The last few days, I have been working with my friend Don Riepe in getting a number of things ready for the 4th annual Shorebird Festival at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Queens NY. In addition, yesterday I made a scouting hike around the East Pond, walking from the South East end to the North East end. It was a beautiful day and I enjoyed the "field study time" as I like to call it when I bird alone.
Unfortunately, it appears the shorebird numbers are down. I am hoping that other birds arrive in the 1 day we have left before the festival so that we have a nice variety to look at on Sunday. Highlights from my scouting were a Black Swan
(a likely escapee that has returned to the refuge a few years in a row), White-rumped Sandpipers
(counted about 12), Stilt Sandpipers
(counted about 15)and 1 Pectoral Sandpiper. All the other usual birds like Greater and Lesser Yellow Legs, SB Dowitchers, Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers are around, but their numbers are down. I have included a few photos; all were digiscoped at some distance, so they are not as sharp as I would like them to be. Take a look and see if you can identify the subjects.
Tags:
Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge,
birding,
Shorebirds,
4th Annual Shorebird Festival
The last few days, I have been working with my friend Don Riepe in getting a number of things ready for the 4th annual Shorebird Festival at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Queens NY. In addition, yesterday I made a scouting hike around the East Pond, walking from the South East end to the North East end. It was a beautiful day and I enjoyed the "field study time" as I like to call it when I bird alone.
Unfortunately, it appears the shorebird numbers are down. I am hoping that other birds arrive in the 1 day we have left before the festival so that we have a nice variety to look at on Sunday. Highlights from my scouting were a Black Swan (a likely escapee that has returned to the refuge a few years in a row), White-rumped Sandpipers (counted about 12), Stilt Sandpipers (counted about 15)and 1 Pectoral Sandpiper. All the other usual birds like Greater and Lesser Yellow Legs, SB Dowitchers, Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers are around, but their numbers are down. I have included a few photos; all were digiscoped at some distance, so they are not as sharp as I would like them to be. Take a look and see if you can identify the subjects.
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