Words On Birds 10-04-24

     A nearly constant easterly wind for the past week has helped us, and many other birders, watch Cory’s shearwaters and gannets from Plum Island. The platforms at Lot 1, Lot 5 and at Lot 7 were good viewing spots. A few birders reported great and Manx shearwaters from the Island as well. 

 

     Tom Wetmore reported: “The Black Guillemot has been constant at [lot] seven ocean near Emerson Rocks since the 8th of September, nearly a month. First seen on the 13th of Sept, then the 19th, Cory Shearwaters have been present every day since the 22nd of September. Nearly constant easterly winds explain part, but we have seen bait fish breaking the surface and shearwaters (and gannets and gulls) feeding on them, likely another factor. Watching shearwaters from Plum Island has been a favorite of mine for decades, but seeing them for eleven straight days is unprecedented.”

 

     Rick Heil counted 11 Forster’s terns at the north end of Plum Island and we had 2 in the Newburyport Harbor where we also had 2 Caspian terns.  The numbers of Bonaparte’s gulls have been increasing in the Harbor as well.

 

     The fall migration is happening on land as well, with decent variety but not great numbers. Ten to twelve species of warblers have been seen on Plum Island. Yellow-rumped, black-throated green, palm, pine and prairie warblers along with common yellowthroats, redstarts, northern parula, bay-breasted, Tennessee, Connecticut, Cape May and yellow warblers have all been reported.  Red-eyed, blue-headed and warbling vireos are also some migrants that have been seen. Flocks of migrating robins and cedar waxwings are feasting on remaining berries along the road at Hellcat.

 

     Margo and I found an Eastern pewee on the Pines Trail and Eastern phoebes are moving through as well. We saw our first golden-crowned kinglets of the season on Plum island and at the Salisbury Beach State Reservation.

 

     The shorebird migration is slowing down. More black-bellied plovers and a few golden plovers are lingering and a few semipalmated sandpipers and semipalmated plovers. Greater yellowlegs and a few lesser yellowlegs are still present on Plum Island, and in the Harbor at low tide.

 

     The hawkwatching is past peak as broad-winged hawks peaked in mid-September. But falcons and accipiters will continue to top the daily numbers in October.  Hawk watchers know to look for golden eagles in late October and November.

 

     We saw our first juncos of the season on Plum Island this week, a precursor of things to come.  None yet at the feeders, but more will be arriving in the weeks ahead.  We also found a white-crowned sparrow at the Maintenance Area on the island. A number of white-throated sparrows have been seen along the road and along the Hellcat trail. A rare lark sparrow was found on the island a week ago. More sparrows will be coming through and some may end up under feeders.

 

     As I have mentioned before, dickcissels also show up among the sparrows.  They have been heard flying over on Plum Island.  Two were found among the many sparrows at the North Shore community gardens in Middleton.  We’ll keep watching under our feeders!