Birdwatching in Fire Island

The Eastern Towhee is one of the summer resident birds that breeds on Fire Island. Fire Island's barrier island habitats and location on the Atlantic Flyway make this a good home for both resident and migratory birds. The tidal marsh on the Great South Bay, especially at Watch Hill, is a good place to look for waterfowl, herons and egrets, and red-winged blackbirds. The Sunken Forest, a mature maritime forest at Sailors Haven, provides dense cover for migrating warblers. Other birds, such as the towhee, can be heard rustling the leaves on the forest floor. Near the Fire Island Lighthouse, the fall migration of hawks is monitored by the Fire Island Raptor Enumerators (FIRE) from September through mid-November. Varied habitats of the William Floyd Estate include woods and fields, creeks and salt marsh, providing additional opportunities for bird watching. While the Double-crested Cormorant is seen on the Great South Bay from spring through fall, the Great Black-backed Gull is abundant all year long. Local Audubon Society groups participate in "citizen science" by conducting annual Christmas Bird Count censuses and the Summer Breeding Bird Census in parts of the park. The National Audubon Society and Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology sponsor an annual Great Backyard Bird Count in February. Participants can log on and get the easy-to-follow instructions and checklists needed to submit a report from their own backyard or local park or refuge. If Fire Island National Seashore is a part of your "backyard," join the count and provide your observations. Great Backyard Bird Count www.birdsource.org/gbbc For the rare bird alert recording for New York City and Long Island Region (New York State Ornithological Association's Kingbird Region 10), phone: 212-979-3070 Occasionally uncommon birds like the whimbrel are sighted in the park. For More Information Learn more about Fire Island National Seashore's birdlife. Join a guided bird walk. Several programs are scheduled during the spring and fall at the Fire Island Lighthouse and at the William Floyd Estate. Great Backyard Bird Walk at the William Floyd Estate Saturday, February 14, 2009 International Migratory Bird Day Event: Birdwatching in the Fields and Woods of the William Floyd Estate Saturday, May 9 & 17, 2009 9:00 a.m. - Noon 631-399-2030 A World of Birds: Migration to Central America Saturday, August 15, 7 pm program at the Fire Island Lighthouse by International Volunteer with National Park Service Park Flight Program Autumn Bird Walk at the William Floyd Estate Sunday, November 22, 2009 9:00 a.m. 631-399-2030