Butcher, Eai e Long Island Birds. 
Recurvirostra americana. American Avocet. — Says Col. Pike : “I 
have met with this bird but four times in my life, and it has always 
been extremely rare on Long Island. The first individual I procured near 
Ponquoguc in 1844, and is the specimen in the collection. The second 
was killed in 1847 on the shore of Canarsie Bay, near where now stands 
the Oriental Hotel, Coney Island ; I had a shooting box there. The others 
were killed at Southampton.” 
Auk X, July, 1893 
272 
Recurvirostra americana. Avocet.- — A single specimen, Sept. 15 and 16. 
AUk 27. July- 1910 
The Avocet and Other Shore-birds at Ithaca during the Fall of 1909. — 
In Eaton’s recent exhaustive work, 1 Birds of New York,’ he states that 
“The last authentic specimens [of the A vocet]""were obtained about 50 
years ago on Long Island.” In view of this fact and the general paucity 
of records for this bird in the east, it seems advisable to present a record 
made at Ithaca, N. Y., last fall. The bird when first seen was flushed amid 
a mixed flock of Lesser Yellow-legs, Pectoral Sandpipers, Sanderlings and 
Semipalmated Plover, Sept. 15, 1909. Later in the day it was seen feeding 
in its characteristic manner a short distance from this same flock but 
always keeping with them. The following day, Sept. 16, it was collected 
and is now in the C. U. collection (Ac. No. 5219). It is an adult male 
in full winter plumage. 
In addition to the occurrence , . '•‘he Avocet, the migration of other 
shore-birds during the fall was so unusual for this station that a short 
review of the records may be worthy of note. Normally the possible 
feeding grounds for these birds is rather scant as the lake shore is grown 
up to rank vegetation. This year (1909) however, due to the unusually 
low level of the lake, extensive mud flats and sand beaches were left 
exposed. Before the hunting season opened, these were teeming with 
birds and thereafter flocks were continually dropping in, although almost 
immediately frightened away by gunners. Morning and evening, three 
or four times a week, these flats at the head of the lake were visited and it 
is a summary of the records made that follows: 
27. July -1910 V.3V-?. 
