Words On Birds 10-10-25

 

     Margo and I spend much of last Sunday afternoon on Plum Island. We went to the pines where we found some migrants. Many yellow-rumped warblers, a blue-headed vireo, a Swainson’s and 2 hermit thrushes, golden-crowned kinglets, and red-breasted nuthatches. Two migrating yellow-bellied sapsuckers were quietly drumming along the trail.

 

     From the Hellcat dike we saw ducks and lingering shorebirds including yellowlegs, black-bellied and semipalmated plovers, 3 pectoral and 2 stilt sandpipers, and a less common Hudsonian Godwit in Bill Forward Pool. That was the first day that the American avocet was not reported in the pool there in the previous 21/2 weeks. Apparently it has moved on.

 

     Later in the afternoon, we headed to Newburyport Harbor where the tide was ebbing and the flats were filling with shorebirds.  Gulls were also congregating and a large flock of more than 200 Bonaparte’s gulls were feeding in the water at the far edge of Joppa Flats. Also present were 9 somewhat late Forster’s terns. I then spotted a marbled godwit at the far edge of the flats. Now less common than the Hudsonian godwit, the word went out and the bird was seen in the harbor on subsequent low tides for several days.

 

     On Tuesday of this week, Rick Heil spotted the marbled godwit in the harbor as well as the Hudsonian godwit, presumable the same Hudsonian that had been seen several days in Bill Forward Pool at high tides. Along with the godwits, Rick also reported an immature little gull. Shortly later, Rick reported that most of the birds were flushed by a peregrine falcon coming through.

 

     Anytime a peregrine is mentioned in the same paragraph as a little gull, it stirs memories of the ill-fated little gull we encountered way back in 2013 off the north end of Plum Island. I’ll share our story of that fatal day with you again here:

 

     “…We then proceeded to the north end of Plum Island. As soon as we arrived there, we saw a peregrine falcon pursuing a tern-like bird, closer to the area entering the basin. The small bird gracefully eluded the predator and flew more in front of us, into the middle of the harbor, with the peregrine in close pursuit. At first I thought it might be a Bonaparte’s gull, but the dark underwing linings were evident to both of us – it was an adult LITTLE GULL! 

 

     “The little gull is a Eurasian species, uncommon in this area. One or more show up in Newburyport Harbor or on Plum Island most years. There were as many as three in the harbor in late summer/early fall. It is a bird that is sought here by birders from other parts of the country, and it is always special when we “locals” see one.

 

     “We watched the peregrine make continuous passes at the small gull, which eluded it each time, usually by dropping onto the water. This went on for ten or fifteen minutes or more, and it was obvious that the gull was tiring from the pursuit. Then, a second peregrine appeared and joined in the assault. 

 

     “The falcons made wide circles around the gull, then one would streak toward it, seemingly without effort. Both falcons relentlessly circled and dove on the gull as they all moved further and further into the harbor. The gull continued to elude them each time by dropping onto the water. Each time, the small gull stayed a bit longer on the water in order to muster enough strength to lift off again and still evade his attackers. 

 

     “At one point, it almost looked like another gull, perhaps a herring gull, was going to save the day, but after only a couple of feeble attempts to distract the peregrines, it continued on its way. Not much help at all, as the peregrines were relentless.

 

     “Soon after, when it was obvious to me that the gull was too exhausted to lift itself off the water, one of the peregrines plucked the little gull from the water. The raptor carried it off to a rock on the Salisbury side of the river, initially tailed by the other peregrine which eventual turned away to find its own meal. The rock was too far away for us watch the details of the feast, and it was just as well. We had seen enough.”

 

     Let’s hope that Rick’s little gull continues to be seen in good health this season!