This year's edition, proves the old adage, in the right place at the right time. As we saw two new species for the trip! Had we arrived a minute or so later, we would have missed one of them.
I do not keep counts of how many of each species we have for this trip. But this year, the most prominent bird had to be Blue-headed Vireo. I would say it was in the 35-45 bird range. They just seemed to be everywhere. This fast paced trip, always the first Saturday in May, starts in Boxford (Crooked Pond), passing through Lynnfield, Peabody, Lynn, Nahant, Topsfield, Rowley, The Newburys, Plum Island and ending in Byfield.
Only four birders were in attendance this year, including myself. Unfortunately, we could not fix into one vehicle. As we bring clothing for four seasons, and week's worth of food. I miss the day's of Warren's van which held what seem to be a baseball team's worth of people.
The day (4:30 AM) started out rainy, which tends to keep the dawn chorus somewhat subdued. But just as we stepped passed the gate,however, a Barred Owl called. So our hopes were up, despite the weather. We would later see a Barred Owl, same one(?), as we were heading back to our vehicles. We worked our way along the hillside path, to the point of a former beaver dam, now probably 2-3 feet under water.
We waited for "sun"rise, or any signs of light. Slowly but surely, the birds started calling. Again, we count any birds we see or hear. Most of the time, we can usually all get at least a quick glimpse of a bird. Otherwise, we just have to go with the audible. We spent a little longer at Crooked Pond as there are some species we just can't get typically anywhere else and we wanted to maximize the opportunity.
For most of the day, we were about a half hour behind and 10 or less species behind from our record pace of last year. Which was 139 species. Lynnfield Marsh produced the usual assortment of birds, minus some ducks we like to pick up early. We wound our way through Lynnfield, to Puritan Lawn Cemetery in Peabody. There were a nice assortment of warblers and a yellow-bellied Sapsucker, only the fifth time seen.
From this point, we head over to Lynn beach and start recording all the sea related birds in the area. This brings a good jolt of energy to the group. Heading over to the bay side, we scan and pick up a few more birds. From this point in Lynn, you can see down the coast to at least Revere, maybe further. But this day, David Ludlow looked no further than the Pink Building in Revere and found two Manx Shearwaters. Two more were also seen. We have joked and scanned and joked for years about seeing this species, finally it came to a realization. High Fives all around.
Nahant Stump Dump/Ballfield area did not disappoint. With several warblers, an ovenbird (missed at Crooked Pond), Swainson's Thrush, third or fourth time seen, and a yellow-throated Vireo thrown into the mix with more Blue-headed Vireos. We missed our Great Cormorant.
Getting out of Lynn is always a challenge driving wise midday, but we lucked out this year, passing through quickly. Beginning last year, instead driving up Rt93 to Scotland road, I changed it up and began driving up Rt1 via the Topsfield Fairgrounds.
It was a good spot last year and this year did not disappoint. Three American Pipits were found (second time seen), along with Killdeer and Greater Yellowlegs.
From here, we drove north, cutting over to Rt1A and stopped near one Tendercrop Farm's properties. This are can be good for shorebirds (Phalaropes) and Ibis (Glossy or possibly a white-faced). But not this year. All that were there were a flock of Snowy Egrets. UNTIL, Dennis Peacock found a Little Egret. We all got a quick look in the scope. Shortly thereafter, the bird and two other birds picked up circled and flew over the treeline, not to be seen again.
We called the bird into the Bird Watcher's Supply & Gift so it could be posted on Massbird.
A quick pass of the harbor, still somewhat full, produced a couple more species. So we headed to Plum Island. What started out with a quick 8 new species, turned into a grind as we hit a wall of little over an hour without seeing anything new. AT the end of the island we picked up a few shorebirds and a few ducks. (No King Eider this year.)
By this time of day, we are starting to drag but we pushed on, getting 8 more species via Scotland Road and Cherry Hill reservoir. The last bird of the day, was found off of Pikes Bridge Road. It was a Least Bittern (only the second time seen.)
Below is a list in the order they were observed. See previous entries for location and rough time seen.
NAME LOCATION WHEN SEEN Barred Owl Crooked Pond 05/04/2019 04:30 AM Canada Goose American Robin Wood Duck Swamp Sparrow Song Sparrow Brown Creeper Veery Black-capped Chickadee Pine Warbler Mourning Dove Winter Wren American Crow Red-winged Blackbird White-breasted Nuthatch Marsh Wren Mallard Hairy Woodpecker Chipping Sparrow Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Yellow-rumped Warbler Louisiana Waterthrush Eastern Phoebe Pileated Woodpecker Northern Waterthrush Black-throated Green Warbler Hermit Thrush Downy Woodpecker Wood Thrush American Goldfinch Blue-headed Vireo Tufted Titmouse Crooked Pond 05/04/2019 07:00 AM Great Blue Heron Route 128 05/04/2019 07:01 AM Rock Pigeon 05/04/2019 07:04 AM Herring Gull Red-tailed Hawk European Starling 05/04/2019 07:05 AM Blue Jay 05/04/2019 07:09 AM Common Grackle 05/04/2019 07:12 AM Bufflehead Lynnfield Marsh 05/04/2019 07:12 AM Northern Flicker Barn Swallow Tree Swallow Virginia Rail 05/04/2019 07:18 AM Warbling Vireo 05/04/2019 07:20 AM Spotted Sandpiper Double-crested Cormorant Savannah Sparrow Eastern Kingbird Yellow Warbler White-throated Sparrow 05/04/2019 07:30 AM Northern Cardinal House Sparrow 05/04/2019 07:48 AM Northern Rough-winged Swallow Cooper's Hawk 05/04/2019 07:59 AM Cedar Waxwing Peregrine Falcon 05/04/2019 08:30 AM American Kestrel Great Black-backed Gull 05/04/2019 08:40 AM Mute Swan Carolina Wren Lynnfield 05/04/2019 08:56 AM House Wren 05/04/2019 08:58 AM House Finch 05/04/2019 08:59 AM Baltimore Oriole 05/04/2019 09:10 AM Chimney Swift Peabody 05/04/2019 09:29 AM Black-and-white Warbler Belted Kingfisher Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Rose-breasted Grosbeak Red-bellied Woodpecker Northern Parula Black-throated Blue Warbler Bald Eagle Fish Crow Common Loon Palm Warbler 05/04/2019 09:50 AM Surf Scoter Lynn 05/04/2019 10:28 AM Black Scoter White-winged Scoter Common Eider Purple Sandpiper Red-throated Loon Red-necked Grebe Ring-billed Gull Brant Northern Gannet Red-breasted Merganser 05/04/2019 10:40 AM Manx Shearwater Osprey Greater Scaup 05/04/2019 10:53 AM Northern Mockingbird 05/04/2019 10:54 AM Ovenbird Nahant 05/04/2019 10:59 AM Swainson's Thrush Least Flycatcher Ruby-crowned Kinglet Yellow-throated Vireo Gray Catbird 05/04/2019 11:44 AM Nashville Warbler 05/04/2019 12:00 PM Eastern Towhee 05/04/2019 12:30 PM Common Tern 05/04/2019 01:00 PM Greater Yellowlegs Topsfield 05/04/2019 01:40 PM Killdeer American Pipit Snowy Egret Rowley 05/04/2019 02:00 PM Little Egret Common Merganser Great Egret Newburyport 05/04/2019 02:10 PM Willet 05/04/2019 02:11 PM Long-tailed Duck American Black Duck 05/04/2019 02:24 PM Turkey Vulture Lesser Yellowlegs Bonaparte's Gull 05/04/2019 02:26 PM Purple Martin Plum Island 05/04/2019 02:32 PM Wild Turkey Northern Harrier 05/04/2019 02:32 PM Brown Thrasher Merlin 05/04/2019 02:48 PM Northern Shoveler Gadwall 05/04/2019 02:48 PM Green-winged Teal 05/04/2019 02:50 PM Ring-necked Duck 05/04/2019 04:02 PM Blue-winged Teal Piping Plover 05/04/2019 04:10 PM Common Goldeneye 05/04/2019 04:14 PM Purple Finch 05/04/2019 04:20 PM Glossy Ibis Newburyport 05/04/2019 05:18 PM Bobolink 05/04/2019 05:22 PM Eastern Bluebird Newbury 05/04/2019 05:34 PM Green Heron 05/04/2019 05:36 PM Ruddy Duck 05/04/2019 05:37 PM Least Bittern 05/04/2019 06:00 PMUntil next year....
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