This week’s report was prepared by Dave Weaver. Thanks Dave!
Susan Yurkus, Dave Williams, and I led this week’s edition of Wednesday Morning Birding out of Joppa Flats Education Center on to Parker River National Wildlife Refuge on Plum Island. Skies were partly cloudy, temps in the 50s, and winds WSW-W/10-15 mph. Apologies for the brevity of this report, but too much else going on at this point for anything more.
Our list:
Mute Swan (2) – ads flying north over The Wardens.
Gadwall (1) – Stage Island Pool (SIP).
American Wigeon (~ 25) – pannes & SIP.
American Wigeons and American Black Ducks – Bob Minton
American Black Duck – common.
Mallard
Northern Pintail (~ 15) – SIP.
Green-winged Teal – common; SIP.
Ducks abound above Stage Island Pool – Patti Wood
Common Eider (~ 15) – Bar Head.
White-winged Scoter (7) – Emerson Rocks.
Red-breasted Merganser (6) – Bar Head.
Red-throated Loon (1) – parking lot #7 (seven), ocean.
Common Loon (3) – seven, ocean.
Double-crested Cormorant – a few small flocks migrating.
Great Blue Heron (1) – marsh south of parking lot #1.
Great Egret (~ 20) – various.
Turkey Vulture (~ 15) – kettling over Bar Head.
Northern Harrier (1)
Cooper’s Hawk (2)
Juvenile Cooper’s Hawk – Bob Minton
Red-tailed Hawk (2)
American Coot (1) – SIP.
Greater Yellowlegs (~ 20) – various.
Semipalmated Sandpiper (1) – small pannes.
Ring-billed Gull (1) – seven, beach.
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Rock Pigeon – Plum Island Bridge.
Merlin (1) – north end of S-curves.
Eastern Phoebe (2) – The Wardens.
Eastern Phoebe – Patti Wood
Eastern Phoebe – Bob Minton
Blue Jay (6) – various.
Common Raven (1) – fly by north of The Wardens.
Tree Swallow (1) – SIP.
Black-capped Chickadee (1) – Hellcat.
Hermit Thrush (1) – Hellcat.
American Robin (2)
Northern Mockingbird (5) – various.
European Starling
Yellow-rumped Warbler (7) – Hellcat.
Eastern Towhee (1) – Hellcat.
Chipping Sparrow (1) – The Wardens.
Clay-colored Sparrow (1) – The Wardens.
Savannah Sparrow (5) – The Wardens.
Savannah Sparrow – Patti Wood
Grasshopper Sparrow (1) – probable; The Wardens.
Song Sparrow – common; The Wardens.
White-crowned Sparrow – juveniles, common; The Wardens.
American Goldfinch (1) – The Wardens.
White-crowned Sparrow immature – Barbara Merrill
Monarch Butterfly, which were abundant this week – Patti Wood
With the fall season upon us, the salt marsh of Plum Island is assuming, in my humble opinion, the most beautiful colors of the year. Come join us and witness them for yourself.
All the best!
Dave Weaver