July 27 - Jamaica Bay East Pond

A visit to the East Pond of Jamaica Bay NWR gave us lots of birds to look at today, although there was not much diversity.  The best bird of the day was a Ruff that we found just after arriving around 7 am.  The bird left shortly after, but then returned around 10:30 and others were able to see this bird at that time.  

Credit: Andrew Baksh

Unfortunately we left the pond just before an American Avocet was reported, so we missed this one.

We did see Sandpipers of Stilt, Least, Semi-Palmated, Spotted, Least, and a Western.  A Ruddy Turnstone was seen briefly, and we had terns of Least, Forster's, and a Common or two.  The most common bird was the Short-Billed Dowitcher, and we had a few American Oystercatchers, and Semi-Palmated Plovers.  There were both species of Yellowlegs.  On the walk out we heard a Yellow-Billed Cuckoo.

July 14 - Robert Moses & Jamaica Bay

My friends and I began today with a seawatch at Robert Moses State Park.  The birding was quite slow but we did manage to get nice looks at a close Cory's Shearwater, and had 2 other Cory's at a distance.
But that's how seawatching goes, sometimes its good and other times it's unproductive.

On the way back west to NJ, we stopped at Jamaica Bay NWR and the birding here was also slow.  It was incredibly humid and hot today, so we had to wrap things up by 11 am.   Nevertheless we did have a nice find of a Gull-Billed Tern from the West Pond path, which is sill breached after 2012's Hurricane Sandy. .  We also had a Young Yellow-Crowned Night Heron, a Glossy Ibis.

July 5 - Cupsogue County Park

My friend Bill and I made the drive out to eastern Long Island in search of terns and we certainly had our fill today.  Highlights were three Arctic Terns in first-year plumage, plus one adult-plumaged Arctic Tern.
We also saw at least 4 of the Roseate Tern, plus 5 of the Black Tern, and a single Gull-Billed Tern.  The other more typical terns of Common, Forster's, and Least were also seen.

We had a single White-Rumped Sandpiper, several Red Knot, Least Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper, and Semi-Palmated Sandpiper among the numerous Short-Billed Dowitcher.   Willet and Oystercatcher were abundant.

Here's Bill soaking up some birds & sun !