return of the Kingfisher and Robins feeding young

A species that has been decidedly missing from the local avifauna reappeared today. Belted Kingfishers used to nest in a Bank Swallow colony in the East Quogue Sand Mines and come down to Weesuck Creek on a regular route. I suspect that that cliff was dug out a couple of years ago and the kingfishers disappeared as local breeding birds. However they still turn up as migrants and today's bird might be classified as one of the early migrants.

Two other visitors: Eastern Kingbird (used to breed on the property but not in recent years) and a female Hairy Woodpecker (with a cream-colored -- almost yellowish -- tuft of feathers on its lores). All four summer woodpeckers were seen or heard (including young) and three of the larger flycatchers (Kingbird, Phoebe and Great Crested).

Bob Adamo asks how I knew the male Robin was offering insects to eggs in the nest if the nest was right over my head. Well, I couldn't see into the nest but the male flew in with a beakful of insects, offered them to the occupants and then flew out again with the same insects when they did not respond. A few moments later, the female came in without food and settled down into the nest to brood. It's possible that she was brooding hatchlings that were too weak or too young to take food but, if so, there was no sign or sound that any young had hatched and, on a hot sunny day, there didn't seem much need for serious, extensive brooding of hatchlings. Yesterday, one chick popped his head above the edge of the nest and today, there were two chicks visible; both were clearly begging for food, and both adults were coming in with food in their beaks. The female was much less timid and, although she snuck in from the back of the tree, she made it to the next and her babies and fed them. The male, also with a beakful of food, was again very wary of my presence and unlike Monday, he eventually decided not to try and come in but flew away with his insects, landed on the ground some distance away and  devoured his entire babyfood catch. A little unhappy with this result, I snuck away leaving them to their family affairs.

Eric Salzman