Shorebird flock

About 300 + Black-bellied Plovers, Sanderlings and Dunlin have been roosting by the lot 5 platform. A little bit further down the beach at lot 7 I caught some Dunlin and Sanderlings foraging. They must have just arrived because they did not seem to mind human proximity.

                                                                        Dunlin

                                            Mixed flock of Dunlin and Sanderlings

Winter is coming !

On a short trip up the coast looking Snowy Owls (which have arrived again) my buddy Geoff & I found a good sized flock of Snow Bunting & Horned Larks.

Also on a quick trip over to Winthrop a Juvie Red Tail was perched up at my friend Lauretta's house. She also had a nice spread of Horned Grebes out in front of her spot.

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Bohemian Waxwing & Western Kingbird

A few great birds today ! The earliest Bohemian Waxwing I have ever had in Massachusetts. Also a Western Kingbird, a very late Baltimore Oriole, and a number of American Golden Plovers. Not to shabby.

 

                                                       Bohemian Waxwing

                                                            Western Kingbird

                                                           Baltimore Oriole

2 Bald Eagles out on the dike

Banding & Yard Birds

I know for most people birds like Downy Woodpeckers, White-breasted Nuthatches  and  Chickadee's are "common" yard birds. But having these guys in our yard on Plum Island is exciting. I've seen more Snowy Owls from my old yard than Downy Woodpeckers. Anyways...really enjoying my new yard birding. Lots of Yellow-rumped Warblers moving though this week as well.

                                                               Northern Harrier

                                                              Y.R. Warbler

I have a field note in the October Bird Observer, you can get copies at Bird Supply in town or online at www.birdobserver.org/Issues/2015/October-2015

                                                       Awwwwwwwwwww

 

Various pictures

Lots of stuff building up in the old camera, even some sunset and forest shots ! I'm so artsy...

                                                        Light through the trees

                                                    Sunset from the new house

                                                       Golden-crowned Kinglet

                                             American Golden Plover in Rumney Marsh

                                                              Savannah Sparrow

Saw-whet banding has begun, a slow but steady stream of birds is moving though. More second year birds this year than last season. More on banding to come with the awesome team at Drumlin Farm. 

                                                            Dear lord....adorable

                                        Even being adorable those feet can still get ya !!!

Tree Swallows

The Tree Swallow migration through Plum Island is something to behold. Often 100,000 birds can be seen in literal clouds in the sky above the Refuge. The Swallows eat insects and also bayberries, both in abundance in the surrounding area. While on a work detail in Salisbury I took some shots of a "smaller"  sized flock of Tree Sparrows, probably totaling around 10,000 birds.

                                    A good spread of migrants continue at Winthrop Beach

                 Ruddy Turnstone ( center)  with Semipalmated Plover and Semipalmated Sandpipers

                                                        Black-bellied Plover

                                      Black-bellied Plover in flight, 2 Red Knot to the left

Migration

Over the past few weeks the migration from the Arctic has begun with the first medium sized groups of peeps.  Semi-palmated Sandpipers and Semi-palmated Plovers in groups of a few hundred are actively feeding at lowtide at both Winthrop and Revere. Revere so far has the higher numbers which today reached around 400. A few other species; Sanderling, White-rumped Sandpiper, and Red-knot have also appeared, only one of each so far.