July 2015

A trip back to the UK and I swung by a raptor watch-point and saw regular farmland species.

Friday 3rd, Burnham Market, Norfolk, UK.

Once back in the US I arranged a trip to Plymouth Airport for myself after speaking with the airport manager. I had read about specialist grassland species and hoped to see a few. I was rather later after the official BBC walk in May but figured these were breeding species and I might still have a chance to see some of them. I ended seeing only one of my target species, life-tick, VESPER SPARROW. However I had an enjoyable trip and I resolved to come again with the official trip the next year in the hope of picking up the ones I missed out on.

Monday 13th, Plymouth Airport, MA, USA.

July 2014

A slow month during which I visited Rachel Carson NWR, Maine one evening, more to take in the scenery than find many birds.

Saturday 12th, Rachel Carson NWR, ME, USA.

At home in Brookline I noted a lot of Common Nighthawk activity, indicative of a breeding population I think.

Olmsted Park--Ward's Pond, Suffolk, MA, USA, 27-Jul-2013

2:57 PM - 3:35 PM
Protocol: Traveling
0.25 mile(s)
Comments: Last part of patch visit, including a nice sit by the pond in the sunshine. I was also able to walk on the new boardwalk.
2 species

Great Black-backed Gull 1 over to Jamaica Pond.
Grey Catbird 1

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S15087833

Olmsted Park--Leverett Pond, Suffolk, MA, USA, 27-Jul-2013

2:06 PM - 2:33 PM
Protocol: Traveling
0.5 mile(s)
Comments: Summer patch visit.
Weather: hot and sunny.
8 species

American Black Duck X
Mallard X
Double-crested Cormorant X
Blue Jay X
American Robin X
European Starling 1
Song Sparrow 1 heard.
House Sparrow X

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S15087764

Olmsted Park--Willow Pond and Meadow, Suffolk, MA, USA, 27-Jul-2013

2:34 PM - 2:56 PM
Protocol: Traveling
0.25 mile(s)
Comments: Second part of patch visit.
And 1536-1546 on the way back.
10 species

Mallard 5 including 3 juveniles.
Downy Woodpecker X
Tufted Titmouse X
American Robin X
Grey Catbird 1
Cedar Waxwing 1
Red-winged Blackbird 2 males.
Common Grackle 6
American Goldfinch 2 males, seen separately.
House Sparrow X

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S15087816

Parker River NWR--North Pool Overlook, Essex, MA, USA, 13-Jul-2013

7:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Protocol: Stationary
Comments: Final stop on the day-trip. A dusky look over the pond.
Weather: sunny, warm, dusk.
13 species

Mallard X
Wild Turkey X - including an adult and two chicks that crossed the road just before we pulled off into the overlook parking area.
Snowy Egret X
Semipalmated Plover 1
Least Sandpiper X
Willow Flycatcher 1 chasing other birds off low to the south of the parking area.
Eastern Kingbird X
Tree Swallow X
Barn Swallow 1 flew in from the direction of the barn to the north, and out over the field next to the pond.
European Starling X
Song Sparrow X
Red-winged Blackbird X
Common Grackle X

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S14695645

Sandy Point Carpark and Beach, Essex, MA, USA, 13-Jul-2013

6:00 PM
Protocol: Incidental
Comments: After reaching the end of the road on the island we took a brief walk out from the carpark to the beach, & back again.
Weather: bright, sunny, cooling breeze.
11 species

Osprey 2 over the sea.
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull X
Least Tern X
Tree Swallow X
Grey Catbird X
Cedar Waxwing 1 alighted in the small trees around the carpark.

Common Yellowthroat 1 male, briefly showed at the top of a tall shrub as I sat in the car. Striking bandit's mask stood out in the sunlight.
American Redstart 2 total; the first was a female on the ground in the carpark at the front of our car. An unusual please to see one, on the ground, but great to get such a close look! The second I saw when I took a brief walk up a small path just off the carpark.
Yellow Warbler X - a few adults in low shrubs around the area with vociferous young in tow.

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S14695616

Parker River NWR--Salt Pans, Essex, MA, USA, 13-Jul-2013

4:00 PM - 4:15 PM
Protocol: Stationary
Comments: Family roadtrip to a place I have been reading about for ages. We drove the length of the island & back again, hardly venturing out due to the swarms of biting green-headed flies. On the way back dusk has set so mosquitoes cam out instead, but a wonderful place nonetheless & I hope to return many times as there were lots of birds.
Weather: bright, sunny & very hot.
12 species

Snowy Egret 1
Willet 1
Lesser Yellowlegs 1
Least Sandpiper X
Least Tern X
Eastern Kingbird X
Tree Swallow 2
Grey Catbird X
European Starling X
Song Sparrow X
Red-winged Blackbird X
Common Grackle X

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S14695560

Plum Island--North End, Essex, MA, USA, 13-Jul-2013

3:50 PM
Protocol: Incidental
Comments: With Kim. Weather: bright, warm some clouds.
3 species

Purple Martin X - at lighthouse gourds. An easy life-tick.
Northern Cardinal 1
Common Grackle X

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S14634999

Olmsted Park--Ward's Pond, Suffolk, MA, USA, 4-Jul-2012

11:30 AM - 12:15 PM

Protocol: Traveling
0.5 mile(s)
Comments: Quick visit with Kim, brief highlights only.
Weather: bright, hot & sunny.
4 species

Northern Flicker 1 near the intersecting road past the softball pitches; site-tick.
Warbling Vireo X
American Robin X
Common Grackle X

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S13203313

Titchwell Marsh RSPB Nature Reserve, Norfolk, UK, 31-Jul-2011

12:25 PM - 3:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
3.0 mile(s)
Comments: With Kim, mum, Emma & the boys, mainly for the beach.
Weather: bright, sunny, t-shirt weather.
37 species

Greylag Goose X
Canada Goose X
Mute Swan X
Common Shelduck 3 including 2 juveniles.
Gadwall X
Mallard X
Great Crested Grebe X
Great Cormorant X
Grey Heron X
Little Egret X

Eurasian Spoonbill 1 flew over from Thornham Marshes & headed right over the reserve & up the coast. First in a long time at Titchwell.

Eurasian Marsh-Harrier 3 - one early on, then later two flew out over the beach.
Common Kestrel 1 over freshmarsh.
Eurasian Coot X
Northern Lapwing X
European Golden-Plover X - a small flock flew in onto the freshwater marshes as we walked back to the car.
Eurasian Oystercatcher 5 approx. on the beach.
Pied Avocet X
Eurasian Curlew 6 approx. on the beach.
Black-tailed Godwit X
Ruddy Turnstone 1
Sanderling 6 +
Ruff 4 approx.
Black-headed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Lesser Black-backed Gull X
Common Wood-Pigeon X
Common Magpie X
Barn Swallow X - over.
Great Tit X
Eurasian Reed-Warbler 3 - 1 adult feeding 2 juveniles.
Pied Wagtail X
Reed Bunting 2 , a pair.
Common Chaffinch 1 female on feeders.
European Greenfinch X - over.
European Goldfinch X
Common Linnet X

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

Hampstead Cemetery & UCL Sports Ground, Enfield, UK, 24-Jul-2011

2:20 PM - 3:45 PM
Protocol: Traveling
1.5 mile(s)
Comments: Post-emigration visit to the soon-to-be-old patch with mum.
Weather: hot, bright & sunny, for a change.
11 species

Black-headed Gull X - big flock overhead.
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1 on the field.
Common Wood-Pigeon X
Common Swift X
Great Spotted Woodpecker X
Common Magpie X
Carrion Crow X
Blackcap X
European Robin X
Eurasian Blackbird X
European Starling X

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

Hampstead Cemetery & UCL Sports Ground, Enfield, UK, 17-Jul-2011

3:35 PM - 4:55 PM
Protocol: Traveling
1.5 mile(s)
Comments: Summer patch visit.
Weather: overcast, rainy, breeze (W). Cool, miserable, but some breaks in the cloud leading to some brightness.
19 species

Black-headed Gull 2 on UCL fields.
Herring Gull 1 over south.
Common Wood-Pigeon X
Ring-necked Parakeet X - heard.
Common Swift X - distant.
Green Woodpecker 1 juvenile over.
Common Magpie 3 on UCL fields.
Carrion Crow X - including 5 together in some sort of display flight.
Great Tit X
Blue Tit X
Eurasian Wren X - heard.
European Robin X
Eurasian Blackbird X
Song Thrush 4 singing loudly, & clearly visible in top half of tall pine. Later three chasing after each other.
European Starling X - approx, half a dozen, including two juveniles.
Dunnock X
Common Chaffinch X
European Greenfinch 4 including juveniles.
European Goldfinch 2

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

Undisclosed, Norfolk, UK, 31-Jul-2010

2:40 PM - 3:20 PM
Protocol: Stationary
Comments: Another quick stop at the 'secret' spot with Kim & mum.
Weather: bright but cloudy & warm.
4 species

Montagu's Harrier 2 individuals, 1 hanging in the air at the edge of a field, & one quartering another field, both ringtails. Maybe one a juvenile & one a female?
Common Wood-Pigeon X
European Turtle-Dove 1 flew quickly east across the fields.
Skylark X

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

Wensum Valley Raptor Watchpoint, Norfolk, UK, 24-Jul-2010

3:20 PM - 3:55 PM
Protocol: Stationary
Comments: Next stop-off looking for honey buzzards.
Weather: bright, hazy, warm.
6 species.

Little Owl 1 sitting on an exposed branch above the road into the raptor watchpoint. I spotted it from the car-park then was able to drive the car close enough to get some good photos without disturbing it at all. Eventually a cyclist rode past and it flew away.
Blue Tit X
Long-tailed Tit X
Eurasian Treecreeper X
Yellowhammer X
Common Chaffinch X

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

Swanton Novers Raptor Watchpoint, Norfolk, UK, 24-Jul-2010

2:10 PM - 3:00 PM
Protocol: Stationary
Comments: A hotspot for another Norfolk speciality - honey buzzard.
Weather: bright, hazy, warm.
4 species
 
Common Wood-Pigeon  X
Eurasian Blackbird  X
Yellowhammer  X - heard.
Common Chaffinch  X
 
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)

Undisclosed, Norfolk, UK, 24-Jul-2010

13:20 - 13:35
Protocol: Stationary
Comments: After Titchwell a brief stop-off for a local speciality.
Weather: bright, hazy, warm.

8 species
 
Eurasian Marsh-Harrier  X
Montagu's Harrier  1 ringtail, briefly seen quartering the fields.
Common Buzzard 2
Stock Dove  X
Common Swift  20
Skylark  X - heard.
Pied Wagtail  X
Common Chaffinch  X
 
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)

RSPB Titchwell, Norfolk, UK, 24-Jul-2010

10:10 - 12:40pm. Weather: bright & sunny, mild.

Another visit to possibly pick up another wader I'd not seen before.

Car-park:
Woodpigeon, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Lapwing.
Skylark - heard, even from the carpark,
Robin - juvenile.
Blue Tit - juvenile.

Freshwater Marshes:
Cormorant, Starling, Coot, Black-Headed Gull.
Curlew - over.
Mute Swan - 2,
Bearded Tit - heard first, then above the reeds as usual.
Reed Warbler - 2.

Freshwater Marshes:
Black-Tailed Godwit, Moorhen, Dunlin, Swift.
Pectoral Sandpiper - just the same as last month's temminck's & curlew-sand, I fortunately had another wader that I'd never seen before pointed out to me on the freshwater marshes, which was feeding amongst the dunlin & ruff. In fact it was reminiscent of a small ruff (as the Collins said it was). On the way back I stopped at the Island Hide & picked it up again & was able to return the favour of pointing it out to other birders who were looking for it. A nice tick & one I hope to add to my North American list someday soon.
Ruff, Redshank, Shelduck, Avocet, Little Tern, Pied Wagtail.
Yellow Wagtail - another notable sighting of a bird always a pleasure to see.
Common Sandpiper - bobbing about the mud.
Grey Heron, Kestrel, Swallow.
Herring Gull, Mallard, Little Egret, Meadow Pipit.
Wren - heard.
Linnet - 1 male.
Common Tern, Canada Goose.

Beach:
Oystercatcher, Turnstone, Bar-Tailed Godwit, Great Black-Backed Gull.

Sea:
Eider - c.12 at sea.
Arctic Skua - almost as soon as I reached the beach & sat on the bench than a warden pointed out that there were two of these beauties flying around & kleptoparasiting the gulls & ducks as they usually do. It didn't take long to pick them up & I was struck by the white underwing patches, though this is by no means a clincher for their id & I was happy to rely on the warden's id & a great bonus to see as they'd just turned up that day.
Gannet - 3.

Island Hide:
Bearded Tit - c.6 feeding on the mud just in front of the reeds, not something I'd seen before.
Marsh Harrier - juvenile.
Golden Plover - c.10.

Heading Back:
Sand Martin - 2 over. 
Sedge Warbler, Great Tit, Great Spotted Woodpecker.

54 species, 2 new species.

Blakeney Point, Norfolk, UK, 10-Jul-2010

5 - 7pm. Weather: bright, sunny & hot; slight breeze.

Seal-watching boat trip from Morston out across the harbour to the point with the family. Although we were let down by Bean's, who sold our places when we arrived 5 minutes late, we soon hopped on to a Temples boat & were away for a great excursion. After the seal we were dropped off onto the point for a brief exploration before being picked up an hour later.

Morston Harbour:
Redshank, Black-Headed Gull, Common Tern.

Blakeney Point:
Sandwich Tern - many around the harbour but the main spectacle was the large breeding colony at the end of the point; it was sizeable & noisy!
Little Tern - several amongst the sandwiches & commons, our boat's captain said that there is a small colony on the point.
Oystercatcher.
Grey Seal - several lounging in the shallows on the far extremity of the point. We got so close that you could smell them & they didn't seem overly peturbed by the boats though occasionally some would take fright & shuffle back into the water. The area was thick with boats of some shape or form & some disturbance must occur fairly frequently.
Common Seal - a couple in with the greys.
Lesser Black-Backed Gull - as I walked along the spit as I waited for the boat to return.
Meadow Pipit - along the spit as I waited for the boat to return; it was reluctant to fly.

Sandon & Kelshall, Hertfordshire, 04-Jul-2010

12:15 - 2pm. Weather: bright, sunny & hot, windy (W).

After studying my rare birds site guide this location was close enough for me to target a missing tick & off I went on a lovely sunny day into a peaceful agricultural area.

Off A505:
Red Kite - floated over.
Skylark - first of several.
Quail - I parked up soon after turning off the A505 & almost immediately I heard the characteristic 'wet-my-lips' call. I listened & scanned the thick barley for a sighting but to no avail. The call seemed to be emanating from further down the hill so I moved down & parked next to a path that ran along the base of the hill & a field. No sooner had I got out walked along the path than it sounded as though the call was now coming from the top of the field, up the hill, a great example of the species' ventriloquism! I eventually headed off & heard a couple more calls later in the afternoon but again no sightings of this elusive species.
Corn Bunting - heard first then 3 or 4 perched on wires over another sub-road off the A505.
Woodpigeon, Rook, Jackdaw.

Bury Barn:
Swift, Swallow, House Martin.
Dunnock - heard from roadside hedgerows.

Kelshall:
Blackbird, Mallard, Goldfinch.
Stock Dove - 2.
House Sparrow - nice to see them in abundance, compared to London.
Crow - 2 on the road.
Collared Dove - 2 on the road,
Stoat - crossed the road in front of the car with a rabbit clamped in its jaws, it then struggled to get over the freshly cut roadside vegetation into the field, though it eventually succeeded & disappeared from view.
Corn Bunting - on the roadside wires.
Buzzard, Chaffinch.

Off A505:
Brown Hare.

21 species, 1 new species.