More than 250 people attended the 21st Annual Shorebird Festival at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge on Sunday, August 16. While we think it’s still summer, the shorebirds have started their fall migration along the coast. About 30 species routinely stop by Jamaica Bay and Rockaway Beach during their long trek southward, some even going to South America for the winter. Several species such as killdeer, American oystercatcher, and the federally threatened piping plover nest on the dunes and beaches of Rockaway. The event, started 21 years ago by the American Littoral Society, now includes many groups including JBRPC, NYC Bird Alliance, NYC Plover Project, Wild City, and the National Park Service.
Photo by Don Riepe.
