It was a brisk fall day for Don Cooper and me to lead about 30 people to Plum Island this week. Because there were a lot of seabirds on the ocean over the past few weeks, we decided to start at the north end of the island to see if any of those presumed migrants had set up shop there for the winter. They really had not, as the only seabirds we could find were a couple of Common Eiders scrambling around on the rocks with the seals.
We had better luck with Parker River NWR, where we enjoyed American Wigeons, Dunlins, and Greater Yellowlegs among many American Black Ducks at the Main Panne, before the scene was spiced up further by an immature Bald Eagle, and at the last moment by a passing Cooper’s Hawk. Northern Harriers were in greater evidence this week as well, so with the raptors we found, I would not have wanted to be a prey animal on the island last Wednesday!
We spent a while at The Warden’s and North Field looking in vain for the shrike that has been appearing there, as Dave Adrien told us he had seen it early in the morning. As we headed past a relatively empty Stage Island Pool, we were treated to a Merlin chasing a smaller prey species, and then taking a swipe at a passing harrier as well. There was still a knot of 11 Great Egrets in the South Marsh, which with this cold weather, I imagine might be our last for the season.
The pile of rocks and boulders we call Emerson Rocks was fully exposed. We searched among the Common Eiders there for anything else, finding only a few scoters, a Common Loon, and one randomly passing Common Goldeneye. However, there were shorebirds among the rocks. Many were clearly Sanderlings, but there were several smaller dark ones, that should have been either Dunlins or Purple Sandpipers. We could see them way out on the edge of the rocks from the platform, and a few of us got distinct views of very straight bills, unlike Dunlins. But we could not get views of any leg color, so tried to see them more closely from the water’s edge. No dice, as they stayed low among the rocks and wouldn’t move into view. Ambiguity! Our reward for trying, however, beyond the beauty of the sea, sun, and strand, was the sudden arrival of a flock of Snow Buntings that flew about the empty tidal area, and settled in the piles of shells and other wrack at the high-tide line. That distance yielded a fair amount of heat distortion, but it was great to see those winter birds.
Hellcat was fairly quiet this week, but it is comforting to be up on that dike regularly. At the very end of our time there, the last few of us to come down to the parking lot were treated by a Peregrine Falcon flyby, and the last few that lingered in the parking lot found a small flock of Yellow-rumped Warblers. It was good to be out on the island, welcoming the arriving wintering species we so anticipate as fall winds down.
Our List:
Canada Goose (40) – various.
Mute Swan (1) – South Pannes.
American Wigeon (2) – Main Panne.
Mallard (~40) – Bill Forward Pool (BFP) and North Pool.
American Black Duck – common.
Northern Pintail (~ 4+) – BFP.
Green-winged Teal (~20) – BFP.
Common Eider (~ 37) – 2, north end on seal rocks; ~35, Emerson Rocks.
White-winged Scoter (4) – parking lot #7 ocean.
Black Scoter (~35) – parking lot #7 ocean.
Bufflehead (4) – three males and a female. (Later a flock of ~50 in Merrimack River from Joppa.)
Common Goldeneye (1) – parking lot #7 ocean.
Rock Pigeon
Black-bellied Plover (1) – Emerson Rocks.
Sanderling (15) – Emerson Rocks.
Dunlin (12 – Main Panne.
possible Purple Sandpiper (8) – Emerson Rocks. Dark birds with straight bills, no good looks at legs.
Greater Yellowlegs (~10) – Main Panne.
Herring Gull – common.
Great Black-backed Gull (2) – parking lot # 7 beach.
Common Loon (1) – Emerson Rocks.
Northern Gannet (7) – parking lot #7 ocean.
Double-crested Cormorant – common, migrating skeins.
Great Blue Heron (1) – North Marsh.
Great Egret (~12) – 11, South Marsh; 1 North Marsh.
Turkey Vulture (1) – North End.
Northern Harrier (4) – various.
Cooper’s Hawk (1) – behind Main Panne.
Bald Eagle (1) – immature bird over Main Panne.
Red-tailed Hawk (2) – Hellcat.
Downy Woodpecker (1) – Hellcat.
Merlin (1) – Stage Island Pool.
Peregrine Falcon (1) – immature, Hellcat.
Black-capped Chickadee (~6) – Hellcat.
Northern Mockingbird (1) – Hellcat.
European Starling (~30) – PI Bridge.
Snow Bunting (12) – parking lot #7 beach.
Song Sparrow (1) – along road.
Yellow-rumped Warbler (4) – Hellcat.