Linnaean Society trip

Yesterday was Linnaean Day. Every year at about this time, I lead a trip for members of the Linnaean Society, a natural history organization (the second oldest in this country) affiliated with the American Museum of Natural History. This trip is usually concerned with the specialties of our area and so it begins, naturally enough, at the Shinnecock Inlet watching terns and gulls and looking for the odd late wintering duck or off-shore oceanic species. It then proceeds along Dune Road with appropriate stops at some of the bay pullouts looking for birds of marsh and bay. This part of the trip ends up in the Westhampton Dunes area (Pike's Beach and/or the Overlook and/or Cupsogue County Park. The afternoon is spent upland looking for grassland and allied species. We were joined by Eileen Schwinn and, since I had to cut out shortly before noon, I left the upland part of the trip to her.

Here's a trip list that includes all the of the birds that we saw down at the shore and the birds that Eileen reports were seen at Westhampton (Gabreski) Airport and EPCAL (ex-Grumman). The latter locale had been taken over by some kind of fund-raiser so, although they were able to get access to the western runway (where much of the good remaining grassland can be found), they had somewhat limited success battling the crowds and loud music. Some target birds were missed, notably Horned Lark, Blue Grosbeak and Seaside Sparrow (reported to be way down in numbers) as well as Vesper & Savannah Sparrows, Next time!

Double-crested Cormorant
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Black-crowned Night Heron
Glossy Ibis
Mute Swan
Mallard
Osprey
Wild Turkey (seen by me on my way out)
Black-bellied Plover (all birds in non-breeding plumage)
Piping Plover (at least two different birds)
American Oystercatcher (several at different locations)
Willet (common every in bay marshes0
Ruddy Turnstone (two or three at Tiana)
Dunlin (single bird in breeding plumage at Tiana)
Least Sandpiper (4 birds at Tiana)
Black-backed Gull
Herring Gull
Common Tern
Forster's Tern
Least Tern
Mourning Dove
Willow Flycatcher (singing bird near Shinnecock Inlet)
Great Crested Flycatcher (EPCAL)
Eastern Kingbird (EPCAL)
American Crow
Fish Crow (by sound)
Barn Swallow
Tree Swallow
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Yellow Warbler
Praire Warbler (heard at EPCAL)
Pine Warbler (EPCAL)
Common Yellowthroat
Northern Cardinal
Song Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow (heard on Dune Road)
Grasshopper Sparrow (EPCAL)
Saltmarsh Sparrow (see at two locations)
Song Sparrow
Eastern Meadowlark (heard only at EPCAL)
Brown-headed Cowbird (EPCAL)
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Boat-tailed Grackle
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow

If there's anything missing, perhaps someone who was there (particularly at EPCAL) can let me know.

Eric Salzman