The Ninth Annual Northport Bird Count took place on Saturday, February 1, 2025. Twenty-two observers participated. The count area stretches from Lloyd Neck and Huntington in the west to Fort Salonga in the east, and to Melville and Commack in the south, covering the areas between the North Nassau, Smithtown, and Captree Christmas Bird Count circles.
Conditions were challenging, with north winds gusting over 30 knots. The Long Island Sound, usually a source of a significant count of water birds, was so foamy that observation was near impossible at times. Despite this, observers managed a good total of *99 species*. Highlights included:
- *Pink-footed Goose (Crab Meadow Beach)* - *Greater White-fronted Goose (two, Tung Ting Pond)* - *Barrow's Goldeneye (Crab Meadow Beach)* - Lesser Black-backed Gull (Crab Meadow Beach) - American Woodcock (Centerport) - American Kestrel (Centerport) - *Red-headed Woodpecker (Asharoken; not accessible)* - Eastern Bluebird (Lloyd Neck and the former Northport Landfill) - American Pipit (Lloyd Neck) - Eastern Meadowlark (eight, Lloyd Neck)
Remarkable for the area were three highly localized species that often associate with one another, yet turned up independently in unusual locations: a Pied-billed Grebe in Huntington Harbor, an American Coot at Tung Ting Pond, and 16 Ruddy Ducks at Hobart Beach (with one more in the more typical location of Huntington Harbor). This is likely attributable to the large amount of ice that has been present in recent weeks.
Unusually high counts were recorded for several half-hardy species despite cold weather over the last two months, including 3 Wood Duck, 11 Killdeer, 5 Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 12 Rusty Blackbird, 18 Eastern Towhee, 3 Hermit Thrush, and 4 Gray Catbird. The only surprising miss was Red-throated Loon, which, like the aforementioned species, tends to vacate the area after the onset of freezing temperatures.
Thanks to all who participated, and to my parents, Diane and Brent W. Bomkamp, for preparing a delicious dinner and hosting everyone at their home to compile numbers.
Best,
Brent Bomkamp Taylor Sturm
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