The best bird of the day was a Tricolored Heron flying away but unmistakeable. Other herons seen were Black-crowned Night Herons and both egrets. There were a dozen Glossy Ibis feeding in a marsh and in flight. And a curious Clapper Rail came out to inspect us, permitting us to inspect him and Eileen to take his picture (see below).
Many Osprey all the way down from Quogue to the Inlet. Ducks seen were Mallards, Black Duck and some lingering Red-breasted Mergansers.
Big overwash areas were cleared of vegetation by Sandy and are now exactly what the hurricane name suggests: sandy! They have been cordoned off and should turn out to be excellent nesting areas for Piping Plover and Least Tern. Both species were seen on this jaunt, the Least Terns in some numbers in a few popular spots. Terns are gregarious and they nest colonially. The Leasts have not started nesting yet but one spot, a tidal pond near the Shinnecock boat basin, was being used by many birds to bathe and preen. All the other terns that could be ID'd were Commons.
In the shorebird category, there were Piping, Semipalmated and Black-bellied Plovers, many Ruddy Turnstones, Semipalmated and Least Sandpipers, Dunlin, Short-billed Dowitchers plus some Oystercatchers and many Willets. These last two species along with the Piping Plovers (and Killdeer) will stay to nest. In fact, we saw Willets making love and even flushed a female off its nest (with a single egg; she must have just started laying). The courtship was fascinating. The male stood behind her and flapped his striking black-and-white wings at high speed, noisily transfixing us onlookers and also the female who finally succumbed to his obvious charms.
One very upsetting observation: almost no Horseshoe Crabs. The Crabbers have virtually cleaned them out and, with the huge reduction in crab egg laying, we are seeing a big decline in shorebird numbers (the shorebirds feed on the eggs not the adults). Until the harvesting of this ancient creature is totally banned, the crabbers (many, if not most of them from other surrounding states which have banned the practice) will continue to decimate the populations and, with them, the shorebirds.
In the landbird category: Common Yellowthroat, Yellow Warbler and Willow Flycatcher, all birds that frequent the scrubby dune vegetation. Also Boat-tailed as well as Common Grackles. Many swallows in flight, mostly Barns but also some Trees.
Above are Eileen's photos of Mr. Curious Clapper. We've just been added to his Life List.
Eric Salzman
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