2023 Birding Challenge - Team MYBC!

by Laurie Pocher

Mother Nature conspired against us, and we had to abandon our plans to bird Monhegan Island due to rain, wind and fog in the forecast. We pivoted to Evergreen Cemetery in Portland instead.

The morning started out slowly, with a handful of Mallard ducklings and just a few species of songbirds around the Duck Pond: Yellow-Rumped Warbler, American Redstart, Chestnut-Sided Warbler, Tennesee Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Northern Parula, Baltimore Oriole, and Red-Eyed Vireo.

We walked the big loop trail along the power line cut and through the woods, where we picked up Eastern Wood-Pewee, White-Breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Swamp Sparrow, Black-and-White Warbler, Black-Throated Green Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Magnolia Warber, Canada Warbler, Wood Thrush, and a pair of Scarlet Tanagers. A couple of Ovenbirds and Red-Bellied Woodpeckers called from deeper in the woods, but we weren’t able to see them.

We emerged from the wooded trail and found a handful of Eastern Bluebirds, a couple of Northern Mockingbirds, a Chipping Sparrow, and seven Red Crossbills feasting on pine cones.

Other species included Mourning Dove, Herring Gull, Turkey Vulture, Northern Flicker, Eastern Phoebe, Great Crested Flycatcher, Gray Catbird, Blue Jay, Black-Capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, American Goldfinch, Chipping Sparrow, Red-Winged Blackbird, Brown-Headed Cowbird, and Northern Cardinal. In total, we saw 45 species at Evergreen Cemetery. You can see the full checklist from Evergreen here: https://ebird.org/checklist/S138512961

Team MYBC members made a few other stops within the 24-hour Birding Challenge timeframe. At Hinckley Park, we picked up a Black-billed Cuckoo, Swainson’s Thrush, Savannah Sparrow, Black-throated Blue Warbler. At Capisic Pond, we added Chimney Swifts, Double-Crested Cormorants, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Warbling Vireo, Brown Thrasher, Cedar Waxwing, Orchard Oriole, Cooper’s Hawk, and Northern Waterthrush. Other birds seen in backyards and while traveling included Rock Pigeon, Ruby-Throated Hummingbird, Red-Tailed Hawk, Broad-Winged Hawk, Hairy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow, and Carolina Wren. At Fore-River Sanctuary, Luke Marston helped us round out our team count by adding American Black Duck, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Belted Kingfisher, and Prairie Warbler.

All tolled, we managed to log 78 species for the Team MYBC Birding Challenge total!

There’s still time to donate to York County Audubon Birding Challenge! We’ll be collecting donations through May 31, so click here to sponsor Team MYBC!

Early Migrants in Portland

by Laurie Pocher

MYBC set out in search of early migrants at three Portland area ‘hot spots’ on April 29. Our expectations were low, as migration doesn’t really kick into gear for another couple of weeks. But Mother Nature cooperated with sunny skies and warm temps, and we managed to see some cool stuff. And — spoiler alert — we managed to see 31 species of birds.

We started at Hinckley Park, where an Osprey flew over our heads in the parking lot as we arrived. We saw a couple of pairs of courting Brown-Headed Cowbirds while a pair of Black-Capped Chickadees were working to clean out a cavity in a nearby Birch tree. Tufted Titmice were everywhere, a couple of Yellow-Rumped Warblers flitted around after insects, and we heard at least one Red Crossbill fly by. Other species that we saw or heard at Hinckley included Mallards, Great Blue Heron, Cooper’s Hawk, Blue-Headed Vireo, American Crow, Black-Capped Chickadee, American Robin, Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Palm Warbler and Northern Cardinal (17 species in total).

We then moved on to Capisic Pond, where the highlight was a pair of Black-Crowned Night Herons. They started out well-hidden in the reeds but were spooked into the trees by a passing canoe. One relocated to a nice quiet fishing spot off the beaten path, and we were treated to some nice photo opps. There were lots of Common Grackles, Red-Winged Blackbirds, and American Goldfinches. Other species included American Crow, Ruby-Crowned Kinglet, American Robin, Northern Cardinal, Mallard, Double-Crested Cormorant, Mourning Dove, Song Sparrow, Turkey Vulture, Hairy Woodpecker, Osprey and Common Raven (16 species in total).

Our last stop was Evergreen Cemetery, where we walked around the Duck Ponds and through some wooded trails. It was late morning by the time we arrived, and pretty quiet. In addition to a lot of the same species we’d seen earlier in the day, we picked up a few new ones: Herring Gulls, a Northern Flicker, Chipping Sparrows, White-Throated Sparrows, a White-Breasted Nuthatch and a Pine Warbler. (19 species in total).

Check out our full eBird trip report here: Early Migrants Trip Report 4-29-23

We’re off to Monhegan Island for our May trip, where we’ll be participating in the York County Audubon Birding Challenge! Click here to sponsor Team MYBC!

Woodcock Walk & Pizza Party - March 2023

by Laurie Pocher

Mother Nature threw everything she had at us last night — rain, wind, snow, sleet — but the Maine Young Birders are hardy souls, and we were determined to see the ‘sky dance’ of the American Woodcock (aka Timberdoodle).

Emmons Preserve is a pretty reliable spot to see their aerial displays at dusk this time of year, but we were worried that the weather would keep them grounded. Other than a dozen American Robins digging for worms, the only birds around when we first arrived were a handful of Song Sparrows, Black-Capped Chickadees, and Red-Winged Blackbirds.

We usually spend a couple of hours walking the trails before dusk, but given the weather conditions, we were happy that we’d planned a pizza party and game night. A few brave souls wandered out after dinner and came back to report that they’d seen a Brown Creeper, a Northern Cardinal, a Fox Sparrow and a Woodcock.

On with the coats, gloves and hats, and out we all went into the elements. We followed the Fox Sparrow along a wooded trail, but the weather was keeping it and most other birds pretty quiet. Aside from the call of some Canada Geese flying overhead, the only other sound was sleet bouncing off our coats.

As darkness started to fall, we returned to the Trust HQ and huddled under the deck, debating whether the Woodcocks would make an appearance. At least a few of us had pretty much given up hope when we heard the unmistakable ‘peent’ call from a nearby creek. Then another Woodcock called back.

We slowly moved in that direction, straining to see the really well-camouflaged birds in the dark. They both kept calling, and we could just barely make out one small shape waddling in the grass on the opposite bank.

Suddenly he took off and flew directly at us, and then started climbing in a wide spiral. As he climbed higher, the circles got smaller. He wasn’t calling anymore, all we could hear was the ‘twittering’ sound of his wings as he climbed.

Knowing he would land very close to where he took off, we moved closer to the landing zone while he was climbing, and waited for his descent. When he landed, we were able to get some good looks at him as he resumed his ‘peent’ calls.

We watched him for a while, hoping for another aerial display, but he seemed pretty content on the ground. It was pretty dark by then, so we walked down to the Labyrinth for a bit, before heading back inside to dry off, warm up and work on a jigsaw puzzle.

We may not have seen a lot of birds, and we didn’t take many photos (the cover photo is from a few years ago) but we were pretty happy with what we did see. We were delighted to welcome a new MYBC member, Isaiah. And we’re very grateful to the Kennebunk Conservation Trust for allowing us to use the Trust HQ for our pizza party and game night.

In April, we’ll be heading out to look for warblers and other returning spring migrants. Stay tuned for our trip announcement coming soon. Until then… happy birding!

2022 Biddeford/Kennebunkport MYBC CBC

by Marion Sprague

MYBC ushered out 2022 by taking part in the Annual Christmas Bird Count for the Biddeford/Kennebunk CBC. MYBC covered the Old Orchard Beach part of section 1 with 3 young birders and 3 adult birders. The weather was balmy and warm throughout the day and made strolling along the beach and neighborhoods quite pleasant. A far cry from the bitter rain the team faced last year!

We met at the Old Orchard Beach Pier where we picked up Sharp-shinned Hawk. We got quick looks at it zoomed past, but enough to pick to see the long tail, small stature, and buffy chest to confirm our id. We then proceeded to bird along the beach. We picked up several species including Common Loon, Long-tailed Ducks, and Black scoters and 2 Horned Grebes. We were hoping to pick up a flock of Sanderlings this year, as we have in the past, but had no such luck. Though, we did get a flock of over 20 Canada Geese (a species we usually see, but missed in the prior year’s count).

We then moved to the Ocean Park Memorial Bandstand and walked the neighborhood picking up our first Black-capped Chickadees and White-breasted Nuthatches. Our journey next brought us to the marsh at Goosefare Brook where we picked up several American Crows, Dark-eyed Juncos, Northern Cardinals, and an active flock of Eastern Bluebirds. We also got our first Red-breasted Mergansers. The highlights of the trip were a diving Belted Kingfisher that entertained us as we arrived, followed by a Red-Tailed Hawk perched in the sun across the marsh.  

Our final stop as a group before disbanding for the day was Guild Park. Here we picked up Red-breasted Nutchatch and our only woodpecker of the day, a Downy Woodpecker in the swamp at the head of the trail.

In total we counted 30 different species—2 up from the previous year. MYBC had a lot of fun and can’t wait to participate next year!

The official results for the overall Biddeford/Kennebunkport CBC are still being tallied.

Hope to see you at our next outing!

View our eBird Checklists here:

Old Orchard Beach: https://ebird.org/me/checklist/S124959557
Ocean Park Memorial Bandstand (and neighborhood): https://ebird.org/me/checklist/S124961569
Goosefare Brook: https://ebird.org/me/checklist/S124965924
Guild Park: https://ebird.org/me/checklist/S124969320

Fort Foster - November 2022

by Laurie Pocher

The Maine Young Birders were happy to welcome two new members — Nyssa and Xavier — who joined one of our biggest outings in recent months. Sixteen of us set out to explore Fort Foster on a ridiculously warm November day. While it wasn’t the birdiest of days, it was a beautiful day to be outdoors!

Before we even started our walk, we were greeted by a Carolina Wren calling from the parking area. We didn’t get eyes on the bird, but there’s no mistaking that call! As we walked toward the pier, we encountered our first ‘mob’ of about 30 Black-Capped Chickadees… they were everywhere, and we counted about 160 in total over the course of our 4-hour / 1.6 mile walk.

As we headed towards the beach, we got great looks at a pair of Sharp-Shinned Hawks as they flew overhead. From the beach, we saw several Common Loons, Surf Scoters, and three species of gulls: Bonaparte’s, Herring, and Ring-Billed.

A Bald Eagle left its perch out on the rocks to pursue one of the gulls, but gave up after a short chase and landed on the lighthouse deck railing. A Gray Seal — often described as a ‘horsehead seal’ — appeared with a big splash when it was startled by a diving loon. We paused to take a group photo, and a small flock of Rock Pigeons escorted us off the pier.

We walked the trails along the shore, where we counted Double-Crested Cormorants and Great Black-Backed Gulls out on the rocks. On the marsh side of the path, we encountered several Northern Mockingbirds, as well as Purple and House Finches and American Goldfinches. Small pods of American Black Ducks and Mallards were foraging in the pond.

As the morning got warmer (over 70° by the time we left), we encountered several dragonflies and butterflies, including a Monarch, several American Lady butterflies, and a sulfur butterfly (potentially Clouded Sulfur) . A Yellow-Rumped Warbler was enjoying the late-season bumper crop of insects, while another mob of Black-Capped Chickadees worked the seed heads. We saw a single White-Winged Scoter offshore and looked (in vain) for a Black Scoter to complete the trio.

On a wooded path, we came upon a small group of Red-Breasted and White-Breasted Nuthatches and Brown Creepers digging into the bark and lichen. It was fun to watch the Nuthatches work their way across the branches and down the trunks, while the Brown Creepers work their way from the bottom up. We also saw both Golden-Crowned and Ruby-Crowned Kinglets flitting around nearby.

Our Woodpecker sightings throughout the morning included Downy, Red-Bellied, and Pileated, as well as a Northern Flicker. And we counted three species of Sparrows: Song, Swamp and White-Throated.

We stopped back at the beach on our way back to the cars, where we saw one of the Sharp-Shinned Hawks harassing a Merlin, who quickly decided to move along to a different hunting ground.

In addition to the species noted above, we also saw over a dozen Canada Geese, and several American Crows, Blue Jays and Dark-Eyed Juncos.

By the time we left around noon, we’d tallied 37 species and 375 individual birds. You can see our full checklist here: Fort Foster eBird Checklist 11-5-2022

Our next outing will be the Christmas Bird Count in December. Until then… happy birding!

A Bird in the Hand...

by Laurie Pocher

On Saturday October 8, the Maine Young Birders set out for Parker River Wildlife Refuge in Newburyport, MA to visit the Joppa Flats banding station and do a little fall birding at Hellcat Swamp.

The Joppa Flats Bird Banding Station was established in May 1998 to monitor migratory passerines (songbirds) during spring and fall migrations. Ben and his volunteer staff kept pretty busy during the few hours we were there, capturing and banding a variety of migrants including several Yellow-Rumped Warblers and White-Throated Sparrows, Blue-Headed Vireo, Black-Capped Chickadee, Grey Catbird, Common Yellowthroat, Golden-Crowned Kinglet, Dark-Eyed Junco, and an Ovenbird who enjoyed their hospitality so much that it flew back into the mist nets and was recaptured three times that morning!

The banding process includes several steps, including fitting the bird’s leg with a lightweight aluminum band and recording measurements including size, weight, wing and tail length, all of which may help to determine the bird’s gender. They will also evaluate the feathers to determine if the bird has completely or partially molted into its fall plumage.

The last step is to determine the bird’s age by ‘skulling’ — which sounds painful, but is really just the process of blowing the head feathers back so they can see how well-developed the birds skull bones are. Bird’s skin is mostly transparent, so parting the feathers on the head allows the banders to see through to the skull. Baby birds only have one layer of bone making up their skull, and a second layer grows underneath the first layer as they age. If the bander sees contrast between areas, it means the second layer is still growing, and the bird is a hatch year. If there’s no contrast, the second layer is complete and it’s a mature bird. A drop or two of water often helps to keep the head feathers parted during skulling, and explains some of the ‘bed head’ looks you can see in our photos.

We were fascinated to learn that different species tend to react differently to being handled. Some species like Yellow-Rumped Warblers seem nonplussed by the whole experience and tend to remain quiet and still throughout. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Northern Cardinals are drama queens, squawking and biting the handlers repeatedly. While most species aren’t bothered by the lightweight aluminum leg bands, Cardinals will peck at the band trying to remove it; they get special stainless steel bands so they can’t hurt themselves by denting or pinching the bands too tight on their legs. Most of the species we saw remained outwardly calm throughout the process… although we did get some Angry Bird vibes from a Golden-Crowned Kinglet!

Special thanks to Ben, Frank and the other volunteers for taking the time to explain the process and allowing the Maine Young Birders to release a couple of birds after they were banded. 

After leaving the banding station, we walked the boardwalk trails at Hellcat Swamp looking for migrating warblers and other songbirds. We saw (or heard) a Blackpoll Warbler, two Eastern Towhees, White-Breasted and Red-Breasted Nuthatches, Black-Capped Chickadees, a Northern Flicker, several Blue Jays and American Crows, a dozen Turkey Vultures, and a few Gray Catbirds, Song Sparrows and American Robins.

We also saw a Mute Swan, 18 Greater Yellowlegs, four Herring Gulls, two Double-Crested Cormorants, six Great Egrets and a Swamp Sparrow in the marshes and ponds along the Refuge Road on our way into and out of the refuge.

Click here to view the complete eBird Checklist for our trip to Parker River.

Keep your eye out for our November trip announcement coming soon! Happy Birding.

Shorebirding 2022

by Laurie Pocher

The Maine Young Birders welcomed two new members on our September outing: Luke M. and Kaliste R. It was great to have them both along as we explored beach, estuary, and saltmarsh habitats in search of shorebirds.

 

MYBC was on the move this month, shorebirding from Kennebunk to Biddeford with three stops along the way: Parsons Beach, Fortunes Rocks Beach, and Timber Point.

While we were waiting for everyone to arrive, a Clay-Colored Sparrow popped out of the brush to welcome us to Parsons Beach. We were also treated to flyovers by a Merlin, a few Great Egrets, and a very acrobatic Great Blue Heron. All the while a Belted Kingfisher perched overlooking a group of Double-Crested Cormorants. Not a bad showing for the first 15 min in the parking area!

Other highlights from Parsons Beach include a single Black-Bellied Plover and several Semipalmated Plovers on the beach, and two Greater Yellowlegs, four Killdeer, and four Snowy Egrets on the marsh.

On our way to Biddeford, we stopped for a Wild Turkey crossing, where a single turkey had traffic stopped in both directions while the rest of the flock tried to decide which side of Rt 9 they wanted to be on.

On to Fortunes Rocks Beach, where we stepped out of the car to witness a cloud of 50+ Tree Swallows swirling over the pond. A Northern Mockingbird monitored the parking area as beachgoers and surfers arrived to take advantage of the late summer sunshine and high surf. On the beach, we were treated to side-by-side comparisons of Semipalmated Sandpipers and Least Sandpipers foraging along the wrack line. A few Sanderlings kept to themselves on the rocks along the water’s edge.

The tide was coming in fast, so we relocated to Timber Point. A beautiful mature Red-Tailed Hawk was surveying the marsh when we arrived. We quickly realized that while September 6 may have been World Shorebird Day, here in Southern Maine September 10 should be declared Semipalmated Sandpiper Day! Well over 100 of them, accompanied by several Semipalmated Plovers and one Least Sandpiper, were working the wrack line. We set off on Timber Point Trail, where we saw a dozen Red-Eyed Vireos, eight Eastern Bluebirds, four Gray Catbirds, Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers, an Eastern Phoebe, and a Northern Flicker.

Aside from the species already mentioned above, we saw 60 Double-Crested Cormorants, 43 Common Eiders, 26 Herring Gulls, 20 Canada Geese, 12 European Starlings, 6 Great Black-Backed Gulls, 6 Black-Capped Chickadees, 4 House Sparrows, 4 Blue Jays, 3 American Black Ducks, 2 American Goldfinch, one Tufted Titmouse, and one Yellow-Rumped Warbler.

You can view our trip report including counts for all 35 species here: https://ebird.org/tripreport/74815

Keep your eye out for our October trip announcement coming soon! Happy Birding!

Sunset Puffin Cruise 2022

by Laurie Pocher

On Friday, July 22th some of our young birders and their families embarked on the Maine Audubon Sunset Puffin Cruise into Muscongus Bay to Eastern Egg Rock, where hundreds of Atlantic Puffins, Common Terns, Laughing Gulls and Black Guillemots nest every summer.

In 1973, Project Puffin endeavored to re-introduce nesting Puffins to Eastern Egg Rock. The methods used were so successful that they’ve since been adopted in many other locations worldwide to help endangered and threatened seabirds.  As of last count, Eastern Egg Rock is home to over 200 pairs of Atlantic Puffins.

Doug Hitchcox from Maine Audubon provided a running narrative of the history of Eastern Egg Rock and Project Puffin, and pointed out Common Terns, Laughing Gulls, Black Guillemots and Roseate Terns as they flew by. After about a 30min trip, we approached the island and saw our first Atlantic Puffins bobbing in the waves.

We don’t know yet how many pufflings will ultimately fledge this summer, but the sheer numbers of adults we saw flying back towards the burrows with fish in their beaks is a good sign that they’re having a successful nesting season. Warming waters over the last few years have impacted the food supply, in some cases resulting in a nest failure rate of almost 90%. We’re hopeful that this season will have a significantly higher success rate.

While the Puffins were undoubtedly the star of the show, we were also treated to a pretty spectacular sunset as we left Eastern Egg Rock. We made a short detour to see Franklin Light (the 3rd oldest lighthouse in Maine) and a large group harbor seals hauled out some rocks, before heading back to New Harbor.

Special thanks to Doug Hitchcox and Maine Audubon for sponsoring this trip for the MYBC and coordinators. 

Click here to learn more about Project Puffin and learn more about how Puffins were re-introduced to Eastern Egg Rock.

We’ll be taking the month of August off (after two wonderful July trips!). Keep your eye out for our September trip announcement coming soon! Happy Birding.

Stratton Island Trip Report - July 9, 2022

by Laurie Pocher

Clear skies and calm seas were the order of the day as the Maine Young Birders cruised over to Stratton Island on Saturday. We spent a few hours with the Audubon team that lives on the island throughout the breeding season to monitor the tern and heron colonies on Stratton, Little Stratton, and Bluff Islands.

The staff was kind enough to set up some spotting scopes so we could check out the beach and nearby islands while we waited for the rest of our group to arrive. We were greeted by dozens of Common Terns chattering away and swooping down to say ‘hello’ — or maybe it was more like ‘get off my lawn!’ The presence of ‘tern sticks’ held in the air over our heads successfully prevented anxious birds from making contact with our scalps. Common Tern chicks blended in well with the rocks on the beach and could have been easily overlooked if the parents weren’t constantly bringing in fish to feed them. In addition to extremely close encounters with Common Terns, we were treated to a flyover by a single Black Tern.

When the second group arrived, we relocated to an interior pond, where we peeked through the reeds at Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Glossy Ibis, Gadwalls, Mallards with ducklings, Canada Geese with Goslings, and our first Spotted Sandpiper of the day. We were able to see several Great Egret nests in the trees across the pond, with juveniles waiting patiently for feeding time. Tree and Barn Swallows flew overhead while Red-Winged Blackbirds sang from the reeds.

After a quick visit to the base camp where we learned about some of the different types of fish that terns feed (or try to feed) their young, we checked out the East Coast of the island. We saw another Spotted Sandpiper, as well as several Black Guillemots, and Common Eiders with chicks. An American Oystercatcher laughed out loud as it noisily flew by, and we saw several more Tree Swallows and a couple of Yellow Warblers along the way.

We split up into pairs and spent the next 45 minutes in small blinds with views of nesting tern colonies at different locations along the island’s shoreline. Some birders were treated to views of Arctic, Least and Roseate Terns. We all got to see plenty of chicks of various ages, ranging from only a day or two old with just ‘nubbins’ where their wings should be, to several weeks old where they’re mostly able to fend for themselves but still rely on their parents for food. We also witnessed some courtship and mating, as well as a couple of terns sitting on eggs.

Other species we saw (or heard) throughout our journey to Stratton Island brought our total count to 30 for the day and included: Semipalmated Sandpiper, Short-Billed Dowitcher, Bonaparte’s Gull, Ring-Billed Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-Backed Gull, Double-Crested Cormorant, Song Sparrow, and Chestnut-Sided Warbler. Click here to view our complete eBird checklist.

We’d like to extend a special thank you to Michael and the whole team on Stratton Island for being such great hosts, and for taking such good care of us and the birds! Click here to learn more about shorebird conservation efforts at Stratton Island.

Our next outing — the Audubon Sunset Puffin Cruise on July 22 — is already full and we’ve started a waitlist. If you’d like to add your name, please do so via this link: 2022 Sunset Puffin Cruise, New Harbor.

Click here for more information about how to join the Maine Young Birders Club.

As a nonprofit we rely on dues and donations to fund our club and make these outings possible. You can make a donation here.

Laudholm Farm Trip Report - June 11, 2022

by Laurie Pocher

There may have been only three of us, but we covered a lot of ground, traveled through several different habitats, and logged 54 species in four hours at the Wells Reserve at Laudholm Farm on Saturday, June 11, 2022.

Before we even left the parking area, a Great Egret flew overhead. We started off in the woods on the Saw-Whet Trail, where we were greeted by loud singing from several Red-Eyed Vireos, an Eastern Wood-Pewee and a Winter Wren. We were able to visually confirm all three birds, although a singing Pine Warbler, Black-Throated Green Warbler, White-Breasted Nuthatch, and Red-Bellied Woodpecker remained out of sight. A Brown Creeper landed right in front of us, a Hairy Woodpecker swooped through, and Black-Capped Chickadees, Tufted Titmice and Chipping Sparrows flitted all around. As we left the woods, a Pileated Woodpecker and Northern Flicker flew past us.

Onto the next habitat — an open meadow. A female Wild Turkey tried to distract us from seeing her poults, but we did get quick peeks at two of them. A pair of Bobolinks, sounding like R2D2, posed for some photos, and we were treated to a show of Monarch Butterflies mating. A few Barn Swallows swooped around chasing insects.

Crossing back into the woods on the other side of the meadow, we saw several Eastern Towhees and a Brown Thrasher. Chestnut-Sided Warblers, Common Yellowthroats and Gray Catbirds followed us along the trail on either side as we walked toward the marsh. We heard Black-and-White Warblers calling, but weren’t able to spot them. A Veery popped out of the woods to sing us a brief song before being upstaged by a much louder Eastern Towhee.

At the marsh, we saw Red-Winged Blackbirds, Canada Geese, a pair of Willets and a single Mallard. We also saw quite a few Least Terns flying in the distance.

We stopped back at the cars for a quick water and snack break, and spotted a pair of House Finches with nesting materials, a few Eastern Bluebirds, and heard a House Wren calling from the shrubs across the parking lot. A couple of Brown-Headed Cowbirds were harassing a recently fledged American Robin until mom showed up and moved them along.

On our way to the beach, we saw a small flock of Cedar Waxwings. We also heard an Alder Flycatcher advertising ‘free beer’ while a Yellow Warbler bragged ‘sweet, sweet, I’m so sweet.’

When we arrived at the beach, we were immediately greeted by a female Piping Plover. As we walked along the high tide line, we saw several more adults, but no chicks. A bit further down, we found a nesting colony of Least Terns, with a mixed group of Bonaparte’s, Great Black-Backed and Herring Gulls nearby. A single Sanderling in breeding plumage foraged along the water’s edge, while Bank Swallows picked insects out of the air.

We also saw (or heard) Mourning Doves, Double-Crested Cormorants, Eastern Phoebes, Blue Jays, European Starlings, Northern Mockingbirds, House Sparrows, Song Sparrows, American Goldfinches, and Northern Cardinals. All in all, we tallied 54 species and upwards of 270 individual birds. Not bad for three people!

Let’s try to get those numbers up for our next outing… stay tuned for the trip announcement coming soon!