Last Wednesday, weather forecasts gave us some reason to think there might be some relative warmth, but strong winds out of the southwest dashed those hopes — wind chill was significant even though temperatures were in the middle 30s.  Our first stop was Salisbury Beach State Reservation.  Along the entrance road and en route to the boat ramp, we had three Northern Harriers hunting over the marsh. At the boat ramp, there were seven White-winged Scoters, two adult males and five first-winter males, offering us great looks.  Common Eiders, American Black Ducks, and a small flock of Buffleheads could be seen.  Over the marsh just above the tree line to the west, an immature Bald Eagle cruised toward the north.  Of course, there were the usual gulls.

Cruising through the campground our way to the parking lot by the jetty, a Merlin dashed across the road and landed on an electrical transformer.

As they often do, gulls loafed in the jetty parking lot — about a third were Ring-billed Gulls, the balance being Herring Gulls.  Toward the jetty at the edge of the parking lot, a woman was dressed in a bright yellow vest standing next to a long string of yellow “do not enter” — or some such statement — tape.  She was a member of the team from the Seacoast Science Center that responds to calls about marine mammals, and was keeping watch over a resting Harp Seal that was about 30 yards away from us high on the beach.  The woman gave us a briefing on Harp Seals, a high-arctic ice seal that appears at our latitude this time of year.  Interesting — a lucky strike extra!  You just never know what you are going to see on Wednesday Morning Birding . . .

Back to the feathered variety of animals we were seeking, in the river mouth there were three Red-necked Grebes, lots of Common Eiders, and a few more White-winged Scoters.  There was word of a Razorbill, but we were never able to get on it.

Back across the river into Newburyport, we checked out the site of an Eastern Screech-Owl we had heard about, and had wonderful looks of a red-morph screech taking in the morning sun, just snoozing away in its tree cavity.  From there, it was on to Plum Island and Parker River Refuge.  As we were crossing the Plum Island Bridge, the trailing van (that would be me!) saw a big white bird flying from north to south high over the highway — a Snowy Owl!  What an amazing sight — lovely!  The owl cruised down into the marsh some distance away not to be seen again.  While approaching the refuge gate, a female Northern Harrier flew low over the marsh.  It was then that we found the gate closed as the government shutdown continued.  Needless to say, we were disappointed, but commiserated over the adverse effects the shutdown was having on our friends at the refuge.

We shifted gears and made our way to the north end of the island.  From our vantage point on the river, we added several duckie species to our day’s list — about eight Black Scoters, including at least two adult males with their bright orange bill knobs; some Long-tailed Ducks; a few Common Goldeneyes; and two Red-breasted Mergansers.  A lone Common Loon was also spotted. The SW-WSW/15-25 mph winds had us beating feet in retreat to our vehicles.

Not quitting, we stopped briefly at the parking area on the southwest side of the PI Bridge to see what there was to see.  Two days after the full moon, the high tide could, by its looks, still be considered an astronomical high tide — it was really high.  Taking advantage of the tide, many Canada Geese and American Black Ducks were feeding in the flooded marsh grasses.  There were also some passerine fly-bys, including at least one Horned Lark (later seen through a photo taken by Mike Densmore) and a Snow Bunting.

Ever so briefly, there you have it.  David Moon and I hope that we will see you next Wednesday at Joppa for yet another edition of Wednesday Morning Birding.

Cheers and best regards!

Dave Weaver

Our List: [brackets indicate the bird was found in another noted location]

Salisbury Beach
Canada Goose – common.
American Black Duck – common.
Mallard – common.
Common Eider – common.
White-winged Scoter (~ 15)
Long-tailed Duck (2)
Bufflehead (7)
Common Goldeneye (~ 15)
Red-breasted Merganser (3)
Red-necked Grebe (3)
Turkey Vulture (1)
Bald Eagle (1) – imm.
Northern Harrier (3)
Red-tailed Hawk (1)
Ring-billed Gull (~ 12)
Herring Gull – common.
Great Black-backed Gull (3)
Rock Pigeon
[Eastern Screech-Owl (1) – red morph; Newburyport.]
Merlin (1)
American Crow (~ 6)
Northern Mockingbird (1)
European Starling
Song Sparrow (3)

Plum Island
[Canada Goose – common; marsh, w. side PI River, from w. end of bridge.]
[American Black Duck – common; marsh, w. side PI River, from w. end of
bridge.].
Common Eider – common; north end.
Black Scoter (~ 8) – north end.
Long-tailed Duck (4) – north end.
Common Goldeneye (5) – north end.
Red-breasted Merganser (2) – north end.
Common Loon (1) – north end.
Northern Harrier (1) – marsh, n. refuge gate.
[Red-tailed Hawk (1) – PI Tpk.]
Herring Gull – common.
Great Black-backed Gull (2) – marsh, n. refuge gate.
Rock Pigeon (2) – n. refuge gate house.
Snowy Owl (1) – fly over, n. to s., east end PI Bridge; lost track once
landed in marsh w. side PI River.
American Crow (1)
European Starling
[Snow Bunting (1) – marsh, w. side PI River, from w. end of bridge.]

The head-count of birders heading for Wednesday Morning Birding this week may have been a bit depressed by the overwhelming gloom of the early morning, but by the time Dave Weaver and I met the group in Gloucester, skies cleared. We enjoyed a sunny, fairly mild, and breezy winter day on Cape Ann. At the Jodrey State Fish Pier, we immediately saw what would be a theme for this week on Cape Ann: many Red-breasted Mergansers, including rafts of fully alternate-plumaged drakes who are getting frisky to display for the females. We found scattered Common Eiders in the harbor, but the tight raft of eiders that we usually see there was around the corner in the channel where the fishing boats dock. It was way too busy for us to go into that area as a group, even though that raft of eiders is fun to watch with all the courtship behavior going on right now. We are always cautious about walking into the working area, because the fish pier is an industrial site where casual visitors are not welcome. If there is no boat there, we sometimes will observe birds part way down the stretch, but not for long, and we try not to be a nuisance.

There was not a lot of bird diversity this week near the pier, but hanging around, we did spot Common Loons, and four Surf Scoters in the distant parts of the inner harbor. A very large-looking Gray Seal made an appearance. As we moved on to Eastern Point, more species began to show up. There were six Gadwalls and some American Black Ducks where we usually see them in the protected cove by the parking lot. A beautiful drake Common Goldeneye cavorted just off shore, and farther out, we saw many more mergansers, Buffleheads, and eiders. Black Scoters were mixed in with the eiders along the “Dog Bar” breakwater, and at the very end of the breakwater, we saw little gray bumps on the stones: Purple Sandpipers. We couldn’t see the orange legs and straight bills to be absolutely sure they were not Dunlins, but chances are good way out there that they were Purple Sandpipers. A single young Great Cormorant stood out there as well, turning out to be the only one for the day. A Long-tailed Duck and another Surf Scoter were also spotted near the mouth of the harbor, and out of the mouth zoomed some big flocks of Black Scoters.

At Niles Pond, there were waterfowl everywhere: many more mergansers, Mallards, and an unusually good number of both Greater and Lesser Scaup. It was fine to see the two scaup species side by side, as the differences appeared quite obvious. That was a gratifying experience, as opposed to the somewhat tortured tutorials we give using images in pocket-sized field guides, when only one of the two comparables is on display. Far out on the pond, the regularly occurring raft of gulls bobbed, among which we found two adult Iceland Gulls. We are seeing a slightly higher number of them than usual this year, and now Niles Pond is a regular place for that species.

At the other end of the pond, the raft of mergansers hosted a pair of Ring-necked Ducks. Of course, after having looked at a bunch of gulls, it was easy to call them “Ring-billed Ducks.” Who doesn’t want to call them “Ring-billed Ducks”? Unfortunately, this slip went viral throughout the group, and we had to practice the correct name a few times to snap out of it. I will now refrain from delivering one of many repetitive rants about bird names, which I am usually unable to avoid when provoked. You’re welcome.

Another fine bird at the pond was a Great Blue Heron, which is notable for the time of year. The way some of them linger or even seem to return briefly during thaws is charming indeed, but one wonders what makes such an individual so hardy and willing to flirt with the closure of its foraging habitat. Why not Georgia, or even New Jersey?

At the beginning of Atlantic Road, Cormorant rock was devoid of its namesakes. While there were eiders and some scoters along the rocks, the wintering population of larger mollusk-feeders seems low this year in our area. From the rocks in front of the Elks Club, we did have a fair number of Black Scoters and some White-winged Scoters, but many of the latter species seem to have gone someplace else so far this year. Buffleheads still seem to love the area from there to the point that forms the cove at Bass Rocks. Next, things got exciting when a very pretty Black Guillemot appeared reasonably close to shore. This very gray individual was foraging heavily, and barely on the surface, putting plenty of sport into our birding. Another Iceland Gull, a very light individual, flew by, well out to sea.

On the way to Rockport Harbor, near the parking lot for Good Harbor Beach, we saw a Red-tailed Hawk, as we almost always do. But this time another raptor appeared: a Turkey Vulture, continuing the theme of lingering vultures this particular winter. For us it has been a big year for winter vultures of both species in New England. Rockport Harbor was quiet, but we were happy anyway, just to have a female Northern Pintail and a warm restroom.

Having spent a lot of time at Niles Pond and then visually chasing that guillemot, we could only make a brief stop at Cathedral Ledge. It was of course lovely to see Harlequin Ducks up close, and as the dramatically rising wind had shifted to the west, this was a much more comfortable site than Andrews Point would have been. Not everyone is as keen as others for the physical challenge and excitement of the point on a blustery day. The adventurous among us might even like to see for ourselves how the sea throws bread loaf-sized rocks at the homes out there on a bad day. Others are content with stories. But we are all amazed by the unimaginably robust nature of the birds that cavort in the tempestuous waves, as apparently at ease as if it were a sweet May day. Everyone agrees that they inspire our awe.

Our list:
Canada Goose (~ 20) – various.
Gadwall (6) – Eastern Point cove.
American Black Duck (~ 12)
Mallard (~ 60) – ~ 40, Niles Pond; ~ 20, Rockport Harbor.
Northern Pintail (1) – hen, Rockport Harbor.
Ring-necked Duck (2) – pr., Niles Pond.
Greater Scaup (~ 12) – Niles Pond.
Lesser Scaup (4) – Niles Pond.
Common Eider – common.
Harlequin Duck (~ 40) – Cathedral Ledge.
Surf Scoter (5) – 4, Jodrey Fish Pier; 1, Eastern Point.
White-winged Scoter (~ 6)
Black Scoter (~ 100) – major share, Eastern Point.
Long-tailed Duck (1) – Eastern Point.
Bufflehead – common.
Common Goldeneye (3) – 1 drake, Eastern Point; 2, Bass Rocks.
Red-breasted Merganser – common.
Common Loon (2) – 2, Jodrey Fish Pier; 1, Cathedral Ledge.
Great Cormorant (1) – Eastern Point.
Great Blue Heron (1) – Niles Pond.
Turkey Vulture (1) – over Good Harbor Beach.
Cooper’s Hawk (1) – Jodrey Fish Pier.
Red-tailed Hawk (1) – over Good Harbor Beach.
Purple Sandpiper (~ 12) – end of Dog Bar breakwater.
Ring-billed Gull (1)
Herring Gull – common
Iceland (“Kumlien’s”) Gull (3) – 2, Niles Pond; 1, flyby, Bass Rocks.
Great Black-backed Gull – common.
Black Guillemot (1) – Bass Rocks.
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove (3)
American Crow (6)
American Robin (~ 8) – Rockport.
European Starling
Dark-eyed Junco (1)

This Wednesday, the weather was very fair for a winter day. The gales of the New Year that buffeted us marvelously at Andrews Point on January 1 had died completely. Dave Weaver and I led the group to Salisbury Beach State Reservation for a start. From the boat ramp it was nice to see a greater number of American Goldeneyes and Long-tailed Ducks than there had been in previous weeks, but we still do not have the usual numbers of the wintering population on the river. There were some White-winged Scoters on the river, as well, and a few Common Loons out there too.

After enjoying a forest of yellow-green legs of the Ring-billed Gulls in the jetty parking lot, we scanned more birds on the almost glassy river. Then Dave Weaver said something I love to hear. He very quietly asked me to take a look at a bird in his scope. That means it might be a very interesting bird. Yes. There was a loon with a shorter, pointier bill than a Common Loon, and with what we thought looked like the “chin strap” of a Pacific Loon. It appeared smaller than an obvious Common Loon nearby. But this is a genuinely rare and difficult to identify species. I have since learned that I was not clear on how tricky it can be. Fortunately for us, our skilled photographers sent data, and we sent images to the top experts. The E-bird reviewer said no. Dave Larson leaned toward PALO with one image, but not with additional ones. I sent images to someone who knows someone, and got this response from David Sibley:

“It’s not a Pacific Loon, sorry. It does look small-billed, and some other things like dark face suggest Pacific, but that may be just the lighting. It’s a common trap that catches a lot of experienced birders, even more in the spring and summer when the immature birds are worn. I look for details of neck pattern to confirm.
Points for Common Loon:
– the white triangle extending toward the back of the neck just below the head
– the dark triangle extending toward the front of the neck just below that
– the lower mandible has a distinct upward angle
– the flapping photo shows pale around the eye
– the small “knob” on the forehead making the head sort of square-topped”

How kind of our preeminent friend to share his expertise! So this week I/we discovered a new birding frontier: “seeing” Pacific Loon. I remember the one that was off Cathedral Ledge last year or the year before, tossed in waves and bitter wind, subtle marks, not appearing very definite… So pick your species to learn, and learn it without worrying how long it takes. The loon we found on Wednesday definitely warranted attention, but presumably has all the DNA of the Common Loon, not its “cousin.” Photos taken by skilled people with excellent equipment show things that may not easily appear in binoculars or even spotting scopes. The wonderful thing about this process of learning is that the more we discover, the more infinite birds become, and any struggle is rewarded a thousand fold, just by the joy of looking.

The next place we wanted to get to was Emerson Rocks, which is about as long a drive as one might make on WMB. We stopped along the road in Parker River NWR for a perched Red-tailed Hawk , and to enjoy acrobatic hovering of a light-phase Rough Legged Hawk at Cross Farm Hill. Then it was on up to the beach platform to look for either of two King Eiders that have been seen there among the other seabirds. Emerson Rocks is a tiny scrap of “rocky coast” habitat for Plum Island, not bedrock, but a pile of big stones left by the scouring of a glacial drumlin by ocean waves, great and small. Its a good spot for diversity on Plum Island, and there he was, a drake King Eider, out with many Common Eiders. There were horned grebes aplenty, scant White-winged Scoters, and many more Black Scoters than we usually see at Plum Island, as has been the case all this fall and winter. Still an absence of Red-throated Loons, though. So we did have at least one rarity for the day, and enjoyed thinking for a time we had found two.

Passing Cross Farm Hill, the Rough-legged Hawk that performed earlier was perched in the trees on the south side. Check that spot! Sparrows indiscernible to occupants of a passing vehicle skittered in the thickets in front of us, but we pushed on toward home, enjoying glimpses of Northern Harriers that can be expected but that always are thrilling in their acrobatic energy. 2019 is off to a great start, and we look forward to many more Wednesdays.

Our list:
Salisbury —
Canada Goose – common [with several hundred along the river’s edge
between the education center and beyond the clam shack].
Gadwall (1) – Salisbury boat ramp.
American Black Duck – common.
Common Eider – common.
White-winged Scoter (~ 8)
Black Scoter – common.
Long-tailed Duck – common.
Bufflehead (2)
Common Goldeneye (~ 12)
Red-breasted Merganser (5)
Common Loon (~ 5)
Horned Grebe (3)
Red-tailed Hawk (1)
Ring-billed Gull (~ 50) – mostly in jetty parking lot.
Herring Gull – common.
Great Black-backed Gull (~ 6)
Rock Pigeon
Blue Jay (4)
American Crow (4)
Northern Mockingbird (~ 6)
European Starling
American Tree Sparrow (4)
Northern Cardinal (2)

Plum Island —
Canada Goose – common.
American Black Duck – common.
KING EIDER (1) – seven ocean; male – subadult or full adult in process
of molting into definitive breeding plumage?
Common Eider – common.
White-winged Scoter (4) – seven ocean.
Black Scoter – common; seven ocean.
Long-tailed Duck – common; seven ocean.
Bufflehead (7) – 5, seven ocean; 2, Stage Island Pool.
Red-breasted Merganser (1) – Emerson Rocks.
Common Loon (1) – seven ocean.
Horned Grebe (6) – seven ocean.
Northern Harrier (2)
Red-tailed Hawk (2)
Rough-legged Hawk (1) – light morph; Cross Farm Hill.
Herring Gull – common.
Great Black-backed Gull (2) – seven beach.
Rock Pigeon (~ 40) – on utility wires n. refuge entrance.
American Robin (5)
Northern Mockingbird (4)
European Starling
Snow Bunting (~ 40) – seven beach.
American Tree Sparrow (2) – roadside between lots 1 & 2.