Registrar: Debbie Mullins
Participants: 11
Weather: Raining at the start, then cloudy; high 50s to mid 60s
Bird Species: 43
We were expecting the rain to hold off until the afternoon, but sadly, it started almost as soon as we got underway. Within a few minutes it was coming down hard, so we decided to do some car birding at the boat launch. We then drove to the abandoned âgraffiti buildingâ overlooking Jamaica Bay for a different view of the water. Large numbers of Brant were seen, and about 30 Black-bellied Plovers were spotted on a beach across the bay.
After about two hours, the rain stopped, and we set off to bird the runways. A very wet Peregrine Falcon was soon spotted perched on a pole, and a cooperative Cooper’s Hawk rested on a sign right next to the runway. We also got wonderful looks at a Northern Harrier flying low to the ground and an American Kestrel kiting over the grasslands in search of prey.
We then walked north along another runway to the farm area and the âNorth Fortyâ. Mixed flocks of sparrows were foraging in the grass, including three White-crowned Sparrows and two Clay-colored Sparrows. Further along the trail, an Orange-crowned Warbler was seen, as well as several other passerine species. Nine sparrow species and six warbler species were seen, resulting in an excellent day of birding, despite the inclement weather.
Species Lists
Birds
Brant
Canada Goose
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
Mourning Dove
Black-bellied Plover
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
American Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Double-crested Cormorant
Cooper’s Hawk
Northern Harrier
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Peregrine Falcon
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
American Robin
House Sparrow
House Finch
Chipping Sparrow
Clay-colored Sparrow
Field Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Orange-crowned Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Palm Warbler
Pine Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Butterflies and Moths
Hawaiian Beet Worm Moth
Cloudless Sulphur
Snail
Brown-lipped Snail
