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September 17, 1961 - Shorebirds Pt. 20 Af A GROUP OF LARGER SHOREBIRDS — (I to r) Hudsonian Godwitf{ bled Godwit, Hudsonian Curlew, and two c y Exclusive Sunday Review Sketch by Dennis Fu(eston of Brookhaven Focus on Nature LONG ISLAND'S, SHOREBIRDS By Gilbert S Raynor Last week, the general charac- teristics and habits of the shore - birds we;�f, described. This article will discd%r, those species t h a t normallycur on Long Island with theii!tseasons and areas of occurrenol Since it is not feasible to ade- quately describe each s p e c i e s here, the reader is referred to any of the excellent bird books or field guides now available for complete descriptions. Many of the species on our list may be found by visiting one or two of the better shore- bird areas in the proper season. Among the best localities are the mud flats and sandbars a r o u n d Shin;necock, Moriches and Fire Island Inlets. Other gclpd spots, if the water levels are not too high, are Mecox Bay, Lake ,Sagaponack and the other ,coastal ponds to the east- ward. The ines north and west of Monta&k Pp, ant a t t r a c t several species as the various peninsulas and sa s project- ing into Peconic B Further west on the Island, the bird sanctuaries at Jones Beach and Jamaica Bay-- are fruitful shorebirding areas. S'e v e r a I species, however, must be sought in other habitats which will be described below. The Plover family is one of the °most distinctive among the' shorebirds. Best known, per - hap�, is the Kilideer, e a s i l y identified by the two dark breast bands and the patch of orange .on the rump. Formerly quite common throughout the Island from March through November and r a r e l y present during the winter, this species'`has decreased greatly in numbers in recent years. It is most often found in pastures and, cultivated fields but also occurs on the beaches and shorelines. The - Black- bellied Plover occurs on Long Island primarily as a migrant although a few birds may be - found at any season. Pe a k abundance is reached in May and again from August to October. This species is one of our com- monest large shorebirds on near- ly , all marsh and shoreline habi- tats and sometimes feeds in culti- vated fields. Its close relative, the Golden Plover, is much scarcer, since it migrates northward through the Alississippi Valley and southward over the Atlantic Ocean. This Pjover'is rarely found on Long Island in the spring but occurs in small numbers from August to October principally on l a r g e ` fields .from Southampton to Mon- tauk and from Riverhead to Orient. - Several smaller Plovers also by Paul Stoutenburgh Cutchogue occur locally. The P i p i n g Plover, colored like dry beach sand, breeds regularly along our South Shore beaches and at scattered points along the North Shore. It is present mainly from March to September. The Semipalmated Plover, more - the color of the wet sand which it usually frequents, is our most abundant Plover and is found in nearly all shorebird areas. It is most common in May, J u n e, August and September. The Wilson's Plover, the third of the small Plovers with t h e single dark breast' band, is a southern species which is some- times brought to the Island by hurricanes. The Ruddy Turnstone, noted for its contrasting black and white flight pattern, prefers rocky, stony or shefl-str#Wn beaches and is . one of the '&v species that are as common on the Not bore as on the South Shore fats. It is present in numbers from April to May and from August to November with a few indi- viduals present -at all seasons. The American Oyster - catcher, one of our largest and most striking shorebirds, b r e e d s primarily further south and, until recently, was considered completely accidental here. Now, however, the species has bred and should be looked for arounds the inets and on isoladte islands and sandbars from May through September. Two shorebirds that seldom fre- quent the shore are the Woodcock and the common or Wilson's Snipe. The Woodcock b r e e d s regularly on Long Island and may be found in swampj. woods and overgrown fields from IVlarch to November. The Snipe migrates t h r o u g h the region in April.. and again from September to- —X ve ber. This species prefers gr bi- tats such as marsht dWW4,qet meadows around fresh or brackish water. Both species ' sometimes winter in small numbers. . Three other species are found most often in inland locations. The Upland Plover formerly bred on Long Island but is now only a rare migrant. It is found mostly in August in the same localities as the Golden Plover. The Spotted Sandpiper or Teeter -tail breeds on the Island but is more common in migration. It might be found around any body of fresh or salt water from May to September. Its somewhat larger and more stately relative, the Solitary Sand- piper, occurs as a migrant in May, August and September a r o u n d small bodies of fresh water. Good places to find this species are Poxabogue Pond at Bridgehamp- ton and the small ponds at Wad- inp ,River apd,Manorvil�e Among our rarer shorebirds are several large species. The Hud- sonian Curlew or W h i in b r e 1, known by its long, downcurved bill, occurs sparingly from July to September on South s h o r e and East end marshes and shore- lines and sometimes frequents large grassy fields in the Hamp- tons. It is quite wild, however, and can seldom be approached closely. The M a r b l e d and Hudsonian Godwits are seldom seen except in August and September on the flats around Moriches and Shin- d k Inlets. . he Willet, slightly smaller ansomewhat commoner, is easily identified by its b o 1 d, black and white wing pattern in flight and by characteris- tic call. It is Wd on most of the better shorebird flats and along the edges of the s a It marsh in late summer a n d early fall and more rarely in the spring. The Greater Yellowlegs, a sim- ilar sized bird, is our most com- mon large shorebird, being found in all coastal habitat and some- times around inland ponds in April and from July to October. The Lesser Yellowlegs is some- what less common put occurs in t1te same places at the s am e seasons. A group of medium sized shore- birds are the Knot, Dowitcher and Stilt Sandpiper. The first two occur regularly in the spring and commonly in the fall in nearly all shorebird areas. The Stilt Sandpiper is m u c h scarcer and is found m o s t l y from July to September in areas of shallow water with a muddy bottom. Most specimens seen by the writer on eastern Long Island were at Moriches Inlet, Mecox Bay or Lake Sagaponack. Some of the smallest species are among our-commonest shorebirds. They are mostly found in the usual shorebird months, May, August and September. The LeasCi dpiper is found primarily in a .muddy or grassy areas on Both North and South Shores while the slightly larger Semipalmated . Sandpiper, o it r most ' common shorebird, prefers sandy areas and may be found in any suitable habitat. An inch or two longer and less common are the Pectoral; White - rumped and Baird'§ Sandpipers. The Pectoral frequents the gat'ne habitat as the Least while the other two associate more com- monly with the "Semis ". T h e White - rumped may, be found as late as October while the Baird's is a rather rare visitor from the West. Three species of Sandpipers are found in the colder months. The Purple Sandpiper— occurs f r,. 9 Al October to Marcia in rocky situa- tions. It is usually found on the rocks northwest of M o n t a u k Point, on the Lake Montauk breakwaters and sometimes on the jetties at Shinnecock, Mor- iches and Mattituck Inlets as well as several further west on the Island. The Sanderling is the species usually found on the ocean, front following the advancing and re- ceding waves but,.feeds a' ls�� on the bay side of the outer 34ch and is common on the N o r t h Shore and around Peconic Bay. It may be found' throughout the year with peak abundance in May and September. Wintering, flocks are most regular at Moriches and Shinnecock Inlets. The Dunlin or Red - backed Sandpiper is another h a r d y species that associates with the , smaller Sandpipers on the sand- bars and thud flats of the South Shore bays during migration and usually winters near the inlets with the Sanderlings. The last group of shorebirds to be discussed and one of the most remarkable are the Phalaropes. These xe unusual in that the fema*'larger and more bright- ly colored than the male, who incidemly incumbates the eggs and cares for the young. The Red and Northern Phala- ropes breed in the Arctic regions and spend the rest of the year at sea. They migrate past Long Island in late April and early May and from September to November. Very rarely individuals or even large flocks are driven into our bays or the surf by storms at sea. Spectacular late April flights have occurred three times In the last thirty years or so and in- dividuals are usually seen after fall ,hurricanes. The Wilson's Phalarope is a species of the western prairie marshes but a few wander east in the fall. They may turn up in any favorable shorebird habitat in August or September. Migrations are already under- way. Send your observation_ s to Paul Stoutenburgh, Box -105, Cutchogue. You might a l s o wish to suggest topics for future articles. In the planning stage the Blue Claw Crab, the Com- coon Crow, the Diamond -back Terrapin. 6