Birding in Maine» Massachusetts

BwBTC: Birding With Friends

John Briggs — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 21:30:13 +0000

Several months ago, Dawn Fine from Dawn’s Bloggy Blog started a group on Facebook called Birders Who Blog, Tweet and Chirp. It’s like one stop shopping to find birders who own a blog, use Twitter and or ChirpTracker. This past Saturday, thanks to the efforts of Dawn and Christopher from Picus Blog, New England Birders who Blog, Tweet and Chirp had an outing at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge on Plum Island in Massachusetts.

New England BwBTC | Click for photo larger view

Everyone met at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge headquarters. After introductions and several group photos, we car pooled and headed out to the refuge at 8:30 a.m. That is everyone except Andy who had some car trouble. You may read his story at Nature Potpourri. Our leader was Christopher Ciccone, who I must say done an excellent job of leading our group.

The morning was beautiful with clear blue skies and comfortable temperatures. Our first stop was the parking area just after the entrance gate. Nesting Purple Martins were seen and photographed and then it was off to the beach. Sections of the beach are closed this time of the year to protect nesting Piping Plovers.

We wanted to meet with Janet Egan of Plover Warden Diaries at Sandy Point Reservation but the parking areas were full because of a fishing derby. Janet joined us later at the Hellcat Swamp.

I did not keep track of the birds that I saw on this outing. We did see Brown Thrashers, Snowy and Great Egrets, several Warbler species, a Marsh Wren (life bird for my wife Sharon!), Red-winged Blackbirds everywhere, Kingbirds, several Sparrow species, Swallows, Kingbirds, Flycatchers, Cedar Waxwings, Mute Swans, Orioles, Hummingbirds, Bobolinks and much more.

Beach closed for nesting Piping Plovers | Click photo for larger view

Around one o’clock, we headed off the refuge and went into Newburyport for lunch. We stopped at Courtyard Roast Beef and Sub and I had one of the best roast beef sandwiches that I have ever had. A sesame seed bun with piles of roast beef and just a touch of horseradish sauce… YUMMY!

After the meal, we all headed to Newmarket, NH to check out the nesting site of a Mississippi Kite. Although a female was on the nest, it was very hard to see. The male never showed up. I did see the eye and part of the head and tail of the female. Sharon and I added this bird to our life list!

We hated to do it, but late afternoon was upon us and we had a long ride home. After being on the road and birding for nearly 14 hours, Sharon and I were tired. We wished everyone safe travels and made promises to do another outing next year.

Sharon and I had an excellent time with fellow birders during this outing. We will surely miss everyone and will be counting the days until we can meet up with our birding friends once again. Everyone was so kind and helpful. We will always cherish the time we spent with these folks and wish them all all the best!

Dawn and Jeff from Dawn’s Bloggy Blog
Christopher from Picusblog
Laura and Mark from Interstitial Spaces
Bev from Behind the Bins
Catie from A Birding Girl
Janet Egan from Plover Warden Diaries
Andy from Natures Potpourri
Sharon from A New England Life
Lauren from A Worn Field Guide
Dan from Nature Observances
Steve from Shooting My Universe
Amanda from The Fledgling Birder
Mark from strack16
Thanks Dawn for the list!

Now onto the pictures! As always, clicking a thumbnail will bring up a larger view.

The Birds and The Birders

SWF – Sunrise Over Plum Island

John Briggs — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 23:29:15 +0000

Sunrise Over Plum Island | Click for larger view

View from the mainland, looking east toward Plum Island, Massachusetts just before sunrise on the morning of March 15th, 2009.

Skywatch Friday

No related posts.

Parker River NWR

John Briggs — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 20:17:35 +0000

New England was on the receiving end of some beautiful spring-like weather over the weekend. High pressure over the region sent temperatures into the 50′s in some areas with crystal clear skies. Sharon and I took advantage of the beautiful weather and made a trip to the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge on Plum Island in Massachusetts.

Arriving at sunrise, the air was crisp and cool. Canada Geese were honking and flying everywhere. Hundreds of red-winged Blackbirds dotted the immense landscape, their “okalee” song rolling across the flats. Black Ducks, Northern Pintails and Green-winged Teal were feeding in the pannes.

Map is interactive. Marker shows location of the refuge.

Near the Hellcat Wildlife Observation Area we saw three Merlin. One was in a tree near the restrooms, the other two flying over the marsh just south of the observation tower. Further south on the island, a Northern Harrier was found hovering near the Stage Island Pool Overlook. An adult Bald Eagle was seen in the distance in the area of Emerson Rocks.

The Snowy Owls that had been reported on the refuge were being evasive. We looked at every white spot in the marshes and dunes with close scrutiny. We were about to give up and head home. Near the end of the refuge at the salt pannes, we saw a group of people looking through scopes. We pulled over and asked what was out there and the reply came back, “a Snowy Owl”!

Indeed, after looking through the scope there it was, a good 200 yards away. Impossible to get a photo at that distance, but a life bird for my wife.

Here is our bird tally for Sunday morning at the Parker River NWR.

Location: Parker River NWR
Observation date: 3/15/09
Notes: Clear. light winds. Start temp 30 F, end temp 44 F.
Number of species: 33

Canada Goose 60
American Black Duck 44
Mallard 16
Northern Pintail 11
Green-winged Teal 25
Green-winged Teal (American) 12
Ring-necked Duck 5
Bufflehead 20
Common Goldeneye 16
Hooded Merganser 4
Red-breasted Merganser 9
Red-throated Loon 1
Common Loon 14
Bald Eagle 1
Northern Harrier 2
Red-tailed Hawk 2
Merlin 3
Mourning Dove 35
Snowy Owl 1
Downy Woodpecker 2
Killdeer 7
Blue Jay 21
American Crow 66
Black-capped Chickadee 12
American Robin 35
Northern Mockingbird 6
Cedar Waxwing 10
Song Sparrow 15
Dark-eyed Junco 11
Northern Cardinal 7
Red-winged Blackbird 102
Common Grackle 20
American Goldfinch 19

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2 http://ebird.org

Most of the birds we saw were just too far off for photographs. As we get into April, more and more species will be settling into the refuge and more oppurtunities for us to return for bird photography.

Clicking a thumbnail will enlarge the photo. After enlarging a photo, you may use the arrows at the bottom of the photo to go to the next photo.

Happy birding!