a flight!

Another warm, sunless sunrise with little promise. But surprise! As I sauntered down to the pond, a Pine Warbler popped up in front of me. Probably one of the Pine Warblers seen yester... Wait! Not a Pine Warbler. A yellowish-green wash on the breast, streaky at the sides and streaky on the back. A fall Blackpoll! As I walked down the marsh edge trail, Blackpolls began appearing everywhere. This warbler is famous for its long migratory flight over the Atlantic Ocean to South America. It is rare in the fall south of here but it turns on Long Island in fall migration and often in some numbers. Are these flocks caught out over the ocean in bad weather that have retreated to our shores? Or do some of the birds come here overland (from the Adirondacks, say) before taking off on their oceanic trip?

In any case, there was a marked flight last night and it was led by some considerable numbers of Blackpolls. And they were not alone. The first Yellow-rumped Warblers of the season came in along with a handful of other warblers: Black-throated Blue (female or 1st-year type with just a touch of white on the primaries), Black-and-White, Common Yellowthroats and at least one other skulking warbler, yellow underneath and in Yellowthroat habitat but not a Yellowthroat. Several Eastern Phoebe and at least one Eastern Wood-pewee, were in the mix plus a hummingbird whizz-by. Northern Mockingbird put in an appearance (they usually hang out by the Town Dock) along with some handfuls of Gray Catbird. Over or near the water there were Royal and Forster's Terns, a couple of Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets, Green Heron and Belted Kingfisher.

I got a good view of a finch with that dipped-in-raspberry look that belongs (so all the books tell us) to the adult male Purple Finch but the heavy streaking below the color gave it away. Just a handsome freshly-molted House Finch trying to pass.

Eric Salzman