Snowy Owl
Peak January
Hamptons Verified
Hamptons Wildlife
Whales, seals, birds, fish and more — responsibly.
From Kemp's Ridley sea turtles cold-stunned on fall beaches to Piping Plover chicks behind the roped-off dunes — every species is sourced from CRESLI, NOAA, USFWS, NY DEC, Cornell Lab eBird, or Audubon. Serious birder? Jump to Birding or see the Atlantic Flyway hotspots.
Where to see wildlife
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Birding
The East End is one of the best birding destinations on the Atlantic flyway. Snowy Owl irruptions in winter, Piping Plover in summer, the fall raptor migration, and 7 species you can reliably see from East End trails and beaches.
Winter Waterfowl
Peak January
Bald Eagle
Peak February
Migratory Songbirds (spring/fall)
Peak May
Osprey
Peak June
Piping Plover
Peak June
Summer Herons & Egrets
Peak July
Cornell Lab eBird hotspots
- Mecox Bay→Premier waterfowl + shorebird stopover on the Atlantic flyway.
- Sagaponack Pond→Coastal pond hotspot for migrating ducks and waders.
- Wertheim NWR→USFWS refuge with songbird migration traps and marsh edges.
- Mashomack Preserve→TNC preserve on Shelter Island; bald eagle, osprey, warblers.
- Quogue Wildlife Refuge→Pine Barrens raptors and resident waterfowl.
- Dune Road (winter Snowy Owl)→Reliable Snowy Owl irruption site in winter; scope from pullouts.
- Hither Hills State Park→Songbird migration trap on the Montauk peninsula.
- Cedar Point County Park→Harbor + woodland mix; raptor watch in fall.
- Accabonac Harbor→Salt marsh with herons, egrets, and breeding osprey.
Join a guided bird walk →South Fork Natural History Museum (SoFo)Audubon & nature groups →Long Island chapters and field trip leadersTrails with bird hotspots →Mashomack, Hither Hills, Wertheim, Quogue
Birding data from Cornell Lab eBird, Audubon NY, and the South Fork Natural History Museum (SoFo) field reports.
What can I see right now?
18 species active in July. Peak-month species are marked ★.
Humpback WhalePeak August
Fin WhalePeak July
Minke WhalePeak June
Kemp's Ridley Sea TurtlePeak August
Loggerhead Sea TurtlePeak August
Shortfin Mako SharkPeak July
Blue SharkPeak August
Common Thresher SharkPeak July
Striped BassPeak October
Fluke (Summer Flounder)Peak July
BluefishPeak June
OspreyPeak June
Bald EaglePeak February
Piping PloverPeak June
Summer Herons & EgretsPeak July
White-tailed DeerPeak November
Red FoxPeak April
Wild TurkeyPeak AprilYear-round viewing calendar
When you'll see them
Peak
Present
Occasional
Not around
| Species | Winter (Jan–Mar) | Spring (Apr–Jun) | Summer (Jul–Sep) | Fall (Oct–Dec) | Photo | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Julnow | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |||
🐋 Marine Mammals · 3 species | ||||||||||||||
| Minke Whale | | |||||||||||||
| Fin Whale | | |||||||||||||
| Humpback Whale | | |||||||||||||
🦭 Seals · 2 species | ||||||||||||||
| Harbor Seal |  | |||||||||||||
| Gray Seal |  | |||||||||||||
🐢 Sea Turtles · 2 species | ||||||||||||||
| Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle | | |||||||||||||
| Loggerhead Sea Turtle | | |||||||||||||
🦈 Sharks · 3 species | ||||||||||||||
| Shortfin Mako Shark | | |||||||||||||
| Common Thresher Shark | | |||||||||||||
| Blue Shark | | |||||||||||||
🐟 Game Fish · 4 species | ||||||||||||||
| Bluefish | | |||||||||||||
| Fluke (Summer Flounder) | | |||||||||||||
| Striped Bass | | |||||||||||||
| False Albacore |  | |||||||||||||
🦅 Raptors · 3 species | ||||||||||||||
| Snowy Owl |  | |||||||||||||
| Bald Eagle | | |||||||||||||
| Osprey | | |||||||||||||
🐦 Shorebirds · 2 species | ||||||||||||||
| Migratory Songbirds (spring/fall) |  | |||||||||||||
| Piping Plover | | |||||||||||||
🦆 Waterfowl & Wading Birds · 2 species | ||||||||||||||
| Winter Waterfowl |  | |||||||||||||
| Summer Herons & Egrets | | |||||||||||||
🦌 Land Mammals · 3 species | ||||||||||||||
| Red Fox | | |||||||||||||
| Wild Turkey | | |||||||||||||
| White-tailed Deer | | |||||||||||||
Filter by individual species (24 total)
Birds · 3 species
Bald EagleOspreySnowy Owl
Shorebirds · 2 species
Migratory Songbirds (spring/fall)Piping Plover
Waterfowl · 2 species
Summer Herons & EgretsWinter Waterfowl
Sharks · 3 species
Blue SharkCommon Thresher SharkShortfin Mako Shark
Game Fish · 4 species
BluefishFalse AlbacoreFluke (Summer Flounder)Striped Bass
Marine Mammals · 3 species
Fin WhaleHumpback WhaleMinke Whale
Seals · 2 species
Gray SealHarbor Seal
Sea Turtles · 2 species
Kemp's Ridley Sea TurtleLoggerhead Sea Turtle
Land Mammals · 3 species
Red FoxWhite-tailed DeerWild Turkey
Browse all species
Birds live in the Birding section above; everything else is here. Tap any card for when, where, and how to see it.
Minke Whale
Peak June
Fin Whale
Peak July
Humpback Whale
Peak August
Harbor Seal
Peak February
Gray Seal
Peak February
Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle
Peak August
Loggerhead Sea Turtle
Peak August
Shortfin Mako Shark
Peak July
Common Thresher Shark
Peak July
Blue Shark
Peak August
Bluefish
Peak June
Fluke (Summer Flounder)
Peak July
Striped Bass
Peak October
False Albacore
Peak October
Red Fox
Peak April
Wild Turkey
Peak April
White-tailed Deer
Peak November
Tick & Lyme Disease warning: Deer ticks are active April-October across the Hamptons. Wear long pants, use permethrin-treated clothing, and do a full tick check after any hike or walk through bird habitat.