Montauk Weekend with Joseph DiCostanzo, 2/25/2017-2/26/2017
Registrar: Dale Dancis
Participants: 13
Bird Species: 66
We started our journey at the Coast Guard Station in a dense mist. A Peregrine Falcon was sitting on top of a tall pole. We had distant looks at a few Snow Buntings and Horned Larks. Also seen at that site were both Common and Red-throated Loon. The resident Black Scoter made its usual appearance. We saw 4 Killdeer. At our second stop, Oak Beach. Joe spotted the female Barrow’s Goldeneye among a flock of Common Goldeneye, and he showed us where to look. We also saw many Long-tailed Ducks, Red-breasted Mergansers, and a Red-throated Loon. Joe spotted distant Greater Scaup.
Our next stop was Eastport. There we saw many Greater Scaup, Hooded Mergansers, American Wigeons and many other water birds. A Belted Kingfisher flew past us. We explored a nearby pond and had good lucks at Gadwall and other water birds. We then proceeded to Dune Road. The tide was out, and shorebirds were on the sandbars. We saw Black-bellied Plovers, Dunlins, Sanderlings and American Oystercatchers. Also, in that area we saw Common Eiders, but the big surprise was a close and very cooperative Razorbill, spotted by Lenore Swenson. A dramatic moment occurred when Joe spotted the Snowy Owl. There were 2 Boat-tailed Grackles at the Ponquogue Bridge. We were becoming tired, as the day waned, but were motivated by our next stop, Wainscott Hollow Road. By the time we arrived the fog was returning. As we slowly drove down the road, Lenore spotted the Sandhill Crane, fairly close in the field. We had beautiful looks through the mist. Also, a Carolina Wren was singing. We continued on our way to Montauk. We stopped at Fort Pond to see American Coots and Mallards as the day darkened into night.
Sunday morning we arrived at Montauk Point where we quickly saw Black Scoters, Surf Scoters, White-winged Scoters, Common Eiders, Long-tailed Ducks, Red-breasted Mergansers, both Loon species, Northern Gannets, Great Cormorants and the three gull species. I have not mentioned land birds, but we did see Red-winged Blackbirds and American Crow. We saw the same water birds from the Bluff, but many of them were very close. Our next stop was the Montauk Inlet to look for the Black Guillemot, but alas, it was nowhere to be seen, but we had another reward. Joe took us to the west Lake Montauk Inlet, and spotted another beautiful Razorbill and then to top things off, he spotted an Iceland Gull, and we observed it. Our morning was not yet over. We went to Ditch Plains. Our leader led us to the rocks along the beach and showed us the Black-headed Gull among the Bonaparte Gulls. As we walked along the beach to the gulls, Kathy Drake spotted Purple Sandpipers on a different set of rocks. We watched a Horned Grebe diving for food in Fort Pond Bay.
Our final destination was North Sea Drive in Southold to look for the Townsend’s Solitaire. We arrived in the afternoon. It was windy and cold. We did not see it. We did see Blue Jays, American Crows, and there were two Red-tailed Hawks. Kathy spotted a Turkey Vulture on route from the car. I had a quick look at it. We thank our excellent leader, Joseph DiCostanzo for an exciting, birding adventure. We thank our excellent registrar Dale Dancis for organizing this trip.
Species List
Birds
Brant
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Wood Duck
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Mallard
American Black Duck
Ring-necked Duck
Greater Scaup
Common Eider
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Barrow’s Goldeneye
Hooded Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Horned Grebe
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
American Coot
Sandhill Crane
American Oystercatcher
Black-bellied Plover
Killdeer
Sanderling
Dunlin
Razorbill
Purple Sandpiper
Bonaparte’s Gull
Black-headed Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Iceland Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Northern Gannet
Great Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Northern Harrier
Cooper’s Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Snowy Owl
Belted Kingfisher
Peregrine Falcon
Blue Jay
American Crow
Horned Lark
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Northern Mockingbird
American Robin
House Sparrow
Snow Bunting
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Boat-tailed Grackle
Yellow-rumped Warbler
