Migration at the Point - Wednesday, May 29, 2019

Red and blue trail. Highlights included posing Cedar Waxwings, singing Pine Warbler, American Redstart, and Common Yellowthroats, and flyover Red Knots. LOTS of dragonflies and butterflies.

Leaders Brett Ewald, Chris Marks, Mary Watkins, Guy Moody.
42 species (+1 other taxa)

Canada Goose  35
Mute Swan  18
Gadwall  2
Mallard  4
Mourning Dove  3
Chimney Swift  7
Red Knot  10
Laughing Gull  7
Herring Gull  4
Great Black-backed Gull  3
Least Tern  7
Common Tern  4
Forster's Tern  40
Double-crested Cormorant  12
Great Egret  2
Glossy Ibis  1
Osprey  4
Great Crested Flycatcher  1
Blue Jay  3
crow sp.  2
Purple Martin  25
Tree Swallow  5
Barn Swallow  2
Carolina Chickadee  2
House Wren  1
Carolina Wren  9
American Robin  19
Gray Catbird  3
Northern Mockingbird  4
Cedar Waxwing  17
House Finch  2
American Goldfinch  1
Field Sparrow  3
Red-winged Blackbird  14
Common Grackle  15
Boat-tailed Grackle  3
Common Yellowthroat  5
American Redstart  1
Pine Warbler  1
Northern Cardinal  12
Blue Grosbeak  1
Indigo Bunting  1
House Sparrow  1

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

Birding the Meadows - Monday, May 27, 2019

52 species

Canada Goose  24
Mute Swan  19
Gadwall  4
Mallard  12
American Black Duck  1
Mourning Dove  4
Chimney Swift  1
Virginia Rail  1
Common Gallinule  1
American Oystercatcher  9
Killdeer  5
Sanderling  3
Least Sandpiper  4
Semipalmated Sandpiper  30
Short-billed Dowitcher  20
Spotted Sandpiper  1
Greater Yellowlegs  1
Willet  6
Bonaparte's Gull  1
Laughing Gull  12
Herring Gull  2
Great Black-backed Gull  2
Least Tern  35
Forster's Tern  48
Double-crested Cormorant  1
Great Egret  3
Snowy Egret  2
Green Heron  2
Glossy Ibis  11
Black Vulture  9
Turkey Vulture  2
Osprey  5
Eastern Kingbird  1
Fish Crow  3
Northern Rough-winged Swallow  2
Purple Martin  20
Tree Swallow  3
Barn Swallow  5
Carolina Wren  1
American Robin  1
Northern Mockingbird  2
Cedar Waxwing  2
American Goldfinch  1
Song Sparrow  2
Orchard Oriole  1
Red-winged Blackbird  36
Brown-headed Cowbird  1
Common Grackle  10
Common Yellowthroat  5
Yellow Warbler  4
Indigo Bunting  2
House Sparrow  1

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

Spring Birding at the Garrett Family Preserve - Saturday, May 25, 2019

Flycatchers can be difficult to ID but not if they're perched atop a shrub saying "fitz-bew", as were the two Willow Flycatchers we saw and heard repeatedly at Garrett this morning. The Chats were relatively quiet but Orchard Orioles popped up repeatedly, along with Field Sparrows, Indigo Buntings and Blue Grosbeaks. A couple of the fields are filled with blooming wildflowers providing a beautiful habitat for various pollinators.

Leaders: Kathy Horn, Roger Horn, Deb Payson

48 species

Canada Goose  2
Mallard  7
Mourning Dove  6
Yellow-billed Cuckoo  2
Chimney Swift  1
American Oystercatcher  2
Killdeer  1
Laughing Gull  9
Herring Gull (American)  1
Forster's Tern  1
Double-crested Cormorant  20
Great Egret  2
Green Heron  1
Glossy Ibis  1
Black Vulture  1
Turkey Vulture  2
Osprey (carolinensis)  8
Red-bellied Woodpecker  1
Willow Flycatcher  2
Great Crested Flycatcher  5
Eastern Kingbird  3
Blue Jay  2
Fish Crow  3
Purple Martin  3
Tree Swallow  5
Barn Swallow (American)  2
House Wren (Northern)  1
Carolina Wren (Northern)  8
American Robin  8
Gray Catbird  2
Brown Thrasher  1
Northern Mockingbird  2
European Starling  3
Cedar Waxwing  8
American Goldfinch  3
Field Sparrow  6
Song Sparrow  1
Yellow-breasted Chat  2
Orchard Oriole  7
Red-winged Blackbird (Red-winged)  18
Brown-headed Cowbird  2
Common Grackle (Purple)  6
Common Yellowthroat  6
Yellow Warbler (Northern)  5
Northern Cardinal  6
Blue Grosbeak  3
Indigo Bunting  8
House Sparrow  1

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

Orchard Oriole photo by Kathy Horn

Higbee Beach Birding - Friday, May 24, 2019

If you wanted to see Indigo Buntings from every angle and hear their song, their buzz and their "spit", today was your day at Higbee; we saw both brilliant blue males and the plain brown females. Orchard Oriole, Blue Grosbeak and Prairie Warbler were other birds both seen and heard, while the calling Yellow-billed Cuckoo was a bit more secretive. 

Leaders: Kathy Horn, Chris Marks, Lynn Pollard, Dave Pollard

42 species

Canada Goose  2
Mallard  2
Mourning Dove  1
Yellow-billed Cuckoo  1
Chimney Swift  1
Killdeer  1
Laughing Gull  6
Herring Gull (American)  1
Forster's Tern  1
Double-crested Cormorant  19
Snowy Egret  3
Turkey Vulture  2
Osprey (carolinensis)  2
Red-bellied Woodpecker  1
Great Crested Flycatcher  5
Eastern Kingbird  3
White-eyed Vireo  3
Red-eyed Vireo  1
Blue Jay  2
American Crow  2
Purple Martin  1
Tree Swallow  2
Carolina Chickadee  1
Tufted Titmouse  1
Carolina Wren  8
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  1
American Robin  5
Gray Catbird  2
Northern Mockingbird  1
Cedar Waxwing  7
American Goldfinch  4
Field Sparrow  1
Orchard Oriole  2
Red-winged Blackbird (Red-winged)  7
Brown-headed Cowbird  3
Common Grackle  3
Common Yellowthroat  2
Yellow Warbler  1
Prairie Warbler  2
Northern Cardinal  7
Blue Grosbeak  4
Indigo Bunting  9

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

Birds of Nummy Island - Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Very High Tide. Note: There were 400+ distant flocks of plovers and sandpipers observed on the south wetlands of Nummy Island adjacent Stone Harbor Point. These birds were not included in our count. Several species in this list (those greater than 10) are conservative estimates.

37 species

Brant  40
Mallard  2
Clapper Rail  3     Three birds visible near the toll bridge, many clapper rail "kek" and "grunting" calls heard on the island.
American Oystercatcher  12
Black-bellied Plover  60
Semipalmated Plover  10
Whimbrel  24
Ruddy Turnstone  6
Red Knot  4
Dunlin  16
Least Sandpiper  4
Semipalmated Sandpiper  40
Short-billed Dowitcher  14
Willet  12
Lesser Yellowlegs  2
Laughing Gull  300
Herring Gull  1
Great Black-backed Gull  3
Least Tern  4
Forster's Tern  10
Common Loon  1
Double-crested Cormorant  4
Great Egret  8
Snowy Egret  4
Tricolored Heron  2
Black-crowned Night-Heron  1
Osprey  4
Merlin  1     Flushed several 100 shorebirds as this bird flew over Nummy Island.
American Crow  2
Fish Crow  2
Barn Swallow  1
Northern Mockingbird  2
Song Sparrow  3
Red-winged Blackbird  10
Common Grackle  4
Boat-tailed Grackle  6
Yellow Warbler  1

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

Migration at the Point - Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Leaders Brett Ewald, Chris Marks, Karen Thompson, Bill Boyle, Steve Weis, Hugh Simmons, Bernie Hodgdon, Stephanie Brown, Michael McCabe. 

52 species

Mallard  4
Surf Scoter  4
Black Scoter  25
Mourning Dove  5
Chimney Swift  5
American Oystercatcher  3
Black-bellied Plover  5
Killdeer  2
Ruddy Turnstone  3
Purple Sandpiper  11
Least Sandpiper  8
Short-billed Dowitcher  1
Spotted Sandpiper  1
Laughing Gull  12
Herring Gull  5
Great Black-backed Gull  7
Least Tern  7
Common Tern  1
Forster's Tern  25
Common Loon  1
Double-crested Cormorant  15
Snowy Egret  1
Glossy Ibis  4
Turkey Vulture  4
Osprey  1
Bald Eagle  1
Blue Jay  3
Fish Crow  3
Northern Rough-winged Swallow  5
Purple Martin  50
Tree Swallow  5
Barn Swallow  18
Carolina Chickadee  2
House Wren  2
Carolina Wren (Northern)  3
American Robin  12
Gray Catbird  9
Northern Mockingbird  3
European Starling  7
Cedar Waxwing  14
House Finch  6
Chipping Sparrow  2
Field Sparrow  3
Eastern Towhee  1
Red-winged Blackbird  8
Brown-headed Cowbird  5
Common Grackle  25
Common Yellowthroat  4
Cape May Warbler  3
Blackpoll Warbler  2
Northern Cardinal  7
House Sparrow  15

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