Warm weather brings out the birds

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Bird watchers are having a field day thanks to the mild winter weather. Members of local Audubon Societies are reporting unusual bird sightings on Long Island’s south shore.

Large flocks of black birds have been spotted from the shoreline to the Hempstead Plains and beyond according to Betty Borowsky, president of the South Shore Audubon Society, who identified them as American Crows.

“They are very smart, very social birds, that travel in flocks, sometimes in very large numbers,” Borowsky said, “They travel in flocks for protection, for warmth and for companionship.”

Nassau County Community College biology professor Elizabeth Gulotta said because of the warm weather many birds are not doing what they usually do. “We do an annual Nassau County ‘Christmas Bird Count (CDC),’ in January, it is the official count for this area,” Gulotta said, “For example we have not seen many Snowy Owls, it has not been cold enough. We are not seeing the winter ducks we usually see in our area either, Mergansers, Buffleheads and Scaups are mostly absent.”

According to the official CDC report for southern Nassau this year the counters went out Jan. 2, and found an Osprey, the first ever recorded on count day. Other unusual reported sightings included a Lark Sparrow, two Common Ravens, a Turkey Vulture, a Shorteared Owl and two Bald Eagles.

“Crows like urban areas because they are usually several degrees warmer than rural areas,” added Kathryn Heintz, executive director of the New York City Audubon Society. “Urban areas can be as much as five to 10 degrees warmer. Artificial light helps the crows spot Hawks and other predators. And people feed them. Crows are very smart, and they have learned to live with humans because that is where the food is. Some of these birds do migrate, but there did not seem the need to move because of the mild winter.”

“Green Monk Parakeets, are also being sighted on the south shore this winter,” Gulotta added, “While they do live here year round, they usually stay nested the cold months, but they don’t need to this year.”

Borowsky thought the blizzard of Jan. 23 might have forced the birds to come out to find food leading to the recent sighting of large flocks of birds.

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