This site is an old USAF base, with large areas of short grass, interspersed with more wooded or shrubby patches. Sadly there was no sign of the Kingbird early on, but I got great views of a Fox Sparrow, as well as a group of 4 American Pipits flying over, 3 separate Northern Harriers including one male, a Sharp-shinned Hawk and a Red-tailed Hawk. At about 9:30 I decided to head over to Jones Beach again, a site I'm starting to like very much indeed.
I started at the West Car Park. The flock of Horned Larks had been augmented by a large flock of at least 100 Snow Buntings. Once again there was at least one Lapland Longspur with them. I walked down the beach to the jetty at the west end (at least two more Northern Harriers, including a cracking male), then followed the inlet around to the Coast Guard Station. The wind was quite high, which made scope-work difficult, but I did manage to find quite a few birds including about 4 Red-throated Loon, 5 Common Loon, 7 White-winged Scoter, 20+ Black Scoter, 1 Common Eider, 2 Purple Sandpipers and several small flocks of Dunlin. Once at the Coast Guard Station I relocated the Marbled Godwit still associating with the American Oystercatchers. Also there were 8 Red-breasted Merganser, several Bufflehead, and best bird of the day for me, 3 Long-tailed Duck in the bay.
Next stop was Point Lookout. I'd been told the 3rd jetty was the spot for the Harlequin Ducks, so that's where I went! No luck, but I know the site now, and will include it on all future outings. It seems more sheltered than the jetty at Jones Beach, and I can see why it attracts birds. There were several species feeding in the calm water between the jetties, including several more Red-throated Loons and Commons Loons, 2 more Common Eider and a winter plumaged Horned Grebe (aka Slavonian Grebe, a bird I haven't seen in 26 years!)
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