Seawatch - Long Island, New York, USA

I seawatched for just about an hour and a half this evening (6:40-8:05 pm) from Amagansett near the eastern tip of Long Island (40.9694°, -72.1238°). The sea was flat calm with very good visibility. There weren't many birds moving but the smooth sea and limited heat shimmer revealed a good number of lingering Common and Red-throated Loons in widely scattered groups on the water. Highlights were a MANX SHEARWATER moving west very close to the beach giving fantastic views as it followed a zigzaged route over the water. There was an interesting movement of BLACK SKIMMERS, with parties of two or three birds, all moving west. The shearwater came up behind two of skimmers and quickly passed them, showing just how fast shearwaters can move even in casual flight. Doubt I've ever seen Manx Shearwater and Black Skimmer in the same scope view before! A few minutes later a more distant SOOTY SHEARWATER winged its way east. My first of the year. A male and female WHITE-WINGED SCOTER floating off the beach were notable as they've become pretty scarce these past few weeks. A number of shorebirds were also noted moving east.

MANX SHEARWATER - 1 (west)
SOOTY SHEARWATER - 1 (east)
White-winged Scoter - 2 (male & fem.)
Surf Scoter - 4
Black Scoter - 42
Red-breasted Merganser - 4 (east)
Red-throated Loon - 9 (mix of plumage stages)
Common Loon - 35 (more than 50% non-alt. plumage)
Northern Gannet - 35
Double-crested Cormorant - 16
Laughing Gull - 3 (ads.) & 2 (subad.)
Herring Gull - 28
Great Black-backed Gull - 11
BLACK SKIMMER - 11 (all going west in 2's or 3's)
ROSEATE TERN - 5
Common Tern - 200 ++
Least Tern - 50+ (nesting on beach in front of seawatch)
Eastern Willet - 5 (east)
Black-bellied Plover - 1 (alt. east)
Piping Plover - 2 (east)
Semipalmated Plover - 5 (east)
Least Sandpiper - 1 (east)
Sanderling - 5 (east)