Yellow-headed Blackbird Still at Jones Beach

By Corey • August 18, 2007 • 6 comments

The Yellow-headed Blackbird I spotted back in the beginning of July is still hanging around the West End of Jones Beach. It is regularly sighted and reported on the listservs and I was pleased to see it in the median near West End 2 today in the middle of a day of birding. I was even more pleased to show the bird to Daisy, and ecstatic that it decided to chase after a fly and eat it within six feet of my car and camera!

I know there is food here somewhere...

look at the size of that foot!

must kill this juicy fly...

yum!

If you look closely at the last shot you can see the bird’s tongue.

I can’t believe the bird has stuck around for so long but I’m glad lots of birders got a chance to see it. And if you are from New York or keep a New York list you really have no excuse not to go after this bird.

• Tags: Birds, blackbirds, jones beach

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About the Author

Corey

Corey is a lifelong upstate New Yorker who recently took the plunge and moved to the city. He's only been birding since 2005 but has garnered a respectable life list and broke the magical 300 barrier in New York State in 2007 by birding whenever he wasn't working as a union representative. He lives near Forest Park in Queens with Daisy and their two indoor cats, Hunter and B.B.

6 Responses to “Yellow-headed Blackbird Still at Jones Beach”

Will Aug 18th, 2007 at 6:35 pm

I keep a NYS Lifelist, but I’m still not chasing it. Every bird I chase, I miss. I know better than to waste my time at this point.
Jochen Aug 19th, 2007 at 4:37 pm

So you still haven’t sent it to Ann Arbor? Hmmm, I thought you’d promise…
No wonder I am not seeing any here.
Corey Aug 19th, 2007 at 5:02 pm

@Will: Aaawwww…I feel so bad for you…
@Jochen: Let me tell you, I scolded that bird like you wouldn’t believe. It finally agreed that rather than fly against the wind it would fly with the wind and meet you in Germany in a month or so! Now that will be a heck of a find!
Jochen Aug 20th, 2007 at 6:01 am

I think the bird will then be a first for Europe, so I’ll go with this solution. Or is it just that you want to re-discover the same bird around Berlin?
Wouldn’t THAT be amazing, getting two rarity records out of the same individual?!
Mike Aug 20th, 2007 at 2:24 pm

Actually, I have a couple of pretty good excuses. I’m waiting for you to come and babysit them while I go check out this blackbird!
Corey Aug 20th, 2007 at 6:33 pm

@Mike: $30/hour and full fridge privileges and you’re on!