Pike's Beach

This morning's ELIAS (Eastern LI Audubon Society) walk was at Pike's Beach -- the bayside beach and peninsula that was formed by The Perfect Storm and other hurricanes and which became accessible with the establishment of the village of Westhampton Dunes and the filling of the inlets by the US Corps of Engineers. This area, in eastern shadow of Moriches Inlet and Cupsogue Beach, has been fairly consistently the best accessible area for shorebirds, both common and rare, on Eastern LI (whether considered by itself or together with Cupsogue County Park a short distance away).

The outstanding sighting this morning was undoubtedly the two Roseate Terns seen flying overhead. A few pairs of Roseates are still apparently breeding on Moriches and Shinnecock Bays but their numbers are certainly low. Additionally a single Royal Tern was seen this morning perched on one of the many sad flats eexposed at low tide (the second of the year for me and the forerunner of more to come).

Two notable species that were seen in fair numbers were Glossy Ibis (many, flying overhead) and Black Skimmer (a fair number of sightings of individuals working the bayshore in classic skimmer style). Piping Plovers were in some numbers, many of them young of the year, confirming this area's prominence as the Piping Plover capital of the East End. In the migrant category, there were a few Semipalmated and Black-bellied Plovers, fair numbers of Short-billed Dowitchers and Red Knots, many dozens of Least Sandpipers and hundreds of Semipalmated. Additionally there were a few Ruddy Turnstones and a yellowlegs, probably Greater. Many Snowy Egrets (outnumbering the Great Egrets). Also the other local breeders: Mute Swans, Canada Geese, Willets, Am Oystercatchers, Common and Least Terns, Laughing Gull and the usual Double-crested Cormorants, Black-backed and Herring Gulls.

On the ocean early in the morning, there were a couple of sub-adult Gannets and a large shearwater too far away to ID as to species. The Hudsonian Godwit was reported again at Cupsogue.

Eric Salzman