American White-winged Scoter - numerous and ubiquitous
After the first few days at the family homestead in western Mass, then four days in Maine (see last post), we headed south down the coast to Plum Island, a short and pleasant train ride through snowy New England forests and seaside towns.
Northern Harriers - ditto
We were there for a very enjoyable three days and nights with family from Rhode Island and NYC, staying in a perfect BnB overlooking the expansive, bird-rich tidal saltmarsh, and just a minute walk to the beach.
North American Horned Lark - one of an approachable flock on the saltmarsh
Lots of walks, mostly along the beach, up to the Merrimack River estuary, down into the Parker River Reserve, over to Newburyport and elsewhere locally; lots of birds, too, with Northern Harriers omnipresent (and numerous), plenty of wildfowl on the saltmarsh (with particularly good numbers of Black Ducks and Pintails), and big numbers of all three Scoter species along the shore and in the mouth of the river - many, many hundreds at any given time, with White-winged and black the most numerous.
More Northern Harriers (above and below)
Great Northern Divers, Slavonian Grebes were also ubiquitous inshore, Purple Sandpipers hung out on the breakwater nearby, Buffleheads, Hooded Mergansers, Great Blue Herons, Merlin and Red-tailed Hawks were among species frequenting the saltmarsh, Long-tailed Ducks, Eiders and more were also offshore, and Horned Larks were the passerine highlight along the strandline of the saltmarsh on the reserve. Quality winter birding.
Slavonian Grebe
Buffleheads
Black & White-winged Scoters
Slavonian Grebe
Buffleheads
Black & White-winged Scoters
