Today's birding 5/25 25- Arshamomaque, Dam Pond and Cedar Beach

[jle...@gmail.com]

Hank and I went to Arshamomaque, because the LEAST BITTERN was seen yesterday and on Peggy's advice, went to Dam Pond.  It was a fruitful day.  We got egg sandwiches from Sterling..... Fred asked, are we going birding.....? Hell, yes!  We headed to the North Tower, greeting Jane and a young man, Jake.  They presented me with the first challenge of the day, a sound from the reeds.  Jake seemed to think it was akin to a cuckoo....I guessed a couple things.... No. No and no.  I finally heard the soft call.  LEAST BITTERN doing softly the coo-coo song.  We stared into the reeds to no avail. At the entrance we heard a ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK. Finally after a long time the Grosbeak returned.  REDSTARTS, BLUE-WINGED, YELLOW and COMMON YELLOWTHROATS, RED-EYED and WHITE-EYED VIREO, GREAT-CRESTED FLYCATCHER and TOWHEE filled the dance card.  At the Tower we heard WILLOW FLYCATCHER.

Dam Pond and Cove Road were lively. We birded by ear and Merlin.  We had on Merlin, a BAY-BREASTED WARBLER but didn't see the bird.  It sang its song a few times. Peggy SAW the bird before we got there.  Jealous.  We walked along Cove Road and landed in WOOD THRUSH land. When I hear the species, my heart calms down....ahhhh.  Merlin said BLACKBURNIAN!  Several times...Hank who has great eyes couldn't find it.  I can no longer can hear the song or chips.  Bummer for me.  We stood in the spot for 20-30 minutes trying to find the bird.  A SWAINSON'S THRUSH sounded off but its beautiful song. Dam Pond was one of the first preserves on the North Fork, so my list for it is the biggest list of birds, close to 150 bird species. I think this was the first time I had Swainson's there. We also heard a SCARLET TANAGER. Many of the birds we saw and heard at Arshamomaque were also at Dam Pond.

After gathering things for a dinner, Southold Fish Market, some steamers and tuna steak and Country Time Farm Stand, mesclun mix, asparagus and pies we came dropped home and put away groceries, we went to Cedar Beach.  I never seen so many COMMON TERNS as I saw there today. I don't think they're nesting there. LEAST TERNS were numerous!  Three PIPING PLOVER, some WILLETS, two TURNSTONE, one BLACK BELLIED PLOVER and gull species.  

Dinner was DAH-lish, all local products.  I'm about to have a piece of pie....

I was at Preston Ponds on Friday.  I heard SUMMER TANAGER, saw BLUE GROSBEAK on a dead tree singing its heart out, INIDGO BUNTING, WORM-EATING and BAY-BREASTED WARBLERS. Hank, Linda and I are going back tomorrow. 

Yesterday, we man we met on the trails we Cordwood Landing County Park in Sound Beach in Mt Sinai told of a place in Rocky Point called Hagerman Landing.  I heard Swainson's Thrush singing its song. I think it's more beautiful than the Wood Thrush.....