Inlet Pond

I did a program on Eastern Long Island breeding birds yesterday evening for North Fork Audubon at the Red House, their headquarters at Inlet Pond County Park just north of Greenport. I had never been to this park before and, since we arrived a bit early, we were able to walk part of one of the trails down to the edge of the big pond. The park itself has a substantial shorefront on Long Island Sound but the Inlet Pond, cut off at present from the Sound, appears to be largely fresh. You can hear the chorus of frogs -- bull and green mostly I think -- and there were Wood Ducks in one of the coves both seen and heard. These upper reaches would be good breeding territory for this charismatic species; the installation of a Wood Duck nest box would be helpful.

Although much of the vegetation here consists of introduced species (as opposed to the new North Fork Reserve where there is a higher percentage of native vegetation), the place is very birdy with active, singing American Redstarts and Yellow Warblers all over the place. There were Rose-breasted Grosbeaks -- at least two males -- singing and calling (loud metallic chinks); these birds, uncommon breeders around here, are almost certainly nesting. Other residents spotted in this short visit included Hairy Woodpecker, Cedar Waxwings, House and Carolina Wrens, Blue-winged Warbler, and Eastern Towhee. All of these birds act as though they are on territory and are good candidates for helping out with the future of their kind; it made a nice introduction to the subject of local breeding birds.

Eric Salzman