waiting for the storm

There was moonlight last night but by this morning the sky was covered and the wind had come up from the northeast (although it was possible to hear the surf from the southeast). Was this because the storm was partly a nor'easter? Or was it because of the clockwise motion of the hurricane?

The early morning tide was extremely high; the pond overflowed and most of my usual paths around the pond and marsh were well under water. Most notably, there were a few hawks in the air: a medium-sized accipiter (probably a female Sharp-shinned judging by the cut of the wings), a Red-tailed Hawk over the creek being harassed by gulls, and the last of the Osprey -- presumably the same young bird that has been hanging around and overnighting on local dead trees.

Eric Salzman

calm before the storm

The past two days can be best characterized by the phrase 'calm before the storm'. The weather has been partly sunny, warm, dry and relatively windless. Although the various populations of visiting and/or wintering birds have thinned out somewhat, there are still some numbers of various species. There was a singing Marsh Wren yesterday and some Hermit Thrushes (tail wags included) as well. V-formation flocks moving overhead have all been Double-crested Cormorants. A impressive movement of seabirds on the far side of Shinnecock Bay must have extended a good half-mile along the barrier beach; although it did not take the classic V formation, it may have been D-c Cormorants (I can't think what else would be moving in such numbers at this time of year but perhaps some of the waterfowl have started to move). I haven't seen the Sapsuckers in a couple of days but the other four woodpeckers -- Hairy included -- are here (hurricanes create lots of yummy dead wood for woodpeckers).

I heard that mysterious three-note whistled song again this morning. I'm now thinking that it might be an aberrant sparrow song -- perhaps even a Song Sparrow!

Aldrich Boat Yard (our neighbor up the creek) has pulled almost all its boats out of the water and pulled in its floating docks as well. Last year, I believe some of their boats suffered significant damage during Hurricane Irene so they are taking no chances this year.

Eric Salzman

another rail call

Another mysterious rail call.

I was down at the marsh before dawn when a rail called something like the following: Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap (even) and then something similar but dropping in pitch. The tide was still fairly high and there was just so far that I could slosh around and of course I saw nothing. After waiting a while, I retreated to higher ground and heard the pattern once again, this time from a distance. This was not a Clapper Rail (although I suppose King Rail would be a possibility).

Sunrise was very striking as the fiery ball came up in a narrow opening below a heavy cloud cover. This threw an unreal reddish/orange light on the vegetation and cast the siskins and goldfinches (they were popping up all over the place) in lurid colors; it was like something a mad lighting designer might come up with. But it wasn't long before the sun vanished behind a thick layer of overcast.

Add a couple of species to the list of possible winter birds (see yesterday's blog). Small flocks of Dark-eyed Juncos and Golden-crowned Kinglets showed up this morning. Royal Terns continue to populate the creek. Now that Aldrich Boat Yard has pulled in all their boats (in advance of the predicted storms?) and even pulled up the floating docks, the terns are using the poles -- mostly occupied by gulls and cormorants until now -- as roosting places.

Eric Salzman

winter birds?

In spite of the overcast and drizzle, there were birds, birds, birds this morning -- passerines plus a woodpecker or two -- in the pine grove just in back of the pond and all along the marsh edge with chickadees and titmice, both nuthatches, a surprising number of Ruby-crowned Kinglets (no Golden-crowned), many Yellow-rumped (a.k.a. Myrtle) Warblers and the regular late October complement of sparrows -- White-throats, Song and Swamp. There are still good numbers of Pine Siskins along with lesser numbers of Am Goldfinches all around the marsh edge. And, of course, Mourning Doves, blackbirds (Red-winged and Grackles), Am Crows (with an occasional Fish Crow) and Blue Jays. Also Mockingbirds on each side of the property (they are year-rounders) and a loud Brown Thrasher or two calling from inside the woods. And the inevitable and highly successful Carolina Wrens -- also year-rounders.

I wonder how many of these birds are settled in for the winter (alas, I won't be around to check it out).

Eric Salzman

siskins 'n' stuff

The Siskins are back!

Well, some of them anyway. Small flocks of a dozen or so birds have turned up with American Goldfinches, all feeding around the edge of the marsh. They're probably not returns but new birds coming in.

In fact, there was a substantial flight last night with a variety of new arrivals. I made it down to the middle of the marsh before sunrise but there was still a bit of water in the open pond at the middle with two Mallards swimming around; no shorebirds or rails. There was, however, a chucking Marsh Wren right in the marsh grass between my perch and the open water, first I've seen in a while. There was also a Winter Wren further up at the head of the marsh.

Many sparrows are in: lots of the regulars (White-throated and Song, both singing, plus Swamp) plus a few Chipping Sparrows, numbers of Dark-eyed Juncos and at least one beautiful adult White-crowned Sparrow. There was also a pod (I'd hardly call it a flock) of thrushes. All the ones I could see had reddish tails and these were probably mostly Hermit Thrushes; but there were one or two that had grayish rather than whitish eye-rings and distinctly did not wag their tails (a Hermit Thrush giveaway) and might have been Bicknell's Thrushes; tough call. Yellow-rumped Warblers are everywhere from the ground to the tops of the trees (where they perform flycatcher-like flights to catch insects).

Both nuthatches are still here (White-breasted almost seem to outnumber Red-breasted). Also Ruby-crowned Kinglets (but the Golden-crowned all seem to have passed through). A pair of Cedar Waxwings came zipping overhead, the first that I've seen in a long time.

A remarkable first-of-the-season was a flocklet of four calling Snow Geese high overhead -- the advance guard of what is sure to be a big deal a little later in the season.

Eric Salzman

water birds of marsh & creek

Another beautiful morning with a late sunrise and a low tide that enabled me to get well into the marsh. Amazingly enough, at exactly the same spot as yesterday's dowitcher, a seemingly identical, good-sized, long-billed shorebird jumped up and flew to the other side of the open pond in the middle of the marsh. Another dowitcher? No, this bird lacked the white lozenge on the back and it flew up with a short, harsh, toneless scraping sound. Not a dowitcher but a Wilson's Snipe, an amazingly similar bird in the same spot. And the first Wilson's Snipe of the year for me.

But that wasn't all. Almost immediately, just a few steps away, a similarly sized bird (bigger body, shorter bill) flew up and low into the dense vegetation. A medium-sized rail -- Virginia Rail again, no doubt.

Water birds continued to dominate the day. A Wood Duck pair, male and female, were in the pond just about where four of these gorgeous creatures dropped in yesterday. And Royal Terns continued to hold the creek. These southern birds (their nearest nesting grounds are usually listed as Maryland although there may be a few birds breeding further north) come to Long Island is a post-breeding dispersal as early as mid-May and their numbers only seem to increase in the fall.

Where oh where did the siskins go? As several readers have pointed out, Shai Mitra saw something around 20,000 Pine Siskins moving west along the barrier beach (he was at Robert Moses State Park at the western end of Fire Island). Obviously 'our' siskins could not resist joining up with the crowd moving on; not a single one is left after a visit (probably by several hundred birds) of more than three weeks.

Eric Salzman

some birds leave, some drop in

Where are the Siskins?

Since the spell of bad weather in the past couple of days, the flocks of Pine Siskins and American Goldfinches have vanished, leaving behind a few Goldfinches, some House Finches and no siskins at all.

There are still fair numbers of Yellow-rumped Warblers along with various sparrows: Song, Swamp, White-throated and Savannah (the latter the first of the season here that I identified for sure). A steady parade of Royal Terns on the creek suggests that their numbers are actually increasing.

A magic moment came a little later in the day when a flock of six Wood Duck came circling overhead. It suddenly occurred to me that they wanted to come into the pond but were deterred by my standing figure. I sat down (we have a couple of chairs on the bank) and almost immediately they dropped in -- four gorgeous males and two handsome females in their Sunday finest -- tucking themselves into a well vegetated corner.

But the big surprise was a Short-billed Dowitcher in the open water pond at the center of the marsh first thing in the morning. This bird flushed a short distance at my approach, revealing the lozenge-shaped white mark on its back. It landed not far away behind a clump of grass and, after a bit, it began to  feed at a near edge and showing its rather stout longish bill, head markings and some of its tail. It didn't call so I suppose I should call it 'dowitcher sp' but either way, it is a new bird for the property. Dowitchers are common enough on the ocean side of Shinnecock but they simply don't turn up on our side -- at least not until now. This is species #240 for the property!

Eric Salzman