Birding the Meadows with Pete Dunne - Monday, May 21st, 2012

There was on and off rain drops and east wind but still birdy. Although not numerous, a variety of shore birds were observed including Short-billed Dowitcher, Least and Semipalmated Sandpiper, Semipalmated Plover, and on the beach Piping Plover on nest, 3 pairs of American Oystercatcher one with 3 newly hatched chicks. Off-shore, way out, a few participants got on Sooty Shearwater and a couple of Northern Gannets. There was a nice variety of close swallows including Cliff and Bank. Leaders: Pete Dunne, Karl Lukens, Chuck & Mary Jane Slugg, Steve Weis, and Catherine Busch.
58 species

Canada Goose  5
Mute Swan  10
Gadwall  2
Mallard  10
Sooty Shearwater  2
Northern Gannet  3
Double-crested Cormorant  3
Great Egret  3
Snowy Egret  2
Little Blue Heron  1
Green Heron  2
Glossy Ibis  4
Turkey Vulture  2
Osprey  4
Semipalmated Plover  3
Piping Plover  1
Killdeer  1
American Oystercatcher  6     one pair w/3 chicks
Greater Yellowlegs  1     heard
Willet  3
Semipalmated Sandpiper  1
Least Sandpiper  10
Dunlin  2
Short-billed Dowitcher  15
Bonaparte's Gull  1
Laughing Gull  25
Herring Gull  4
Lesser Black-backed Gull  1
Great Black-backed Gull  15
Least Tern  15
Common Tern  10
Forster's Tern  20
Royal Tern  1
Black Skimmer  4
Mourning Dove  6
Chimney Swift  10
Eastern Kingbird  3
Fish Crow  5
Northern Rough-winged Swallow  8
Purple Martin  10
Tree Swallow  15
Bank Swallow  3
Barn Swallow  20
Cliff Swallow  3
Marsh Wren  1     heard by a few
American Robin  1
Gray Catbird  1
Northern Mockingbird  2
European Starling  5
Cedar Waxwing  7
Common Yellowthroat  2
Song Sparrow  2
Northern Cardinal  4
Red-winged Blackbird  15
Common Grackle  15
Brown-headed Cowbird  4
American Goldfinch  4
House Sparrow  2

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)

American Oystercatcher and newly hatched chick [Photo by Karl Lukens]

...and two more makes three! [Photo by Karl Lukens]