With snow and sleet predicted for Sunday, the regular group of 4 got together on this Saturday. With there not being reports of many goodies being around we decided to find our own good birds.
We found the Lido Beach parking lot closed due to the snowfall from Thursday so began at Point Lookout and scanned the ocean. There wasn't a tremendous amount of activity on the ocean although Scoters and Gannet could be seen well offshore. Turning our attention to the Jones Beach Inlet we immediately had Razorbills leaving the bay and heading out from the incoming tide. A Great Cormorant was on a triangle-shaped channel marker, and a single female Common Eider was seen.
We then had fine views of a handful of Harlequin Ducks at very close range, several Horned Grebes, and a flyby Bonaparte's Gull. I could not locate any Purple Sandpipers, but Jennifer did find us a few Ruddy Turnstones.
We then went to Jones Beach with the first stop being the Coast Guard Station. Here we had close Razorbill, Black Scoter, RB Mergs, and other commoners. We then hiked the median of West End 2 and found numerous Red-Breasted Nuthatches, Yellow-Rumps, Juncos, etc At the Swale we had groups of Horned Lark, Snow Bunting and a nice count of 10 Lapland Longspurs.
Heading back west toward New Jersey we stopped at Camman's Pond. Here we saw the Black-Headed Gull as soon as we arrived. Departing the car to take a close look the bird took off toward the ocean.
Finally we stopped at Hendrickson Park and easily located the Pink-Footed Goose that's been here since November, and also the Red-Headed Woodpecker.
sharing with you what my eyes see