Seawatch - Long Island, New York, USA

I seawatched for an hour this morning from Amagansett near the eastern tip of Long Island (40.9694°, -72.1238°). There was a steady trickle of Northern Gannets (Morus bassanus) and Common Loons (Gavia immer) all moving east. The majority of gannets were 2nd Cal. birds with a smattering of other ages. All but two of the Common Loons were in full alternate plumage. Unfortunately, no tubenoses (1st Sooty Shearwaters of the year off Long Island were reported the evening before) but the sea was calm with light N to NW breeze and thus perhaps not ideal for passage.

Wood Duck - 1 (male flying east w 3 Surf Scoter)
Surf Scoter - 41
Black Scoter - 25
Red-throated Loon - 10 (mix of plumage stages)
Common Loon - 32 (all but 2 in alt. plumage)
Northern Gannet - 171 (majority 2nd cal. year)
Double-crested Cormorant - 48
Laughing Gull - 4 (ads.)
Herring Gull - 14
Great Black-backed Gull - 16
Common Tern - 56
Least Tern - 6+ (local nesters)
Black-bellied Plover - 1 (basic type)

Terns are back in small numbers on Cartwright Shoal (41.0295°, -72.1008°), a slender sandspit in Gardiners Bay. Of the birds feeding close to shore, I noted 10-15 Roseate Terns (Sterna dougalli) mixed in with 50+ Common Terns (S. hirundo), some with a nice pinkish blush and displaying to each other. An adult Laughing Gull (Larus atricilla) on Gardiner's Bay seemed unusual out here in the spring.