Weekend birding - Fall transition on Plum Island

It's a very interesting time of the year on Plum Island. It's become just cold enough that the beach-goers are not showing up in any quantities now, so it's a easier to get onto the refuge a little later in the morning without having to wait in line at the gatehouse. At the same time we still have some of our summer birds, such as the Great Egrets that stand out against the marsh pretty easily.

We still have some of our fall migrants coming through. The warblers are a bit more scarce than they were a few weeks ago, but there are still a few around. I've been trying whenever I can to catch up with an Orange-crowned Warbler this year, and have just kept dipping on it. Yesterday there were two right near the gatehouse (as well as a White-winged Crossbill) and later in the afternoon someone spotted a Tennessee Warbler as well. Yep - I missed all of them! We did stumble upon this Magnolia Warbler. I think it might be a hatch year bird. Comments?











Other migrants in the area this weekend included a lot of immature White-crowned Sparrows. Not a very unusual bird around here but by no means common.







UPDATE: Thanks to Hap in MN who noted that these photos are actually basic-plumaged Chipping Sparrows, and not the immature White-crowned Sparrows I head seen earlier in the day!

Then there are all the birds that herald the coming winter. To me, summer's end is always punctuated by the arrival of Dark-eyed Juncos.











Plum Island is also a great place for a good variety of ducks. Plenty of Black Ducks, Mallards, Northern Pintails, and Green-winged Teal. About this time of the year, we get a lot of American Wigeon with males showing the nice blond streak and glossy green masks (and sometimes a Eurasian Wigeon, which was seen late last week, but not over the weekend).

There are also the occasional Ruddy Ducks, Ring-necked Ducks, and Northern Shovelers. All three merganseres can be seen from the island at one point or another. Also it's a good place for sea ducks as well - Eiders, all three Scoters, and Long-tailed Ducks (formerly 'Oldsquaw' before it was felt that it was politically incorrect) can all be seen here too.

(Never mind that it is also a great place for loons, grebes, alcids, gulls, warblers in the spring, shorebirds in late summer/early fall, migrating raptors and sparrows in the fall, snowy and short-eared owls in the winter... the list goes on and on)

There is really no question about it - this is definitely one hot spot every birder has to visit at least once!