Melted Montauk: Part 2

Large flocks of dunlin, sanderlings, ruddy turnstones and other shorebirds are known to occasionally over-winter in NY during mild winters, but this and similar info from Jones Beach and Jamaica Bay show a pronounced trend.


Famous for feeding on horseshoe crab eggs to fuel long migrations, here they were, horseshoe crabs long gone, picking out small crustaceans along the tepid shore.

The presence of winter mergansers and loons does show that there are still abundant fish stocks, most notably herring.

However, with the water temp of nearly 50F one wonders what long-term climate effects are manifesting, particularly the interruption of the North-Atlantic gyre.
Inland, all around were signs of Spring. Calling finches, sparrows and grackles attracted this resident redtailed hawk.