeen for leading this most exciting trip. Our biggest surprise was a Northern Goshawk perched in a tree along Ocean Parkway and Parking Lot 6. We enjoyed viewing a variety of ducks, including the beautiful Harlequin Ducks at a jetty at Point Lookout. We also enjoyed views of a Ruddy Turnstone on a jetty further along at Point Lookout. The Black-bellied Plovers, Sanderlings and Dunlins were foraging on the spit at the Coast Guard Station, and one lone Common Eider was relaxing on the spit. We were impressed by all the interesting sparrows. We welcomed back a flock of wintering Snow Buntings at West End beaches.
Species Lists
Birds Brant Canada Goose Mute Swan Mallard American Black Duck Common Eider Harlequin Duck Surf Scoter Black Scoter Long-tailed Duck Bufflehead Red-breasted Merganser Horned Grebe Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Black-bellied Plover Ruddy Turnstone Sanderling Dunlin Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Red-throated Loon Common Loon Double-crested Cormorant Northern Goshawk Red-tailed Hawk Northern Flicker Eastern Phoebe European Starling Northern Mockingbird American Goldfinch (h) Snow Bunting Field Sparrow Fox Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco White-throated Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Song Sparrow Red-winged Blackbird Yellow-rumped Warbler
We began the morning at Rye Playland, where we studied a nice array of ducks, including Wood Ducks, Common Goldeneye and more. Then Tom brought us to Rye Ridge Shopping Center Pond. There we saw hundreds of geese. Tom surprised us by finding one White-fronted Goose. This lovely bird, which we were able to study for some time, turned out to be a “year bird” for all the attendees. We drove to The Marshland Conservancy, where we had lunch. There we enjoyed viewing both the Field and Fox Sparrows and a few in the group saw the American Tree Sparrow.
Species Lists
Birds Greater White-fronted Goose Brant Canada Goose Mute Swan Wood Duck American Wigeon Mallard American Black Duck Greater Scaup Lesser Scaup White-winged Scoter scoter sp. Long-tailed Duck Bufflehead Common Goldeneye Hooded Merganser Common Merganser Red-breasted Merganser Ruddy Duck Wild Turkey Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Killdeer Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Red-throated Loon Common Loon Northern Gannet Great Cormorant Double-crested Cormorant Great Blue Heron Black Vulture Turkey Vulture Sharp-shinned Hawk Cooper’s Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Great Horned Owl Belted Kingfisher Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker Northern Flicker Merlin Blue Jay American Crow Fish Crow Black-capped Chickadee Tufted Titmouse Ruby-crowned Kinglet White-breasted Nuthatch Winter Wren Carolina Wren American Robin House Sparrow House Finch American Goldfinch Field Sparrow American Tree Sparrow Fox Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Eastern Towhee Red-winged Blackbird Common Grackle Northern Cardinal
Registrar: Anne Lazarus Participants: 11 Weather: Sunny, wind 5 mph, variable, upper 30’s to 40’s F Bird Species: 63
We thank our leader Peter Dorosh for guiding us on an exciting tour of Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge and Shirley Chisholm State Park. This trip was a day of avian surprises. Our first surprise was a female Common Goldeneye on the West Pond among all the other beautiful ducks. Big John’s Pond featured several Wood Ducks. With a little effort we saw the Redhead on the East Pond. A vocalizing Common Raven suddenly appeared overhead. The biggest surprise was three Tundra Swans, a bit distant, but photographed. Our final stop was the newly opened Shirley Chisholm State Park. This park attracted many Lesser Scaup, Belted Kingfisher, six Killdeer in flight, one Vesper Sparrow, one Lincoln’s Sparrow, one Orange-crowned Warbler and other land and water birds. Dusk comes quickly at this time of year, and we had to leave. But we will return.
Species Lists
Birds Snow Goose Brant Canada Goose Mute Swan Tundra Swan Wood Duck Northern Shoveler Gadwall American Wigeon Mallard American Black Duck Northern Pintail Green-winged Teal Redhead Greater Scaup Lesser Scaup Bufflehead Common Goldeneye Hooded Merganser Red-breasted Merganser Ruddy Duck Horned Grebe Mourning Dove American Coot Killdeer Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Double-crested Cormorant Great Blue Heron Great Egret Snowy Egret Black-crowned Night-Heron Northern Harrier Red-tailed Hawk Barn Owl Belted Kingfisher Downy Woodpecker Northern Flicker Merlin Peregrine Falcon American Crow Common Raven Golden-crowned Kinglet Carolina Wren (h) European Starling Northern Mockingbird American Robin Cedar Waxwing House Finch American Goldfinch American Tree Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco White-throated Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Song Sparrow Lincoln’s Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Eastern Towhee Orange-crowned Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Northern Cardinal
