Staten Island 5/29--More Leftovers

Hen Common Eider, photo Shari Zirlin

We birded Staten Island yesterday, spending most of our time at Great Kill and Mount Loretto with a couple of quick stops to look at Lemon Creek and the Arden Avenue Purple Martin houses.

We were surprised to see a Common Eider and a Horned Grebe off the mud flats of Great Kills. But not that surprised, since we often find out of season waterfowl (like scoters or Buffleheads) there. We've seen plenty of Horned Grebes, but never one in its spectacular breeding plumage. It was pretty far out and a lot clearer in our scope than in the picture Shari digiscoped:

Great Kills Park
5/29/10

Number of species:     41

 Brant     2     Mud Flats

Canada Goose     15

Common Eider     1     Hen, Mud Flats

Horned Grebe     1     Male, in breeding plumage, Mud Flats

Double-crested Cormorant     3

Snowy Egret     1     Mud Flats

Little Blue Heron     2     Mud Flats

Black-crowned Night-Heron     2     Flyover Marina

Turkey Vulture     1

Black-bellied Plover     1     Mud Flats

Semipalmated Plover     3     Mud Flats

American Oystercatcher     6     Mud Flats

Ruddy Turnstone     1     Mud Flats

Laughing Gull     2     Mud Flats

Herring Gull     15

Great Black-backed Gull     12

Rock Pigeon     6

Mourning Dove     3

Willow Flycatcher     2

Fish Crow     2

Tree Swallow     10

Bank Swallow     25     Mud Flats

Barn Swallow     1

Carolina Wren     1     Crooke's Pt White Trail

American Robin     25

Gray Catbird     25

Northern Mockingbird     5

Brown Thrasher     3

European Starling     5

Yellow Warbler     15

Common Yellowthroat     1

Eastern Towhee     5

Field Sparrow     1     Crooke's Pt

Song Sparrow     1     Crooke's Pt

Northern Cardinal     10

Red-winged Blackbird     4     Mud Flats

Common Grackle     1

Boat-tailed Grackle     16

Brown-headed Cowbird     2

Baltimore Oriole     1     Trail to Mud Flats

American Goldfinch     5     Crooke's Pt
Mount Loretto Unique Area

Number of species:     30

Brant     24

Canada Goose     7

Wood Duck     1

Mallard     4

Double-crested Cormorant     5

Great Egret     2

American Oystercatcher     2

Spotted Sandpiper     2

Herring Gull     5

Great Black-backed Gull     5

Belted Kingfisher     1

Red-bellied Woodpecker     1

Willow Flycatcher     1

Eastern Phoebe     1

Warbling Vireo     1

Blue Jay     1

Northern Rough-winged Swallow     5

Tree Swallow     2

Barn Swallow     1

American Robin     10

Gray Catbird     2

European Starling     5

Yellow Warbler     5

Common Yellowthroat     10

Eastern Towhee     2

Northern Cardinal     2

Red-winged Blackbird     5

Common Grackle     5

Boat-tailed Grackle     2

Orchard Oriole     1

Lemon Creek Bridge

Number of species:     5

Mallard     8

Great Egret     1

Killdeer     3

Barn Swallow     10

Red-winged Blackbird     2
Arden Avenue & Ocean Driveway
Number of Species:   1
Purple Martin