"Birding by Ear" at the Grace Estate

This morning's SOFO walk -- under the rubric "Birding By Ear" -- took place at the Grace Estate in the Northwest section of the Town of East Hampton. The Grace Estate is a large tract which was originally owned by the family and/or the company that owned the Grace Lines, a famous group of transatlantic steamships. After the tract was sold, some private development was permitted on part of the it but most of it was turned into a natural area in a part of the East End that is quite rich in lands set aside in their natural state.

The Grace Estate has the reputation of having the greatest diversity of nesting birds in East Hampton and it is notable for having hosted such breeding rarities as Cerulean Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler and Acadian Flycatcher (none of which, alas, appear to be nesting there anymore). YELLOW-THROATED VIREO is, however, apparently still a breeding species here. We found it this morning and had good looks -- appropriately, after hearing it sing its fractured vireo song quite loudly and persistently. This bird has been quite regular at this spot over the years although nesting evidence is difficult to come by (it nests and generally hangs out high up in the trees). This is the same species that I saw in East Quogue earlier in the week. Perhaps it is becoming more common in these parts.

Other species located by song (and mostly also seen) included six species of warblers (Common Yellowthroat, American Redstart, Yellow Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Ovenbird and Yellow-rumped), three flycatchers (Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird and Eastern Wood-pewee), three woodpeckers (Downy, Red-bellied and Northern Flicker), two wrens (House and Carolina), two mimids (Gray Catbird and Brown Thrasher), Scarlet Tanager, Baltimore Oriole, Red-eyed Vireo, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, White-breasted Nuthatch, Eastern Towhee, several icterids (Brown-headed Cowbird, Red-winged Blackbird and Common Grackle) and a number of familiar backyard birds (Am Robin, Blue Jay, House Finch, Canada Goose, American Crow, Northern Cardinal, etc.). No thrushes (it might be early for them).

There were two almosts: a probable Orchard Oriole song was heard but the bird was not located. And a woodpecker flyby that showed lots of white was very likely a Red-headed Woodpecker; alas, it disappeared and was not seen or heard from again.

A spectacular curiosity on the Northwest Road driving in was the presence of four Wild Turkeys, three of which were males in full display surrounding a single female!

Eric Salzman