that Curlew Sandpiper

Curlew Sandpiper, our distinguished shorebird visitor, is a Siberian breeding bird that winters in Africa. In Europe, it's a common fall migrant but mostly in the fall when great numbers migrate in a southwesterly direction -- and in a dull non-breeding plumage. None of that explains how they end up on the Atlantic -- perhaps more commonly than on the Pacific coast (although 'common' is a relative term for this Eurasian vagarant). The mystery of the current bird is even greater in that this is breeding-plumaged male who, in theory, should be heading north to his breeding grounds in Siberia.

One theory is that the bird got somehow mixed up with the flock of Red Knots or with the closely related Dunlin, birds that seem to be short-stopped in Westhampton instead of continuing on to their Arctic breeding grounds. Well, maybe. When I saw the Curlew Sandpiper yesterday, it was hanging out with Sanderlings, Semipalmated Sandpipers and other very different types of shorebirds. In fact, the presence of so many and so various a group of shorebirds in the Cupsogue/Pike's Beach area is remarkable; leaving out the local breeding birds there are at least half a dozen species that should have left a long time ago for their breeding grounds in the far north but, for reasons best known to them, are still here.

I should add that this whole area (and Pike's Beach in particular) has the best shorebirding area on the East End, not only for the variety that can be seen (and often up close) but also for the appearance of the rarer species. I've seen American Avocet, Wilson's Plover, Marbled and Hudsonian Godwits, Red-necked and Little Stints (at the same time!), Wilson's and Red-necked Phalarope! This is also a good place for terns including Black Tern, Forster's Tern (which probably breeds in the area), Roseate Tern, Arctic Tern and, in season, Royal and Caspian Terns; also that pseudo-tern, Black Skimmer. On the same day that I saw the two stints, I also saw a Cayenne Tern which is the South American version of Sandwich Tern!

One of the things that makes this area so attractive to birds of both the nesting and migratory persuasions is that it is our best remaining area for Horseshoe Crabs, especially now that the great breeding conglomerations at Shinnecock have been decimated by the outrageous collection of these ancient animals by the invasion of baymen from neighborhood states (where it is illegal to harvest them). If New York State doesn't act to ban the collection of Horseshoe Crabs, they will disappear from our waters along with the beautiful birds that feed on their eggs.

Eric Salzman