Jones Beach: West End Beaches and Camman’s Pond with Richard ZainEldeen, 1/14/2017

Registrar: Miriam Rakowski
Participants: 5
Weather: 30 degrees F, sunny am, cloudy pm, winds, mild to slightly breezy. Due to a severe snow storm, this trip was rescheduled from Sunday, 1/8/2017 to Saturday, 1/14/2017. We did not bird Point Lookout, because the weather was becoming threatening in the afternoon.
Bird Species: 49

We saw five species of shorebirds, including excellent looks at Purple Sandpipers. The male Surf Scoter very close to the shore was a surprise. Our reliable Black Scoter at the Coast Guard Station swam very close to the Boardwalk and posed for photographs. The Snow Buntings put on a wonderful show at the West End 2 parking lot. The Lapland Longspur was with a group of Horned Larks in the swale. Some of us enjoyed seeing it. We scurried from the swale to the jetty where we were greeted by perhaps over l,000 Dunlins sitting on the jetty, with their heads tucked in. How we wished they would raise their heads!

We noticed that the weather was changing. Dark clouds were rolling into view. Richard then led us back through a path in the Dunes. We were rewarded as we completed the walk with beautiful sightings of American Tree Sparrows. After a brief lunch, Richard made a wise decision to skip Point Lookout and make a short stop at Camman’s Pond. At the pond we enjoyed close looks at Hooded Mergansers, N. Shovelers, Gadwall and Black-crowned Night Herons. Ultimately, we did drive home in a snowstorm, but we had our day!

Species Lists

Birds
Brant
Canada Goose
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
Mallard
American Black Duck
Surf Scoter
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
American Oystercatcher
Black-bellied Plover
Sanderling
Dunlin
Purple Sandpiper
Bonaparte’s Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
Northern Harrier
Red-tailed Hawk
Downy Woodpecker
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Horned Lark
Tree Swallow
Red-breasted Nuthatch
European Starling
Northern Mockingbird
American Robin
House Sparrow
House Finch
American Goldfinch
Lapland Longspur
Snow Bunting
American Tree Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Song Sparrow
Common Grackle
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Northern Cardinal

Massapequa, Capri, Capri Pond, Coastal Areas with Gabriel Willow, 12/3/2016

Registrar: Louse Fraza
Participants: 11
Weather: Partly sunny, 40 – 50 degrees Fahrenheit
Bird Species: 55

Trip included Robert Moses State Park, Jones Beach, Tobay Beach, Unqua Lake, Arthur J. Henderson Park in Valley Stream.

Eleven Linnaean members showed up for this early winter trip.  We started at the north end of the Massapequa reservoir area called Mansfield Park.  Almost right away, Gabriel heard a Carolina wren, which he coaxed out into the open.  Soon both members of a pair were showing climbing on the creepers along the stream.  Then Gabriel noticed an old nest in the vicinity of the birds, which he said could very well have been where they had nested last spring.  This was suggested by the proportion of twigs to grasses as well as the shape.  Several different nests were then found and analyzed.  Gabriel turned out to be an all-round naturalist who delighted us with information about the birds, trees and plants we encountered. This was a fast-paced trip that covered several ecological areas such as woodlands, creeks, reservoirs, lakes and shores and included some impressive landscapes along the Robert Moses Causeway. We made about 10 stops. Our final tally of 55 species included 17 duck species. We were happy to find redheads (at Capri Pond), northern pintails (Massapequa Lake), and surf and black scoters (Robert Moses). We had great looks at a red fox who was crossing the lawn at the needle at the Robert Moses State Park.  Our last stop was at Valley Stream’s Henderson Park where the Pink-footed Goose was awaiting us.

Species Lists

Birds
Pink-footed Goose
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Mallard
American Black Duck
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Redhead
Lesser Scaup
Surf Scoter
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Pied-billed Grebe
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
American Coot
Sanderling
Peeps
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
gull sp.
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Northern Gannet
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper’s Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Peregrine Falcon
American Crow
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Northern Mockingbird
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
House Finch
Dark-eyed Junco
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Northern Cardinal

Alley Pond Park with Alan Drogin, 10/1/2016

Participants: 6
Weather:  ~60 degrees Fahrenheit, Calm, Cloudy with a little light rain in the early morning.
Bird Species: 50

Species Lists

Birds
Canada Goose
Mallard
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Herring Gull
Double-crested Cormorant
Osprey
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Merlin
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
Black-capped Chickadee
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
White-breasted Nuthatch
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Northern Mockingbird
Gray-cheeked Thrush
Hermit Thrush
Wood Thrush
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln’s Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Baltimore Oriole
Common Grackle
Ovenbird
Black-and-white Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Cape May Warbler
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Pine Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Scarlet Tanager

Butterfly (Lepidoptera)
Cabbage White

Dragonfly (Odonate)
Green Darner (at Kissena)

Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge with Joseph DiCostanzo, 11/26/2016

Registrar: Kathleen Howley
Participants: 8
Weather: Sunny am, cloudy pm, 40 degrees am to 50 degrees Fahrenheit pm.
Bird Species: 47

Date changed from 11/19/2016.

Species Lists

Birds
Brant
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Mallard
American Black Duck
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Greater Scaup
Black Scoter
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Horned Grebe
Rock Pigeon
American Oystercatcher
Sanderling
Dunlin
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Peregrine Falcon
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Northern Mockingbird
American Robin
House Sparrow
House Finch
American Tree Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Boat-tailed Grackle
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Northern Cardinal

Prospect Park with Steve Nanz (leading for Peter Dorosh), 11/6/2016

Participants: 7
Bird Species: 49

Species Lists

Birds
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Northern Shoveler
American Wigeon
Mallard
American Black Duck
Ruddy Duck
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
American Coot
Killdeer (h)
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Double-crested Cormorant
Red-tailed Hawk
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Merlin
Blue Jay
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
House Sparrow
American Pipit
House Finch
Purple Finch
American Goldfinch
Chipping Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-throated Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Orange-crowned Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Northern Cardinal

New Jersey Hotspots with Robert Machover, 10/29/2016

Participants: 4
Weather: cloudy am, sunny pm, calm, 40 degrees in the am to 60 degrees Fahrenheit in the pm.
Bird Species: 50

Species Lists

Birds
Brant
Canada Goose
Mallard
American Black Duck
Bufflehead
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
American Oystercatcher
Black-bellied Plover
Dunlin
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Common Loon
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Cooper’s Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Eastern Phoebe
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Tree Swallow
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Northern Mockingbird
American Robin
House Finch
American Goldfinch
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Saltmarsh Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Northern Parula
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Northern Cardinal

Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Orange Sulfur
Cabbage White
Monarch

Dragonfly (Odonate)
Green Darner

Randall’s Island with Alan Drogin, 10/23/2016

Participants: 8
Weather: Sunny, gusty wind 20 – 30 mph, 54 – 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bird Species: 41

Trip changed from 10/22/2016 because of inclement weather.

Species Lists

Birds
Brant
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Wood Duck
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Killdeer
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Double-crested Cormorant
Cooper’s Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Belted Kingfisher
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Peregrine Falcon
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
European Starling
Northern Mockingbird
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-throated Sparrow
Saltmarsh Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Eastern Meadowlark
Common Grackle
Black-and-white Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Blackpoll Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Northern Cardinal

Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Cabbage White
Red Admiral
Clouded Sulfur
Monarch
Orange Sulfur

Dragonfly (Odonate)
Green Darner

Floyd Bennett Field with Rob Jett, 10/15/2016

Registrar: Monica Berger
Participants: 4
Weather: Sunny, 50 degrees in the am, 70 degrees Fahrenheit pm.
Bird Species: 49

5 miles of walking

Species Lists

Birds
Brant
Canada Goose
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Killdeer
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper’s Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tree Swallow
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Northern Mockingbird
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
American Pipit
House Finch
American Goldfinch
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-crowned Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Yellowthroat
Magnolia Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Palm Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Northern Cardinal