7 birders joined me today to walk down Plymouth Beach. It was a delightful day with a light seabreeze and sunny skies with no humidity. Seems like a total failure of tern nests with just one Least Tern fledgling and a handful of Common Tern fledglings. We saw several Piping Plover puffballs. Looks like Laughing Gulls have taken over the colony and would not surprise me to see no tern nesting in the next few years. Of note was a very young Ring-billed Gull among over 400.
Canada Goose 5
Black Duck 7
Mallard 11
White-winged Scoter 1 (this bird was seen sitting on the beach, might not be well)
RED-THROATED LOON 1-just off the beach
Double-crested Cormorant 6
Great Blue Heron 4
Great Egret 1
Osprey 3 plus one young
Semipalmated Plover 75
Piping Plover 11 plus 6 young
Greater Yellowlegs 14
Willet 4
Ruddy Turnstone 1
Red Knot 2
Sanderling 500
Semipalmated Sandpiper 500
Least Sandpiper 1-at least one heard what was probably a small group flyover
Short-billed Dowitcher 110
Laughing Gull 700
Ring-billed Gull 425-one juvenile, these birds do not breed in MA, but are close by
Herring Gull ***
Great Black-backed Gull ***
Common Tern 300
Least Tern 50
Rock Pigeon 9-flying north over beach
Mourning Dove 5
American Crow 17
Horned Lark 4-2 young
Tree Swallow 2
Bank Swallow 3
Barn Swallow 8
Carolina Wren 3
American Robin 2
Gray Catbird 5
Northern Mockingbird 7
Starling 9
Yellow Warbler 1
Song Sparrow 9
Northern Cardinal 1
Red-winged Blackbird 1
Common Grackle 1
American Goldfinch 5
House Sparrow ***
44 species
Glenn
The South Shore Bird Club (SSBC) was founded in 1946 and the first members set out to explore the birds and birding habitats of the South Shore of Massachusetts. We concentrate on field trips for both members and non members. Most trips involve car-pooling with occasional canoe trips or beach hikes. Non-members are always welcome.
Monday, July 23, 2012
Monday, July 16, 2012
Quabbin - Gate 10, 7/14/201
This trip was run a bit late this year and the summer doldrums have set in. Bird song is quite diminished and there seemed to be few begging young sounds, so perhaps birds have fledged. Fortunately, the sun did not make an appearance until late morning. 4-4 1/2 mile loop; we began at 7:00 and ended at 1:00. 5 others joined me.
Cooper's Hawk 1
Broad-winged Hawk 1
Belted Kingfisher 1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 8
Downy Woodpecker 9
Hairy Woodpecker 3
Eastern Wood-Pewee 4
Eastern Phoebe 1
Great Crested Flycatcher 1
Eastern Kingbird 1
Yellow-throated Vireo 2
Red-eyed Vireo 43
Blue Jay 5
American Crow 1
Common Raven 1
Black-capped Chickadee 22
Tufted Titmouse 2
Red-breasted Nuthatch 3
White-breasted Nuthatch 8
Veery 18
Hermit Thrush 1
American Robin 14
Gray Catbird 8
Cedar Waxwing 15
Chestnut-sided Warbler 8
Black-throated Blue Warbler 16
Yellow-rumped Warbler 6
Black-throated Green Warbler 13
Blackburnian Warbler 3
Pine Warbler 7
Black-and-white Warbler 3
American Redstart 2
Ovenbird 8
Common Yellowthroat 23
Scarlet Tanager 4
Eastern Towhee 27
Chipping Sparrow 5
Northern Cardinal 1
Red-winged Blackbird 2
American Goldfinch 2
40 species
Glenn d'Entremont
Cooper's Hawk 1
Broad-winged Hawk 1
Belted Kingfisher 1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 8
Downy Woodpecker 9
Hairy Woodpecker 3
Eastern Wood-Pewee 4
Eastern Phoebe 1
Great Crested Flycatcher 1
Eastern Kingbird 1
Yellow-throated Vireo 2
Red-eyed Vireo 43
Blue Jay 5
American Crow 1
Common Raven 1
Black-capped Chickadee 22
Tufted Titmouse 2
Red-breasted Nuthatch 3
White-breasted Nuthatch 8
Veery 18
Hermit Thrush 1
American Robin 14
Gray Catbird 8
Cedar Waxwing 15
Chestnut-sided Warbler 8
Black-throated Blue Warbler 16
Yellow-rumped Warbler 6
Black-throated Green Warbler 13
Blackburnian Warbler 3
Pine Warbler 7
Black-and-white Warbler 3
American Redstart 2
Ovenbird 8
Common Yellowthroat 23
Scarlet Tanager 4
Eastern Towhee 27
Chipping Sparrow 5
Northern Cardinal 1
Red-winged Blackbird 2
American Goldfinch 2
40 species
Glenn d'Entremont
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Whale and Seabird Watch
On Saturday, July 7, the South Shore Bird Club held their annual Whale and Seabird Watch
aboard the Captain John and Son's boat out of Plymouth.
Leaving on the 9 am boat, no shorebirds were seen off the end of Plymouth beach.
A majority of the birds flying around the tern colony appeared to be Laughing Gulls
with Common Terns being the second most numerous species.
After sailing out of Plymouth harbor and passing Saquish beach, we had
the typical half dozen Wilson's Storm-Petrels.
After that, it was slow for some time as one Sooty and one Great
Shearwater were seen as we approached P'Town.
Along the way, we did have one Razorbill.
The boat continued around P'Town where we saw a cloud of birds near
whale activity in area somewhere off the Truro coast.
This is where we spent the majority of our time, watching multiple whale
breaches, tail lobbing, fin slapping and bubble feeding.
With each whale action, hundreds of Sooty Shearwaters and to a lesser
extent Great Shearwaters would pick up and follow the whales.
Several times we were in the middle of the birds as they took off. The sound of hundreds of little feet pitter-pattering across the water was an experience.
During the return trip we had a Parasitic Jaeger, which flew with the boat for
several minutes.
Below is a rough estimate of numbers.
aboard the Captain John and Son's boat out of Plymouth.
Leaving on the 9 am boat, no shorebirds were seen off the end of Plymouth beach.
A majority of the birds flying around the tern colony appeared to be Laughing Gulls
with Common Terns being the second most numerous species.
After sailing out of Plymouth harbor and passing Saquish beach, we had
the typical half dozen Wilson's Storm-Petrels.
After that, it was slow for some time as one Sooty and one Great
Shearwater were seen as we approached P'Town.
Along the way, we did have one Razorbill.
The boat continued around P'Town where we saw a cloud of birds near
whale activity in area somewhere off the Truro coast.
This is where we spent the majority of our time, watching multiple whale
breaches, tail lobbing, fin slapping and bubble feeding.
With each whale action, hundreds of Sooty Shearwaters and to a lesser
extent Great Shearwaters would pick up and follow the whales.
Several times we were in the middle of the birds as they took off. The sound of hundreds of little feet pitter-pattering across the water was an experience.
During the return trip we had a Parasitic Jaeger, which flew with the boat for
several minutes.
Below is a rough estimate of numbers.
Herring Gull X Rock Pigeon 4 House Sparrow 3 Common Tern 50 Mallard 9 Laughing Gull 70 Double-crested Cormorant 5 Great Egret 1 Great Blue Heron 1 Wilson's Storm-Petrel 30-50 Great Shearwater 100-150 Sooty Shearwater 300-400 Manx Shearwater 2-4 Cory's Shearwater 6 Razorbill 1 Parasitic Jaeger 1 Humpback 15 (all in the Truro area) Minke 1 Finback 1
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Birding by Habitat - 6/23/2012
On June 23rd I was joined by four other SSBC members for a day of birding in a variety of habitats found throughout southeastern Massachusetts. We started the day at Black Pond Bog in Norwell. Despite threatening skies and occasional brief showers, we managed to get into this classic sphagnum bog and experience a rare habitat that is more typical of western and northern New England. Our group was pleased to hear three Northern Waterthrushes singing emphatically from the Atlantic White Cedar growing around the perimeter of the bog. We also had the opportunity to listen to the flute-like songs of the Veery since there were multiple birds vocalizing in the area.
Interesting plants in the immediate area included the carnivorous Pitcher Plant and both Round-leaved and Spatulate-leaved Sundews. In addition, Poison Sumac, Virginia Chain Fern, and Swamp Loosestrife were observed.
Our next stop was the Burrage Pond W.M.A. in the towns of Hanson and Halifax. This location was chosen as a destination because it contains a number of interesting habitats in one place. We started in typical scrub habitat and quickly found singing Prairie Warblers, Field Sparrows, Brown Thrashers, and Orchard Orioles amongst the young Gray Birches, Sweet Fern, and open sandy patches. Several Halloween Pennant dragonflies were observed in this habitat as well.
A short distance away, we walked through grassland habitat that had been inadvertantly created in cranberry bogs that have not been used for many years. In this area, we heard (and then observed) Savannah Sparrows. We were also very pleased to observe a female Northern Harrier, a very uncommon sight for an inland location at this time of year. Our group also looked at the tract of Atlantic White Cedar growing at the edge of one of the former bogs. The Atlantic White Cedar sometimes provides breeding habitat for species that are more often found in more northern and western parts of New England. Two species that occasionally utilize this habitat in the southeastern portion of Massachusetts include White-throated Sparrow and Winter Wren. While walking in the northeast corner of the former bogs area, we were fortunate enough to observe a beautiful red dragonfly called the Carolina Saddlebags. This was somewhat of a surprise since this species is much more often encountered in coastal plain ponds with sandy bottoms.
Subsequently, we visited the nearby Poor Meadow Brook since the habitat there is mostly flood plain forest. Because the forest along the edge of the brook is subjected to periodic flooding, the plant communities are unique here and the understory is almost nonexistent in some places. We were lucky to get good looks at Scarlet Tanager, Great Crested Flycatcher, and a Cooper’s Hawk at this location. We also heard the Eastern Wood-Pewee, Eastern Towhee, and a number of Ovenbirds along the edge of the brook. Interesting ferns such as Royal Fern, New York Fern, and Cinnamon Fern were found in this habitat. Damselflies known as Ebony Jewelwings demonstrated their characteristic floppy flight as they crossed the beams of sunlight that managed to penetrate the heavy canopy above. This forest habitat looks more like a cloud forest in Nicaragua than the typical pine/oak forest that dominates much of southeastern Massachusetts.
Our group finished the day at the Myles Standish State Forest since this area is mostly Pine Barrens habitat (primarily Pitch Pine and Scrub Oak). We walked out to a perfect example of a coastal plain pond (aka kettle hole pond) which was formed when large chunks of the glacier broke off and created depressions in the sandy soil deposited by glacial movement and run-off. These large chunks of ice eventually melted into the depressions they had created and ponds persist in these areas today. Birds that are common in these areas include Prairie Warbler, Eastern Towhee, and Pine Warbler. Another species that breeds within the forest in decent numbers is the Black-billed Cuckoo. Unlike the ubiquitous Prairie and Pine Warblers, the Black-billed Cuckoo takes a bit of work to detect. Listening for its distinctive call is the best way to find this species at Myles Standish State Forest. Our group was lucky to observe a vocalizing bird at close range. In addition to the birds we observed, we had nice looks at a number of dragonflies that are found in coastal plain pond habitat. Our group observed Comet Darners, Golden-winged Skimmers, Carolina Saddlebags, and a number of Atlantic Bluets (a species of Damselfly). As we walked out to the coastal plain pond, we observed Red-spotted Purple and Baltimore Checkerspot butterflies. We also paused to take note of the following interesting plants: Blunt-leaved Milkweed, Goat’s Rue, Golden Hedge Hyssop, and Pipewort.
Our walk back to the cars was not without reward. The ascending song of Prairie Warblers competed with the ethereal songs of Hermit Thrushes. As we stopped to take note of an additional interesting living thing along the trail, the early evening chorus would occasionally be interrupted by the resounding “chewink” of an Eastern Towhee. It was a great day to be afield sampling a variety of habitats that can be found in the eastern portion of the state.
Bird Species:
Northern Waterthrush
Cedar Waxwing
Eastern Kingbird
Yellow Warbler
Song Sparrow
Veery
Gray Catbird
Ovenbird
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
American Goldfinch
Brown Thrasher
Prairie Warbler
American Crow
Common Grackle
Eastern Phoebe
Field Sparrow
Tree Swallow
Common Yellowthroat
Northern Harrier (female) 1
Orchard Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Savannah Sparrow
Great Egret
Turkey Vulture
Black-capped Chickadee
Baltimore Oriole
Pine Warbler
Osprey
Mourning Dove
Eastern Towhee
Northern Cardinal
Carolina Wren
Cooper’s Hawk
Ovenbird
Chipping Sparrow
Scarlet Tanager
Tufted Titmouse
Eastern Wood-Pewee
White-breasted Nuthatch
Northern Flicker
Downy Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Common Yellowthroat
Great Crested Flycatcher
Blue Jay
Black-billed Cuckoo
Hermit Thrush
Cedar Waxwing
Eastern Kingbird
Yellow Warbler
Song Sparrow
Veery
Gray Catbird
Ovenbird
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
American Goldfinch
Brown Thrasher
Prairie Warbler
American Crow
Common Grackle
Eastern Phoebe
Field Sparrow
Tree Swallow
Common Yellowthroat
Northern Harrier (female) 1
Orchard Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Savannah Sparrow
Great Egret
Turkey Vulture
Black-capped Chickadee
Baltimore Oriole
Pine Warbler
Osprey
Mourning Dove
Eastern Towhee
Northern Cardinal
Carolina Wren
Cooper’s Hawk
Ovenbird
Chipping Sparrow
Scarlet Tanager
Tufted Titmouse
Eastern Wood-Pewee
White-breasted Nuthatch
Northern Flicker
Downy Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Common Yellowthroat
Great Crested Flycatcher
Blue Jay
Black-billed Cuckoo
Hermit Thrush
Jim Sweeney
Monday, July 2, 2012
Seabird and Whale Tales, 6/10/2012
On the morning of June 10th, a number of SSBC members participated in the NECWA sponsored pelagic trip out of Plymouth. The weather conditions were ideal with relatively calm seas, sunny skies, and a gentle breeze. Most years, the main destination for these trips is Stellwagen Bank, an underwater moraine about 20 miles offshore. Stellwagen Bank is known to pelagic birders because it has several upwelling hot spots that force planktonic prey up to the surface where whales and, occasionally, large concentrations of seabirds may be found in the summer season.
Before departing from Plymouth Harbor, NECWA staff and guest naturalists discussed plans regarding the route that would most likely yield the greatest number of sightings – both avian and mammalian – in the eight hours that had been dedicated to the pursuit of marine wildlife. Because there had been so few reports of seabirds and whales from Stellwagen Bank in the weeks leading up to the trip, the NECWA staff decided to make a run for an area 26 miles southeast of Chatham on Cape Cod. Birds and whales had been reported in this area recently, so the plan was to get there as quickly as possible to maximize our time spent observing seabirds and other marine wildlife.
The long ride to this area was well worth it since almost immediately after arriving at our destination the boat was surrounded by Sooty Shearwaters and incredible numbers of feeding Humpback Whales. For most of the time we were in this area, there were 150 to 175 Sooty Shearwaters sitting on the water around the boat. Occasionally, there would be a few Great Shearwaters in the mix and, on several occasions, we observed Manx Shearwaters buzzing by the boat. We also had many opportunities to study Sooty Shearwaters in flight since they would sometimes lift off the water – en masse – to frantically pursue prey items driven to the surface by bubble feeding whales. It was fun to watch a Sooty Shearwater seize a Sand Lance and fly off with it dangling from its mandibles. Our group also heard the nighthawk-like vocalizations of the Sooty Shearwaters as they flapped and ran across the surface of the water to track down more feeding groups of whales. Northern Gannets were also observed along the back side of the Cape and in the area where all of the whales and shearwaters were feeding. While not particularly numerous on this trip, birders on board had a number of opportunities to observe Wilson’s Storm-Petrels, a swallow-sized seabird that breeds on the Antarctic coast.
Whale watchers were not disappointed with the decision to go southeast of Chatham. Many of the Humpback Whales were exhibiting a number of interesting behaviors including: flipper flapping, lob-tailing, breaching, and, as mentioned earlier, frequent bubble feeding. NECWA staff estimated that there were as many as 80 Humpback Whales in the area with all of the seabird activity. Many images of the whales were obtained by NECWA staff and interns. A good number of these whales were identifiable by looking at the fluke pattern images that had been obtained. In addition to the Humpback Whales, there were occasional appearances made by Minke Whales. Also noteworthy was a large group of Gray Seals hauled out on the beach in Truro.
Another highlight of the trip was a Pomarine Jaeger that followed the boat closely for several minutes much to the delight of all on board (see David Clapp’s image). The jaeger show also included two Parasitic Jaegers harassing terns in the rips just offshore from Provincetown.
Sooty Shearwater (2000)
Great Shearwater (30)
Manx Shearwater (4)
Northern Gannet (41)
Parasitic Jaeger (2)
Pomarine Jaeger (2)
Wilson’s Storm-Petrel (46)
Common Loon (10)
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Common Tern
Razorbill (2)
*Many thanks to David Clapp for providing these great photos!
Jim Sweeney
Jim Sweeney
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)