So this weekend Pamela and I headed up to Plum Island again. If it seems like we go there a lot it's because well, frankly, we do - not as much as some people who live a lot closer. (There are some birders that visit 4-5 days a week!) It's a fantastic place to go birding any time of the year, and it's particularly special for us because it really where we met.
This weekend turned up some regulars and a few first birds of the year for me.
At lot one, (right after you enter the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge) I checked the boat ramp for American Bittern, which I hadn't seen on the island since last December, but came up with nothing. Around lot one and the entrance gate, immature White-crowned Sparrows were still around, as well as the expected Song and Savannah Sparrows. (This is a good place to check the Savannah's to find one from the 'Ipswich' race) Also had a Tufted Titmouse here, which really isn't common for the island at all. While at lot one, did a quick check of the ocean from the viewing platform. There were plenty of Common Loons around with several Red-throated loons as well, and Gannets plunge-diving in the distance.
Next we move on to the Salt Pans, which is a good place for scoping ducks. Long-tailed Ducks, Gadwall, American Wigeon, and Green-winged Teal have joined the ranks of the many Mallards and Black Ducks here. Every year we seem to get a Eurasian Wigeon mixed in with the American's, and this year is no different.
We finally caught up with it this Sunday, and I tried doing a little digiscoping with a newer camera that I am struggling to get to work well. The photos aren't great, but they'll do for now.
The salt pans are also a good place to catch up with some shorebirds. The ubiquitous yellowlegs are still around, as well as Dunlin and a few White-rumped Sandpipers (many of which are immatures, showing a little bit of rufous coloring in the scapulars so they may appear to be Westerns.)
We progressed on to the "Wardens" which is where a few storage sheds are for refuge equipment, and managed to spish up a few sparrows - mostly Savannah's again, but the light was nice so I snapped a few photos. No luck on the Clay-colored seen earlier.
The next stop is the North Pool Overlook. This is where the bittern is most commonly seen, and I finally got my year bird for the island - and a very cooperative one he was too. Walked almost all the way around the border of this end of the pool - sometimes freezing and pointing it's bill straight up next to the tall marsh grass and almost disappearing on the spot,
and other times, putting it's head down and almost sprinting along the muddy edge of the pool. A very entertaining and fascinating bird - we watched it for probably about a half hour, before he finally disappeared from view.
We continued on to the Hellcat parking lot and wandered around a bit there, as somebody had spotted a Western Kingbird early on Saturday, but hadn't been seen again. We did have a late and extremely cooperative Baltimore Oriole that sat in a bush a few meters from the car, picking berries and eating the seeds out of them.
At the far south end of the island, we stopped quickly at lot 7 to scan the ocean again. In addition to the aforementioned species, I also spotted a single Common Eider, large rafts of Black Scoters, many White-winged Scoters, and a few Surf Scoters. Also had a immature Black-bellied Plover that just begged me to take a photo.
And last but not least (they are pretty common around here and nothing I would usualy take a photo of), there was a Great Black-backed Gull that was banded so I took a quick pic so I can remember to report him to the proper authorities.
