Eastern Long Island RBA
February 8, 2008
Date: Fri, 8 Feb 2008 20:38:21 -0500
Reply-To: Hugh McGuinness <hdmcguinness@GMAIL.COM>
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From: Hugh McGuinness <hdmcguinness@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: [BIRDEAST] East End Birds, 8 February 2008
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m191d1bI085150
RBA
New York
Eastern Long Island
8 February 2008
NYEE0802.08
***East End Birds, 8 February 2008
***Covering the towns of Southampton, East Hampton, Shelter Island, Southold
& Riverhead on the eastern end of Long Island, New York.
***This report is distributed by e-mail only. If you would like to receive
East End Birds, contact hmcguinness@ross.org
***Visit East End Birds on line at www.hmcguinness.com.
***Volume 10, Number 5
HIGHLIGHTS
PINK-FOOTED GOOSE, BARNACLE GOOSE, Eurasian Wigeon, King Eider, Ruffed
Grouse, Iceland Gull, Black-legged Kittiwake, Short-eared Owl, Snowy Owl,
Northern Saw Whet Owl, Common Redpoll
The Montauk Geese are starting to change their habits. The PINK-FOTED GOOSE
has not been seen at Deep Hollow in over a week, while the BARNACLE GOOSE
has been appearing sporadically in the south pasture. The former has been
splitting its time between Rita's Horse Farm on West Lake Drive and Lyons
Park which is two blocks north of the Circle in town across from the movie
theatre, while the latter has been in both those places as well as Deep
Hollow. An annotated Google map of Deep Hollow and Rita's can be found at
http://tinyurl.com/38krav. Here are the actual reports fro the last week.
Both geese were in Lyons Park on Feb 1 (VB). The BARNACLE GOOSE was in the
south pasture on Feb 2, while the PINK-FOOTED GOOSE was at Rita's Stables.
Both birds were at Rita's on Feb 3. On Feb 5, the BARNACLE was at Rita's and
the PINK-FOOTED was at Lyon's Park.
An AMERICAN PIPIT was at Deep Hollow on Feb 2 (AJC). A NORTHERN PINTAIL
continues at Deep Hollow as of Feb 3. (Another was at Rita's the same day.)
An AMERICAN WOODCOCK was spotted at Teddy Roosevelt Co Park on Feb 2 (DJF).
A NORTHERN SAW WHET OWL, the first for the year, was found near Deep Hollow
on Jan 27 (TB, DPa). We have now recorded all of the regularly occurring
owls on the East End. Anybody up for searching for a Barred Owl?
At Montauk Point there were 30 RAZORBILLS on Feb 2 (AJC). Seven PURPLE
SANDPIPERS were under the Lighthouse on Feb 3 (VB). A YELLOW BELLIED
SAPSUCKER was at Camp Hero St Park on Feb 2 (VB), as were a LESSER
BLACK-BACKED GULL and a BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE (AJC).
Along East Lake Drive there were 16 COMMON REDPOLLS at Gin Beach (east side
of the Lake Montauk inlet) on Feb 3-4 & 8 (VB).
Two male KING EIDERS were in the ocean off Edgemere Rd in Montauk on Feb 3
(fide LS).
A MERLIN was along Cranberry Hole Rd in Napeague on Feb 2 (CSt et al.).
At Hook Pond, there were 12 COMMON MERGANSERS on Feb 3 (AJC). In East
Hampton 9 RED CROSSBILLS were along the dirt portion of Edward's Hole Rd on
Feb 6 and 2 were there on Feb 7 (HDM). These birds are very difficult to
see, and have only been spotted while flying overhead.
Four WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS were spotted just west of the intersection of
Townline and Daniel's Lane in Sagaponack on Feb 2 (K&BRu).
An adult ICELAND GULL was at the Mecox cut on Feb 2 (AJC). An AMERICAN
KESTREL was on Cook's Lane in Watermill on Jan 30 (BBl).
The drake EURASIAN WIGEON was on Cooper's Neck Pond on Feb 8, as were 2
REDHEADS (JSh).
A GREAT EGRET was on Meadow Lane at Shinnecock on Jan 30 (BBl). Along Dune
Rd the SNOWY OWL was still present east of the Ponquogue Bridge on Feb 2, 3.
AMERICAN BITTERNS continue along Dune Rd mostly between Triton and Dolphin
Lanes.
At the former Grumman Facility (EPCAL), there were still 4 SHORT-EARED OWLS
present on Feb 7.
A RUFFED GROUSE was flushed by deer hunters in the Sarnoff Preserve in East
Quogue (east of Rt 104) on Jan 18 (fide DH).
Three PURPLE FINCHES were at an East Marion feeder on Feb 4 (B&ESi). An
OSPREY, the first of the year and a potential early migrant, appeared on an
East Marion nesting pole on Feb 6 (TM).
A GLIMMER OF HOPE AT GRUMMAN
This week Long Island Newsday picked up the story about the occurrence of
Short-eared Owls at the EPCAL facility in Calverton. Since SHORT-EARED OWL
is an endangered species in New York, the owl's use of the grasslands at
EPCAL may force the developer and the town of Riverhead to provide a serious
environmental review of their plans. The story can be read at
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/ny-liowl0207,0,4952910.story. People
interested in working on this issue can contact the Coalition to Save the
Calverton Grassland by e-mailing Carl Starace for more information.
RED KNOTS ON TV!
This Sunday, February 10, at 8pm EST, the award-winning PBS series "Nature"
will feature migratory Red Knots and the horseshoe crab. "Crash: A Tale of
Two Species" examines the amazing relationship between these two threatened
species; check local listings at: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/.
The delicate, ecological relationship between Horseshoe Crabs and Red Knots
is vital to the survival of this amazing shorebird species as it migrates
between the Arctic and the tip of South America each year. Nowhere is this
interplay more evident than at Delaware Bay. This film, by Emmy
Award-winning filmmaker Allison Argo, explores the issue of both species'
alarming population declines, the economic and biomedical importance of
Horseshoe Crabs to humans, and the urgent conservation efforts underway at
Delaware Bay and elsewhere.
THE GREAT BACKYARD BIRD COUNT…
…is coming Feb 15-18. See http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/ for more
information.
THE YEAR LIST
With the addition of 4 species (Ruffed Grouse, Osprey, American Woodcock and
Northern Saw Whet Owl) the East End Year List stands at 158 species. The
January total has risen to 156, which is one of the highest totals since I
have been keeping records. Species not yet reported include: Barrow's
Goldeneye (anybody willing to check Sag Harbor Cove or the East Marion
causeway?), Northern Bobwhite, Virginia & Clapper Rail, Red Knot, Little
Gull, Red-headed Woodpecker, Fish Crow, Pine Warbler, Chipping Sparrow,
Nelson's Sparrow, Saltmarsh Sparrow, Seaside Sparrow and Lapland Longspur.
If you have seen one of these, please send details to me so I can add it to
the year list.
This week I received reports from Trudy Battaly, Barbara Blaisdell (BBl),
Vicki Bustamante, Matt Clements, Doug Futuyma (DJF), Dan Heglund, Hugh
McGuinness (HDM), John McNeil, Tom Morgan, Drew Panko (DPa), Karen & Barbara
Rubinstein (K&BRu), John Shemilt (JSh), Bill & Eileen Singer (B&ESi), Lloyd
Spitalnik, Carl Starace (CSt),
Good Birding to All!
Hugh McGuinness
The Ross School
18 Goodfriend Park
East Hampton, NY 11937
631 697 2099 (cell)
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