4:30pm. Weather: bright & sunny but cool, still.
A later afternoon visit to the patch. Usual garden & park species on offer but a relaxing diversion.
Woodpigeon, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Magpie, Blackbird, Robin.
Herring Gull - over.
Greenfinch - heard.
Crow, Chaffinch, Jay, Ring-Necked Parakeet.
13 species.
Sunday, 27 September 2009
Saturday, 19 September 2009
Slocum's River, Dartmouth, MA, USA, 19/09/2009
8am. Weather: bright, sunny, warming up from a chill morning.
The last day of a fantastic holiday & my first organised walk with a local conservation group, the Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust (DNRT) in the hope of seeing some of the migrants coming through the area. There was a good crowd for the walk on a chilly morning & we all set off with a couple of experts at the lead, both called Mike. One Mike was able to mimic a screech owl to amazing affect as it attracted scolding birds from nearby, allowing some fantastic views.
Carpark:
Starling - on overhead wires.
Ruby-Throated Hummingbird - another couple of tiny, buzzing birds seen for a second or two before buzzing away. Later another couple (or the same ones?) were duelling over a field passed by the path. It will be nice to eventually get my binoculars on some!
Chipping Sparrow - in pines near to carpark, easily pointed out by our guides.
Meadow:
Northern Mockingbird - a couple flying around, perching on fenceposts & treetops.
Song Sparrow, Tree Swallow.
Savannah Sparrow - streaky chest & notched tail, seen in sunlight to confirm my identification earlier in the week from Smith Neck Road.
Great Blue Heron, American Goldfinch.
Woodland:
White-Breasted Nuthatch - one of the first of the large group attracted by the screech owl calling from Mike. It approached very close above our heads before moving away.
Black-Capped Chickadee & Tufted Titmouse - also in the attracted group above our heads.
Eastern Towhee - attracted to the lower level shrub, but it remained fairly discreet throughout. It was identified first by its voice & then its impressive plumage which seemed almost out of place in the gloomy understorey.
Carolina Wren (heard), Downy Woodpecker, Bluejay.
Black-Throated Green Warbler - the main point of the screech owl impression was to lure any late summer migrants & we were rewarded when the first warbler was picked up. Another with bright plumage it flitted about the canopy, more wary than the more common birds but still close enough for a good sighting, my first warbler.
Black & White Warbler - another fantastic warbler within the group of mixed woodland birds, like the black-throated this elegant individual was not as prominent but was no less striking for it & it didn't hang around long either.
Glade:
Eastern Peewee - a few fly-catching from posts & branches in the woodland clearing.
Common Yellowthroat - by the waterside, skulking in the undergrowth. I caught a brief glimpse of its distinctive plumage, well camouflaged in the foliage.
Leaving:
Cooper's Hawk - a hawk rattled past, glimpsed through the trees, but it was enough for one of the Mikes to call out as a Cooper's, my first confirmed sighting, but I hope to see one for longer than a few seconds as it rushes by.
Cedar Waxwing - heard by another member of the group.
Turkey Vulture - drifted over nearby fields.
A great walk, very educational & helpful for my American birding skills especially for the troublesome sparrow species. I was also delighted to see my first couple of new world warblers & hope to see many more.
23 species, 6 new species!
The last day of a fantastic holiday & my first organised walk with a local conservation group, the Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust (DNRT) in the hope of seeing some of the migrants coming through the area. There was a good crowd for the walk on a chilly morning & we all set off with a couple of experts at the lead, both called Mike. One Mike was able to mimic a screech owl to amazing affect as it attracted scolding birds from nearby, allowing some fantastic views.
Carpark:
Starling - on overhead wires.
Ruby-Throated Hummingbird - another couple of tiny, buzzing birds seen for a second or two before buzzing away. Later another couple (or the same ones?) were duelling over a field passed by the path. It will be nice to eventually get my binoculars on some!
Chipping Sparrow - in pines near to carpark, easily pointed out by our guides.
Meadow:
Northern Mockingbird - a couple flying around, perching on fenceposts & treetops.
Song Sparrow, Tree Swallow.
Savannah Sparrow - streaky chest & notched tail, seen in sunlight to confirm my identification earlier in the week from Smith Neck Road.
Great Blue Heron, American Goldfinch.
Woodland:
White-Breasted Nuthatch - one of the first of the large group attracted by the screech owl calling from Mike. It approached very close above our heads before moving away.
Black-Capped Chickadee & Tufted Titmouse - also in the attracted group above our heads.
Eastern Towhee - attracted to the lower level shrub, but it remained fairly discreet throughout. It was identified first by its voice & then its impressive plumage which seemed almost out of place in the gloomy understorey.
Carolina Wren (heard), Downy Woodpecker, Bluejay.
Black-Throated Green Warbler - the main point of the screech owl impression was to lure any late summer migrants & we were rewarded when the first warbler was picked up. Another with bright plumage it flitted about the canopy, more wary than the more common birds but still close enough for a good sighting, my first warbler.
Black & White Warbler - another fantastic warbler within the group of mixed woodland birds, like the black-throated this elegant individual was not as prominent but was no less striking for it & it didn't hang around long either.
Glade:
Eastern Peewee - a few fly-catching from posts & branches in the woodland clearing.
Common Yellowthroat - by the waterside, skulking in the undergrowth. I caught a brief glimpse of its distinctive plumage, well camouflaged in the foliage.
Leaving:
Cooper's Hawk - a hawk rattled past, glimpsed through the trees, but it was enough for one of the Mikes to call out as a Cooper's, my first confirmed sighting, but I hope to see one for longer than a few seconds as it rushes by.
Cedar Waxwing - heard by another member of the group.
Turkey Vulture - drifted over nearby fields.
A great walk, very educational & helpful for my American birding skills especially for the troublesome sparrow species. I was also delighted to see my first couple of new world warblers & hope to see many more.
23 species, 6 new species!
Friday, 18 September 2009
Lloyd Centre, Dartmouth, MA, USA, 18/09/2009
5:10pm. Weather: bright, sunny, cool.
The next port of call after Allen's Pond with Dinha. This time to the actual centre & not the state beach. This place has osprey nesting platforms though the fish hawks were long past breeding it had a nice selection of waterside & woodland habitat.
Feeders:
Mourning Dove, American Goldfinch.
Waterside:
Great Egret, Black-Capped Chickadee.
Belted Kingfisher - zipped along the watercourse & behind the dense trees of an inlet, unmistakable especially after seeing one a few days before.
5 species.
The next port of call after Allen's Pond with Dinha. This time to the actual centre & not the state beach. This place has osprey nesting platforms though the fish hawks were long past breeding it had a nice selection of waterside & woodland habitat.
Feeders:
Mourning Dove, American Goldfinch.
Waterside:
Great Egret, Black-Capped Chickadee.
Belted Kingfisher - zipped along the watercourse & behind the dense trees of an inlet, unmistakable especially after seeing one a few days before.
5 species.
Mass Audubon Allen's Pond, Westport, MA, USA, 18/09/2009
3:40pm. Weather: bright, sunny, cool, stiff breeze.
An afternoon visit to a local reserve with Dinha. A brisk walk on a windy beach though not too many species about a nice place with potential.
Beach:
Eider, Double-Crested Cormorant.
Sanderling, Semipalmated Plover - flying along the waves in a small group & one or two plovers on the tide line.
Inland:
Northern Harrier - ringtail, quatering above the marshy vegetation inland between the beach & the pond.
Pond:
Great Back-Backed Gull, Herring Gull.
Great Egret - on the distant far shore within the estuary.
Mute Swan, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, American Crow.
12 species.
An afternoon visit to a local reserve with Dinha. A brisk walk on a windy beach though not too many species about a nice place with potential.
Beach:
Eider, Double-Crested Cormorant.
Sanderling, Semipalmated Plover - flying along the waves in a small group & one or two plovers on the tide line.
Inland:
Northern Harrier - ringtail, quatering above the marshy vegetation inland between the beach & the pond.
Pond:
Great Back-Backed Gull, Herring Gull.
Great Egret - on the distant far shore within the estuary.
Mute Swan, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, American Crow.
12 species.
Smith Neck Road, Dartmouth, MA, USA, 18/09/2009
9am. Weather: bright, sunny, cool.
Carolina Wren - I was woken by a loud 'pedalo, pedalo' birdsong I hadn't heard before, but quickly saw that it was coming from a wren perched atop a small tree in the garden. After that it was easy to identify from its distinctive voice. I believe this was the unidentified bird that I saw & heard on 27/10/2008 during an early morning walk.
Carolina Wren - I was woken by a loud 'pedalo, pedalo' birdsong I hadn't heard before, but quickly saw that it was coming from a wren perched atop a small tree in the garden. After that it was easy to identify from its distinctive voice. I believe this was the unidentified bird that I saw & heard on 27/10/2008 during an early morning walk.
Tuesday, 15 September 2009
Mass. Audubon Wellfleet Bay, Cape Cod, MA, USA, 15/09/2009
3pm-ish. Weather: bright, sunny, warm.
On the way back from P'town & a visit to this reserve was too good an opportunity to miss so we pulled in & I had an hour to get round. I walked through the woods down to the beach & then back, picking up several different species & a desire to go back to thoroughly explore the place.
Feeders:
Cardinal, Common Grackle, American Goldfinch.
Chipmunk.
Woodland:
Black-Capped Chickadee, American Crow.
Tree Martin - large numbers congregating over the marshes & passing through.
Shore:
Whimbrel - a lone bird on a nearby creek, a nice close view of a normally elusive migrant in the UK.
Double-Crested Cormorant, Herring Gull, Great Blue Heron - on the shoreside salt marshes.
Marshes:
Grey Catbird - on my way down to the shore I detected a skulking bird in the low foliage but I couldn't pick it out. On the way back I had more luck because there seemed to be a couple & eventually I got a view of a beautiful subtle grey bird, which I looked up afterwards & identified.
Black-Crowned Night Heron - heading back close to the visitors' centre I passed a couple of people stationary on the path who informed me of these birds standing still on low trees within a few metres of the path. There were 3 juveniles with big eyes & they were completely oblivious to the nearby people, an easy life tick!
Downy Woodpecker - in the trees, as expected.
Centre (another set of feeders):
Red-Winged Blackbird, Song Sparrow.
15 species, 2 new species.
On the way back from P'town & a visit to this reserve was too good an opportunity to miss so we pulled in & I had an hour to get round. I walked through the woods down to the beach & then back, picking up several different species & a desire to go back to thoroughly explore the place.
Feeders:
Cardinal, Common Grackle, American Goldfinch.
Chipmunk.
Woodland:
Black-Capped Chickadee, American Crow.
Tree Martin - large numbers congregating over the marshes & passing through.
Shore:
Whimbrel - a lone bird on a nearby creek, a nice close view of a normally elusive migrant in the UK.
Double-Crested Cormorant, Herring Gull, Great Blue Heron - on the shoreside salt marshes.
Marshes:
Grey Catbird - on my way down to the shore I detected a skulking bird in the low foliage but I couldn't pick it out. On the way back I had more luck because there seemed to be a couple & eventually I got a view of a beautiful subtle grey bird, which I looked up afterwards & identified.
Black-Crowned Night Heron - heading back close to the visitors' centre I passed a couple of people stationary on the path who informed me of these birds standing still on low trees within a few metres of the path. There were 3 juveniles with big eyes & they were completely oblivious to the nearby people, an easy life tick!
Downy Woodpecker - in the trees, as expected.
Centre (another set of feeders):
Red-Winged Blackbird, Song Sparrow.
15 species, 2 new species.
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