Words On Birds 09-05-25

 

     Last week’s column featured peregrine falcons trying to thin out the plethora of shorebirds on Plum Island. The daily chases continue as shorebirds continue to stop and feed on their way south and falcons seek food.

 

     As we scan the gathering of shorebirds in the main salt pannes to look for something different, or to try to count their numbers, they suddenly all lift up and circle high and low. We look around to see what put them up. Sometimes it’s a passing harrier that really isn’t interested in the shorebirds, as harriers are not built for such pursuit. They prefer slower moving mammals like voles and mice over which they can hover and pounce.

 

     It is the swift falcons that most frequently put up the birds. Margo and I witnessed up to three peregrines ganging up on the flocks of shorebirds in the main pannes at the same time.  Less frequently, it might be a merlin terrorizing the flocks. The merlin is a smaller falcon, but just as swift and agile. We haven’t witnessed a strike this year, as Paul Roberts did in last week’s tale. But the constant “shuffling of the deck” of shorebirds makes finding different birds, or trying to count them very frustrating.

 

     The majority of small shorebirds have been semipalmated plovers and semipalmated sandpipers, and, at times, more than 100 white-rumped sandpipers in the deeper water. Smaller numbers of least sandpipers, greater and lesser yellowlegs and short and long-billed dowitchers are also usually present. We have counted as many as six red knots this past week. Dunlin, black-bellied plovers, Baird’s and buff-breasted sandpipers have been reported, as well as an occasional whimbrel.

 

     There was an amazing happening for Margo and me at the pannes last week. As we were scanning the hundreds of shorebirds in the main salt panne, a flock of large plovers suddenly dropped in. “A large group of black-bellied plovers” I called out to Margo. As I continued to look at them through my scope, they were quite “golden” on their backs, dark caps, and black fronts all the way to their vents. 

 

     A couple raised their wings – no black auxiliaries or “armpits” as black-bellied plovers have. This was a huge flock of golden plovers! All in breeding plumage! Something Margo and I have never before seen in Massachusetts. 

 

     I counted them three times – 49 each time. Amazing! Usually we see one or two golden plovers mixed in with the black-bellied plovers during migration. We may have had 4 or 5 at one time. But seeing this many was phenomenal!

 

     Most of the shorebirds have been concentrated in the salt pannes area on the refuge. Bill Forward Pool and Stage Island Pool were lowered too far down so that the refuge could take soil samples for the impending destruction of the impoundments. They are dry wastelands, unattractive to most shorebirds this year.

 

     North Pool is too high, but does occasionally attract yellowlegs and dowitchers at its shallower edges. The egrets, herons, and night herons are congregating there, but most are too far to see without a spotting scope. Families of black-crowned and yellow-crowned night herons have been viewed near the water gate from the Hellcat Tower area. On our way off the refuge one evening, we counted 25 night herons heading south from their daytime roost north of the refuge, perhaps to feed around North Pool or in the marsh.

 

     A rare tri-colored heron has been in that same North Pool area near the night herons the past couple of weeks. Large numbers of snowy egrets, more than 100, were dropping into the phragmites opposite the water gate, out of viewing site. However, we haven’t seen many snowy egrets there the past couple of nights. The great egrets are roosting elsewhere as well. 

 

     All of these shorebirds and long-legged birds will head south in the weeks ahead, so enjoy them while they are here.