ISS count Snake Island & Piping Plover chicks

Yesterday I went out to Snake Island with Bill Mcbride , we had a nice paddle out and then did a count of Oystercatchers, Willets and Spotted Sandpipers. We had something like 26-30 American Oystercatcher's all with their young already hatched, about 20 Willets and 10 Spotted Sandpipers. Snake Island has the highest breeding populations of AMOY in the greater Boston area. Also the first of the Revere and Winthrop Piping Plovers have hatched, and dear LORD are they cute. Additionally Belle Isle has had a Little Blue Heron this past week.

                                                Eastern Kingbird in the Belle Isle meadow

                                                      Little Blue Heron , immature bird

                                                Bill packing up the "storm eyes"

                                                     1 day old Piping Plover chick

                                                          Oystercatchers on Snake

 Mixed flock shorebirds: Least, Dunlin, Short-billed Dowitchers, Black-bellied Plovers

                                            Dunlin and Short-billed Dowitchers

More from migration & spring

                                                                        Barn Owl

                                                         Wilsons Warbler

 A baby Killdeer walked over to our conservation Biologist, unfortunately it could not be saved. Every year we see alot of this with Terns and Plovers.   

                                                       American Redstart

                                                           Northern Parula

                                                   Male Scarlet Tanager ( Belle Isle )

                                                               Magnolia Warbler

 

                                                    Tree Swallows

                                                            Savannah Sparrow

                                                          Black & White Warbler

                                                      Male American Kestrel

                                                        Baby ducklings

 Baby Barred Owl brought to someones house by a dog. This little guy is not fledged yet and will be put in another Barred Owls nest. The other adults will raise it until it fledges.

                                                          Blue-headed Vireo

                                                                         Bobolink

Mink and a few spring movies

Geoff Wood found a Mink den and we were fortunate enough to see it out hunting. It caught a Catbird while we were watching.

                                                    Banded Common Yellowthroat

                                    Watched a Bluejay eating a shrew...pretty brutal

 

Martin Burns & Belle Isle

                                          Black-throated Green Warbler - Belle Isle

                                                      Female Yellow Warbler

                                                                Least Sandpiper

                                                             Short-billed Dowitcher

                                                               Baltimore Oriole

                                                           The happy couple

                                                            Yellow Warbler

                                               Blue-winged Warbler Martin Burns

                                              Brown Thrasher breeding male at Belle Isle

Warbling Vireo at Belle Isle, this guy was one of the first birds I ever saw at Belle Isle. Very happy to have him back signing in his territory.