This auspicious start to the season was followed by Hurricane Floyd and 
then a significant movement of northern specialties. 
But first. Tropical Storm Dennis, on 6 September, churned the North 
Atlantic far to our east, creating wind-driven waves and a movement of 
pelagics to the shore. Summarizing, these included: (1) at Jones Beach 
State Park Field #6, a light morph adult Parasitic Jaeger; (2) at Fire 
Island/Robert Moses State Park Field #2, in the morning, 1 light morph 
adult and 3 intermediate/light morph juvenile Parasitic Jaegers, 22 
Wilson's Storm-Petrels, 2 Cory's Shearwaters and 3 Black Terns; (3) in the 
late afternoon, 1 light/intermediate juvenile Parasitic Jaeger, 25 Wilson's 
Storm-Petrels, 8 Red-necked Phalaropes, 1 first-year Black-legged 
Kittiwake; (4) at Shinnecock Inlet, 1 intermediate/light morph juvenile 
Parasitic Jaeger, 35+ Wilson's Storm-Petrels, 3 Cory's Shearwaters and 1 
Greater Shearwater. 
Two days later, on 8 September, at Shinnecock, one Manx Shearwater 
was seen in the inlet and two Cory's Shearwaters were found feeding in 
the surf along the beach; at Democrat Point on Fire Island, a Pomarine 
Jaeger was seen harassing terns; and a Cory's Shearwater was seen from 
a fishing boat a mile southeast of Shinnecock Inlet,. 
On 9 September, a fisherman located 20.9 miles south of Montauk 
Point watched a White-faced Storm-Petrel for over an hour as the bird 
worked a slick surrounding his boat (fide NYRBA, no details; bird pho¬ 
tographed, not yet evaluated by NYSARC.) 
A week later. Hurricane Floyd passed through our area on Thursday 
16 September. On Friday 17 September, Paul Buckley and his party found 
nine Sooty Terns, three juveniles and six adults, flying west at 
Shinnecock Inlet. 
At mid-day 17 September, the day after Hurricane Floyd, three 
Sandwich Terns were found flying up Shinnecock inlet. Also present 
was a flock of 60 immature Black Skimmers. Other Sandwich Tern sight¬ 
ings that day included: two in front of Jones Beach West End #2, one at 
Robert Moses State Park Field #5 and two at Montauk Point. One 
remained at Jones Beach West End on 18 September, with one at Zachs 
Bay and four at Shinnecock Inlet. Five were at Mecox on 20 September 
and one was near the base of the Breezy Point jetty the same day. The last 
Sandwich Tern left over from the storm was seen at Mecox 25 September. 
The total number of hawks seen at the Fire Island Hawkwatch was not 
statistically different from the 17 year average since the watch has been in 
existence. However, there has been a change in distribution. American 
Kestrel and Sharp-shinned Hawk are down. Numbers of American 
Kestrels and Merlins are about even, where American Kestrel/Merlin 
100 The Kingbird 2000 March; 50(1) 
