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