Leader: Tom Stephenson
Registrar: Anne Lazarus
Participants: 18 participants
Weather: Rain delaying trip on arrival, then sunny, calm, 70s-80s F.
Every spring and summer the water levels in the East Pond are mechanically lowered to create mudflats where shorebirds can forage. When the tides are high shorebirds gravitate to the exposed mudflats of the East Pond. This year the high tide on Aug. 26th was at 4:30 pm. We made the decision to shorebird in early morning at Plumb Beach where the low tides exposed the mudflats. Sure enough the shorebirds arrived in numbers where they foraged for invertebrates. In addition we saw many species of terns, including Caspian, Gull-billed Tern, Forster`s, Common and Least Terns. Two Ruddy Turnstones, Black-bellied Plovers and Sanderlings were among the special shorebirds of Plumb Beach. We walked to the marshes where we were greeted by three Clapper Rails. A Seaside Sparrow was observed by many, and a Saltmarsh Sparrow was also present.
Our second stop was the West Pond of Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. Our outstanding leader, Tom Stephenson, found a Baird`s Sandpipers. He made sure we all had the opportunity to see this special shorebird. We did not neglect the Semi-palmated Sandpipers, White-rumped Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, ducks, including one female Ring-necked Duck in eclipse plumage and carefully analyzed. Other interesting ducks included Green-winged Teal and Northern Shovelers. We were amazed to see about twenty Black-crowned Night Herons gathered in one small location on the West Pond.
Our final stop was the south end of the East Pond. Because of frequent storms this spring and summer the water level was high. We could not walk beyond the south border of the pond. Despite the restricted exposure of mudflats, we counted several shorebird species, including Short-billed Dowitcher, both Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, several species of sandpipers, Semi-palmated Plovers and more. We had excellent looks at a Little Blue Heron.
Torrential rain did not stop the dedicated Linnaean members from driving in the early morning. What a rewarding trip we had!
Species Lists
Birds
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Black-crowned Night Heron
Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Glossy Ibis
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Gadwall
American Black Duck
Mallard
Northern Shoveler
Green-winged Teal
Ring-necked Duck
Ruddy Duck
Osprey
Peregrine Falcon
Clapper Rail
Black-bellied Plover
Semi-palmated Plover
American Oystercatcher
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Ruddy Turnstone
Sanderling
Semi-palmated Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
White-rumped Sandpiper
Baird`s Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Caspian Tern
Common Tern
Forster`s Tern
Least Tern
Black Skimmer
Rock Dove
Mourning Dove
American Crow
Barn Swallow
Carolina Wren
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Cedar Waxwing
Saltmarsh Sparrow
Seaside Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Boat-tailed Grackle
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
