Montauk Weekend with Joe DiCostanzo, February 10–11, 2024

Registrar: Dale Dancis
Weather: Saturday and Sunday were both partly cloudy and cool (30-40 degrees)
Species: 60 total
Participants: 18

The Montauk trip has been included in the LSNY schedule since 1975. Leaders in the past have included Jose Machado, Irving Cantor, Robert Paxton, Tom Davis, Eric Saltzman, and Chris McKeever. In 1985, Joe DiCostanzo took over the leadership of the trip and has continued in that role ever since. Dale Dancis has served as registrar for most years since 1993; Alice Deutsch covered for Dale last year while she was in Africa.

Participants left Manhattan on Saturday morning at 7:15 am in order to meet by 8:30 at the Jones Beach Coast Guard station, where we found a large variety of shorebirds, including 600 Dunlin, 100 Black-bellied Plover, 80 Sanderling and 1 Purple Sandpiper. Black Scoters and Common Loons were also present. The people in one car saw a Lapland Longspur in a flock of Horned Larks.

Following a tip from the local birding alert, we drove to Point Lookout Town Beach, where we were thrilled to see 30 Harlequin Ducks, 40 Long-tailed Ducks, a Horned Grebe, and both Red-throated and Common Loons.

Our next stop, at Eastport Lake (Setauck Creek), yielded two Canvasback and a Redhead, as well as an American Wigeon, an American Coot, a Black-crowned Night Heron, a Belted Kingfisher, and a Great Egret. Spring is on the way! Dune Road was not as productive, but we added to our list a Northern Harrier flying over the dunes.

This great birding day ended at Shinnecock Inlet, where we saw 20 Common Eiders, a White-winged Scoter, six Red-breasted Mergansers, an Iceland Gull, a Great Cormorant, and a White-crowned Sparrow. At 6:00 pm we checked into our hotel, The Royal Atlantic, and as a light rain fell, we walked over to The Shagwong Tavern for a delicious dinner.

On Saturday, February 11, we headed to Montauk Point at first light. We were treated to 30 Common Eiders, two Black Scoters, 60 Long-tailed Ducks, two Razorbills, a Black-legged Kittiwake, and a Northern Gannet. At Camp Hero, our next stop, we added six Surf Scoters and 30 Black Scoters. After a full morning of birding, hungry participants drove back to John’s Pancake House for a large brunch and checked out of our rooms.

We then birded local areas around Montauk, stopping at Lake Montauk, Montauk Icehouse, Sammy’s Beach, and Crab Meadow Beach, adding eight Golden-eyes and 200 White-winged Scoters. Our last bird of the trip was a rare Black Guillemot—elusive yet seen by most. It was only the third of that species ever seen by Joe.

The weekend, expertly led by Joe, was a terrific trip. There were many newer birders who were pleased with the number of life birds they saw. The weather cooperated as did the birds!

Species List

Birds
Brant
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Mallard
American Black Duck
Canvasback
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Common Eider
Harlequin Duck
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Horned Grebe
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
Mourning Dove
American Coot
American Oystercatcher
Black-bellied Plover
Sanderling
Dunlin
Purple Sandpiper
Black Guillemot
Razorbill
Black-legged Kittiwake
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Iceland Gull
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Northern Gannet
Great Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Black-crowned Night Heron
Great Egret
Turkey Vulture
Northern Harrier
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Belted Kingfisher
Blue Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Horned Lark
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
American Robin
House Sparrow
American Goldfinch
Lapland Longspur
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Northern Cardinal

Staten Island with Richard ZainEldeen, 2/4/2024

Registrar: Ursula Mitra
Participants: 10
Weather: 40 deg F, sunny, winds NW 5 mph
Species: 46

The morning started out mild and sunny with light winds only, a perfect setting for this trip.  Richard asked the ten of us to meet for morning coffee and a bathroom break at the Colonnade Diner, followed by a short walk to the nearby New Creek Park, a new location for our Staten Island trips. This park yielded some Hooded Mergansers and a Red-tailed Hawk, among other birds.

From there, we drove to Great Kills Park, where we stopped at three locations and saw a small flock of Horned Larks. Horned Grebes, Red-breasted Mergansers, Buffleheads, and Brant were plentiful. We also saw a few Long-tailed Ducks here.

Arden Avenue Beach was our next stop. When we arrived, some of us saw a large Harbor Seal appear as if it was resting on the water’s surface.  It swam away after 10 minutes but was seen several more times, as it occasionally popped its head out of the water. Sanderlings, Common Goldeneye, Surf Scoters, and Black Scoters were notable here.

Next was Wolfe’s Pond Park where we stopped for lunch and a bathroom break. We spent quite some time here but seemed to be missing all the raptors we saw the year before. Besides many of the birds we had already observed, we saw some Common Mergansers and a Hairy Woodpecker. Then, to our surprise, we spotted a Peregrine Falcon sitting in exactly the same spot as the previous year as we exited the Park, the only raptor we saw here this year.

Richard added the Lemon Creek Park fishing pier as our final stop, hoping to see a Razorbill. We were rewarded with a large number of Surf Scoters and a Belted Kingfisher, but no Razorbill.

As always, it was an enjoyable trip in gorgeous weather with wonderful company.  Thank you to Richard ZainEldeen for leading another successful Staten Island Field Trip.

Species Lists

Birds
Brant
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Gadwall
Mallard
American Black Duck
Greater Scaup
Surf Scoter
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Horned Grebe
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Sanderling
Dunlin
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Red-tailed Hawk
Belted Kingfisher
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Peregrine Falcon
Blue Jay
American Crow
Horned Lark
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
American Robin
House Sparrow
House Finch
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Northern Cardinal

Additional Species
Domestic goose sp.

Mammals
Harbor Seal

Coney Island Pier to Coney Island Creek with Rob Jett, 2/3/2023

Registrar: Mary Braza
Participants: 13
Weather: Weather was clear, sunny, windy with a temperature in the upper thirties to low forties.
Bird Species: 34

We first went to Coney Island Beach and Boardwalk where we were able to see many ocean birds, including five Razorbills, Surf and Black Scoters, and Purple Sandpipers. We also had very good views of both the Red-throated and Common Loons, as well as Long-tailed Ducks. We extended our trip to Coney Island Creek where we were privileged to see two Common Ravens chasing a Peregrine Falcon. It was a beautiful brisk sunny day with good visibility and good views of many species.

Species Lists

Birds
Brant
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Gadwall
American Black Duck
Greater Scaup
Surf Scoter
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Sanderling
Purple Sandpiper
Razorbill
Bonaparte’s Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Greater Black-backed Gull
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Peregrine Falcon
American Crow
Fish Crow
Common Raven
American Robin
House Sparrow
House Finch
White-throated Sparrow
Common Crackle
Northern Cardinal

Mammals
Harbor Seal

Breezy Point with David Spawn, 1/27/2024

Registrar: Matthew Fischer
Participants: 15
Weather: Overcast, with cloud cover 70-100%; temperature 44-45°F; light N-NE breeze; humidity: 84–92%
Bird Species: 41

As in past years, we started the Breezy Point trip at Fort Tilden, which was a very productive meeting place. While gathering in the parking lot, we noticed multiple Brown-Headed Cowbirds mixed in with the European Starlings. From the beach, we saw a good number of Long-Tailed Ducks, both of the loon species we were expecting, each of the three expected scoter species, some Sanderlings, and a couple of Bonaparte’s Gulls; we even had some distant views of Razorbills. On the way back to our cars, we saw some Horned Larks in the ballfields and a Peregrine Falcon perched on the Marine Parkway Bridge.

What was meant to be quick bathroom break at Jacob Riis Park turned out to be quite special, as we saw a pair of Lesser Black-Backed Gulls in the parking lot.

Our walk down the Breezy Point 4×4 Trail was challenging at times due to partial flooding, but the group stuck together and helped each other make it through to the beach. Along the way, we were rewarded with quick views of an Orange-crowned Warbler and excellent closeups of an American Pipit. On the beach we once again saw the Long-Tailed Ducks, loons, scoters, and Sanderlings. Arriving at the jetty, we had incredible views of Razorbills and a Purple Sandpiper tucked away in the rocks. On the walk back, we saw Great Cormorants, as well as starfish, whelks, and other shellfish.

Species Lists

Birds
Brant
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
American Black Duck
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Red-breasted Merganser
Horned Grebe
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Sanderling
Purple Sandpiper
Razorbill
Bonaparte’s Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Great Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Northern Flicker
Peregrine Falcon
American Crow
Horned Lark
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Northern Mockingbird
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
American Pipit
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Brown-headed Cowbird
Orange-crowned Warbler
Northern Cardinal

Governors Island with Annie Barry, 1/15/2024

Registrar: Nick Dawson
Participants: 13
Weather: Overcast, cloudy, 26°F, southwesterly wind
Bird Species: 30

Birding in January in Manhattan is tough. It’s cold, it’s windy, and it’s seldom tougher to find birds. At this time of year, Governors Island is one of the more promising spots to visit, and luckily Annie Barry leads an annual walk there for the Linnaean Society. Annie has been birding on Governors Island for the past two decades, starting long before the birding community at large got wise to the wonders of the place, so her knowledge and expertise is invaluable.

January is a good time for a variety of gulls and is during what people call “weird duck season,” so on a winter day on Governors Island, you have a chance of seeing Bonaparte’s Gulls and Common Goldeneye, two great birds for New York County, and maybe even some Purple Sandpipers at Picnic Point.

On this particular day, when the 26 degree temperature felt a lot colder due to the wind chill and our proximity to the water, Annie’s hardy, hearty bunch of Linnaean birders sadly didn’t see any of those species, but nevertheless enjoyed tromping around the island, warmed by each other’s company and the simple pleasure of observing birds. Like a Great Black-backed Gull wrestling with its breakfast. Or a couple of Great Cormorants hanging out with their Double-crested kin. Or an American Kestrel actively hunting against the backdrop of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Sometimes you can miss all your target birds and just have a great time anyway.

Species Lists

Birds
Brant
Canada Goose
Mallard
American Black Duck
Bufflehead
Red-breasted Merganser
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Great Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Red-tailed Hawk
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
European Starling
Northern Mockingbird
House Sparrow
House Finch
Song Sparrow
Northern Cardinal

Croton Point Park and Shawangunk Grasslands N.W.R. with Julien Amsellem, 1/13/2024

Registrar: Nick Dawson
Participants: 17
Weather: (Croton) Overcast clouds Temperature: 50 – 58°F; Wind: Mostly calm – strong breeze; Wind Direction: SW – S; Cloud Cover: 90 – 100%; Humidity: 68 – 90% (Shawangunk) Broken clouds Temperature: 40 – 43°F Wind: Moderate breeze – gale Wind Direction: W Cloud Cover: 75% Humidity: 53 – 58%
Bird Species: 40

Some birding trips are miraculous simply because they happen at all, and that was the case with Julien Amsellem’s walk at Croton Point Park and Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge. For a start, it’s a walk that for the past three years Julien had been prevented from leading by a number of unfortunate circumstances. And in the lead-up to the trip this year, the weather forecast made it look like this trip might be washed out altogether.

Fortunately, though, the walk did indeed take place, although strong winds throughout the day made birding something a challenging proposition. At Croton Point Park, the warm weather of the past few days had meant the departure of Horned Larks, Snow Buntings and a solitary Lapland Longspur, and though a number of sparrow species were evident, a lot of the smaller passerines were hunkered down, to avoid being buffeted by the vigorous winds. Raptors were, however, present and active: both Turkey and Black Vultures, nesting Red-tailed Hawks, multiple Bald Eagles, an American Kestrel, a Northern Harrier and a small Cooper’s Hawk that did its best to make us think it was a large Sharp-shinned. One of the definite highlights was getting great looks at the continuing Red-headed Woodpeckers, who were holding strong by the model airplane field.

For this first portion of the walk, the participants’ ages ranged from 17 to 94, a sign — if one were needed — that birding is an activity that brings all people together, bridges generational divides in a truly special way.

After lunch at Croton (and a brief, unsuccessful attempt to find a Great Horned Owl and the Pine Warbler which is overwintering by the RV campground), the group drove northwest to Shawangunk, where during the winter Short-Eared Owls are all but a certainty at dawn and dusk. Unfortunately, the winds were a major deterrent for the owls, who appeared only briefly and distantly. The consolation prize was, however, more than a dozen more Northern Harriers, hunting low over the grasslands the whole time we were there. Despite the winds and cold and the group not getting the looks we were hoping for of the Shorties, spirits remained high and we wrapped up the trip grateful for a fun and invigorating day of birding.

Birds
Canada Goose
Mallard
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Northern Harrier
Cooper’s Hawk
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Short-eared Owl
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
American Kestrel
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow
Common Raven
Black-capped Chickadee
Golden-crowned Kinglet
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Carolina Wren
European Starling
American Robin
House Sparrow
House Finch
American Goldfinch
Field Sparrow
American Tree Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-throated Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Northern Cardinal

Eastport Ponds and Shinnecock Bay with Eileen Schwinn, 1/9/2024

Registrar: Anne Lazarus & Kristin Ellington
Participants: 10
Weather: Overcast with a high of 55 and a low of 35 degrees, light rain with wind and rain picking up as the day progressed.
Bird Species: 35

During a break between two massive winter storm fronts, ten intrepid birders set out to look for ducks and other waterfowl on the lakes and coastal waters of Long Island. Although not an official part of our trip, most participants started or ended the day in Heckscher State Park, where a rare Mountain Bluebird was posing on the posts alongside the road. Seeing the gorgeous western bluebird was an exciting addition to our day.

At our first official stop along Patchogue Lake in Suffolk County, New York, we began assembling an impressive list of waterfowl. Across two different viewing locations, we spotted an incredible array of ducks, including Blue-wing Teal, Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Canvasback, Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser, and Ruddy Duck. In addition to a large group of Canada Geese, Herring Gulls, and Great Black-backed Gulls, we identified was a Pied-billed Grebe and a few American Coot. Additional sightings include a Downy Woodpecker, a Mute Swan, and a Great Blue Heron, the first of the year for many. As we prepared to move on, the thrilling sound of a Belted Kingfisher zipping by reminded us to look for birds with our eyes and ears, not just our scopes.

Our next stop was Swan River in East Patchogue, Suffolk, New York. A noble Cooper’s Hawk greeted us at the Swan River Preserve, which likely was the reason we did not see the much-anticipated Virginia Rail, often seen in that location. However, we got some excellent looks at Green-winged Teal in the cattails. Other highlights include the lovely songs of the Black-capped Chickadee, Song Sparrow, and the Carolina Wren. Across the street, in the larger lake area, we were treated to more wintering ducks, including additional Gadwall, Mallard, Northern Pintail, another Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, and several Hooded Merganser.

As the fog and rain started rolling in at a rapid clip, our final stop was Eastport Lake, where we saw many of those same ducks while adding the American Black Duck, American Wigeon, and Common Loon to our list.

Species Lists

Birds
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Mallard
American Black Duck
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Canvasback
Ring-necked Duck
Lesser Scaup
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Pied-billed Grebe
American Coot
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Common Loon
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Cooper’s Hawk
Belted Kingfisher
Downy Woodpecker
Blue Jay
Black-capped Chickadee
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
Gray Catbird
Mountain Bluebird
Song Sparrow
Northern Cardinal

Rye Playlands and Environs with Tom Burke and Gail Benson, 12/3/2023

Registrar: MaryJane Boland
Participants: 12
Weather: Clear with temperature in the high 40s but feeling colder because of rain the night before, light wind
Bird Species: 58

After it poured all day on Friday, Saturday was a clear, cool day with sun later in the afternoon, perfect for birding by the water and pleasant for walking.  We visited Edith G. Read Wildlife Sanctuary and Marshlands Conservancy with Tom Burke and Gail Benson, areas where they bird frequently and know what birds to seek.  We missed our pileated woodpecker, but our 58 species were so rewarding that there were no complaints!

Species Lists

Birds
Brant
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Mallard
American Black Duck
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Wild Turkey
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Common Loon
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Cooper’s Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Blue Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Golden-crowned Kinglet
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Winter Wren
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Northern Mockingbird
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
House Finch
Purple Finch
American Goldfinch
Field Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Yellowthroat
Northern Cardinal