Happy New Year!

We are getting light snow - blowing around and very windy. Sticking on grass but not road so far. It is 2 PM and the snow started just as I climbed back into the car at Jones Beach. I took a birder who lives in Brooklyn out this AM in spite of the weather because her goal for the year was to see 200 species in New York State and she was stuck at 196. By doing Jones Beach and Point Lookout we were able to add 4 to her list and get her to 200 and not a minute too soon as the blowing snow/sleet picket up just as we walked out of the dunes onto the parking lot. I was rewarded for doing the favor as I also got a life bird (King Eider - sea duck) this morning so I am at 252 for the year. Am tempted to go back and get one of those birds right away tomorrow as it is a rarity in this area. Plus there is a pink-footed goose in Queens which seems to be a pretty easy 'get' so I might start off the year with a couple of species which are hard ones to get.