delights of the marsh

Eileen Schwinn and I were heading west on Dune Road this morning when we decided to turn into the Shinnecock marshes on an old baymen's road -- a spot that has traditionally been good for our two marsh sparrows, Saltmarsh and Seaside. But I had barely stepped out of the vehicle when a big bird exploded out of the vegetation: a barrel-chested stripy heron with a long heavy yellow beak and wide somewhat pointy wings. It flapped and soared low over the marsh until it dropped out of sight and out of reach. An American Bittern would not be a surprise in mid-winter but it has been a long time since it was a common sight in these marshes in mid-summer. This bird was somewhat bedraggled and we first thought it might be an immature but on reflection I think it could have just as easily been an adult in post-breeding or early molt mode. American Bitterns once bred in these marshes but this was long before the establishment of the Shinnecock Inlet introduced ocean tides into the bay. Could this bird have been involved in a local breeding attempt? Or are we looking at an early migrant from somewhere else?

Although the Bittern was the morning's highlight, we saw many good birds between the two inlets: Shinnecock to Moriches. Perhaps the most striking sight was at our first stop on the road leading to the bay between Ponquogue Beach and Shinnecock Inlet (Road L?). A tidal pond had been left behind by the falling tide and it must have trapped hundreds of bait fish in the shallow pond. Least Terns, both Egrets, Willets, one or two Yellowlegs and a number of Boat-tailed Grackles were having a field day fishing in the pond. There were Saltmarsh Sparrows, Common Yellowthroats and Willow Flycatcher active in the surrounding marsh. It was, all in all, a striking, not to say awesome sight that even caught the attention of a local fisherman who sounded like he was about to tern . . . uh, turn into a birdwatcher (Eileen even managed to leave him with a copy of the East End Audubon newsletter).

Also on the Shinnecock side there were Clapper Rails in their usual spot near Triton Lane. At Cupsogue we saw Black Terns (at least two), Royal Terns (at least two), Forster's Tern (also two), many Black Skimmers and many Piping Plovers. Short-billed Dowitchers have begun their fall migration and they were there in numbers along with a few Semipalmated Plovers and other shorebirds: Black-billed Plovers, Least Sandpipers, Greater Yellowlegs and all the locals: Willets in big numbers (including at least one big pale Western Willet) and American Oystercatchers. There were Boat-tailed Grackles of all sizes and flavors all the way from Ponquogue to Cupsogue. And there was one Glossy Ibis flying overhead. At Cupsogue, I always see exactly one Glossy Ibis flying overhead.

Common Terns appear to be doing well but Least Tern numbers are down and few of their beachside breeding areas seem to be occupied. Eileen had an awful story about running into someone charging through a clearly marked Least Tern colony with a stick, swiping at the birds who were diving at him and apparently intentionally trying to drive them off. He was very threatening to her when she tried to tell him that what he was doing was wrong and illegal. In general, there is very little care or regard taken for nesting birds on the barrier beach or on the many bay islands. There is no real fencing (only some string), just a few ineffectual signs on the beach and nothing at all on the islands.

Oh yes, we did see Saltmarsh (a.k.a. Sharp-tailed) Sparrows at the Bittern site but no sign of Seaside Sparrow.

Eric Salzman