Words On Birds 09-29-23

Posted on September 28, 2023September 28, 2023 by bwsg

Words On Birds by Steve Grinley

Another Remembrance of Doug Chickering
September 29, 2023
By Steve Grinley

Last week I shared some remembrances from the local birding community of Doug Chickering, who passed away suddenly on Sunday, September 17. This week, I would like to share one more remembrance from Robert Ross of Byfield. Robert captures the essence of Doug’s character of helping new birders to see birds and to enjoy the world of birding the way that he did:

“I had not been a serious birder for very long when I shifted my focus on the Parker River Wildlife Refuge from striped bass to warblers. One early spring morning, as I walked along the s-curves, I came across an older gentleman. He was staring upward.

“As I approached, he turned to look at me, and said, “Good morning.” The friendly tone of his voice was muffled by his determination to not scare away whatever it was he had found in one of the larger oak trees. I really did not know my warblers very well. I had pinned down a small handful. I could tell immediately, here was someone who knew far more. As he cocked his head, he said, “Blue-winged” and pointed upward.

“Blue-winged?” Blue-winged what? A Bluebird? A Blue Jay? Without me saying anything in reply, he looked at me and said, “Blue-winged Warbler.” It occurred to me I had not shown enough enthusiasm in my initial response.

“He picked up on it. With the patience of an experienced hobbyist, he assumed I needed a bit more. He was right.

“We both stared up into the branches. I could hear the bird and took his word for it, what I was listening to was a Blue-winged Warbler. Then, suddenly, he turned his head, pointed in the opposite direction and said “Blackburnian.”

“Anyone who has been birding with a more experienced birder knows what happened next. I froze. Was I to keep looking for the Blue-winged or avert my eyes towards the Blackburnian? Then, he quickly raises his binoculars, looks in a third direction and says, “Just a Black and White.” He says this without disappointment. It’s factual. It’s over there, if you want to look for it.

“Then back to the tree above us. “Where do you think the Blackburnian is?” I ask. “If we stand here, it will likely fly into this tree. They love the oaks. The moth larvae have hatched.” Moth larvae? So it’s not sufficient to know the birds, I’m expected to know caterpillars as well?

Then, there’s a tiny bouncing bird high above us. “There he is,” he says, “our Blue-winged.” The bird was moving fast, like they do, and I caught glimpses of yellow. I was thrilled.

At my excitement, he says, “Here’s our Blackburnian,” as he points to a branch just above us. There, a bright orange and black little bird is attacking the hanging seed clusters. Perfect view!

“Thank you so much,” I offer.

“It’s that time of year–a wonderful time!” He is thrilled just to be here. He’s clearly happy, though in a quiet sort of way that suggests, ‘Just relax. It’s all merely fun.’ I introduce myself and he says, “I’m Doug.”

“Doug Chickering.” What a great name for a birder! Over many more years, I ran into Doug often on Plum Island. He is one of a handful of birders I like to refer to as “permanent residents” of the Refuge. As my knowledge of birding grew, I often approached Doug first if I saw him with a large group of birders, expecting he would know and share what was being seen–or not.

“A last example of the genius of Doug: there’s a huge group of birders searching a clump of trees along the Refuge road. Many cars are parked along the road. Most of the crowd stood in it. All are chattering away with excitement. Driving by, I see Doug and so decide to stop. I get out, approach him, and ask what we’re all looking at. Doug says, “Supposedly a Townsend’s Warbler.”

“So, you haven’t seen it?” I ask.

“Nope.”

“Do you think it’s there?

“Others are claiming it.”

“I stand there with Doug for a while, then see everyone, nearly in sync, raise their glass, while others [with cameras] shoot away frantically at high speed. I see the bird clearly, but only for a moment.

“Are we sure that’s not a female Blackburnian?” I ask Doug.

“Ssshhhhh,” he says almost under his breath, “You’ll spoil all the fun.”

“Doug has given up his permanent resident status. But for those of us who knew him, from his “bird a day” approach to birding the Island, to seeing him walking along the Refuge Road on any given early morning, he will be missed. Some will fondly remember his writings, many posted here, and his wonderful, underrated, and inspiring work, *Reflections on a Golden Winged-Warbler*. I am sure more than a few will join me in remembering him as not only a devoted birder and author but also as a very nice man.”

A celebration of Doug’s life will be held on Sunday, October 29,2023, 2:00pm at the Mass Audubon Joppa Flats Education Center, 1 Plum Island Turnpike in Newburyport. Come and share memories and light refreshments with our great birding community! All are welcome.

Steve Grinley
Bird Watcher’s Supply & Gift
Route 1 Traffic Circle
194 Route 1
Newburyport, MA 01950
BirdWSG@Comcast.net
978-462-0775
https://birdwatcherssupplyandgifts.com

Celebrating 27 years of service to the birding community!
Like us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/birdwatcherssupply

Words On Birds 09-22-23

Posted on September 21, 2023September 21, 2023 by bwsg

Words On Birds by Steve Grinley

Plum Island Birders Lose a Dear Friend
September 22, 2023
By Steve Grinley

Doug Chickering passed away, suddenly, at his Newbury home last Sunday. We have lost a long-time friend and extraordinary birder, whose smile, enthusiasm, and willingness to sharing birds and the birding experience was felt by all who knew him. He was truly the ambassador of Plum Island birding. His reports on Massbird, and in his book, Reflections of a Golden-winged Warbler, brought us descriptions not only of birds, but the whole experience and excitement of birding. I have shared so many of Doug’s stories with you in this column (he was a much better writer than I) and I always received such positive comments on his writing. Plum Island birding won’t be the same without him. We miss you already, dear friend.

An outpouring of remembrances for Doug has been flooding local social media including Massbird and the Plum Island and Essex County GroupMe sites. It is appropriate that I share some of these with you today:

Tom Wetmore of Newburyport, who birds the island everyday posted: “Doug and I had a passing acquaintance until April 2002, when Rick Heil found a Pacific Golden Plover along the S-curves. Over the couple hours spent with Rick working out the identity of that plover, Doug and I clicked and began our twenty plus year friendship.

“After Lois died Doug and I birded on the island, often together, nearly every day, and when I say nearly every day, it is no exaggeration. We never planned where or when we would meet, but every day we would get together somewhere on the island. We shared the same stories over and over and over again, and they never got old. And there are so many new Doug stories that could be told…

“His two hobbies were building ships in bottles and writing science fiction; he finished both a ship and a book recently. His occupation was machinist; he was in demand as a model maker for power plants; he made scale models of the plants, with all their piping and valves and power equipment; the models were then used to build the plants. He was credited for saving millions of dollars in one plant in western Pennsylvania by finding and fixing some impossible piping configurations in the original architects’ plans. The island is going to feel quite empty for awhile.”

Sam Miller of Acton wrote: “Very sad news. Glad he was birding, and I’m sure, laughing, on the day he died. Carla and I can’t recall ever a conversation with Doug in which he didn’t laugh. Great birder, great friend, great smile, great laugh. We’ll miss you and remember you, Doug.”

Cherrie Corey of Marlboro Vermont posted: “For so many years I’ve looked forward to Doug’s posts. He had the gift of relating his intimate communions with birds in a way that uplifted and inspired us all. His Plum Island post on 19 August 2023, “A few unforgettable moments among the tree swallows” was indeed transcendent, and perhaps prescient. May he be flying joyfully in their company now and always.”

Sandy Selesky of Westford, MA posted: “Such a shock! Doug was such a warm, friendly, and kind man and such an incredibly devoted birder! I check Ebird almost every day for Parker River since I go there often throughout the year and just noticed that Doug was there every day last week, some days 5-7 hours and EVEN yesterday morning for 45 minutes starting around 7 am as his usual daily arrival.

“Over the years I would especially get to see and talk to Doug about his sightings during the May migration, usually running into him on the Hellcat boardwalk or at the S Curves. I always looked forward to his thoughts about his special birding moments on Massbird. His writings were poetic and inspiring! I loved to hear about his excitement each year on days when he found himself surrounded by the thousands of tree swallows during their annual gathering at the Refuge in August since I feel the same emotion each time I witness this incredible event.

“I will miss seeing Doug walking alone or with fellow birding friends along the Refuge road and miss being able to wave or stop to talk to him whenever I saw him there. The Refuge was his 2nd home and he is hopefully still there soaring with his beloved birds.”

Steve Grinley
Bird Watcher’s Supply & Gift
Route 1 Traffic Circle
194 Route 1
Newburyport, MA 01950
BirdWSG@Comcast.net
978-462-0775
https://birdwatcherssupplyandgifts.com

Celebrating 27 years of service to the birding community!
Like us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/birdwatcherssupply

Words On Birds 09-15-23

Posted on September 14, 2023September 14, 2023 by bwsg

Words On Birds by Steve Grinley

Hurricanes Bring Rare Birds

September 15, 2023

By Steve Grinley

With hurricane Lee predicted to pass off the coast of New England this Friday and Saturday, it sounds like it could have some wind and rain impact here along the coast. Storms like this do take their toll on birds, with many birds blown way off course and many succumb to the harsh weather conditions. Rare birds are often seen during the storm and in the aftermath.

I looked back at my stories concerning hurricane Irene back in 2011, which tracked up the Hudson Valley and was devastating to New York, Western Massachusetts and Vermont. We were spared the brunt of the hurricane Irene in our area, but it still blew in some rare birds. I thought that I would share some excerpts of my accounts back then:

“While officials warned people to stay off the roads during the storm, there are always some birders that will brave the elements and venture out in search of those rare birds that might show up during such an event. I guess I could liken it to “storm chasers”, those who drive toward tornadoes, rather than away from them. I chose not to be one of them.

“The rare bird alert on the Internet, Massbird, was down, so it was hard to know what was going on out there. A few of the more local bird alerts, like Bostonbirds and CapeCodbirds, gave a glimpse of a few rarities that had been seen. Text messages came through that a white-tailed tropicbird and a sooty tern, both southern birds – rare in the northeast, were seen at Quabbin Reservoir in western Massachusetts. E-mails revealed that sooty and bridled terns (another southern rarity) had been seen in other locales. Seeing these few reports made it all the more difficult to be indoors on a weekend day.

“By mid-afternoon, the eye of the storm had passed, the rain had pretty much stopped, and the winds subsided with gusts to only 40mph. … We were in Cambridge, so we decided to head down to Squantum and found hundreds of terns on a sand bar there. As I scoped the terns (which was a challenge with occasional gusts of wind), I found a black tern, and then another, and another. A small group of terns circled and came toward us, almost passing overhead. It was a flock of about twenty-five black terns, the most I have ever seen in Massachusetts at one time! I looked them over carefully as they passed, hoping for the rare sooty tern, but no luck.

“We then decided to head to Wollaston Beach. We had a few black terns out on the mud flats, but it was across the road in Black’s Creek where we found another large group of black terns. There were another forty or so flying around the creek, fishing as they went!

“We were up to about seventy black terns when I received a call from Bill Gette. He was calling to inform me that the power was out at Mass Audubon Joppa Flats. I told him about the incredible number of black terns that we were seeing at Wollaston Beach. Bill called back about fifteen minutes later and said that, based on our conversation about the black terns, he set up his scope and looked out at Newburyport Harbor from his home across from the seawall. He was looking at a hundred black terns!

“During the following day, as Massbird came back up and started displaying posts from during and after the storm, we were able to get a better idea of the number of rarities that were brought northward with Irene. There were sooty terns in Winthrop and on the Cape. Sooty and bridled terns were seen in Westport. A sooty tern was found along a road on Nantucket, kept overnight and was released the next morning.

“There was a white-tailed tropicbird found flying around a pond in Pittsfield and one was picked up off someone’s lawn in Canterberry, New Hampshire. That bird was still alive and taken to a rehab facility. There were two separate reports of brown pelicans off Cape Cod.”

Almost a week later, rare birds were still being discovered. An immature white ibis was found at Stage Island Pool on Plum Island. Margo and I re-discovered it along the Plum Island Turnpike on our way to the Island. Neither of us had seen a white ibis in Massachusetts before (though plenty in Florida),

While we were looking at the rare ibis, Doug Chickering called and had found an American Avocet at the boat ramp at the Salisbury Beach State Reservation, so we headed there where a Caspian tern and lesser black-backed gull was also seen.

The rarity excitement continued the next day when Bill Gette from Mass Audubon Joppa Flats stopped us along the road on the Parker River Refuge to tell us that they had just banded a yellow-green vireo at the banding station! This tropical bird is sometimes reported in southern Texas and, more rarely, in south Florida. This is the first record of yellow-green vireo on the East Coast north of Georgia! Bill said that this bird was still molting primary feathers, so it may have been here for a while. Birders searched the wooded areas along the refuge road, in the hope that his rarity was still around, but I don’t recall that it was ever re-found.

We don’t know what hurricane Lee will bring us, but if you decide to look for birds during or after the storm, the first rule is to stay safe. Find a spot that is sheltered from the wind and rain, often your car is the best shelter. As Irene showed us, rare birds can be found in any body of water and even from your house on your front lawn!

Steve Grinley
Bird Watcher’s Supply & Gift
Route 1 Traffic Circle
194 Route 1
Newburyport, MA 01950
BirdWSG@Comcast.net
978-462-0775
https://birdwatcherssupplyandgifts.com

Celebrating 27 years of service to the birding community!
Like us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/birdwatcherssupply

Words On Birds 09-08-23

Posted on September 7, 2023September 7, 2023 by bwsg

Words On Birds by Steve Grinley

Are Birds Disappearing From Your Feeders?

September 08, 2023

by Steve Grinley

We have already heard the question of “where are all my birds?” this season. A few folks have already complained that their birds have disappeared from their backyards and feeders. Some ask if it could be the bird seed. Others wondered if it might be from the spraying for mosquitoes in their area.

Certainly many of the hummingbirds, orioles, rose-breasted grosbeaks and other summer resident birds have departed by now, or will in the weeks ahead. A few may linger, but most have headed south for warmer climates. Even many of the red-winged blackbirds, cowbirds and grackles have left.

The winter birds have yet to arrive. The juncos, tree sparrows, redpolls, pine siskins, evening grosbeaks and crossbills likely won’t be here for at least another month or more. A few of the migrating sparrows will be coming through soon, but, otherwise, there is a sort of “lull” in the migration as far as feeder birds go.

But what about the year ‘round residents? The chickadees, cardinals, blue jays, titmice, nuthatches, goldfinches, house finches and other birds are usually here all the time seem to be visiting feeders less. Where are they going?

This situation occurs almost every year at about this time. My theory is that early autumn is the time of year when the natural supply of seeds and nuts is most abundant. Despite the popular belief that birds only eat from your feeders and are dependent upon them, the birds are actually just using your feeders to supplement what they can find in the wild.

Birds are very opportunistic. When the supply of natural seeds and nuts is plentiful, they take advantage of that. I’ve noticed many oak trees with blue jays foraging in them for acorns now. The birds know that your feeders are there and, hopefully, will be there when they are tired of foraging and their natural food supply starts to dwindle again.

It would be like picking a fresh tomato from your garden for a salad that evening. Doesn’t it taste so much better than the ones you find at the grocery store? Don’t you take advantage of the fresh produce from your garden, or the local farm, when it is available?

The same could be said for fresh fish from our local lakes or ocean and fresh meat from a local hunt. Doesn’t the fish that you or a family member caught that day taste so much better than the fillet that you pick out of the fish counter at the grocery store? Similarly, we usually prefer fresh meat from local farms.

It doesn’t mean that we don’t enjoy vegetables, fish and meat during other seasons, or to supplement what we can’t grow or catch ourselves. We know what we like, and we take advantage of the availability of fresh, local food when we can. When we can’t, we enjoy the freshest food that we can find elsewhere. Well, so do the birds.

Of course there are other reasons why birds don’t visit, or stop visiting, particular feeders or backyards. Cats, either your own or a neighbor’s, is often problem number one. Despite hearing that “my cat is an outdoor cat”, or “my cat wouldn’t hurt a fly,” all cats have a natural instinct to kill birds. And they do kill billions (with a “B”) each year.

Seed that isn’t fresh or has gone bad in feeders is probably the second biggest reason that birds stay away. Bacteria build in feeders that have been neglected and are harmful to the birds. With all the rain that we had this past summer, this problem was accentuated. Like us at the grocery store, when we see, feel, and sense what is fresh, we avoid those foods that don’t appear to be. So do the birds.

Hawks and other natural predators are another reason for birds to stay away. Young hawks that fledged this past season look for feeders as easy “pickings” this time of year. These are usually temporary situations and only last for a few hours or days.

Many people are still enjoying a number of birds at their feeders, including many young birds that continue to follow their parents around. If you clean your feeders regularly, and use fresh, good quality seed, you are helping to entice birds to a more natural offering. It doesn’t mean that they won’t prefer the abundance of natural seeds and nuts right now, but they will choose your menu over others as their natural supply is reduced and they will become more regular visitors to your feeders, in time, once again.

Steve Grinley
Bird Watcher’s Supply & Gift
Route 1 Traffic Circle
194 Route 1
Newburyport, MA 01950
BirdWSG@Comcast.net
978-462-0775
https://birdwatcherssupplyandgifts.com

Celebrating 27 years of service to the birding community!
Like us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/birdwatcherssupply

Words On Birds 09-01-23

Posted on August 31, 2023August 31, 2023 by bwsg

Words On Birds by Steve Grinley

Swallow Show Near Conclusion This Season

September 01, 2023

By Steve Grinley

The annual tree swallow phenomenon that occurs on Plum Island every year is just about over. There were amazing experiences to be had, even this past week. It seemed to dissipate during the second half of the week. Jean and Jeff from West Newbury were hoping to catch it this past week, but they may just missed it. The day before, prior to the “cold” front coming through, it was still amazing. But there are still small numbers of swallows trickling through.

I can’t help but share with you Doug Chickering’s experience with the swallows of a couple of weeks ago:

“Yesterday when the weather was dismal I had one of those special birding moments that are nearly indescribable. With that caveat, I will relate what I encountered on the dike that runs from Parking Lot 6 up to Stage Island. When I arrived I was struck by the density of the Tree Swallow flock that seemed to be over the parking lot. Upon investigation I realized that the center of bird activity was along the edge of the dirt road leading up to Stage Island. On both sides the Tree Swallows had gathered, and were feeding.

“I had been seeing Tree Swallows, of course, down the length of the island and in at least two places the flocks were dense and active. I quickly got out of my car, and as inauspiciously as I could walk towards the swarm of birds. None of the flocks I had encountered, so far, were denser or as active as the one I approached cautiously.

“The birds were spread across the dirt road as well as perched in the brush on either side. They seemed nearly oblivious to my presence but did move away as I walked slowly up the road. They reluctantly abandoned the bay berry bushes when I got near, when I reached a place where I thought was a center of activity I stopped and stood still. Of course the birds had fled my approach, but did not go far.

“What followed was an experience that can best be characterized as transcendent. The birds returned and clearly they no longer considered me a danger. They closed in around me, many times flying so close that I could hear the thunder of their wings. It was truly magical, as they flew all around me, I could feel the wind from their wings, but they never once touched me. They didn’t land on me or attack me but simply treated me as if I were inanimate.

“If there were less than 5000 birds in my immediate vicinity I would be surprised. Their flight patterns seemed chaotic and random, but they never collided. And they did this in silence. There was a quality of lacquered unreality to it as it all lasted for a couple of minutes. I think. It happened to me a few times before, but a long time ago, and it was a special joy this time.”

If you missed it this week, there is always next year. Meanwhile, there are still many shorebirds coming through. Hundreds of semipalmated and white-rumped sandpipers and semipalmated plovers are covering our mudflats in the harbors at low tide and in tide pools at high tides. Also noted have been black-bellied plovers, yellowlegs and dowitchers. More unusual sightings include Baird’s and buff-breasted sandpipers, whimbrels, and golden plovers.

The shorebirds will continue into September and are worth examining for their higher numbers and for any rarities that may occur among them.

Steve Grinley
Bird Watcher’s Supply & Gift
Route 1 Traffic Circle
194 Route 1
Newburyport, MA 01950
BirdWSG@Comcast.net
978-462-0775
https://birdwatcherssupplyandgifts.com

Celebrating 27 years of service to the birding community!
Like us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/birdwatcherssupply

Words On Birds 08-25-23

Posted on August 24, 2023August 24, 2023 by bwsg

Words On Birds by Steve Grinley

Searching For Rare Shorebirds
August 25, 2023
By Steve Grinley

It is still peak time for swallows gathering on Plum Island feeding and preparing for their departure south, which could happen anytime now. Great egrets and snowy egrets continue to congregate late day at Stage Island Pool, feeding before they move to their night roost. Smaller numbers of egrets can be seen throughout the day feeding in the pans throughout the refuge.

Nighthawks are on the move with hundreds being reported from several locations in New Hampshire. Most of those are west of us, but many often come through along the coast. In fact, one was seen daytime roosting on a branch along the refuge road in the Hellcat Swamp on Plum Island. In years past, we have seen nighthawks roosting parallel on a branch in Hellcat or the Pines Trail on the Refuge.

Shorebirds are also in their prime during these weeks. At low tide they can be viewed on the Joppa Flats in the Newburyport Harbor. As the tide rises, they move into the salt pannes and fresh water pools on Plum Island and other pools throughout the Great Marsh. The smaller shorebirds consist mostly of semipalmated sandpipers and semipalmated plovers. Black-bellied sandpipers, yellowlegs and dowitchers make up the bulk of the larger shorebirds. A spotting scope is almost essential for identifying shorebirds that are any distance away.

Mixed in all these shorebirds may be least sandpipers, red knots, pectoral sandpipers, and golden plovers. Less common Baird’s sandpipers, buff- breasted sandpiper, whimbrels, and godwits are also being seen. This week, we watched nine whimbrels flying over the pans, and a buff-breasted sandpiper on the Plum Island beach at the newly opened lot 2. While watching the sandpiper, we spotted three Oystercatchers flying south over the ocean about a half-mile out.

A golden plover was reported at Sandy Point and Baird’s sandpipers have been seen at the Salt Pannes and Bill Forward Pool. A Hudsonian godwit was reportedly seen at the Salt Pannes early one morning. A possible western sandpiper was spotted among the hundreds of semipalmated sandpipers at the Pannes on another morning.

Looking through hundreds of shorebirds and trying to find something different can be both relaxing and challenging. Many times, they are just all just the same common birds. Those times, we enjoy watching their habits and their interactions. Drama comes when a peregrine falcon swoops in out of nowhere and scatters them all! Often the peregrine will leave without success and the birds settle down and need to be looked through again for something we missed.

Two extremely rare plovers have been found in Massachusetts during the past month. Margo and I ventured outside Essex County and made two trips to Cape Cod to try to see these birds.

In late July, a mountain plover was found on Long Beach in Centerville. This plover of the western prairies resembles a golden plover, or black-bellied plover in basic plumage. This was only the sixth east coast record, and was last seen in Massachusetts in 1916.

Chasing this bird was a last minute decision. We have seen it out west, but never in Massachusetts. One hot Sunday afternoon, we were locked out of the Parker River Refuge due to “no beach parking available” (even though we wanted to just bird.) I decided we would make the four-hour trip to the Cape. We encountered relatively little traffic and we were on the beach by 6 pm.

It was an easy half-mile walk down Long Beach Road from the Craigville Beach parking lot. A short path took us to the sand and we could see the area where the bird was last reported. We ran into only one birder, who pointed to where the bird was and we saw it almost immediately. The bird seemed undaunted by beach walkers and gave close views through the scope. It was a “State Bird” for both of us.

A week ago, Margo and I made a trip to Mashpee for a first state record, a lesser sand plover, previously called the Mongolian plover. We had seen this species in Thailand, but never in North America. This trip was more difficult, requiring a half-mile long walk through soft sand. This bird was also reportedly less cooperative as it spooked more easily and would fly off and not return for hours at a time.

Birding friends were coming off the beach and we were encouraged when they said that the bird was being seen around the first distant point. It took us a good twenty minutes to make the walk. We rounded the point and finally found other friends who were watching the bird. There were several semipalmated plovers moving about the beach fifty yards ahead of us. With our scopes, we could pick out the slightly larger bird, with longer black bill, that had a hint of rufous on its breast instead of a dark band. It was a North American first for everyone there!

And so we continue to “sift through” the hundreds, and sometime thousands, of local shorebirds, hoping to find the next rare bird!

Steve Grinley
Bird Watcher’s Supply & Gift
Route 1 Traffic Circle
194 Route 1
Newburyport, MA 01950
BirdWSG@Comcast.net
978-462-0775
https://birdwatcherssupplyandgifts.com

Celebrating 27 years of service to the birding community!
Like us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/birdwatcherssupply

Words On Birds 08-18-23

Posted on August 17, 2023August 17, 2023 by bwsg

Words On Birds by Steve Grinley

Shorebirds and Swallows Highlight Plum Island Visits

August 18, 2023

By Steve Grinley

The shorebird migration is in full swing with hundreds of birds feeding in the Salt Pannes and fresh water pools of Plum Island when the tide is right. The tree swallow show is nearing its peak on the island with thousands of swallows now gathering to feed on bayberries and insects. The local raptors are putting on a show as well, as Doug Chickering of Newbury describes a recent visit:

“Can there be anything significantly better than birding the Refuge on Plum Island in 70 degree weather and no Green-heads? That was today. There was that persistent dry cool wind off the ocean. This day the best place to pick through shore birds was the blind at hellcat overlooking the Bill Forward Pool.

“Here the crowds of Semipalmated Plovers were a bit larger than those of the Semipalmated Sandpipers. A nice big, bright Long-billed among the few Short-billed Dowitchers, and a Least Bittern briefly peaked out from the phrags before vanishing once again.

“The arresting event of the day came here, when we saw a raptor gliding in and a frantic response from the feeding shorebirds. At first I expected a Peregrine, but instead a Northern Harrier swept by, obviously looking for trouble. I had expected the falcon because of the reaction of the shorebirds. I don’t recall shorebirds being so flushed by a Harrier.

“As it was, the shorebirds were seeing more than I was, for as I watched the Harrier a bird swept in with obvious evil intentions. The Peregrine Falcon, the one I expected and the bird that scattered the shorebirds in fear, attacked the Harrier.

“The Harrier was unimpressed and ready to meet violence with violence. She struggled to gain altitude and the Falcon continued to attack her with a series of swoops and dives. Although I have witnessed similar scenes before I don’t think I can recall watching such a graceful demonstration of avian violence. It was also remarkable in its duration. I didn’t actually time it but it was surely five to eight minutes.

“The Harrier was amazingly agile in fending off the Falcon and the peregrine was persistent in its attacks. It made me wonder why the falcon would risk an obviously dangerous situation instead of targeting on of the little sandpipers. Finally they broke off, and it was uncertain which bird prevailed.

“Also the tree swallow numbers are approaching the astonishing. And the Bayberry crop seems to qualify as bountiful.”

A week later, Doug was absorbed in the swallow event:

“Even as I paused at Parking lot 1 on the refuge I knew that there would be Tree Swallows. It was their time and even here there were many flying and flying low. Even prepared, I was thoroughly startled when I encountered a feeding frenzy of Tree Swallows near the pans.

“I knew something was up when I first spotted a kettle of Tree swallows swirling around the tops of the bushes across from the pans. There was a strange combination of orderliness and chaos to the activity. I got out of my car and took a step into the road to see better and saw the center of their frenzied activity. They were gorging themselves on a set of bayberry bushes with a singular fury that was fascinating and a little intimidating. I have seen this before, recently, and hope to see it again. It never gets old.

“All around this furious energy more Swallows came in. Some perched on nearby bushes and a few joined in to feast. They did this in an eerie quiet as the soft thunder of their wingbeats seemed to muffle everything else. They may have vocalized, but not so I would remember. I will pay closer attention in the future. The Tree swallow extravaganza has begun.”

Steve Grinley
Bird Watcher’s Supply & Gift
Route 1 Traffic Circle
194 Route 1
Newburyport, MA 01950
BirdWSG@Comcast.net
978-462-0775
https://birdwatcherssupplyandgifts.com

Celebrating 27 years of service to the birding community!
Like us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/birdwatcherssupply

Words On Birds 08-11-23

Posted on August 10, 2023August 10, 2023 by bwsg

Words On Birds by Steve Grinley

How to Choose Optics for Birding
August 11, 2023
By Steve Grinley

This weekend is the Sales Tax Free Holiday in Massachusetts. If you watch birds and wildlife, you may want to consider purchasing a new pair of binoculars or a spotting scope, or upgrading ones that you have, and save money on the tax this weekend. This is a good time to repeat my tutorial on binoculars and scopes to help educate you on what to look for in optics,

Binoculars help bring the birds and all of nature closer. Today’s optics are lighter, brighter, and sharper than they were years ago. You don’t need to start out with the best optics, as there is some fine lower priced binoculars and scopes, and you can always graduate to better optics as your interest grows. Or, as many experts advise, you can invest a little more money now and buy the best optics that you can afford and they will bring you many years of enjoyment.

The most popular size binoculars for birding are 8×42 or 10×42. Binoculars with magnification of 8 or 10 power, the first number that you see printed on the binocular, will bring birds 8 or 10 times closer. Higher power may sound better, and it can be, but the higher the magnification, the harder it can be to hold a binocular steady. The lower power generally gives you a little more light and a wider field of view. The wider the field of view, the easier it is to find a bird in a tree, because you are seeing more of the tree. Ten power does bring birds closer, but with less field of view but provides more definition if you can hold the binocular steady.

The second number (i.e. 42) is the diameter of the objective lens, the lens that is furthest away from you, in millimeters. The larger that lens, the more light enters the binoculars. More light is important when light conditions are not ideal, such as birding in the shade, on cloudy days, or at dawn or dusk.

Compact binoculars such as 8×20 or 10×25 are great for hiking, or for a second pair to keep in your car or backpack, but not very useful for general field use. The small objective lens limits both the field of view and the brightness of the image. But for those who just want to carry a pair in their pocket for long walks or for a sporting event, they may do just fine.

Other factors to consider are the close focus (how close you can focus to see birds and butterflies a few feet away), waterproof capability (for birding in the rain, in the tropics, or in a kayak), and eye relief (important for eyeglass wearers to be able to have the full field of view of the binoculars). Binoculars vary greatly and these factors, as well as how they feel to you, is important! It is best to try them before you buy them, not only to match the binocular to your need, but also to get the one that feels good to you ergonomically.

Another consideration is your budget. Binoculars come in all price ranges, from under $100 to $2500 or more. There are many excellent ones for just a few hundred dollars. You pretty much get what you pay for. The more you pay, the better the lens and the better the thin coatings that are placed on every glass surface that allow light to transmit through to your eyes rather than reflecting off the glass. The best binoculars have the “wow” factor – the ones that you put up to your eyes and you can say “wow.”

All the same can be said for spotting scopes. Spotting scopes start at 20 times magnification and can zoom up to 60 or 70 times magnification. So a tripod is necessary to hold a scope steady. As you zoom up, the image darkens, so the larger scopes let in more light for those higher magnifications. The smaller scopes are lighter and more portable, and they still perform very well for viewing long distances.

Scopes range from $200 to $4000 or more and, as in binoculars, you get what you pay for. It is best to try different ones to find one that satisfies your needs.

This weekend is a great time to consider new optics to enhance your birding experience. Sunday is our Optics Day at the store, Bird Watcher’s Supply & Gift, from 10am to 3pm. You can meet representatives from the major optics companies and compare different binoculars or scopes. Most companies are offering special discounts for this free event, and with the Tax Free Holiday Weekend, you will save even more!

Hope to see you there!

Steve Grinley
Bird Watcher’s Supply & Gift
Route 1 Traffic Circle
194 Route 1
Newburyport, MA 01950
BirdWSG@Comcast.net
978-462-0775
https://birdwatcherssupplyandgifts.com

Celebrating 27 years of service to the birding community!
Like us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/birdwatcherssupply

Words On Birds 08-04-23

Posted on August 3, 2023August 3, 2023 by bwsg

Words On Birds by Steve Grinley

Beach Cleaning Versus Shorebirds

August 04, 2023

By Steve Grinely

I would like to share with you a Massbird post from Soheil Zendeh who lives just north of Boston and actively monitors and birds of Winthrop and Revere:

“Long-distance migratory shorebirds are beginning their south bound journeys right now. Many females, after laying eggs, leave the business of incubating eggs and tending the very young to males, so we get a first wave of mostly adult female shorebirds arriving from the arctic and near-arctic, heading to the southern US, Caribbean, Central America and South America.

“The shorebird refueling stopovers for the remainder of these epic journeys are our coastal (and some inland) wetlands and beaches.

“The good news over the past weekend, from Tim E. who monitors Winthrop Beach:

“On a positive note, we had the following counts at Winthrop Beach.

500-550 Semipalmated Sandpipers

100-150 Semipalmated Plovers

12 Black-bellied Plovers

2 Ruddy Turnstones

4 Sanderling

20 Piping Plovers (3chicks)

5 Killdeer

Also our Oystercatcher population will make appearances from time to time.”

“Winthrop Beach is easily accessible by car or public transportation, and parking is very easy. There are even public showers and restroom facilities!

“Now the bad news: migratory shorebirds returning from the arctic are running into our beaches which are extra people-crowded due to the extra hot weather. When these migratory flocks try to land and replenish their fuel for the rest of their journeys, they run into crowds of people, dogs and marauding Peregrines; those are certainly problems for these birds. And now, more than ever, DCR crews are also out with huge machines “cleaning” the beach of wrack, the very food resource these birds need.

“Here is what Linda Pivacek, who has been monitoring Nahant beaches for decades, wrote recently:

“I noticed that Nahant/Lynn Beach has had the seaweed wrack lines cleared every day. I was hoping that DCR would stop this, at least in part… say half the beach. The many shorebirds that I see fly by daily do not land as there is none of the food they need after thousands of miles of migration. DCR realized that the Piping Plovers needed the wrack and thus stopped beach clearing earlier in the season. Now that the plover chicks have fledged, it’s back to ‘normal beach cleaning’.”

“I have similar stories from Lauretta Woods; she watched the beach-cleaning equipment scrape the beach right up and through a flock of feeding sandpipers.

“Tim E., the gent with the Winthrop Beach counts above, wrote:

“They were raking the beach at Winthrop this morning before 6am with the machine. I was hoping to catch an overnight rare visitor at dusk. A group of Piping Plovers from other beaches have been congregating in that spot.”

“The problem is that the Conservation staff in DCR (Department of CONSERVATION and Recreation) does not have much sway with the Recreation folks. Yes, DCR has to toe the line with federal and state laws regarding Piping Plovers, but once they’re gone, the beach-cleaning crowd wins out.

“What we can do is begin to put public pressure on the agency to reverse this. Please write! Address your email to the Community Relations contact at info@massparks.gov. Go ahead and use Linda’s words from the letter above, or relate your own experience. Let them know that migratory shorebirds have a constituency. This is a way we can strengthen the hand of our conservation allies within the agency.

“Also mention that the wrack being taken does not appear to pose any public safety hazard or risk to human health so you are confused about why the natural build-up of organic debris is being regularly removed.

“If you have friends who could be persuaded to write on behalf of migratory shorebirds, forward this request to them…

“Shorebirds, like many other groups of organisms on the planet, are under intense pressure right now; their numbers have been declining sharply for several decades. We need to take action to prevent additional massive population declines…

“We have August, September and October shorebirds to look forward to. I hope there are shorebirds to count!”

Thank you, Soheil. Though Salisbury State Beach does clean their beach, it does remind us how lucky we are to have the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge on Plum Island to keep its beach natural. And though the DCR manages the state end of the island at Sandy Point, it doesn’t clean the wrack line but leaves the wrack line to feed the migrating shorebirds.

Steve Grinley
Bird Watcher’s Supply & Gift
Route 1 Traffic Circle
194 Route 1
Newburyport, MA 01950
BirdWSG@Comcast.net
978-462-0775
https://birdwatcherssupplyandgifts.com

Celebrating 27 years of service to the birding community!
Like us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/birdwatcherssupply

Words On Birds 07-28-23

Posted on July 27, 2023July 27, 2023 by bwsg

Words On Birds by Steve Grinley

A Whale Watch Surprise
July 28, 2023
By Steve Grinley

If you want to see birds and beat the heat, and the greenheads, you should try a whale watch. You’ll certainly see some amazing mammals and likely some different birds that you don’t usually see from land.

Margo and I went on a whale watch trip out of Cape Ann a few weeks ago. It was a foggy day and the Naturalist on board warned us that we could have a long ride through the fog to see some whales.

A fish crow’s “cah, cah” call came through the fog as we shoved off from the dock. As we motored out of Gloucester Harbor past double-crested cormorants, herring and great black-backed gulls and a number of common eider lined the rocks on Ten Pound Island. Fifteen great egrets were roosting in the trees in the middle of the island.

We saw our first Wilson’s storm-petrels of the trip before leaving the harbor and passing the Dogbar jetty. At first glance Wilson’s storm-petrels look like swallows, but they are all dark brown with a white rump. More storm-petrels would be seen throughout our trip, as they are the most abundant birds on earth!

After traveling in and out of the fog an hour and a half we reached the area of Stellwagen Bank where the majority of whales and birds were that day. We did see a great shearwater, a laughing gull and more storm-petrels along the way. As we reached our destination, we could soon see an area where the fog had lifted and other boats were gathered in a mystical sunshine but still surrounded by fog a mile or two all around us.

There were ten or twelve humpback whales, all “performing” in this area of open sunshine, breaching and tail slapping. Whale watching boats from Boston, Cape Ann, Plymouth and Provincetown were all there observing these giants of the sea.

Whales stir the ocean, bring fish and nutrients to the surface and, thus, there were lots of birds. There were many shearwaters, the majority of which were great shearwaters. There were smaller numbers of Cory’s, sooty and Manx shearwaters. Hundreds of storm-petrels danced on the water. And of course many gulls and a few terns were feeding there too. It was a magical sight to see!

From our position on the map, we were only a few miles off Provincetown, but we couldn’t see land due to the thick fog around us. On a clearer day we may have seen jaegers, the “hawks of the sea” chasing the gulls and terns for their fish, but these whales and birds were sheltered in our own small hole in the fog and were undetected by jaegers this day.

After spending an amazing hour with the birds and whales, we headed north toward home and Cape Ann. On the way back, we kept watching for birds passing or following the boat.

After twenty minutes we noticed a large brown bird join the gulls in the wake of the boat. At first I though immature gull but it was larger with pointed wings. We kept watching as it gained on the boat and it eventually flew along side.

We considered immature gannet with its long spear bill, but this bird was different. Young gannets are usually mottled white and brown, but this bird was mostly brown. It did have some white mottling on the belly with a clear demarcation from the chest. Its face looked different too. It was so close we could see yellow feet, not gray like a gannet. This bird was an immature brown booby!

The brown booby is a bird of the south, seen off Florida and southern California and is rare in New England. This bird flew along side the boat close enough and long enough for Margo to get some great photos. Eventually the bird flew ahead, over the bow of the boat and into the fog.

A few minutes later one of the deck hands, who knew that we were birders, came over and said that the captain thought that he saw a brown booby from the wheelhouse. We confirmed his sighting and showed him our photos!

You never know what one might see on a whale watch. Locally, there are whale watches out of Newburyport and Cape Ann. It is a great way to enjoy birds and whales, and to escape the summer heat!

Steve Grinley
Bird Watcher’s Supply & Gift
Route 1 Traffic Circle
194 Route 1
Newburyport, MA 01950
BirdWSG@Comcast.net
978-462-0775
https://birdwatcherssupplyandgifts.com

Celebrating 27 years of service to the birding community!
Like us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/birdwatcherssupply