Registrar: Matthew Fischer
Participants: 18
Weather: A few clouds; temperature 23–27° F; moderate breeze from west; 20% cloud cover; humidity 49–58%. Sunrise: 7:10am; sunset: 5:04pm
Bird Species: 41
As in past years, we started the day at the Fort Tilden area, which was very productive. From the beach we saw Long-Tailed Ducks and each of the three expected scoter species (including a Surf Scoter walking in the surf), and some Sanderlings. On the way back to our cars, we saw some Horned Larks in the ballfields (at the exact same spot we saw them last year) and a perched Cooper’s Hawk.
Our walk down the Breezy Point 4×4 Trail was a lot easier than last year, and we were rewarded with a large flock of Snow Buntings and a perched American Kestrel when we got to the beach. At the jetty, we spotted a Purple Sandpiper and a raft of Common Eider. We saw a Northern Harrier (Gray Ghost) patrolling the dunes and multiple Great Cormorants mixed in with the Double–crested Cormorants.
Species List
Brant
Canada Goose
Mallard
Common Eider
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Red-breasted Merganser
Rock Pigeon
Sanderling
Purple Sandpiper
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Great Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Cooper’s Hawk
Norther Harrier
American Kestrel
Common Raven
Black Capped Chickadee
Horned Lark
European Starling
Northern Mockingbird
American Robin
House Sparrow
House Finch
American Goldfinch
Snow Bunting
American Tree Sparrow
Dark Eyed Junco
White-throated Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Yellow Rumped Warbler
Northern Cardinal