mid-September and a new scope

Mid-September dawned clear and rather crisp with winds out of the northwest and, although there were fewer birds than yesterday morning (the big numbers of Robins seen yesterday did not reappear this morning), there was greater variety with a considerable increase in warbler numbers. Along with continuing numbers of Red-eyed Vireos, there was the endless flitting of many American Redstarts as well as Common Yellowthroats, Yellow Warbler, Northern Parula, Nashville Warbler and Prairie Warbler. Three or four Scarlet Tanagers were moving through the trees along with a handsome female Baltimore Oriole, two or three empids (a possible Yellow-bellied Flycatcher and a Traill's Flycatcher type -- rather gray-brown with a very narrow eye ring, probably an Alder). Other birds seen were an adult and a young Cedar Waxwing and a handsome Veery. Early morning Kingfisher chases seem to be a regular feature of the season and there were considerable numbers of Tree Swallows moving overhead on a direct south/southeast course that took them up the marsh and over the trees beyond. A nuthatch -- probably a White-breasted -- was heard but not seen. Osprey migration continued with up to five or six birds on the creek at any one time. A Merlin came directly across the creek and marsh and into the woods followed by another bird streaking along the edge of the woods and followed by a deathly silence from the songbirds. The raptor totals for the day, with only sporadic observation, eventually included another Merlin, 3 or 4 American Kestrels, 3 Northern Harriers, 2 Red-tailed Hawks, and a high-flying Turkey Vulture.

Later in the morning, I decided to go back down to the pond with my latest acquisition. I had been saving up for the Swarovski scope for quite a while and it arrived while I was out of the country so I got to use it only after my return. It's a beautiful instrument and I decided that this morning was the perfect time to try it out. Standing at the pond, you are can look up and down Weesuck Creek, look over the marsh and part of Shinnecock Bay. The shore of Pine Neck opposite and the woodlands behind are directly to the east and when raptors are flying at this time of year they generally come directly from that opposite shore often perching on branches and snags on the far side of the creek. In the early morning, the view is directly into the rising sun but by the late morning and throughout the afternoon the light is good. Alas, by this time there was no raptor activity visible at all; even the Ospreys had quit for the morning. The only really interesting subjects were the Royal Terns, several of which were cruising the creek. This required mastering the technique of finding and following these large terns with the scope. I was doing fairly well at it, managing to stay on individual birds as they moved up and down the creek and even as dove into the water. I was looking at one particularly large specimen, when it occured to me that it had a tail that was strikingly shorter than the others, not to mention a bull neck, a very bulky-looking body and a decidedly different look in flight. As the bird wheeled around to face me, I could see that it had a solid black cap, a thick, blood-red bill and, strikingly, dark undersides on its primaries -- all features in striking contrast with the rest of the terns on the creek. In short, I was breaking in my new scope with a direct hit on a CASPIAN TERN! This is only the second time I have seen this bird on Weesuck Creek (the first was seven years ago on September 27 while I was clamming in the creek; it flew right over my head but I was never able to get it in my binoculars). The best traditional place to find Caspian Tern on the East End is on the flats at Mecox and it undoubtedly also occurs at Moriches Inlet.

Eric Salzman