Fauna-thon Day

Group for the East End's annual Fauna-thon was today and since, as I suspect, most of the participants were active to the east, Eileen Schwinn and I decided to stick to the western part of the East End. We did a survey of three or four very attractive places in Riverhead Town starting with ex-Grumman in Calverton (also known as EPCAL), continuing on to some fields north of Route 25, the Boy Scout Camp in Baiting Hollow and the new North Fork Preserve outside of Jamesport. We missed a couple of good spots, notably the Bicycle Path area outside of Eastport (so we dipped on Blue Grosbeak as that is one of the few places to find this southern species).

The grasslands at EPCAL lived up to their reputation as outstanding habitat for some of the declining and difficult LI species: Grasshopper Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Eastern Meadowlark, Horned Lark, Prairie Warbler and American Kestrel; also (somewhat surprisingly) Orchard Oriole and (less surprisingly) Wild Turkey. The Boy Scout Camp and the beautiful North Fork Preserve showed us flycatchers (Eastern Phoebe, Eastern Wood-pewee, Great Crested and Willow Flycatcher), singing Wood Thrushes (not so common these days), Belted Kingfisher, the full collection of local woodpeckers (Downy, Hairy, Flicker, Red-bellied) and both Tufted Titmice and Black-capped Chickadees. Also Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, and Blue-winged Warbler; Least Tern over the water at the Boy Scout Camp and, at the Preserve, Northern Parula and American Redstart.

Two special birds at the Preserve, both likely breeders: White-eyed Vireo (two or three birds singing away) and Rose-breasted Grosbeak (also singing). A real surprise at the Preserve was a Broad-winged Hawk, started up from one of the paths; this is a species which used to nest in Long Island woodlands but has almost disappeared. An unusual observation at the Boy Scout Camp was of two Bank Swallows above the inlet tumbling 'round and 'round over each other in what was either a pitched battle or l'amour in a very unusual form!

The day ended at the opening of the new Visitor's Center at the Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge with several Osprey, a couple of Wood Ducks, a Glossy Ibis, several Pine Warblers and a rumor of a Bald Eagle, none of which could be counted (Wertheim is in Brookhaven Town and hence not part of the East End Fauna-thon). Ah, but we did have Wood Ducks at the North Fork Preserve and even an unlikely Greater Yellowlegs. Wertheim is the estuary of one of our major rivers; North Fork Preserve is a magical upland of wooded wetlands.

Eric Salzman