Mecox

I was in Southampton today and took the opportunity to visit Mecox. There was a stiff northeast breeze blowing across the wide open bay -- not the best viewing conditions. But there were open sand flats and a variety of birds including a couple of phalaropes, always great favorites: a handsome Red-necked in the water and a Wilson's running around on the sand flats, both breeding plumage females (in the phalaropes, the females have the showy plumage). The attached photos of the Red-necked -- almost certainly the same bird seen today -- were taken on Sunday at Mecox by Frank Quevedo.

There were modest numbers of other shore birds including at least one calling White-rumped Sandpiper (the scratchy call is unmistakable), a Dunlin, a couple of Dowitchers, several Piping Plovers, several Black-bellied Plovers, some numbers of Semipalmated Plovers and quite a few Sanderlings and Semipalmated Sandpipers. There were 15 or 16 Black Skimmers roosting on a sand bar, several very active Osprey (a couple of them with fresh fish in their grasp) plus the usual collection of gulls.

There were also many Bank Swallows flying hither and thither and also roosting on the sand flats. Are these local birds or migrants? There were also quite a few Bank Swallows on our East Quogue marsh this morning but, alas, no Bald Eagles.

Eric Salzman