By Mike Busch

The Fall migration is picking up steam and thankfully members of the Long Island Wildlife are going to have it covered!   With nearly 22,000 members,  it will be tough for any bird travelling through our section of the Atlantic Flyway to sneak by without being posted on the page.  The most interesting find this week was the Marbled Godwit, a graceful shorebird with a swordlike bill designed to plunge deep into sand and mud for plant tubers and small crabs.  Natalie Ann got some great video of the Marbled Godwit on the last page.  These birds primarily breed and live up and down the Great Plains.  Other notable finds this week include American Golden Plover, Whimbrel, Chukar, Baird’s Sandpiper, and migrating warblers.

Thanks to Jim Botta for helping pick out this week’s photos and congrats to Brian Doherty for a fantastic cover shot of a colony of Black Skimmers.

Great Egret & Lunch – Theresa Henriksen

Humpback Whale – Anne Oberland DePietri

Marbled Godwit – Natalie Ann

Northern Parula – Robert Kaplan

Osprey – Richard DiScalfani

Pair of Screech Owlets – Sharon Dorsey

Chukar – Jim Triumph

Bottlenose Dolphins – Brian Doherty

Common Yellowthroat – Kay Intemann

More Photos on Pages 2-9