Registrar: Dale Dancis
Weather: Saturday and Sunday were both partly cloudy and cool (30-40 degrees)
Species: 60 total
Participants: 18
The Montauk trip has been included in the LSNY schedule since 1975. Leaders in the past have included Jose Machado, Irving Cantor, Robert Paxton, Tom Davis, Eric Saltzman, and Chris McKeever. In 1985, Joe DiCostanzo took over the leadership of the trip and has continued in that role ever since. Dale Dancis has served as registrar for most years since 1993; Alice Deutsch covered for Dale last year while she was in Africa.
Participants left Manhattan on Saturday morning at 7:15 am in order to meet by 8:30 at the Jones Beach Coast Guard station, where we found a large variety of shorebirds, including 600 Dunlin, 100 Black-bellied Plover, 80 Sanderling and 1 Purple Sandpiper. Black Scoters and Common Loons were also present. The people in one car saw a Lapland Longspur in a flock of Horned Larks.
Following a tip from the local birding alert, we drove to Point Lookout Town Beach, where we were thrilled to see 30 Harlequin Ducks, 40 Long-tailed Ducks, a Horned Grebe, and both Red-throated and Common Loons.
Our next stop, at Eastport Lake (Setauck Creek), yielded two Canvasback and a Redhead, as well as an American Wigeon, an American Coot, a Black-crowned Night Heron, a Belted Kingfisher, and a Great Egret. Spring is on the way! Dune Road was not as productive, but we added to our list a Northern Harrier flying over the dunes.
This great birding day ended at Shinnecock Inlet, where we saw 20 Common Eiders, a White-winged Scoter, six Red-breasted Mergansers, an Iceland Gull, a Great Cormorant, and a White-crowned Sparrow. At 6:00 pm we checked into our hotel, The Royal Atlantic, and as a light rain fell, we walked over to The Shagwong Tavern for a delicious dinner.
On Saturday, February 11, we headed to Montauk Point at first light. We were treated to 30 Common Eiders, two Black Scoters, 60 Long-tailed Ducks, two Razorbills, a Black-legged Kittiwake, and a Northern Gannet. At Camp Hero, our next stop, we added six Surf Scoters and 30 Black Scoters. After a full morning of birding, hungry participants drove back to John’s Pancake House for a large brunch and checked out of our rooms.
We then birded local areas around Montauk, stopping at Lake Montauk, Montauk Icehouse, Sammy’s Beach, and Crab Meadow Beach, adding eight Golden-eyes and 200 White-winged Scoters. Our last bird of the trip was a rare Black Guillemot—elusive yet seen by most. It was only the third of that species ever seen by Joe.
The weekend, expertly led by Joe, was a terrific trip. There were many newer birders who were pleased with the number of life birds they saw. The weather cooperated as did the birds!
Species List
Birds
Brant
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Mallard
American Black Duck
Canvasback
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Common Eider
Harlequin Duck
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Horned Grebe
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
Mourning Dove
American Coot
American Oystercatcher
Black-bellied Plover
Sanderling
Dunlin
Purple Sandpiper
Black Guillemot
Razorbill
Black-legged Kittiwake
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Iceland Gull
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Northern Gannet
Great Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Black-crowned Night Heron
Great Egret
Turkey Vulture
Northern Harrier
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Belted Kingfisher
Blue Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Horned Lark
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
American Robin
House Sparrow
American Goldfinch
Lapland Longspur
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Northern Cardinal
