As always with a CMBO walk, attention to our participants is paramount and, with a head-spinning number of birds zapping all around us throughout the walk, there really wasn’t time to break off and count them all. So, there’s no full list here, but the morning was, nevertheless, magical. Yellow-rumped and Palm Warblers were often feeding almost at arm’s length – as was a Field Sparrow at one point too. The sparrow flock at the Hawkwatch held White-throated, White-crowned, Song and Swamp Sparrows and at least one Dark-eyed Junco. Golden-crowned Kinglets were busy in the bayberries, and great scads of Black and Surf Scoters ferried in and out of the bay. Forster’s Terns were trickling out of the bay almost throughout the walk, small parties of Great Blue Herons rose from the reeds and, at one point, some 400 Blue Jays scattered themselves around the lighthouse. American Pipits, House Finches and Pine Siskins could be heard overhead, before we got enveloped in a blanket of swirling Tree Sparrows. Then there were the ducks! A great variety of ducks. Blue-winged and Green-winged Teal, three male Eurasian Wigeon among the American Wigeons, graceful Northern Pintail, a group of four Ring-necked Ducks… and the Ruddy Ducks snoozed through it all.
Raptors swirled everywhere we looked; Peregrine, American Kestrel, Osprey, Red-tailed, Broad-winged, Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s Hawks, three Bald Eagles – with two youngsters tussling right over Bunker Pond. There was so much more, I am sure, but one thing is for sure, it’s building up to be a fabulous weekend!!
Leaders: Mike Crewe, Megan Crewe, Mary Watkins, Chris Marks, and Steve Weis.
