last day of July on Dune Road

Went down Dune Road on this last day of July with Eileen Schwinn. As has been the case all along the South Shore this summer, the sheer numbers of shore birds were low but we saw a few good birds amidst a modest variety of species. No. 1 was a Whimbel at Tiana Beach (this is on the bay side in a Sandy-created sandy area). This bird was in the open at a relatively short distance and posed prettily for a considerable length of time (see attached photos).

Another good bird was the Black Skimmer working the bay edge east of the Ponquogue Bridge. Further west, a muddy area on the south side of the road featured many shorebirds including a group of six good-sized Dowitchers that may have been Long-billed rather than the more common Short-billed.

A striking feature of the morning was the nearly continuous flow of swallows heading west (or, more precisely, southwest). Most of them were Barn Swallows but the flight also included many Tree Swallows and a few Rough-winged Swallows and Purple Martins. This was clearly a migration and it anticipated some of the big swallow movements yet to come in August. Although most of these swallows were moving individually or, at most, three or four at a time, the total movement was certainly in the 100s and perhaps higher.

The day's list of shorebirds also included Piping Plovers (with some juveniles), Semipalmated Plovers (many), American Oystercatchers, a few Willets, Ruddy Turnstones, Sanderlings, Semipalmated Sandpipers, Least Sandpipers (a few), and Short-billed Dowitchers (a few). I expected to see Royal Terns because last night at dusk a flock of at least a dozen were flying and fishing quite noisily on Weesuck Creek. But nary a one was seen this morning.

Eric Salzman

a rosy breast

An immature male Rose-breasted Grosbeak turned up this morning. I would have called it a female except that it had a rosy breast -- not the clear pattern of the adult but a kind of rosy or pinkish wash, which indicates a juvenile male. An early migrant or simply a local that wandered away from its natal nest? Impossible to tell. Another immature, a young Yellow Warbler in a perfect lemony plumage, was popping up and down out of the foliage, presumably fly catching. Since Yellow Warbler is a common local breeder, I would hesitate to call this an early migrant. Also in the neighborhood: an immature Pine Warbler and an Eastern Phoebe.

There are now four species of terns working the creek in small numbers: Common, Least, Forster's and Royal. The two young Green Herons are still around but they are extraordinarily shy, flying off long before I come near. On one occasion, the younger one dropped into the marsh while the older one took up a sentinal's post on the dead cedar tree on the opposite side of the pond; it tolerated my presence because and only as long as I was sitting down.

Eric Salzman

after the storm

The T-storm hit at about 5 am shortly before dawn and it was followed by gusty breezes from the southwest. I was up and out early enough to catch the aftermath of the storm which clearly stirred the pot. The first thing I saw was small groups of American Robins  headed the wrong way -- southwest to northeast. This was followed shortly by masses of blackbirds -- mainly Red-winged Blackbirds but including a few Common Grackles and a high percentage of young birds. They clustered all around the marsh and pond edge in the dead trees killed by Sandy, clucking and chattering away. Two young Green Herons with streaked necks looked quite bedraggled; one had downy feathers still sticking out of its head as though it had just emerged from the nest -- and, indeed, perhaps it had just emerged from the nest! An adult Snowy Egret appeared on the pond with a young-looking bird -- possibly its offspring. And a juvenile Spotted Sandpiper prowled the muddy pond edges.

An excess of Catbirds probably included some birds on the move; there is a strong Catbird migration through our area but because this is such a common local bird, it is not much noticed. The same is true of the Am Robin but Robins fly high and in groups making their movements more obvious.

Eric Salzman

Martins & mushrooms

A cloud of chirping Purple Martins formed and circled over the house yesterday evening. This was something like the well-known dawn chorus but it was definitely an evening affair. There were flying young as well as adults and this had the character of a social event in which most of the members of the colony participated. At least two crows and some Barn Swallows joined in but it was primarily a Martin affair, perhaps as a prelude to the start of migration. After about 20" or so it moved out over the marsh where it continued for another 10" or 15".

The nearer (and more recent) Osprey nest on Pine Neck had three birds on it this morning and a fourth hanging out nearby. One of the birds -- probably one of the adults -- was perched on the edge of the nest while the other two were exercising their wings and even beginning to helicopter above the nest. In a recent post, I said that this nest had only one young but there are obviously at least two young birds just about ready to fly.

Lactarius volemus -- the Tawny Milkcap -- had a substantial fruiting last night and I collected a good number this morning. We ate the first batch last night and they'll be on the dinner menu again tonight.

Eric Salzman

terns calling

Calling terns from the creek: (1) a rasping call that proved to be a Forster's Tern, flashing its white primaries and working the creek along with Least Terns yesterday afternoon; the call is very distinctive and is quite different from the Common Tern call (but it does take a little practice to learn it); (2) the unmistakeable call of a Royal Tern, the first calling bird of the season (an earlier bird was glimpsed a few days ago; Royals usually come in about this time of year and I expect to hear more of them in the coming weeks).

An adult female Pine Warbler feeding a young bird was the highlight of yesterday morning's feeding flock which was dominated by B-c Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, a male and female Downy Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Eastern Phoebe and White-breasted Nuthatch. This is actually the first proof that I've had for what I've long suspected: Pine Warbler breeding in our area. The Chickadees are also a family group (I saw young being fed by an adult) and probably also the Titmice.

Germander or Wood Sage is in bloom. This is a native wildflower that grows (around here at any rate) near the edges of the marsh. I was worried that it had been wiped out by Sandy but it has reappeared in some numbers in a couple of places. This is in the mint family with a squared-off stem and delicate light pink or lavender flowers blooming all along the stem. First notable fruiting of Lactarius volemus, one of the milky cap mushrooms and one of our best edibles (our other common lactarius is rather bitter).

Eric Salzman

migrants or wanderers?

A small feeding flock led by Black-capped Chickadees included an adult Blue-wing Warbler, at least two young warblers (a Prairie and a Pine), White-breasted Nuthatch (probably two or three) and a Downy Woodpecker with other birds joining in (Am Robin, Song Sparrow). Bob Di Candido, who has replaced the late Starr Saphir giving walks in Central Park, argues that these early July birds are already in migration but it seems to me to be just as likely that they are local birds moving into a wandering phase before they take off on an actual migration.

Both Osprey nests on Pine Neck appear to have young birds ready to fly. The more distant and older nest -- it's in the big Pine Neck marsh and barely visible from our side -- has three big birds on it, all (I believe) this year's fledglings. The newer and closer nest -- right on the edge of the creek opposite us -- appears to have a single 'chick' perhaps a little less advanced than the three in the other nest. We should be able to see them practicing flying any day now!

Eric Salzman

Falco peregrinus

Even the Purple Martins were pretty quiet this morning so I was surprised when a whole flock of them emerged in a cloud of noisy birds. Their sudden chatter made me turn my head just in time to see a good-sized falcon emerge from somewhere with the Martins in hot pursuit. Although it looked dark, silhouetted against the morning sunlight, there is no doubt that it was a Peregrine Falcon, the first of the season and a stirring sight.

Still active in the area: Eastern Phoebe, White-breasted Nuthatch, American Goldfinch.

Several interesting mushrooms around following last week's rains: Golden Chanterelles, Pink Chanterelles, Black Trumpets, two or three bolete types including a specimen of what I think is King Bolete, otherwise known as Cep or Porcini! Also the fragile Amanita that we used to call Amanitopsis and several different Russulas, some edible some not.

Eric Salzman

SOFO Silver

Saturday night was the 25th anniversary celebration for SOFO, otherwise known as the South Fork Natural History Museum. It was a lively pleasant event, appropriately marked by the low flights of the SOFO Purple Martin colony weaving in and out among the guests. The high point for me was during the presentation of the awards which went to Michael Gerrard, an environmental lawyer, Eric Goode, the founder of the Turtle Conservancy, and the late Peter Matthiesen, the great writer and environmentalist (and Zen Buddhist) from Sagaonack who died in April. The awards took place in the open in the museum's backyard and, as SOFO founder Andy Sabin was introducing Peter's son Alex to receive the award, a gorgeous rainbow appeared in the sky over the proceedings! This rainbow remained in view during this phase of the presentations and then disappeared. I don't want to make too much of this but it certainly appeared as though nature (or, if you prefer, the heavens) were acknowledging one of her favorite sons!

Out on the creek yesterday morning: Black-crowned Night Heron, Green Heron, Great Blue Herons, many Great Egrets, Common and Least Terns, Osprey, noisy Willets. The marsh edges were almost empty of blackbirds with only Crows left to uphold the banner of blackness. It was actually rather eerie. Except for the occasional twitter or chirp of swallows and martins, the whistles, konk-ker-ees, chucks and screeches of the Redwings and Grackles -- so dominant all spring and summer -- were silenced in a matter of a day or two.

This morning (Monday), many of the blackbirds were gathered at the head of the marsh in the dead trees killed by Sandy. I suspect that this is the beginning of the gatherings that will create the great fall flocks of these birds.

Eric Salzman

small warblers, great herons

A calm, overcast morning with the creek as smooth as glass. Plenty of insects and many swallows hunting them; also fishing terns -- Common and Least -- and at least one Osprey clutching its finny prey and presumably flying back to its nest. A pair of Common Yellowthroat fledglings appeared in the bushes at the edge of the marsh this morning, just in the area where the black-masked male was singing in May, June and into July.

There are at least two Great Blue Herons around, one an adult with a contrasting color between the neck and the body, the other a juvenile with conspicuous white 'headlights' at the bend of its wings. Wherever the young bird would land, the adult would come after it and try to chase it away!

The first cicadas of the season -- annual cicadas not the 17-year version -- have been calling for a few days now. Other insects include Lady Bugs in the marsh and a few Red Admirals (but in general, not a good year for butterflies). In the floral domain, the mysterious Enchanter's Nightshade is coming into bloom. And, oh yes, another Box Turtle, a different individual than the ones I've been seeing.

Eric Salzman

There'll be blue birds over . . .

It is often pointed out that very little of our food is blue -- blueberries being the obvious exception (and blueberries are not always blue).

There are a few outstanding blue wildflowers (Chicory -- sometimes called Blue Sailors -- is in bloom right now). However, blue (or, in some cases, purple) is a surprisingly common color in our local birds. We have our state bird, the Eastern Bluebird and the all-blue Mountain Bluebird turned up here as a vagrant a couple of years ago. And let's not forget the underrated Blue Jay. We also have the Great and Little Blue Herons, Belted Kingfisher (mostly blue on its back and head), the gorgeous all-blue Indigo Bunting, Tree and Barn Swallow (both blue-backed), Purple Martin, Black-throated Blue Warbler (seen only in migration), Cerulean Warbler (rare breeder out here), Northern Parula (quite blueish above; common migrant, occasional breeder). There is such a thing as a Blue Goose (although now considered just a variety of Snow Goose) and the Blue-winged Teal has a spot of blue on, yes, its wing. Some of the hawks and falcons have blue-gray wings (the fast accipiters are traditionally known as 'Blue Darters'). There is a Blue Grouse out west and a Purple Gallinule that occasionally wanders here from the south. In good plumage and in good light, the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher looks quite blue and the newest addition to our breeding avifauna is the very blue Blue Grosbeak.

In spite of the fact that the Blue Bird plays a major role in Chinese and European folklore ("The Blue Bird" was a play by the Belgian author Maurice Maeterlinck), there are no bluebirds over the white cliffs of Dover and never have been. The true Bluebirds are an exclusively American phenomenon and the only blue birds in Europe are the Blue Rock Thrush (which is a Mediterranean bird and nothing like what we think of as a bluebird) and the group of titmice that includes the Blue Tit and Azure Tit (the latter an Eastern European and Middle Eastern bird). The Eurasian Jay has only a patch of blue on its wings and nothing more in the way of blue. There is a Purple Heron in southern Europe and Africa but I don't think that bird was what the songwriters were thinking of when they wrote "The White Cliffs of Dover" in the darkest days of WWII.

Eric Salzman

mushrooms, blueberries and a thistle

It rained last night and it rained this morning but in between it was dry enough (relatively speaking) for me to get out for an hour or so. There were more Chanterelles, poking up between the leaves and glowing orange in the gloomy light. Also a few Highbush Blueberries not yet grabbed by the birds (I picked as much of each as I could find).

All four woodpeckers (Hairy, Downy, Red-bellied and N Flicker) were active. The no-see-'em gnats were flying followed shortly by swallows and martins. There must be at least five (maybe six) male Carolina Wrens singing away in every corner of the place.

The thystery mistle -- err, mystery thistle -- is probably a Bull Thistle, Cirsium vulgare. It has very large, halbard-shaped leaves that are pale underneath, a spiny winged stem, bracts with yellow tips (which made me think the flower was going to be yellow), many largish flower heads (only one in full bloom so far; it's a beautiful purple/rose butonniere). The book size for this plant is 3-6 feet but our specimen is much taller than that, reaching perhaps 9 feet. This is a giant plant that combines a fierce ugliness and threatening look with the exquisite beauty of its flower.

Eric Salzman

CRASH!

Last night, there was a huge crash and a loud scream from a neighbor that sent us running out onto Randall Lane, the dirt road behind us. A tall spindly hickory on the edge of our property had split in two and the larger branch came crashing down into a neighbor's yard taking a large oak limb with it. In spite of the scream, no one was hurt (just scared). The remaining hickory trunk, 20' high (maybe higher) and with a  rotted middle, looked very fragile and it was imperative to deal with it as soon as possible. The tree guys turned up at 7 am this morning with a very efficient six-man team, a cherry picker that reached for the sky (or the tree tops at least) and a wood chipper; they were able to clear the whole mess in an hour or so. I don't think anyone on Randall Lane got to sleep in this morning and, needless to add, there was not much bird watching until later in the morning.

Young Baltimore Orioles are out. I saw a small group of two or three with an adult female. Also a male N Cardinal feeding a young bird -- probably the second brood for these prolific finches. A noisy row of Carolina Wrens down by the water included 5 or 6 birds with at least two singing males. Don't know what that was about but Carolina Wrens are very active these days and the males are singing loudly at a time when most birds are silent. It may be that available, suitable wren territories are oversubscribed.

The huge thistle plant on the old right-of-way is now flowering and the flowers are pinkish purple not yellow; I was confused by the yellowish tips to the flower bracts which made me think that a yellow flower was about to appear. But that reopens the question of what species this is. More on this shortly.

Eric Salzman

There be Dragonlets

Seaside Dragonlet is out in numbers in and around the marsh. This is the only dragonfly that can breed in a saltwater environment. A few have been out for some time now but there has been a noticeable increase in numbers in the past few days. This is a small dragonfly; the males are all black but the females and juveniles have varying amounts of yellow and can be quite striking.

Staying for the moment in the insect realm, I have been trying to identify a small hairstreak butterfly. This is one of those hairstreaks that does not open up when it perches so I have been able to get a good look only at the underwing pattern. This is a Banded Hairstreak type but there are several other similar species which are associated with oak, hickory and cherry, all of which we have in abundance.

Most of the Common Grackle and Red-winged Blackbird young have fledged and are scattered in loose, noisy flocks along the edge of the marsh, particularly in its upper reaches. The flocking up of these birds is one of the great natural displays in our area but because these are 'just' blackbirds, we don't tend to pay much attention. The only other notable bird note is the continued presence of White-breasted Nuthatches, easily detectable by their nasal honks. They tend to move with the Black-capped Chickadees and Downy Woodpecker in small feeding flocks.

In response to my question about what to call young Raccoons, I got several responses, some of which referred to the collective nouns for a rabble of raccoons (the actual expression is, curiously enough, 'a gaze of raccoons'). But the young 'uns are properly known as kits or cubs.

Eric Salzman

Box Turtle and Green Heron

A good-sized Box Turtle was on one of the trails the morning, pulled back into its shell as I nearly stepped on it. It was a very distinctive turtle with a shell pattern that was 80% yellow and only thin black lines between. I always intend to memorize the shell patterns in order to recognize individual turtles but usually don't succeed. This one, however, was very easy to recognize and I'm quite sure that I had never seen it before.

The morning's bird count included White-breasted Nuthatch (must have followed me from the Grace Estate in Easthampton) and a yearling Red-bellied Woodpecker (just out of the nest I would reckon),

In yesterday's list from the Grace Estate, I forgot to mention Cedar Waxwing. Admittedly, this is not likely to be the outstanding find on a Birding by Ear walk. It is possible to identify Cedar Waxwings in he nieghborhood by sound but you need good ears).

Since I have been writing so much about Green Herons, Terry Sullivan sent me two amusing shots of this species. In the first, he is fishing from the culvert where the tide goes in and out and has apparently succeeded in catching two fish (silversides?) at once. Terry describes the bird in the second photo as 'spooked' but I think is actually a threat display; he puffs himself up like an owl to look bigger and more threatening to a potential predator.



Eric Salzman

Birding by Ear

This morning's "Birding by Ear" walk for SOFO took place at the Grace Estate in Northwest woods, Easthampton. July 12th is a little late in the season for bird song and these woods seem to have lost some of their signature species. Still we had some good birds, notably Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Here's the complete list:

Wood Duck (on Scoy Pond; 2 other waterfowl unidentifiable)
Osprey (overhead)
Red-tailed Hawk (routed by crows at Scoy Pond)
Yellow-billed Cuckoo (heard only)
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (male & female up close at Scoy Pond; male feeding on White Azelea)
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-pewee
Eastern Kingbird (at Scoy Pond)
Red-eyed Vireo (most vocal bird of the day)
Blue Jay
American Crow
Barn Swallow (Scoy Pond)
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
House Wren
Carolina Wren
Wood Thrush (one short call)
American Robin
Gray Catbird (also very vocal)
[Ovenbird -- NO]
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Yellow Warbler
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
[Scarlet Tanager -- NO]
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
[Baltimore Oriole -- NO]
House Finch
American Goldfinch (a small troupe down at the bay)

As a special bonus, we had a family of raccoons -- mama and three little ones (what do you call raccoon chicks? pups? raccoonlets?). One crossed the path following mama but the other two went scampering up a tree where they were able to people-watch us.

Eric Salzman

The Chanterelles are flying!

There are now at least three flying Green Herons around. One of them was calling from the tree tops near the edge of the pond and when he (she?) flew out and across the creek, two other birds were not far behind. One of them had missing wing feathers, a common problem for nesting females. The third bird might have been a fledgling but I did not have a close enough look to be sure.

A Hairy Woodpecker was calling and working the dead wood near the pond this morning. Hairy Woodpeckers have become more common here since Sandy left us with a row or two of dead trees back of the marsh and pond. The most active woodpecker however has been the Northern Flicker which has been calling constantly for the past couple of weeks. Oddly enough, the little Downy Woodpecker and the Red-bellied -- normally the two most common woodpeckers around -- have been heard from only sporadically. They may still be in the nesting phase. I thought I had located a Downy nest hole a few weeks ago but it seems to have been abandoned; perhaps the birds are trying somewhere else.

Some of our most common summer roadside flowers are in bloom including Queen Anne's Lace, Bouncing Bet and Chicory. I also collected the first Chanterelle mushrooms of the season; must go out and look for more.

Eric Salzman

feeding flock without a bluebird

A slightly expanded version of yesterday morning's feeding flock was in place this morning but, alas, without the Eastern Bluebird. I thought I heard it call for a moment but this time it really was a Tufted Titmouse. The other members of the flock were Downy Woodpecker, Eastern Phoebe, Great Crested Flycatcher, Black-capped Chickadee, male and female-type Pine Warblers. No Bluebird and no Hummingbird (which has also been seen frequenting this area).

A large tern flying at the mouth of the creek and headed out to the bay was probably the season's first Royal Tern. I didn't see the beak but the bird was too slim to be a Caspian and too big to be anything else. Also over the marsh there were three or four Bank Swallows, hunting low enough for me to see the breastband as the birds swooped in facing me and the rising sun. 

Eric Salzman

The Bluebird of Happiness

A cloudy morning. As I worked my way from the foot of our neighbor's dock across the edge of creek and pond, I started to hear the beautiful quavery call of an Eastern Bluebird.

What an illusion, I thought. Funny how the Tufted Titmouse sometimes manages a quavery call that can sound like a Bluebird. I could even hear the chick-a-dee-like call of the Titmouse. Except that the chick-a-dee caller wasn't a Titmouse at all but an actual Black-capped Chick-a-dee. It was part of a small feeding flock that also included a female-type Pine Warbler, just barely tinted with yellow on its cap and breast, stout bill, longish tail and the giveaway wing bars -- but otherwise as plain as a warbler can be. And the quavery call that continued to echo down from above.

Looking up, I could see a silhouette of the calling bird on the tip-top of a dead pine. This was no titmouse. It was indeed an Eastern Bluebird, the first I have ever seen on the place! The calls continued for a while as the bird moved from post to pillar to post as if it were leading its little flock which eventually disappeared to the north.

I must say I never expected to see a bluebird here.

Eastern Bluebird is the State Bird of New York but I daresay that most New Yorkers have never seen one. It is, however, not uncommon on Long Island if you know where to look. In our area, I have seen them recently at SOFO off the Bridgehampton/Sag Harbor Turnpike, at Gabreski Airport in Westhampton and at EPCAL in Calverton; they can also be found further east, generally in nest boxes. But Bluebirds feed on the ground and they like edge areas between grassland meadows and woods, a habitat that we really don't have here. So this Bluebird of Happiness was a welcome surprise, the 240th species on the property!

Eric Salzman

finch vs. finch

A couple of handsome male American Goldfinches spent a good part of their morning trying to chase away a female or immature House Finch. Eventually they gave up and dropped down to the shrub level where they appeared to feed on the burgeoning Iva fructescens (a.k.a. Marsh Elder or High Tide Bush). This is very early for flowering let along fruiting of this salt marsh shrub but the plants are infested with some kind of small flea-like insect and perhaps that is what the Goldfinches were eating.

Still in the area: adult and young E. Phoebes, Great Crested Flycatcher, a Great Blue Heron, a pair of Green Herons, Pine Warbler, A lone Bank Swallow continues to appear over the marsh along with Barn Swallows and Purple Martins. Both Osprey nests are active but I still can't see if there are ospreylets in either one.

Here's some more flowers in bloom: Daisy Fleabane, Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia), Ox-eye Daisy (the familiar daisy) and Coreopsis or Tick-seed.

Eric Salzman

between the raindrops

I managed to get in a shortened version of my morning walk in a dry interlude between the rain torrents but there wasn't a lot going on. A single Bank Swallow was darting and swooping over the marsh and the Common Yellowthroat, inexplicably silent yesterday, was singing away merrily. I started up a dappled fawn from the marsh grass; I don't suppose it is more than a few weeks old. Also found a Box Turtle along the edge of the pond; this is only the third turtle I've seen this year but it's presence by the pond is reassuring as I have been concerned that Sandy did significant damage to our turtle population.

A few more flowers in bloom: Day Lily, Common Mullein and Spanish Bayonet or Yucca. Also, in fresh wetlands (but not in our area), Swamp Honeysuckle or White Azalea; saw it yesterday near the EPCAL grasslands. 

Eric Salzman

Long Island Power Authority and its House Sparrows

LIPA -- or whatever our electric company is now called -- has a metal box on every street pole. I don't know what the electric company thinks these boxes are for but I do know what our local House Sparrows think. Every box seems to have a sparrow nest inside and these boxes have quadrupled our local populations of this urban wildlife.

In the meanwhile, the Common Yellowthroats seemed to have stopped calling. Perhaps they are nesting or perhaps they have given up nesting for the season. In the meanwhile, all of our blackbirds -- crows, Red-wings, Common Grackles -- have young and are keen to let you know it. White-breasted Nuthatch paid a visit and vocalized a bit to let us know.

More wildflowers: Privet, Yarrow, Bird-foot Trefoil -- all introduced. The Sheep's Bit is taking over the meadow in front of the house and the Pokeweed, now flowering, is everywhere; it is, in spite of what you may have heard, a favorite of the local deer which have clipped off many of the growing stems.

Eric Salzman

Ruby-throat and Yellow-rump

A Ruby-throated Hummingbird was again zipping up and around, up and down, in the same area just back of the pond and it even perched for a moment on a twig just to let me know that it was watching me. When I got back to the house, Eva grabbed a pair of binoculars and ran out to look for it -- she had never encountered one out here -- and she saw it almost immediately! A single female hummingbird that is faithful to its feeding routes may very well have a nest and young in the area. But where to look?

An even more unusual sighting in the same area was a dull streaky warbler with a distinct yellow rump! Huh? A Yellow-rumped Warbler here on July 2nd? There is a single Long Island breeding record from the '80s but it is often doubted or regarded as a curiosity. I didn't get that good a look at this bird (aside from that yellow rump) but I don't know what else it could have been.

One striking bird from yesterday's trip to EPCAL that I forgot to mention was an Orchard Oriole. We found it first by its song, one of the most beautiful around. I would rate the Orchard Oriole and the Rose-breasted Grosbeak as our two best singers (from a musical standpoint at least). 

Eric Salzman

grassland birds and a toad

Went up to EPCAL with Eileen Schwinn. As most of the readers of this blog know quite well, EPCAL is the ex-Grumman testing site and it has two runways -- one accessible, one not -- which are flanked by the finest remaining grasslands on LI (and possibly NY State). The site also includes some excellent woodlands and wetlands and is surrounded by unspoiled natural areas including the main flow of the Peconic River and a chain of ponds. The whole area has the feel of a long-ago Long Island and some of the wildlife that has been extirpated elsewhere still survives here (skunk and mink for example). This is also THE place to see breeding Grasshopper Sparrow and Eastern Meadowlark.

We went up there because of a reported nesting of a Black-billed Cuckoo which we did not find (neither the cuckoo nor its nest) but we did find breeding Eastern Bluebird at its nest hole (see photo of the male), Grasshopper Sparrows (singing away; see photo), a Horned Lark family (see photo of a young Horned Lark with its mama), and another cuckoo, the Yellow-billed. Also Turkey Vulture, Prairie, Pine and Blue-winged Warblers, Field and Chipping Sparrows, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Tree and Barn Swallows, White-breasted Nuthatch, Black-capped Chickadees, all three mimids (Mockingbird, Catbird and Brown Thrasher), House Wren, American Goldfinch. No skunk or mink (although I saw the latter a week or so ago) but a handsome Fowler's Toad near one of the ponds (see photo).

Eric Salzman