Winter birdwatching in Montauk draws a dedicated and frostbitten crowd who are rewarded for their resiliency with abundant scoters, razorbills, loons, eiders, and many species of dabbling ducks amassing along the shorelines, lakes, and ponds.
“It was agreed that Montauk was a marvel in the feathers department, particularly in the off-season and after a spell of bad weather,” wrote Everett T. Rattray in the editorial section of the East Hampton Star on February 12, 1976. “The peninsula is a natural stopover during migrations, and it marks as well the southerly wintering limit of some species.”
If they’re lucky, those who bear the cold temperatures and on-shore gales may spot rarities like the red-necked grebe and dovekie seen this past week at Culloden Point or three Iceland gulls mingling with local gulls at Lake Montauk Inlet.
“A funny thing, we have birdwatchers out here in the middle of winter. I’ve seen them out in a snowstorm looking for birds with their binoculars,” recalled lighthouse keeper Kenneth Borrego in a conversation with the East Hampton Star on February 11, 1967. “Not my idea of having fun.”
While the protected bays and harbors provide prime habitat for ducks and seabirds, the forests and residential areas shelter overwintering passerines, woodpeckers, and birds of prey. With those birds in mind, staff at the Montauk Library keep an ongoing list of birds seen at the library feeders and on the grounds. Since it was installed in early 2024, the feeder station has continued to attract migratory and native birds.
We have counted 25 species at the feeders and on the grounds, including the American goldfinch, American robin, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, Carolina wren, common grackle, dark-eyed junco, downy woodpecker, eastern towhee, European starling, gray catbird, house finch, mourning dove, northern cardinal, northern mockingbird, red-eyed vireo, red-winged blackbird, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, white-throated sparrow, and wild turkey.
Look towards the wetland and forest surrounding the library. You might see corvids and birds of prey, including American crows, red-tailed hawks, and even a bald eagle perched on the nearby power lines.
While we don’t expect to see swans on the library grounds, we do find them in photography collections in the library’s archives. Ubiquitous to our local ponds and lakes, the mute swan is actually native to Europe and parts of Asia. They were first introduced in the United States in the 1870s as ornamental captives to adorn estates, city parks, and zoos. In the 1910s, a small number of birds escaped captivity and went on to thrive in the wild. Descendents of those early escapees can be found along the Atlantic flyway.
Other items in the library archives document Montauk’s natural history, including this list of birds seen on Bird Lovers’ Weekend at Gurney’s Inn, an annual trek to the East End hosted by the Audubon Society in the 1960s and 1970s.
Are you up for a challenge to find these species in Montauk today some fifty years later?
The Montauk Library is having its own Bird Lovers Weekend next week on February 14 and 15. On Friday, February 14, from 3-4 pm, the library will host a Bird Feeder Crafternoon. Patrons will make a heart-shaped suet feeder using lard, nut butter, and birdseed crafted in a biodegradable, 3D-printed form. Sign up online here.
Then on Saturday, February 15, from 10-11 am at the library, in partnership with Third House Nature Center, we’ll participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count. Learn to identify birds common to Montauk. We will meet on the children’s deck at 10 am to watch the library feeders, then continue around the library grounds. This family-friendly program is open to beginner birders. Sign up online here. Bundle up and earn your wings!
Reply or Comment