We had fun viewing the typical wintering birds of Central Park. We observed the water birds and land birds and were ready for a break at the Boathouse. Just as we were about to sit down for a hot beverage and snack, Richard announces that we are to leave and go to the Shakespeare Garden for the Long-eared Owl. We raced to the Shakespeare Garden, and there it was. We had great looks. We were very quiet as we gazed at the owl and then left. We returned to the Boathouse for our hot beverage and snack. What a grand finale to a lovely bird walk!
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 Red-tailed Hawk Long-eared Owl Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker Blue Jay Black-capped Chickadee Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch European Starling American Robin House Sparrow American Goldfinch Fox Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Red-winged Blackbird Brown-headed Cowbird Common Grackle Northern Cardinal
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
Birds Canada Goose Wood Duck Northern Shoveler Mallard American Black Duck Northern Pintail Bufflehead Hooded Merganser Ruddy Duck Pied-billed Grebe Red-necked Grebe Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove American Coot Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Double-crested Cormorant Red-tailed Hawk Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-headed Woodpecker Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Blue Jay American Crow Black-capped Chickadee Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch European Starling American Robin House Sparrow House Finch American Goldfinch Fox Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Red-winged Blackbird Brown-headed Cowbird Common Grackle Northern Cardinal
Registrar: Regina Ryan Participants: 4 Bird Species: 32
Species Lists
Birds Brant Canada Goose Mute Swan Gadwall American Wigeon Mallard American Black Duck Greater Scaup Long-tailed Duck Bufflehead Common Goldeneye Red-breasted Merganser Horned Grebe Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove American Coot Sanderling Purple Sandpiper large alcid sp. (most likely a Razorbill) Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Red-throated Loon Common Loon Northern Gannet Double-crested Cormorant Cooper’s Hawk Red-tailed Hawk American Crow Fish Crow European Starling House Sparrow
Registrar: Ellen Hoffman Participants: 6 Weather: Cloudy, tiny bit of snow flurries initially, 30 degrees F Bird Species: 37
Species Lists
Birds Brant Canada Goose Gadwall American Black Duck Greater Scaup Bufflehead Common Goldeneye Hooded Merganser Red-breasted Merganser Pied-billed Grebe Horned Grebe Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Red-throated Loon Common Loon Great Cormorant Red-tailed Hawk Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker Blue Jay American Crow Fish Crow Black-capped Chickadee Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch Carolina Wren Gray Catbird American Robin Chipping Sparrow American Tree Sparrow Fox Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow
Registrar: Anne Lazarus Participants: 8 Weather: Sunny throughout the day, 40 degrees F, winds calm, slight breeze Bird Species: 44
This trip required sturdy hiking boots and stamina. We walked everywhere, up and down hills, but we had many avian rewards. We want to thank our excellent leader, Paul Keim. Paul is a naturalist as well as a bird expert. I will thank myself as a registrar, but special thanks to my very little scope through which we observed many birds, and also through which Gordon took his wonderful photographs. Our trip began with the Red-shouldered Hawk, sitting in a tree at the west end of the bridge (entrance to the park). It preened and posed. We walked up the landfill on the north side, and our raptor day began. First we saw a Cooper’s Hawk, then three Red-tailed Hawks, more as we proceeded into the park. We eventually saw a Sharp-shinned Hawk. Our goal was the EasternScreech Owl and what a lovely bird it is. Next step, the Great Horned Owl in the Pine Trees. Paul immediately spotted it. We saw it, also with the help of the American Crows. We deserved a lunch break, but on the way to the lunch break, Gordon spotted a Merlin in the picnic area.
After lunch we went up the land fill and saw more Red-tailed Hawks and the China Praying Mantis egg case. As we descended we saw an American Kestrel and Turkey Vultures, but Paul with his knowledge and keen eyes, noticed that one of the birds had long, flat wings and was flapping. He confirmed his observation with the scope. It was an immature Bald Eagle. We learned to look more carefully and notice details. Not over yet. As we approached the bridge a Common Raven flew by us. We then piled into Gordon’s and Lori’s car (three people had left early) and went to the end of the road at the train station and saw Common Mergansers, far away and Black Ducks. That was the end of the wonderful trip. No need to exercise. This trip was quite aerobic at times.
Species Lists
Birds Canada Goose Mallard American Black Duck Canvasback Greater Scaup Bufflehead Common Merganser Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Killdeer (h) Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Turkey Vulture Sharp-shinned Hawk Cooper’s Hawk Bald Eagle Red-shouldered Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Eastern Screech-Owl Great Horned Owl Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker (h) American Kestrel Merlin Blue Jay American Crow Fish Crow Common Raven Black-capped Chickadee Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch Carolina Wren (h) European Starling Northern Mockingbird American Robin House Sparrow American Goldfinch American Tree Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Red-winged Blackbird (h) Northern Cardinal
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
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
