Words On Birds 09-04-26

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Words On Birds by Steve Grinley

Fall Migrants Make September Birding Exciting
September 04, 2026
By Steve Grinley

    September can be an exciting month for birding. There are still many shorebirds moving through though their numbers will. Sightings of up to seven buff-breasted, a couple of Baird’s sandpipers, a few western sandpipers and an occasional golden plover on Plum Island are keeping things interesting. There are still good numbers of “peeps” to sort through to try to find something different – an unusual vagrant, maybe.

    A few of the larger whimbrels are still moving through and more godwits are expected to show up this month. A far-east curlew showed up in Quebec this week, only the second record for North America. Birders are hoping it moves south into New England.

    Raptors are on the move. The hawk watches are starting to report Cooper’s, sharp-shinned hawks and growing numbers of broad-winged hawks. This week, a Cooper’s hawk and a broad-winged hawk were seen landing in the same tree on Plum Island! Raptor migration will increase into September and then taper off in October.

    Most of the terns have migrated through our area, though a few common terns are still lingering. At least one least tern parent attending to its 2 young offspring remaining on the south end of the refuge beach. A rare Sabine’s gull was spotted by Mile Brengle off Crane Beach in Ipswich. Other rare gulls and terns often appear in September. Swallow numbers are way down from where they were a couple of weeks ago, but there are more barn swallows joining the migrating tree swallows now.

    Songbird migration is beginning to heat up. A Philadelphia vireo and a number of fall warblers have already been reported in the area. A couple of dickcissels, midwestern birds, have been reported in Eastern Massachusetts, including more than one on Plum Island this past week. As we move through September, more warblers, flycatchers and sparrows will migrate through Essex County.

    Feeders are active with juvenile birds of a variety of species, and birds are beginning to fuel up for their migration south. Young goldfinches are still begging for food at feeders as parents try to keep their offspring fed. Keeping your feeders full with nyger and sunflower will make their job easier. Keep an eye out for migrant pine siskins or purple finches as well.

    Cooler temperatures, longer nights and diminishing insects are sending more of our resident birds to feeding stations in search of supplemental fat and protein. Late nesting Carolina wrens may still be in search of mealworms or suet. Even a late-fledged bluebirds will appreciate the handout.

    If you stopped offering suet for the summer, now is the time to put it back out. Resident woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees and titmice can all use the added fat as night temperatures cool. Migrants, such as orioles, brown creepers, and pine warblers enjoy suet as well.

    A frequently asked question this week was “When should I take down my hummingbird feeder?” Some of our resident hummingbirds have left – the males are the first to leave. Our male hummingbird is gone, but new still have a female and youngster visiting our feeders and flowers. Migrant hummers will be stopping to refuel at flowers and feeders on their way south. You can maintain your hummingbird feeder for a few more weeks to sustain those birds that are migrating from further north.

    By the end of September, most hummers have moved through and it is safe to take down feeders. Those who keep a feeder up later into the late fall sometimes get rewarded with a rare vagrant such as a rufous hummingbird. A few young western hummingbird species will wander east, instead of south and show up in New England!

    In the same way, many orioles have left, though we also see a few migrants during September. Oriole feeders can also be taken down by the end of September. As you keep feeding orioles, do keep an eye out for a Bullock’s oriole from the west that sometimes wanders east.

    By month’s end, a variety of sparrows, including white-throated and white-crowned, will be scratching underneath feeders. They enjoy white millet, as do the juncos which will arrive shortly thereafter. By October, fox and tree sparrows may stop by and the tree sparrows may stay all winter with the juncos.

    The good news is that as those flocks of grackles should start moving south. Those pesky blackbirds that dominate your feeders do migrate and they should be gone in a few weeks. There isn’t much to discourage them in the meantime as they seem to devour all types of seed. Feeders that cater to just the small birds (with no, or short, perches, weight-sensitive perches, or small bird entry), may help in the meantime, but those of you that “suffer” from grackle domination will soon be grackle-free for the winter.

    Then you can turn your attention to the squirrels again!

Steve Grinley
Bird Watcher’s Supply & Gift
Port Plaza West Shops
45 Storey Ave, Suite 7B
Newburyport, MA 01950
BirdWSG@Comcast.net 
978-462-0775 
https://birdwatcherssupplyandgifts.com

Celebrating 30 years of service to the birding community! 
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Words On Birds 08-28-26

Posted on by bwsg

Words On Birds by Steve Grinley

How Did Birds Get Their Names?
August 28, 2026
By Steve Grinley

     Last week I talked about the massive number of swallows that are staging at Plum Island. Twenty thousand were estimated on Plum Island on Tuesday evening at the well-attended swallow event hosted by the Friends of Parker River. This spectacle is still going on, so if you haven’t treated yourself to this event of nature, you should do so soon before they depart.

     Some years ago, I received a copy of The Dictionary of American Bird Names. It explains the origin of the names of many our wild birds. I found many name derivations very fascinating, so I thought I would share them again with you:

     Of course, it is easy to figure how many birds got their name from their calls or the sounds that they make. The state bird, chickadee, says its name “chick-a-dee, dee, dee”. Our chickadee is the black-capped chickadee, so named from the black coloration on the head.

     The repetitious call of the whip-poor-will provides its name, as does the raspy “fee-bee” of the Eastern phoebe. The hummingbird was named for the sound of its wings and the catbird’s occasional “mew” sound provided its name. The mockingbird does imitate or “mock” other birds and sounds. Owl was shortened Cockney for “howl” which described these birds’ sounds. (Does this mean a different owl might be called an “oot”?)

     The call of the loon is said to sound like the wild laugh of a demented person or lunatic, and such people are referred to as “loony.” The name may also be derived from the Shetland loom which means “lame” for the way the bird walks awkwardly on land.

     Many birds named for their coloration are also easily discerned. Blackbirds are usually mostly or all black (with exceptions like the meadowlark and bobolink which are also blackbirds). The bluebird is named for its predominant color. The yellowthroat has, indeed, a yellow throat and the yellowlegs has yellow legs. Vireo is from the Latin viridos which means green, referring to the green coloration of many birds of this family.

     Cardinal is Latin, cardinalis, for important. The cardinal eventually became the name for one of the more important church figures who wore red robes. Thus, cardinal referred to such color and our red bird became known as the cardinal. (An important visitor to any feeder.)

     The English named any bird with a russet breast a robin. Since the American robin resembled the English robin in this way, it was so named. However, the bluebird was also called robin in the past. The towhee was once referred to as the ground robin, the Baltimore oriole was the golden robin, the waxwing was the Canadian robin and the red-breasted merganser was the sea robin.

     The towhee was renamed for its call; the oriole renamed for the European golden oriole which it resembled; the waxwing renamed from its red shaft tips on its wing feathers that resembles sealing wax and merganser comes from the Latin mergus to dive and anser or goose thus giving us a diving goose. Now we just have one robin – the American robin.

     Nuthatch got its name from its habit of wedging nuts in crevices of trees and “hacking” at them to open and eat them. “Nuthack” became “nuthatch.”

     The kingbird perhaps got its name for the red feathers on its crown (which are often concealed) or, more likely, from its aggressive behavior. I remember the nesting kingbird that was attacking joggers and other pedestrians on Hale Street in Newburyport? He thought he was king!

     Hawk comes from the Anglo-Saxon hafoc or to have, in the sense of grasp or seize, which all hawks do extremely well. Harrier is a British name for hawks that fly low over the ground to hunt, thus our marsh hawk was renamed to harrier.

     Our sparrow hawk is now called the American kestrel. Kestrel is from the French crecelle for noisy bell.. Kestrels used to be put in dove houses to keep away other larger hawks with their “ringing call”, thus comforting the doves to mate. That doesn’t sound very comforting to me!

Steve Grinley
Bird Watcher’s Supply & Gift
Port Plaza West Shops
45 Storey Ave, Suite 7B
Newburyport, MA 01950
BirdWSG@Comcast.net 
978-462-0775 
https://birdwatcherssupplyandgifts.com

Celebrating 30 years of service to the birding community! 
Like us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/birdwatcherssupply

Words On Birds 08-21-26

Posted on by bwsg

Words On Birds by Steve Grinley

Marsh Cruise Provides Close-up Views
August 21, 2026
By Steve Grinley
 
     Last week, I talked about the massive numbers of swallows that are gathering on Plum Island, and they are now showing in the tens of thousands this weekend. To view this spectacle, you need only to drive slowly down the refuge road on the island. Birds will be perched in the vegetation along the dune side and hundreds more will be streaming over the dunes. Similar numbers will be streaming over the marsh side as well.
 
    The swallows gather in larger numbers in the phragmites in the North Pool, Bill Forward Pool, and further south at Stage Island Pool. They often lift at once, creating clouds of swirling birds that is amazing to watch.
 
     To share these birds with others, Laura de la Flor leads a free Brookline Bird Club walk tonight, Friday Aug 1,9 5:30pm to dark. As with most BBC walks, it is open to the public and everyone is welcome. Meet at Lot # 4 Hellcat parking lot at 5:30.  
 
     As I mentioned last week, Bill Gette of the Friends of Parker River Refuge is also hosting a swallow event next Tues, Aug 27 (rain date wed, 28th), 5:30pm – dark. He is gathering on the dike behind Hellcat Lot #4 where this phenomenon can be best viewed.
 
     Meanwhile, the fall shorebird migration continues. Thousands of semipalmated sandpipers and semipalmated plovers, as well as greater and lesser yellowlegs, short-billed and long-billed dowitchers, black-bellied plovers and willets can be viewed all down the refuge. The main pannes and all three fresh-water pools provide the best viewing. 
 
     In addition, six red knots were seen in the pannes this week, and a Baird’s sandpiper has been present in Bill Forward Pool, best viewed from the blind. Also seen this past week were marbled and Hudsonian godwits, and an avocet was reported near the boat ramp in Salisbury.
 
     Margo and I joined the Brookline Bird Club aboard the Yankee Clipper out of Newburyport Harbor on a river cruise through the Plum Island marshes one evening this week. The weather was perfect and it gave us close-up views of shorebirds, gulls, terns, herons and egrets. The dedicated trip permitted the captain to slow the boat for birds and give all aboard the best chances to find the hidden birds of the marshes.
 
     We had many close views of the many shorebirds along the banks including yellowlegs, dowitchers, and a surprisingly high number of spotted sandpipers! We passed close by the many osprey nest platforms that now dot the marsh, many still occupied with young. This is a wonderful success story in the Great Marsh, thanks to Dave Rimmer and all the volunteers from the Essex County Greenbelt. Ospreys were everywhere we turned.
 
     We also saw three turkey vultures on one bank, feasting on what looked like a gull carcass. A male harrier was a great surprise as it lifted out of the marsh in another area. Harriers nested on the island for the first time in many years, nesting in what was the “North Field” area near the North Pool. 
 
     We motored past several close great egrets and great blue herons. We were hoping for views of sharp-tailed and seaside sparrows that nest in the marsh, but sparrows were scarce this trip. Last year, we had many sparrows, but I only saw a song sparrow on this trip.
 
     The boat provides a different perspective of the island. We could see the clouds of swallows against the sky over the houses and the dunes. And the swallows were omnipresent flying past us throughout our cruise.
 
     As we left the marsh, we headed toward the jetties at the mouth of the Merrimack River. Bonaparte’s and laughing gulls were seen among the many herring, ring-billed and black-backed gulls. Common terns were flying around the boat and perched on the jetties and nearby buoys, as were the many double-crested cormorants. Least terns could be seen flying along the Plum Island beach beyond the jetty. Hundreds of “peeps”, small shorebirds, most likely semipalmated sandpipers and plovers, could be seen along the dark rocks exposed by the falling tide inside the jetty on Plum Island.
 
     As we motored back toward our dock at the harbor, a sharp eye caught sight of two terns jockeying for position atop a tall buoy. White terns with black “ear patches” – Forster’s terns! An uncommon tern that was a treat for all to see. The captain and the Yankee Clipper saved the best for last!

Steve Grinley
Bird Watcher’s Supply & Gift
Port Plaza West Shops
45 Storey Ave, Suite 7B
Newburyport, MA 01950
BirdWSG@Comcast.net 
978-462-0775 
https://birdwatcherssupplyandgifts.com

Celebrating 30 years of service to the birding community! 
Like us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/birdwatcherssupply

Words On Birds 08-14-26

Posted on by bwsg

Words On Birds by Steve Grinley

Swallows and Egrets Putting on a Show
August 14, 2026
By Steve Grinley
 
     It is mid-August and the greenheads are gone from Plum Island only to be replaced by mosquitoes and no-see-ums. With such plentiful insects available on Plum Island, and ample bayberry fruit to feed on, tens of thousands of swallows are congregating on the Island. This annual bird spectacle is peaking in the next couple of weeks, and one worth seeing before they are gone by month’s end. 
 
     Swallows eat flying insects on the wing which make them very beneficial. They are a critical part of the food chain, and they help naturally control flying insect populations. The swallows form large, swarming clouds as they feed, and you can also see them skim insects off the surface of the pools. 
 
     The majority of swallows are tree swallows, with iridescent blue backs and white underneath. Young tree swallows are brown on the back. Mixed in are a small number of barn and bank swallows and the larger purple martins. Speaking of purple martins, there are still a few young in the gourds at Lot 1 on the refuge, but most have fledged and have joined the flocks of swallows.
 
     Large congregations of swallows can be seen all along the refuge road anytime during the day as these birds gather and move along the dunes and marsh. Drive slowly along the refuge road as these birds will also land on right on the pavement. 
 
     In the early evening, thousands of swallows are “staging” in the cattails of North Pool and feeding on the evening insects. You can watch them from the North Pool Overlook, or experience them flying all around you on the dike behind Hellcat.
 
     If you want to experience this spectacle with others, you can join Bill Gette and the Friends of Parker River on Tuesday, August 25  (rain date Wednesday, August 26) 5:30pm until dark.  Meet at the tower on the dike at the Hellcat Wildlife Observation Area (Parking Lot #4) on the refuge. It is free, open to all ages and abilities, and families are encouraged to participate! It is a great way to experience this annual phenomenon of countless swallows and egrets as they make their way to roost for the night.
 
     Last year, snowy and great egrets were “staging” in Bill Forward Pool, which added to the swallow experience from the Hellcat dike. You will likely see many egrets, and a few night herons, flying by, and a few many land. However, this year, the majority of egrets are staging at Stage Island Pool further south on the refuge. There, you can see hundreds of egrets congregating in the lowered pool during the late day and evening before flying off just before sunset to other night roosting areas. It is also a sight worth seeing.
 
     It is as if the egrets know that this is the last year that they will be able to gather at Stage Island Pool. By next year, the refuge plans to breach the dike at Stage Island, destroy this valuable fresh-water marsh and turn it into an experiment to recreate more salt marsh. This fresh-water marsh that is home to nesting ducks, swans, Virginia and sora rails, American and least bitterns, and thousands of migrating ducks, shorebirds, and egrets will be gone next year. This fresh-water marsh, that the Refuge itself created seventy years ago just for this purpose, will be destroyed.
 
     Yes, the egrets will likely gather back at Bill Forward Pool next year. That is, until the Refuge carries out its plan to breach and destroy the Bill Forward Pool next.  And then, ultimately the North Pool where all those swarms of swallows gather and rest. So do enjoy them while you still can.

Steve Grinley
Bird Watcher’s Supply & Gift
Port Plaza West Shops
45 Storey Ave, Suite 7B
Newburyport, MA 01950
BirdWSG@Comcast.net 
978-462-0775 
https://birdwatcherssupplyandgifts.com

Celebrating 30 years of service to the birding community! 
Like us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/birdwatcherssupply

Words On Birds 08-07-26

Posted on by bwsg

Words On Birds by Steve Grinley

Binoculars Bring Nature Closer
August 07, 2026
By Steve Grinley

     This weekend is the Massachusetts Sales Tax Holiday Weekend. A lot of people will be out buying big TVs and appliances. If you watch birds and wildlife, you may want to consider purchasing a new pair of binoculars or a spotting scope, or upgrade ones that you have. You can save money with store sales happening this weekend and by not paying sales tax on them.

     We are in the middle of shorebird migration, egrets are gathering in the pools on Plum Island, and the swallow spectacle has already begun on the refuge. Binoculars and spotting scopes will add to your wildlife viewing experience. Allow me to share again what to look for in binoculars and scopes:

     Today’s optics are lighter, brighter, and sharper than they were even a few years ago. You don’t need to start out with the best optics, as there are 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. The first number is the magnification. Magnifications of 8 or 10 power, will bring birds 8 or 10 times closer or make the bird look 8 or 10 times larger. Higher power may sound better, and it can be, but the higher the magnification, the harder it may 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 for more definition, but with less field of view.

     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 on cloudy days, or at dawn or dusk. Some people use 30mm or 32mm binoculars that are smaller and weigh less, but they let in less light.

     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.

     Most binoculars are waterproof these days. Other factors to consider are the close focus (how close you can focus to see birds and butterflies a few feet away), 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.

     A big 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. They also provide sharper images and enhance color fidelity so you can see more detail and the true colors on a bird. 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 15x or 20x magnification and can zoom up to 50x, 60x or even 70x times magnification. A tripod is necessary to hold a scope steady. Spotting scopes allow closer views of more distant birds. 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 $300 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 and wildlife viewing experience. Sunday, August 9, is our Optics Day at the store, Bird Watcher’s Supply & Gift, from 10am to 3pm. Representatives from major optics companies will be here and you can compare different binoculars or scopes. Most companies are offering special discounts for this free event, and with the Tax-Free Weekend, you will save even more! There is even a free raffle for a FREE pair of Nikon Monarch binoculars just for coming by!

     Hope to see you there!

Steve Grinley
Bird Watcher’s Supply & Gift
Port Plaza West Shops
45 Storey Ave, Suite 7B
Newburyport, MA 01950
BirdWSG@Comcast.net 
978-462-0775 
https://birdwatcherssupplyandgifts.com

Celebrating 30 years of service to the birding community! 
Like us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/birdwatcherssupply

Words On Birds 07-31-26

Posted on by bwsg

Words On Birds by Steve Grinley

Shorebird Migration is Upon Us
July 31, 2026
By Steve Grinley
 
     As July ends and we move into August, the swallows are already starting to gather on Plum Island. Hundreds can now be seen flying over the marsh and dunes. Numbers of tree swallows are also starting to roost in the North Pool phragmites, visible from North Pool Overlook and from the impoundment behind Hellcat. Their number will grow into the tens of thousands in the weeks ahead. Warnings have already been posted to drive extra slow on the refuge these weeks as the swallows are often on the road.
 
     Late July through early September is also the peak migration time for shorebirds heading south along the Massachusetts coast. Some of the best shore birding in the Northeast can be found right here in Essex County. The thousands of acres of tidal marshes and flats, stretching from Newburyport Harbor to the Parker River and its estuaries in Newbury and Rowley, and to the coastal marshes of Ipswich and Essex, are an oasis for tired, hungry shorebirds. They stop to rest and feed on the crustacean rich mud flats and pans.
 
     The best time to watch shorebirds along the rivers and harbor is when the tide is ebbing or, better still, with the incoming tide as the birds move closer to you as you watch. About four hours before or after high tide is a good rule of thumb. Low tide generally has the birds too dispersed or too far out on the mud flats for you to view well. Either side of low tide usually works well.
 
     The best vantage points for Newburyport harbor are from the seawall at Joppa Park on Water Street or from the Massachusetts Audubon Joppa Flats property at the beginning of the Plum Island Causeway. Greater and lesser yellowlegs, black-bellied and semipalmated plovers, least and semipalmated sandpipers, and short-billed dowitchers have already been spotted in the harbor. 
 
     At high tide, the shorebirds move to salt pan areas, shallow pools of water amid the tidal marshes. On the Parker River Refuge on Plum Island, salt pans are scattered throughout the marsh all along the west side of the road. The pull off at the Main Pannes is an especially good spot to get closer views of many species of shorebirds including white-rumped and western sandpipers and an occasional Wilson’s phalarope. However, the water levels in the main panne have been running dry all too often lately and we have found it more productive only after high tide. 
 
     The Bill Forward Pool behind the Hellcat Swamp nature trail on the refuge has had a higher water level this so far this season. Hopefully it will be lowered in the coming weeks for the large numbers of shorebirds that usually feed there during high tide. The Bill Forward Pool, when managed properly, also hosts a collection of herons, egrets and glossy ibis that stop and feed there, especially in the early morning or evening.
 
     Further south on the refuge is Stage Island Pool where the water levels have been lowered somewhat, attracting more shorebirds early this season. However, the viewing there is quite distant, both from the platform on Stage Island at Lot 6 and the observation tower at Lot 7, so a good spotting scope is recommended. Stage Island Pool has historically been an excellent spot to view Baird’s, buff-breasted, and stilt sandpipers as well as the threatened red knots. Also watch for least bitterns, sora and Virginia rails which bred there this year.
 
     A walk out to the beach at Sandy Point at the southern end of Plum Island will provide close views of piping plovers in the sand or black-bellied plovers and sanderlings along the water’s edge. Least, common and roseate terns are all plentiful there this week.
The good news is that there is usually an abundance of shorebirds in our area for the next six to eight weeks which increases the chances of getting good views of these birds. 
 
     Wherever you choose to look for shorebirds, be sure to bring your binoculars and a spotting scope if you have one. Many of these birds are often far enough away to require more than the naked eye to see any detail. If you are looking for binoculars or a scope, we will be having our annual Optics Day at the store on Sunday, August 9th, during the MA sales tax holiday weekend. I will give you more details on that next week.

Steve Grinley
Bird Watcher’s Supply & Gift
Port Plaza West Shops
45 Storey Ave, Suite 7B
Newburyport, MA 01950
BirdWSG@Comcast.net 
978-462-0775 
https://birdwatcherssupplyandgifts.com

Celebrating 30 years of service to the birding community! 
Like us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/birdwatcherssupply

Words On Birds 07-24-26

Posted on by bwsg

Words On Birds by Steve Grinley

Island Birds Complete Our Alaskan Tour
July 24, 2026
by Steve Grinley

     This is the fourth and final installment of our Alaskan adventure:

     We left Denali National Park with a sense of awe, unsure that there could be any more spectacular scenery, wildlife and birds ahead. We drove east across the Denali Highway, which was really a dirt road – a well maintained dirt road, but a dirt road non-the-less. It was raining that morning, so it put a damper on the experience of birding the highway which others had described as a highlight of their trips. After seeing families of northern shrikes and some long-tailed jaegers along the way, we arrived at the eastern end of the highway, near Paxson, and settled in for the evening.

     We stayed at cabins which were run by a birding guide, whom we hired to take us out on the tundra in search of the elusive Smith’s longspur. Neither the cabins nor the guide turned out to be a positive experience, as we unsuccessfully searched the tundra with him the next morning. But that afternoon, we used the same strategy as we did in our successful search for the bristle-thighed curlew in Nome. We split up into small groups and covered different areas of the tundra ourselves. This search was less strenuous and although it was still tundra hiking, it was relatively flat and with less area to cover.

     My group headed out and found Lapland longspurs, white-crowned sparrows, Wilson’s warblers, and one very curious caribou. Then, we got a call over the FS radio that another group had located the Smith’s longspur. We hiked to join that group and after much patience, everyone had great looks at this bird perched up on a small willow. We were even lucky enough to see a couple more Smith’s longspurs during our hike off the tundra.

     The next morning, we headed back to Anchorage by way of the Richardson Highway and the Wrangell Mountains. Majestic, snow-covered peaks with glacier running through the passages, these mountains were every much as spectacular as the Denali range, if not more. We didn’t encounter as many birds or wildlife (bald eagles, Harlan’s hawks, gray jays and a bank swallow colony), but the scenery was unmatched.

     The following morning, we left for the last leg of our trip – the Pribilof Islands, three hundred miles from Russia. We landed on Saint Paul in the clouds and mist and the weather went pretty much unchanged during our four day stay. But the weather didn’t dampen our spirits, nor the birds, as we had some of the best birds of our trip there. We arrived mid afternoon and before dinner everyone had a life bird, a red-legged kittiwake. After dinner, we added a few more lifers for everyone.

     Speaking of dinner, we ate our meals at the Fish Processing Plant cafeteria and we were pleasantly surprised. There was halibut and other fish, every lunch and dinner, and prepared differently each time. Plus there was delicious chicken, beef and pork, crisp vegetables and full salad bar. After being disappointed with our meals in Alaska, this turned out to be the best culinary experience of our trip.

     The birding highlights continued the next day as we saw kittiwakes, puffins, murres, and auklets, all nesting on cliffs within a hundred yards. It was like being on a pelagic boat trip, only standing on dry land. Fulmars, sooty and short-tailed shearwaters, and fork-tailed storm petrels were feeding close offshore. The few perching birds on the island included snow buntings, some very fat gray-crowned rosy-finches, and a very plump winter wren. I guess more fat is needed to survive those cold winters!

     The mammals were spectacular as well. Large colonies of northern fur seals, Steller’s sea lions and harbor seals crowded the beaches. It was fun watching the huge sea lions in the water, swallow large, thirty inch fish – whole. In the “very cute” category were Arctic foxes, including a family by our residence at the airport. These foxes are all dark brown – almost bear-like. The kits were especially cute, stumbling just to get around.

     Rock sandpipers and ruddy turnstones were the shorebird highlights on Saint Paul, and, oh yes, one other. We had stopped at the Post Office just to let a couple of people buy stamps. While they ran in, the guide checked out a water inlet across the street and yelled “gray-tailed tattler”. You’ve never seen a bus clear out so fast. Our people in the Post Office left their line and came running out. This rarity from Siberia wasn’t even on our expected bird list and it was THE highlight bird of the Pribilof’s.

     Saint Paul is covered with wildflowers and had the weather been better, the island would have been even more beautiful. The sun finally came out as our small plane taxied down the runway to return us to Anchorage and, ultimately, home. It was a whirlwind three weeks of birds, wildlife and scenery that we will never forget.

Steve Grinley
Bird Watcher’s Supply & Gift
Port Plaza West Shops
45 Storey Ave, Suite 7B
Newburyport, MA 01950
BirdWSG@Comcast.net 
978-462-0775 
https://birdwatcherssupplyandgifts.com

Celebrating 30 years of service to the birding community! 
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Words On Birds 07-17-26

Posted on by bwsg

Words On Birds by Steve Grinley

Close Encounters with Alaskan Wildlife
July 17, 2026
Steve Grinley

     Continuing the third installment of our adventure through Alaska:

     Returning to Anchorage from Nome, we rented cars and drove down the Kenai Peninsula to the beautiful seaport of Seward. Surrounded by snowcapped mountains, this charming, touristy village contained the headquarters for the Kenai Fjords National Park. Here, we boarded a boat and motored down the Fjords for a spectacular ride. The mountains and glaciers came right down to the sea, and as we proceeded along the shore and between islands, we were constantly surrounded by tufted and horned puffins, common murres, rhinoceros auklets, pigeon guillemots, and red-faced cormorants.

     Mammals were present too, as we watched sea otters laying on their backs, eating kelp. Dolphins followed the boat and orca whales breached in the distance. Along one inlet, we peered up the hillside as a black bear tried to find its way along a ridge to where a herd of mountain goats were grazing. We made our way to the Northwest Glacier where we found Kittlitz’s murrelets, a life bird for most of us, swimming among the ice floats. For a while, we sat silently with engines off to absorb the natural wonder around us, and heard the thunder of ice crashing into the sea as it melted off the glacier. As we motored back through the fjords, we continued to be surrounded by birds, mammals, and spectacular scenery.

     From Seward, we made our way back through Anchorage and headed north for Denali National Park. We stopped along the highway a couple of times to try to glimpse a view of Mount McKinley, but the 20,000 foot mountain creates its own climate and was always in the clouds. We stayed in Healy, just north of the park entrance and spent the next two days riding the buses through the park.

     Denali is our nation’s largest National Park, comprised of six million square acres. The first fifteen miles of roadway into the park is paved and allows private vehicles. The rest of the ninety-five miles of road is unpaved and restricted to Park buses, which shuttle people to Wonder Lake or to stops along the way. The bus stops for wildlife when a passenger calls out, and the drivers take time for everyone to see the bird or animal, and for pictures as well. The road can be narrow in spots, and there are cliffs down to a glacial river bed, so the ride itself can have some excitement. We did have excellent views of grizzly bears with cubs, caribou, Dall sheep, moose and red foxes with kits. Some of us also saw wolves and lynx.

     For birds, we saw many golden eagles, including one that swooped close, right over the bus. Willow ptarmigans, the state bird of Alaska, were seen frequently along the road with chicks. There were a few ponds with ducks, including pintail and greater scaup. At Wonder Lake, we saw a common loon with baby chick on its back. We didn’t see a hawk owl from the buses, but did see a couple of them from our cars when we drove back into the park after dinner.

     The first day, we failed to see Denali (Mt. McKinley) due to the clouds, as is the case with most visits there. However, the second day, the clouds moved off and we had tremendous views of this majestic peak. Mountains don’t usually move me, but this one blew me away! What a sight!

     Also on the second day, a few of us decided to get off the bus at a river ravine and hike down to the glacial river bed below in search of a gyrfalcon nest that wasn’t visible form the road. Now this area was the same habitat that contained the wildlife which we enjoyed watching from the safety of the buses – wildlife like grizzly bears, wolves and caribou. So as we hiked along, we weren’t our quiet birding selves. Instead, we made sure to make plenty of noise so as not to surprise a bear or other predator that might be lingering in the small willows.

     Along the way, we did see black-billed magpies, redpolls, tree and white-crowned sparrows, and more golden eagles. We did have a few close encounters with caribou but, luckily, no bears. We finally did spot the gyrfalcon perched on a far rock ledge and had great scope views. We then watched it fly up to the cliff where its nest was supposed to be.

     We relocated the falcon and then saw its nest tucked into the cliff. It was angled such that we couldn’t see if there were young in the nest, and the adult bird remained perched, never moving from its spot. We decided to retreat. Though we were a great distance away, we didn’t want to be cause for it to interrupt its normal routine. We were thrilled with our views. Seeing a gyrfalcon, a rare bird of Massachusetts winters, on its nesting grounds, was the birding highlight of our visit to Denali.

Steve Grinley
Bird Watcher’s Supply & Gift
Port Plaza West Shops
45 Storey Ave, Suite 7B
Newburyport, MA 01950
BirdWSG@Comcast.net 
978-462-0775 
https://birdwatcherssupplyandgifts.com

Celebrating 30 years of service to the birding community! 
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Words On Birds 07-10-26

Posted on by bwsg

Words On Birds by Steve Grinley

Curlews and Bluethroats Highlight Nome Visit
July 10, 2026
by Steve Grinley
 
     I continue our adventure in Alaska with the second installment of the trip that we took some eighteen years ago: 
 
     Our next destination on our Alaskan trip was Nome. Nome is on the Seward Peninsula that reaches into the Bering Sea. It is an old gold rush town, and it looks like it hasn’t change much since its hay-day at the turn of the 19th century. Gold miners still sift for gold along the beaches there. Nome is now famous for being the finish line for the Iditarod Dog Sled Race that starts in Anchorage.
 
     Nome is near the Arctic Circle and we had more than 20 hours of sunlight each day with the sun setting, briefly, around 12:30am. The birding there was some of the best that we experienced on the trip. This time, we were more comfortable in three 15 passenger vans for the twenty of us and our gear. There are three dirt roads that lead out of town and each ends seventy or more miles later at a smaller town.
 
     The road to Council, which headed east along the coast, is the first one that we traveled. Mew gulls were the common gull there, and arctic terns perched on telephone wires! A stop at the mouth of the Nome River produced glaucous-winged and slaty-backed gulls. Further along the road we found a colony of Aleutian terns, another life bird for nearly everyone on the trip. We were searching for Arctic loons, but we came up empty. We did find bar-tailed godwits and several Pacific loons, including one with youngsters riding on its back!
 
     The next day we took the Kougarok Road which headed north into the hills. (Of course, hills is a relative term here, as many of these “hills” were equivalent to the “mountains” of the Berkshires or White Mountains. But these hills were dwarfed by the high mountain ranges that we encountered on much of our trip.) The scenery was spectacular along this road, as was the wildlife. We saw our first grizzly bear of the trip, a moose with calf, and a golden eagle’s nest with eaglets on the side of a cliff. On the down side, we also saw a mew gull eating a young semipalmated plover.
 
     We reached our destination some seventy miles along this road, which was the nesting area for the rare bristle-thighed curlew. It required that we hike up a hill of tundra to search for the one or two pairs that might be nesting there. Now, walking on tundra is not easy. It requires careful stepping around low growing vegetation while trying to avoid the wet areas. We made our way up hill slowly, but it was exhausting nevertheless.
 
     We only saw whimbrels and golden plovers during our first couple of hours. We then decided to split up and one of our groups finally located a pair of curlews on a far ridge. We all made the strenuous hike to that ridge to see the birds, and then had to make the long trek back. We did encounter another pair of curlews on the way down along with good looks at bar-tailed godwits. It was arduous work, just to find our target bird, and a couple of our participants got in trouble from exhaustion and dehydration. A collective effort got everyone off the mountain safely, and with good views of these rare curlews.
 
     On our way back, we were further rewarded with beautiful views of a pair of Bluethroats bringing food to a nest near Salmon Lake. These beautiful birds have bright blue and red on the neck and chest and was the favorite bird of most everyone. Some of us also had life views of hoary redpolls, and a yellow wagtail, while a wandering tattler, similar to our spotted sandpiper, walked the shore of the lake. We also saw our first willow ptarmigans of the trip.
 
     The following day, we took the road to Teller, which is a fishing village on the north side of the peninsula. The song of gray-cheeked thrushes and Arctic warblers accompanied us much of the way. We finally had good looks at Arctic warblers and, after much work, wheatears and rock ptarmigans with chicks. We found Pacific golden plovers, a rough-legged hawk at its nest, and we encountered our first Musk ox of the trip.
 
     When we arrived at Teller, we watched jaegers try to steal fish from the kittiwakes that were feeding offshore. We watched a pair of horned puffins fly by, our first of the trip. We watched the local fishermen casting for salmon from shore. Their pickup trucks were backed up to the shore and as they pulled in a fish, their wives would take the fish and immediately clean it, in seconds, right on the back of the truck. As we drove through town, we could see the fish hanging in the yards to dry, like clothes on a clothes line. Like the birds, the native people here experience subsistence living.

Steve Grinley
Bird Watcher’s Supply & Gift
Port Plaza West Shops
45 Storey Ave, Suite 7B
Newburyport, MA 01950
BirdWSG@Comcast.net 
978-462-0775 
https://birdwatcherssupplyandgifts.com

Celebrating 30 years of service to the birding community! 
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Words On Birds 07-03-26

Posted on by bwsg

Words On Birds by Steve Grinley

Rare Ducks: A Thrill for Birders, A Feast for Natives 
July 03, 2026
by Steve Grinley
 
     Several people that we know told us that they were going to Alaska this summer. Nate, who worked at the store during the winter went back to Alaska this spring to do more research work with birds. Just the mention of Alaska brings back fond memories of a three-week birding trip that Margo and I joined to one of most amazing states. I went back and reread the several columns that I wrote when we returned, not realizing that it was 18 years ago. I thought that it would be fun to share those memories with you once more:
 
     As we stepped off the plane in Boston at 11:30 last Sunday night, we welcomed the dark. That had been the first time in three weeks that the sun wasn’t shining at that hour. We were arriving from a world-wind birding tour of Alaska and, though it was an amazing experience, it was exhausting and we were glad to be home. We never had more than four hours of darkness on any day of our trip and on some days, the sun never set.
 
     Three weeks ago, twenty birders gathered in Anchorage and took a morning flight out, for the first leg of our trip, to Barrow. Barrow is above the Arctic Circle and the northern most point on the continent, and where we “enjoyed” twenty-four-hour sunlight. It is an outpost of civilization, where the native people endure a subsistence living of hunting, fishing, and whaling for their food. The town consisted mostly of trailers and shacks, hardly seeming capable of withstanding a 70 below winter and biting winds. We actually hit a mild spell, even for summer, when the temperature rose to nearly 60 degrees on one day. But the temperature was in the chilly 40 degree range the rest of our short stay.
 
     The song of snow buntings surrounded our modest hotel. Those and Lapland longspurs were the common breeding birds. Just imagine – no starlings, no house sparrows! In fact, I saw no starlings or blackbirds and only 1 house sparrow our entire trip. Passerines (perching or song birds) were few and far between in all the areas that we visited.
 
     We went to Point Barrow hoping for three target birds: Steller’s eider, spectacled eider and yellow-billed loon. We were also hoping for a glimpse of a polar bear on the ocean’s solid ice that came within a hundred yards of shore. Our guide carried a rifle just in case we had a close encounter with one. 
 
     The first hundred yards of water was broken ice with patches of open water where we did see common and king eiders. A few Pacific and common loons were around and we finally did have a yellow-billed loon fly low overhead, giving most of us good looks. But no Steller’s and spectacled eiders, and no polar bears.
 
     We spent the rest of our time, a couple of days, in Barrow traveling the dusty dirt roads around the town in search of birds. We were supposed to have three 15 person vans for this portion of the trip, but, instead, the twenty of us were crammed into one van and a six-passenger pickup truck. While visiting these outposts of civilization, we are at the mercy of their resources as well.
 
     We eventually got excellent looks at Steller’s and spectacled eiders – both very beautiful ducks. We saw lots of jaegers, which we seldom see from land in Massachusetts. Usually we have to take a summer pelagic boat trip to see these birds around here. They were on their nesting grounds in Alaska and we saw many long-tailed, parasitic and pomarine jaegers on their nest. Glaucous gulls, which we sometimes see in winter on Cape Ann, is the common gull in Barrow in the summer. We also had good looks at snowy owls, some on their nests!
 
     The rarest bird we saw in Barrow was probably the killdeer. Though a killdeer is a common resident here, it was not supposed to be in Barrow. Another interesting sighting was a raven with what looked to be a large jaeger egg in its mouth! 
 
     Another of the more exciting birds was a peregrine falcon. It was carrying prey and it came close enough for us to identify its prey as a red phalarope. What was remarkable was that the peregrine was being hounded by a jaeger, trying to steal its food. They darted all around, but the peregrine was a bit quicker and outmaneuvered the jaeger, which eventually gave up the chase.
 
     As we were searching for birds along the tundra, we encountered a Native who told us about a herd of hundreds of caribou down another road, not very far away. As we headed slowly there, we were passed by several local vehicles that sped by. As we approached the area, we could see a collection of vehicles parked and, by the time we got there, we realized that there were pickup trucks and trailers filled with dead caribou. 
 
     Needless to say, the rest of the herd was nowhere to be found. Word had gotten out and the locals had come for their food. This harvest would be later placed in ice cellars, which the natives carve out of the ground and cover with a tarp for frozen storage for the year. They do the same with the eider ducks that they shoot. (They told us they don’t pluck the feathers for storage so as not to create freezer burn.)
 
     We learned that it is a hard life for man and birds in Barrow, and we headed back to Anchorage for our next segment of the trip.

Steve Grinley
Bird Watcher’s Supply & Gift
Port Plaza West Shops
45 Storey Ave, Suite 7B
Newburyport, MA 01950
BirdWSG@Comcast.net 
978-462-0775 
https://birdwatcherssupplyandgifts.com

Celebrating 30 years of service to the birding community! 
Like us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/birdwatcherssupply