Seed Sale
Chairperson: Have you always wanted to help out but feel you
don’t have a lot of time? Then the Seed Sale is just right for
you. Our seed sale fundraiser is held twice a year – October and
February.
Backyard Bird Feeder Survey Compiler: This position is
perfect for someone who enjoys backyard bird watching and would
like to be able to work from home. You don’t have to be an
expert birder – beginners are welcome!
Annual May Dinner Chairperson and Co-Chairperson: Do you have
good organizational skills, like people, and enjoy a good party?
If so, why not consider heading up our annual dinner fundraiser.
The majority of tasks already have volunteers in place.
For more information or to volunteer, please contact Judy
Davis at 631-277-5179 or princessjudyann@optonline.net.
Sign up for the GSBAS
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alerts, notices and other news related to the community and our organization.
February 21, 2010 - American Museum of National History, Ornithology
Dept. Tour
Click photos to enlarge
Photos Courtesy of Steve D’Amato
January 17, 2010 - Children's Pinecone Feeder Workshop at Brookside
Click
photos to enlarge
It was a fun time for all who made pinecone
feeders at Brookside on January 17th. Due to the misty, cold weather,
we made our feeders indoors. It was especially a delight to watch 18
month-old Sadie, with the help of her mother, spread the lard/cornmeal
mixture onto the pinecones with a spoon, inspect the various materials
we had on hand, and roll the sticky-coated cones in the birdseed and
craisins.
Following the feeder making, we gleefully watched as
Black-capped Chickadees sampled the pinecone feeders hung up near
Brookside's butterfly garden and feeders, and also enjoyed seeing many
gorgeous Northern Cardinals at the seed feeders.
Green, age 4, showed
a great deal of enthusiasm in spreading cracked corn on the ground for
the ducks out around the feeders. It truly was a pleasure to see the
interest shown by all who were there -- the children, their parents and
GSBAS volunteers and tour guides Janet Gremli, Judy Davis and President
Alice Heller -- in making something to be enjoyed by our feathered
friends who are always a delight to watch as they go about their day.
Thank you to all who helped make the workshop a success!
Juliane
Wohler, Education Chair
January 16, 2010 - Connetquot River State Park Preserve “Breakfast
and Birding”
Click
photos to enlarge
This Saturday field trip, which was hosted
by Friends of Connetquot, was lead by Steven D’Amato and Alice Heller.
It started in the general meeting building at Connetquot River State
Park Preserve. Here, while people had breakfast, we showed slides of the
possible bird species that could be seen at the preserve at this time of
year.
We had a total of 37 people show up, between the members of
Great South Bay Audubon and Friends of Connetquot, and saw a total of 35
species. Most of these were birds around the river. There were 15
species of ducks/geese/swans: Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Muscovy Duck,
Gadwall, American Wigeon, American Black Duck, Mallard, Canvasback,
Ring-necked Duck, Greater & Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Hooded & Common
Merganser, and Ruddy Ducks. The other 6 species of birds in or near the
water were: Pied-billed Grebe, Great Blue Heron, American Coot, and
Ring-billed, Herring, & Great Black-backed Gulls.
The woodland species
were a little disappointing. There was a total of 14 species but almost
all of these birds could have easily been seen in our own backyards.
Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers, pigeons and doves, crows and jays,
chickadees and titmice, robins, starlings, and Song, White-throated, and
House Sparrows, these birds most of us can see just as well around our
own neighborhoods. I would say that the Golden-crowned Kinglet was
probably the only passerine that was a more dedicated forest species
than the rest we saw.
All in all, with the weather becoming sunny, it
was still a good field trip.
Steve D’Amato
January 10, 2010 - Montauk Point Field Trip
Click
photos to enlarge
So as far as GSBAS goes, there were 5 of us:
myself (Mike Cooper), Larry & Helga Merryman and Edith & Bob Wilson,
plus Doug Futuyma.
As for the birds, we had a steady stream of
Razorbills and a steady stream of smaller numbers of Kittiwakes. At any
time you could scan and see a group or two of 8-12 Razorbills and 2 or 3
Kittiwakes. Also, probably a hundred or two of Common Eider and scoters
in the low thousands. Doug found a Harlequin along East Lake Drive,
which we caught up with later, and another at Ditch Plains. He also
re-found Angus' 2nd winter Iceland Gull on the beach near Gosman's, and
the Wilson's re-refound it later on. That bird was kind of interesting.
Not only an unusual 2nd winter, but also a heavily marked bird with a
dark tail band.
Otherwise, some Canvasbacks on Fort Pond, Doug had
White-fronted and Cackling Geese in Amagansett...not sure if the GSBAS
group caught up with those.
A cold but nice day, when you were out of
the wind. Probably
birdier than Saturday was.
A couple of pics from Sunday.
Good
Birding, Mike Cooper.
November 15, 2009 - Morton National Wildlife Refuge
Click
photos to enlarge
Steve D'Amato provided most of these wonderful
photos below on the Sunday, November 15th Morton National Wildlife Refuge Field Trip.
Please click the photos to enlarge and view the credits and captions.
November 10, 2009 - Sunken Meadow
Tuesday’s,
November 10, 2009, Louise Titus Memorial Mid-Week Field Trip to Sunken
Meadow was attended by 22 happy birders. Pictured is Field Trip
Coordinator, Larry Merryman.
Click
photo to enlarge
November 8, 2009 - Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge
NOTE: 1.Weather conditions: Sunny and mild temperatures
2. Three (3) painted turtles seen @ trail marker 14.
Please see photos below courtesy of Steve D’Amato.
Trip Leaders:
John Gluth, Robert Grover, and Alice Heller
Field Trip Report submitted by: Alice Heller and Steve D’Amato
Special thanks to GSBAS’s Trip Leader, Mike Cooper, who also attended
and heard, identified birds in flight and excelled in the art of
phishing.
Bird Species seen/heard (“H”) at Wertheim’s
Impoundment Area and river trail listed in phylogenetic order:
Mute Swan
American Black Duck
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Lesser Scaup
Hooded Merganser
Pied-billed Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Virginia Rail (H) (glimpsed by some)
American Coot
Greater Yellowlegs
Least Sandpiper
Dunlin
Great Black-backed Gull
Belted Kingfisher
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Blue Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Marsh Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet (H)
Eastern Bluebird (H)
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing (H)
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird (in flight)
Eastern Meadowlark (in flight)
Click
photos to enlarge
Steve D'Amato took some of these wonderful
photos below on the Sunday, November 8th Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge Field Trip.
September 26, 2009 - Connetquot River State Park Preserve
Click
the photo to enlarge
Through a collaboration of Great South Bay Audubon, Connetquot
River State Park Preserve and Friends
of Connetquot a Bird & Breakfast program was held, as an Important Bird
Area (“IBA”) activity. A group of 20 people led by John Gluth and Edith
Wilson walked the trails of the park from 9:30 to 12:00p.m. and observed
the following birds:
Am Robin
Am. Black Duck
Am. Goldfinch
Am. Kestrel
Belted Kingfisher
Black-and-White Warbler
Black-capped Chickadee
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Blue Jay
Canada Goose
Carolina Wren
Cedar Waxwing
Chipping Sparrow
Cooper’s Hawk
Double-crested Cormorant
Downy Woodpecker
Eastern Phoebe
Eastern Towhee
Gadwall
Gray Catbird
Great Black-backed Gull
Great Blue Heron
Hairy Woodpecker
Herring Gull
House Sparrow
Mallard
Mute Swan
No. Pintail
Northern Flicker
Osprey
Pine Warbler
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Red-eyed Vireo
Red-tailed Hawk
Ring-billed Gull
Scarlet Tanager
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Tufted Titmouse
White-throated Sparrow
Wood Duck
Yellow-rumped Warbler
All attendees got to see a beautiful rainbow as we wound up our morning
Connetquot Birding Field Trip and a small painted turtle.
—
Co-Field Trip Leader, Edith Wilson
May 9, 2009 - GSBAS Celebrates International Migratory Bird Day At Wertheim NWR
On Saturday May 9, 2009, a group of 12 led by GSBAS Chapter President,
Alice Heller, met at Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge in Shirley for
the International Migratory Bird Day bird walk. In the trees around the
refuge headquarters, there were many Yellow Warblers, Northern Parula,
and a few Blue-gray Gnatcatchers. Ken Thompson and I saw a drake Wood
Duck flying up the river.
We proceeded to the Impoundment area of the refuge. A group of raucous
crows alerted us to the presence of a large bird perched in a pine. The
crows flushed a Great-horned Owl from the tree; it flew across the
Impoundment road, landed briefly, and continued to fly from the pursuing
crows.
When we arrived in the marshy area of the Impoundment, the fog began to
roll in. We noted that the water level of the marsh was quite high. We
found numerous Great Egrets. As we continued on, we found Forster's
Terns, many of which were perched on the Wood Duck boxes. Tree Swallows
were seen flying low over the marsh, with one pair nesting in a dead
snag. A Canada Goose nesting pair was closely guarding their roadside
nest containing 4 eggs. Farther up the trail, our group found Savannah
Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, and a few Common Yellowthroats.
In the wooded area of the Impoundments, we found many songbirds, namely
Brown Thrasher, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and Magnolia, Black-and White, and
Pine Warblers. A few members of our group had the privilege of seeing a
Ruby-throated Hummingbird zoom by. Back in the marshy area, there were
three White-crowned Sparrows perched in a bare bush.
On the way out of the Impoundments, members of the group found Eastern
Towhee, Wood Duck, and Blue-winged Warbler. Our trip had a grand total
of 52 species.
Saturday, March 14, 2009 - Bluebird Nest Box Installation
Photos from the Bluebird Nest Box
Installation at Connetquot River State Park Preserve
(Pictures courtesy of Mike & Michael McBrien)
Saturday, February 7, 2009 - West End/Jones Beach
Photos from this trip:
Click photos to enlarge
Here are some photographs from
the February 7th, 2009 field trip. Basically the only
three species of birds I took photographs of were the
Northern Saw-whet Owl, Savannah Sparrow, and Harlequin
Duck. With the detail sections of the Savannah Sparrow
and Harlequin drake, I also brought them into Adobe
Photoshop to modify those details brightness and thus
bring out the colors a little better. It didn't help
that much with the Harlequin drake. - Steven D'Amato
Below are some
photos taken by Michael McBrien on 2/7/2009:
Below are some
photos taken
by John Gluth on 2/7/2009:
Steven D'Amato reports: Between my communication with Ken
Thompson and John Gluth, hopefully I have the list for the field
trip to West End, Jones Beach corrected and complete. Now not
everyone saw all of these species (I know I didn’t), but as the
group goes, here is the list:
American Black Duck
Horned Lark
Red-breasted Nuthatch
American Crow
House Finch
Red-necked Grebe
American Robin
House Sparrow
Red-tailed Hawk
American Tree Sparrow
Lapland Longspur
Red-throated Loon
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Ring-billed Gull
Bonaparte’s Gull
Mallard
Rock Pigeon
Bufflehead
Merlin
Ruddy Turnstone
Chipping Sparrow
Mourning Dove
Sanderling
Common Loon
Mute Swan
Savannah Sparrow
Cooper’s Hawk
Northern Cardinal
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Flicker
Short-eared Owl
European Starling
Northern Harrier
Snow Bunting
Great Black-backed Gull
Northern Mockingbird
Snowy Owl
Great Cormorant
Northern Pintail
Song Sparrow
Harlequin Duck
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Yellow-Rumped Warbler
Herring Gull
Peregrine Falcon
Brant
Horned Grebe
Red-breasted Merganser
Canada Goose
Now if any of you can remember any other birds which I am
leaving out, let me know. If any of you would like to know where
we saw any of the birds listed above that were not seen by all
of us, I will try to get back to you with the answers.
February 1, 2009 - American Museum of National History, Ornithology Dept. Tour
Photos from this trip:
Click photos to enlarge
(Pictures courtesy of Michael McBrien Sr. & Barbara McBrien)
Michael McBrien Jr. Reports:
Our group of 14 began the tour of the Ornithology Department of
the American Museum of Natural History, lead by Peter Capainolo
from the museum. Peter first showed us and discussed, in depth,
the study skins of the Birds of Paradise and the evolution of
these birds by isolation and genetic variation. We saw a species
of racquet-tailed hummingbird, and a Harpy Eagle whose talons
were enormous. He discussed and exhibited three subspecies of
the Peregrine Falcon.
Mr. Capainolo took out skins of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker.
Unlike the male and female Pileated Woodpecker, the male
Ivory-billed has a red crest and the female a black one. He
showed us the differences between the underwing pattern of the
Pileated and Ivory-billed Woodpecker. After seeing the
Ivory-billed skins, we proceeded to the laboratory where the
ornithologists prepare the skins. We saw Pileated Woodpecker
skins that Mr. Capainolo had recently prepared, as well as a
Broad-winged Hawk family, Ruffed Grouse and Blackburnian
Warbler. In the lab, were also skeletons of many species of
birds, including Black Vulture, Wild Turkey and Common Redpoll.
We concluded our trip by viewing a few of the bird mounts that
previously had been on display in the museum. Herons, Loons, and
Grebes were just a few of the species we saw.
Our group had a great day and learned so much. It's a field trip
we won't soon forget.
September 26, 2008 - Gardiner County Park Owl Walk
Our first owl walk for the
2008-2009 season was on Friday night, September 26th at Gardiner County
Park. The leaders, Alice Heller, Bob Grover, and I, met up with a couple
of other people to take the walk. There had been the threat of rain from
Thursday through the whole weekend, so unfortunately, I’m afraid that
may have prevented others who might have come. Luckily for those who did
go, the rain had stopped.
We started our walk down the main trail which leads through the forest
towards the Great South Bay, all awhile having Bob Grover whistling the
mimic of the ’whinny’ call of an Eastern Screech Owl (Otus asio) while I
was mimicking its ‘trill’ and Ken Thompson played both on his iPod.
Unfortunately, all the way down the main trail, we got no response.
About 100 yards back from the end of where we stopped on the main trail,
we came to a cross trail which led east to a parallel trail back to the
parking lot. Bob suggested we take these trails, which seemed a bit
darker than the main trail. At first, our whistling the screech owl
calls got no response. We then decided perhaps we could try for a Great
Horned Owl (Bubo Virginianus), since they also reside at Gardiner County
Park, and we might get a response from that species. Surprisingly, after
Ken Thompson played the hoo hoo-HOO hooooo hoo call of the Great Horned
Owl on his iPod, we now started to hear the ‘whinny’ of a screech owl.
So Bob started ‘whinnying’ the screech owl call again, and the screech
owl started getting louder, suggesting it was coming in closer to us. It
got to the point where it was very loud, and using our hand held
spotlights, we attempted to find the bird in the upper tree branches
around us. Bob got the owl in his spotlight, a gray-phase Eastern
Screech Owl, which was leaning flush against the side of a branch, being
about the same diameter as the owl, and both now being ~70-75º off the
horizontal. The owl stared at us while we were all excited looking at
it.
After observing the owl for 2-3 minutes, we decided to move on,
continually playing screech owl calls, and heard a second owl,
definitely identifiable as such because the call’s pitch was noticeably
higher. So the field trip turned out to be a success.
Walking back to the cars, we talked about the fact that the screech owl
didn’t start his calling until AFTER the ‘call’ of the Great Horned Owl.
This seemed somewhat of a paradox because Great Horned Owls will eat
screech owls, and since nocturnal owls hunt by sound, it seemed strange
that the screech owl would only start calling after hearing a potential
predator nearby. Well, I’m sure Mother Nature knows what she is doing,
even if we don’t.
September 13, 2008 - Connetquot River State Park Preserve, Birding and Breakfast
This was an
interesting ‘field trip’ through the Connetquot River State Park
Preserve. We first started with a ‘workshop’ wherein a slide
presentation showing those who attended the possible birds that might be
found at the preserve during this time of the year, resident, migrant,
and Fall visitor. So we had our ‘breakfast’ first while watching the
slide presentation, then we headed out into the field.
We saw a total of 32 species of birds. Using their field card, the BIRDS
OF CONNETQUOT RIVER STATE PARK PRESERVE, and looking at the Summer/Fall
columns (I know, technically Fall wasn’t starting until September 23rd,
but since this was very close to the Summer/Fall boundary, some birds
may have been finishing their Summer season whereas other species may
have started their Fall migration), using the state park preserve’s
field card’s presence status categories: A-Abundant, C-Common,
U-Uncommon, O-Occasional, and R-Rare, the highlights were Pied-billed
Grebe (F:U), Double-crested Cormorant ((Su:O, F:O), Great Blue Heron (Su:O,
F:C), Wood Duck (Su:C, F:U), Gadwall (Su:U, F-C), Osprey (Su:C, F:C),
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Su:O), Eastern Phoebe (Su:O), White-eyed
Vireo (Su:C), Cedar Waxwing (Su:C, F:C), Northern Parula (F:U),
Black-throated Blue Warbler (just listed as Common in Spring column, not
listed in any other season columns, however, we saw a female
Black-throated Blue Warbler), Black-throated Green Warbler (Su:O, F:C),
Pine Warbler (Su:C, F:C), American Redstart (Su:U, F:C), Common
Yellowthroat (Su:A, F:C), Red-winged Blackbird (Su:C, F:U), and American
Goldfinch (Su:C, F:C)
There are over ½ dozen bird species which are recorded only in the
Spring and Fall columns. One can see they are just migratory species,
some actually being listed as common here as they migrate through in the
Fall (e.g. the Blackburnian and Palm Warblers).
For those who would like to visit the preserve on their own, a permit is
required to gain access. This can simply be acquired by writing to
Connetquot River State Park Preserve, P.O. Box 505, Oakdale, New York
11769, giving name, address, purpose of visit, and the expected number
of family members in party. Permits for groups can be obtained by
contacting the preserve office at (631) 581-1005.
GSBAS - P.O.
Box 267, Sayville, NY 11782 · 631-563-7716