Waterbirds, butterflies and wildflowers, yesterday and today

Yesterday morning -- before going to Cupsogue -- I did an abbreviated version of my habitual walk on the property and found noisy Marsh Wrens at the edge of the marsh. Also seven or eight Snowy Egrets flew up from the neck of the pond and there were clumps of egrets -- mostly Snowies but including Great Egrets -- in marshes at Cupsogue (Moriches Bay) and perched on duck blinds in the Shinnecock Bay marshes. A sure sign that egrets are on the move.

The tide was very low on the pond this morning (after a sequence of very high tides) and two or three of the young Green Herons were present along with a Greater Yellowlegs, Least and Spotted Sandpipers. Flocks of young Redwinged Blackbirds were all over the place.

Noted at Cupsogue (but omitted in all the Marbled Godwit excitement of both previous reports) was the presence of butterflies moving along the beach, notably fair numbers of Monarchs plus Cloudless Sulphur, American Copper and a probable Spicebush Swallowtail. On the wildflower front, the first of the little white Marsh Asters are in flower on our marsh and Evening Primrose is in as full a bloom as it ever achieves (the beautiful yellow flowers appear in twos and threes at the top of the plant but wither in bright sunlight, lasting longer only on cloudy days).

Eric Salzman

P.S.: I mispelt John Heidecker's name yesterday (he took the photograph of the squabbling Marbled Godwits). Apologies.