Apr
23
Excellent Bayshore Birding: Lots of Shorebirds, Gulls, Silly numbers of Turkeys, and a Vesper Sparrow
Filed Under Spring Migration | 14 Comments
There were two Stilt Sandpipers in the Heislerville impoundments this afternoon, along with lots and lots of Greater Yellowlegs, among others. The Stilts were far from in breeding plumage, but some years, I’ve seen the first in the end of March, and others, not til the middle of May, so a third/ fourth week in April arrival is not to go without mentioning.
Another noteworthy April migrant was a Vesper Sparrow just before the bridge, feeding in the “sharp rubble” & sand right along the beach, at Fortescue Beach. The damned thing was most cooperative, and remained in same spot for well over an hout, allowing itself to be photographed quite well, and unlike with the Stilt Sands at Heislerville, the camera remained dry!
Shorebird and Gull numbers seemed a bit unevenly distributed: In addition to the Stilt Sands, Heislerville had far and away the most Greaterlegs, and Semipalmated Plovers; Turkey Point at low tide had incredible numbers of Dunlin, excellent numbers of Lesserlegs, and more Dowitchers than anywhere else I stopped (500 or so). East Point had the most Gulls (including about 2 dozen lingering Bonapartes), after the excellent numbers of Gulls at East Point & Heislerville, I was a bit surprised that Fortescue was comparatively devoid of even Laughers. Though Fortescue is usually more of a late-season Spring Hotspot. Unfortunately I skipped Bivalve etc. Even I am subject to physical laws, and I had other errands to run…
Displaying Turkeys were on just about every patch of green lawn between Mauricetown and Fortescue, over 50 or so all told-which was just about as impressive as the number of Shorebirds, which numbered in the thousands.
A Tricolored Heron was at Heislerville, as well as a good flock of Red-breasted Megs, and 5 Hooded Mergs, which were also worth mentioning. A lone Snow Goose was at East Point. A second-year Yellow-crowned Night-heron was at, what I always think of as “The Yellow-crowned Night Heron Pond” at Turkey Point, where a ridiculously confiding, and apparently healthy, Red Fox came trotting out of the marsh, and continued, straight down the road ahead of me, for about a mile and a half.
Apr
21
Dolphins, a Brown Pelican, A Cape Island Yellow-throated Warbler and a nice little “fall” around the point in the mist
Filed Under Seawatching, Spring Migration, Warblers | Leave a Comment
An misty grey early-morning turn around the point was not without reward today.
The biggest surprise was an apparently juvenile Brown Pelican flying relatively high seaward, just over the jetties. It kept on heading due south-southeast as far as I could watch. It was in headed in the same direction as a decent Gannet flight (ie almost without exception heading out of the bay-but the Gannets were a bit further out.)
Several hundred Surf Scoter were also headed the same way. There was one notable in-bound migrant species today, however, and that was the first Bottlenosed Dolphins I’ve seen in 09. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Walking around Lilly Lake also provided a real surprise, in the form of a female Yellow-throated Warbler creeping around the heavier limbs of an Oak with a good mixed flock of Butterbutts, Palms Kinglets, and Gnatcatchers. Yellow-throateds are not at all common spring migrants on Cape Island (in fact they are not at all common fall migrants!) The Yellow-throated was also surprising in being one fo the yellow-lored (dominica) race, which is interesting. While I nearly always turn up an albilora in the State Park at some point in the spring, the local breeders usually just seem to arrive on the breeding grounds, and the local birds have been around for several weeks at this point. She did seem rather beat, I imagine the incredible, torrential thunderstorms of the night before had something to do with this-poor girl was downright sluggish.
A female Orchard Oriole feeding in some very low ornamentals, and a couple of Parulas, Prairies, Yellows, and Common Yellowthroats here and there around the point were a bit more expected.
Swallows continue in good number and variety around Lilly Lake, an Eastern Kingbird was on a stub at Cape Island Creek, and there were dueling House Wrens at the Point and the fields at Higbee’s. Ditto for White-eyed Vireos. There were also excellent numbers of Brown Thrashers singing all over the point.
Apr
7
Some Eagle notes, etc.
Filed Under Uncategorized | 3 Comments
In Bird news, the pair of Bald Eagles which has taken residence at Pond Creek were sitting cheek by jowel yesterday-side by each. In fact, one of the pair kept making nest-matierial forays into the wood-bine and ivy tangles. It was most interesting to see one of the pair grabbing at nest matierial- though I daresay it will be a year or two before this pair actually builds a nest. (As I have predicted, though, they were clearly on territory)
Heislerville, and the road towards it were just chock full of White Egrets today, but more interestingly was the third year Bald Eagle who kept trying to snatch a drake Bufflehead from the main impoundment at Matt’s Landing. The Eagle hovered, and the Bufflehead dove for five turns before the duck just broke and flushed- clear and away surpassing the huge raptor in speed.
Another four or so Bald Eagles were present there, and there were an impressive number of both yellowlegs and Dunlin- who were just getting black-bellies and red-backs- Whooo-hoo!. Nearly forty Glossy Ibis, just over forty Black-crowned Night Herons, and well over a hundred Bufflehead were in the impoundments there.
AND - DO BE CAREFUL- a pair of Killdeer have four very sweet greenish spangled eggs on the shell-roadside at the end of Matt’e Landing Road.