Leader : Tom Preston
On the Brooklyn Bird Club Jones Beach trip, eight intrepid birders braved the cold temperatures and brisk winds at Jones Beach State Park and Point Lookout on Sunday morning. After lunch, we retreated inland to the calmer environments of Cammans Pond Park and Mill Pond Park.
Although land birds were few, we had an excellent variety of waterfowl.
Jones Beach West end was quiet, apart from the howling wind. There were 2 flocks of Snow Buntings totalling about 65, a few Horned Larks, 30 Black-bellied Plover at the nature center, and a seal seen from the Coast Guard station.
We moved to Field 6, East of the tower. Not many scoter, but close in there were 4 Surf and 1 White-winged. 7 Snow Geese flew over. Walking to Zak's Bay, a flock of c. 25 American Pipits flew in for a brief visit, and flew off again. The bay had Hooded Mergansers, many Red-breasted and another Surf Scoter (never saw scoters there before)
The highlight of the trip were probably the Harlequins at Point Lookout. There were 2 drakes and 1 duck at the westernmost pier, and 3 drakes and 2 ducks in the inlet. We got very close to the 5 in the inlet. The drakes were tussling, and we heard them vocalizing softly. Also at Pt Lookout were a female Common Eider, 3 nice Red-throated Loons in the scope together, c. 100 Bonaparte's Gulls, hundreds of Dunlin and Sanderling, many Horned Grebes, and a Peregrine chasing the shorebirds.
Cammans Pond Park had some nice birds. They include a pair of Pintail, and 9 roosting Black-crowned Night Herons.
At Mill Pond Park, there were a variety of ducks: Common and Hooded Mergansers, Greater Scaup, Ring-necked Duck, Green-winged Teal, American Wigeon, Black Duck, Mallard, Gadwall, Shoveler, Ruddy Duck, and a drake Redhead. A Pied-billed Grebe joined them. It was a productive way to end the day.
Participants: Lynne Herzog, Jennifer, Matthew Rymkiewicz, Bob Washburn, Michael Yuan, Bob O'Neill, Rusty Harold, Tom Preston (leader)
53 species:
Snow Goose
Brant
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Gadwall
American Wigeon
American Black Duck
Mallard
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Greater Scaup
Common Eider
Harlequin Duck
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Northern Harrier
Peregrine Falcon
American Coot
Black-bellied Plover
Sanderling
Dunlin
Bonaparte's Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
American Crow
Horned Lark
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
American Pipit
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Song Sparrow
Snow Bunting
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
Rusty's photograph gallery -- http://tinyurl.com/6fpm7f6
