Nassau County 1/1

Jones Beach Coast Guard Station
Photo: Shari Zirlin

We kicked off the new year with our friends who live on Long Island. After staying up pretty late (for us) we sat around the dining room table this morning, eating a leisurely breakfast and watching the common winter birds through their window. First bird I saw this year: male Northern Cardinal.

Then, as we like to do when we're there, we drove over to Jones Beach. It didn't seem that cold when we first went out, but a biting wind off the water made it a little unpleasant to stand in one place scoping for birds. We did see some birds we like: Shari got her American Oystercatchers on the sandbar where they always seem to be in winter, Caroline & Rick enjoyed the Long-tailed Ducks that were up close and easy to admire, and later, driving along the rode, we stopped to look at a flock of sparrows which was comprised of juncos and more American Tree Sparrows than I have ever seen at one time. Last year it took me to the middle of November to find tree sparrows; getting them first thing this year seemed like a good omen, so I used them for my first 2013 Bird A Day entry.

Our plan was to go over to Point Lookout and hope for harlequins, eiders and Purple Sandpipers. To our disappointment that beach was closed. We tried another beach but there was nothing different there from Jones Beach. So, we didn't get nearly as many birds on the first day of the year as we did last year birding with a large group in Cape May, but I certainly I enjoyed the company much more.

As promised/threatened, I have added "counts" to the sidebar: Life, Year, & Ocean County. Those of you who do not want a glimpse into database lunacy I would advise not to let your eyes drift over to the right.

Today's list:

Species           Count     Location

1.      Snow Goose    1     Jones Beach SP

2.      Brant    20     Jones Beach SP

3.      Canada Goose    100     Jones Beach SP

4.      Long-tailed Duck    10     Jones Beach SP

5.      Red-breasted Merganser    15     Jones Beach SP

6.      Red-throated Loon    2     Jones Beach SP

7.      Common Loon    5     Jones Beach SP

8.      Horned Grebe    2     Jones Beach SP

9.      Double-crested Cormorant    1     Jones Beach SP

10.  American Oystercatcher    14     Jones Beach SP

11.  Ring-billed Gull    X     Jones Beach SP

12.  Herring Gull    X     Jones Beach SP

13.  Great Black-backed Gull    X     Jones Beach SP

14.  Rock Pigeon    15     Jones Beach SP

15.  Mourning Dove    2     Malverne

16.  Red-bellied Woodpecker    1     Malverne

17.  Blue Jay    1     Malverne

18.  American Crow    5     Jones Beach SP

19.  American Robin    1     Malverne

20.  Northern Mockingbird    2     Jones Beach SP

21.  European Starling    2     Malverne

22.  American Tree Sparrow    10     Jones Beach SP 23.  Song Sparrow  1  Jones Beach SP

24.  White-throated Sparrow    1     Malverne

25.  Dark-eyed Junco    15     Jones Beach SP

26.  Northern Cardinal    2     Malverne

27.  Red-winged Blackbird    5     Jones Beach SP

28.  House Sparrow    15     Malverne