Christmas Bird Count Snowy Owl!

During the month of December we participate in the Christmas Bird Counts (CBC) that take place on the North Shore.  Each year we bird the Salisbury and Magnolia Sectors.  

 

Yesterday, while birding the Magnolia Sector, we were so very lucky to see a Snowy Owl.  This was the first time in umpteen years that Mark, our friend Denise, and I have had Snowy Owl in this sector!  

While we saw many other great birds, this Snowy Owl was simply awesome in its awesomeness!  

 

 

 

 

 

A November Afternoon on Plum Island and Salisbury Beach

Tracks in the sand dune.

 

 

 Winterberry.

 

 

 

Bittersweet.

 

 One of the many Snowy Owls that have taken up residence for the winter!

 

 A golden sunset.

 

 

 

Birding Exit 0 - Cape May, NJ

Well, we finally made it to Cape May, New Jersey to bird in the fall!  

During the Columbus Day Weekend, we joined our friend Jim who co-lead a Cape May Birding Trip with Vin for the South Shore Bird Club.  While the weather was less than ideal, there was Nor’easter that hung with us the entire time, we still had a wonderful time, were in great company, and saw fantastic birds! 

Thanks to Vin’s meticulous record keeping we know we saw a total of 139 species!  Jim prepared a trip report (complete with photos) for the South Shore Bird Club and captured the essence of the trip perfectly.  The report can read by clicking on this link:  SSBC-Cape May NJ Trip Report.  I could not have summed up the weekend any better!

 

Tendercrop Farm Flower Field

Tendercrop Farm is located in Newbury, Massachusetts.

 

 

Hawaiian Shirt Shorebird Safari 2013

Mark and I led our annual BBC Hawaiian Shirt Shorebird Safari on August 3^rd.  We met our group at Morris Island at 8:00 AM and Rip Ryder had us on South Beach by 8:30.  Due to the severe changes to the landscape, because of the past winter storms, Rip had to drop us off at a location further south than our usual spot.  It really is amazing how the South Beach landscape has changed on since last year! 

 

 While we dodged the rain, the wind was relentless but we still saw great shorebirds – many of the birds sought cover behind tufts of grass to stay out of the wind. 

 

Our day list included Black-bellied, Semipalmated, and Piping Plovers; American Oystercatchers; Greater Yellowlegs; Willet; Whimbrel; Hudsonian and Marbled Godwits; Ruddy Turnstone; Red Knot; Sanderling; Semipalmated, Least, and White-rumped Sandpipers; Short-billed Dowitcher; and Roseate, Common, Least, and Black Terns!

 

Rangeley Lupines

While on vacation in Rangeley, Maine I stopped by my favorite Lupine patch to take a few photos.  This place never ceases to amaze me!

 

North Quabbin Woods/Tully Lake

 The North Quabbin Woods/Tully Lake area of Massachusetts

is a beautiful place to spend a summer day.

 

 

 

 

 



 

Tulips and Poppies

Flowers blooming in the neighborhood!

 

 

 

Early Morning Sun on Skunk Cabbage

An early morning spring walk around Marblehead Neck Wildlife Sanctuary ~ there’s not much in bloom yet but skunk cabbage. 

 

 

Nor’easter ~ Salisbury Beach Jetty

The jetty at Salisbury Beach State Reservation, as the Nor’easter approaches.

 



 

Lobster Trap and Shell

After shoveling out from the Blizzard of 2013, I decided to take a 5K beach walk to see what the storm blew in.  There was a lot of debris strewn along the beach including this lobster trap.

 

 I also saw some natural sand art along the way.

 

 

New Year’s Day Birding ~ 2013

Today, Mark and I led our 17th annual New Year's Day birding trip for the Brookline Bird Club (BBC)!  We kicked off the BBC’s 100^th Anniversary Year at 9:00AM, 46 BBCers (many have been on our trip since year one) joined us at the municipal parking lot in Newburyport where we toasted in the New Year with sparkling apple cider.  During the toast, introductions were made and folks told us where they traveled from and what their first bird of the New Year was (mine was American Robin)!  The temperatures never moved beyond 35df but the 20-25mph wind made it feel more like 15df!  Yes, it was a cold, blustery day but that did not hamper our spirits.  

 

We birded areas in and around Salisbury Beach State Reservation, Cashman Park, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, and Cherry Hill Reservoir.  We ended the day at about 4:00PM and tallied 67 species for the Club list.  Following is a complete list of the birds we saw:  

 

 

Snow Goose – 1; Canada Goose – 200; Gadwall – 3; American Black Duck – 25; Mallard – 59; Lesser Scaup – 2; Common Eider – 113; Surf Scoter – 15; White-winged Scoter – 70; Black Scoter – 5; Long-tailed Duck – 14; Bufflehead – 3; Common Goldeneye – 21; Common Merganser – 4; Red-breasted Merganser – 15; Ruddy Duck – 22; Red-throated Loon – 3; Common Loon – 25; Horned Grebe – 7; Red-necked Grebe – 2; Northern Gannet – 8; Double-crested Cormorant – 1; Great Cormorant – 4; Great Blue Heron – 5;

 

 Turkey Vulture – 1; Bald Eagle – 6; Northern Harrier – 9; Sharp-shinned Hawk – 2; Copper’s Hawk – 1; Red-tailed Hawk – 11; Rough-legged Hawk – 1; American Kestrel – 1; Merlin – 2; Sanderling – 30; Dunlin – 2; Black-legged Kittiwake – 4 ; Ring-billed Gull – 150; Herring Gull – 200; Great Black-backed Gull – 35; Razorbill – 4 ; Black Guillemot – 1; Rock Pigeon – 75; Mourning Dove – 4; Eastern Screech Owl – 1;

 

 

Belted Kingfisher – 1; Downy Woodpecker – 1; Blue Jay – 1; American Crow – 32; Horned Lark – 41; Black-capped Chickadee – 9; Tufted titmouse – 1; Red-breasted Nuthatch – 5; American Robin – 48; Northern Mockingbird – 3; European Starling – 87; Cedar Waxwing – 5; American Tree Sparrow – 18; Song Sparrow – 13; White-throated Sparrow – 1; Dark-eyed Junco – 2; Snow Bunting – 27; Northern Cardinal – 6; Red Crossbill – 2; White-winged Crossbill – 50; Common Redpoll – 13; American Goldfinch – 1; House Sparrow – 40.

 

Wishing you a very Happy, Healthy, and Birdy 2013 and the BBC another 100 years of birding success!