White-winged chaos at Gloucester Harbour
Monday, February 15, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
New England, U.S.A - Jan / Feb 2010 (5)
Day Twelve - The Coast
male Red-breasted Merganser (Gloucester Harbour)
Up pre-dawn and on the road soon after, day two was sidelined for the very north-east corner of Massachusetts - The Gloucester and Plum Island coastal area north of Boston (thus travelling across the state coast to coast). After an arduous journey incorporating the latter's rush-hour and an unforgettable maniac in a pick-up truck, we reached the Mass Audobon visitors centre at Joppa Flats, Plum Island, for around 0945. Greeted by a northerly that felt like it'd whipped up a billion slivers of glass and a barren landscape more comparable to tundra than marshland, we checked basic details with the awfully nice lady behind the desk and headed onto the reserve in search of our suitably arctic quarry.
Conditions were sunny and clear and well below freezing, but the wind-chill added an extra challenge... few birds were foolish enough to inhabit the expansive, frozen terrain except for half a dozen Northern Harriers (including one adult male), but it mattered not. A few minutes of scanning the whiter-than-white panorama of the marsh and there it was (10 out of 10 Pauly) - a cracking male Snowy Owl.
A group decision to walk out onto the frozen ice-rink to get a closer view was perhaps foolish but well worth it, and we enjoyed excellent views of the bird yawning, blinking and taking little waddles out along the snow. Beautifully framed in the scopes, but well beyond the reach of the DSLRs (and too cold to attempt digiscoping), it was one of those experiences that's hard to forget in a hurry.
Mr. Paul Cook, your author and brother Neil - the Snowy Owl is stage right, the ambulance left
Other raptors present included another close-up American Kestrel by the road (a female this time), a few Red-tailed Hawks, and an adult Bald Eagle - at one point, the Snowy Owl, the eagle and two Red-tails were in the same field of view.
Hackney Birders a long way from the mothership - Paul, MJP and Mr. Laurence Pitcher
Suitably sated and (almost) warmed by our success, we made for nearby Gloucester Harbour, a working fishing port known to attract gulls and other seabirds. Immediately we were into quality - scanning above, below, on the boats and roofs in the crisp sunshine, one white-winged gull after another gradually gave itself up; unbeatably close views of about five 'Iceland' Gulls in first and second year plumage. After much educational (and enjoyable) debate and observation we came to the consensus that we were watching Kumlein's Gulls from various points on the accepted spectrum of the form / subspecies / species (depending on where you stand), and that 'pure' Iceland Gull as we know it was missing in action.
Several birds were particularly interesting, on account of features including the darkness of the primaries, dark tail bands and dusky washes across the belly. With e.g. Thayer's reported from the harbour recently we spent plenty of time on each bird, but with a lack of experience of e.g. darker Kumlien's / paler Thayer's, it's doubtless best to play safe (although larophile wisdom welcome). The accompanying photographs (see post above) show several birds illustrating the range of plumage variation.
Glaucous (centre) and Kumlien's (right) Gulls
Standing on the edges of warehouse walls, dodging fork-lift trucks and nodding to the fishermen like we were there everyday, we had fantastic views of not only the gulls but of e.g. Red-throated and Common Loons, White-winged Scoters, Buffleheads, Goldeneye, Red-breasted Mergansers and Eiders at point-blank range.
With the sun beginning to wane and daylight at a premium, we made for the rocky coast a kilomtere or so east of the harbour (and eventually found a spot to park up and view from the beach that wasn't already commandeered by private property). A few exposed rocky outcrops close in shore were sprinkled with plenty of gulls; scoters, loons and two Red-necked Grebes were offshore, but the larids kept our attention.
On each scan, Kumlien's Gulls of all ages seemed to be appearing out of nowhere; perhaps 20 or more were battling with commoner congeners for preening space. And it didn't take too long to nail a first-winter Glaucous Gull, at one point joining five Kumlien's and a single American Herring Gull on an over-populated rock.
A memorable and exhilarating day in the field. As with the rest of the coastal birding time, it was perhaps slightly surprising we didn't come across a rarer gull or seaduck, but the days were dominated by the success of not only connecting beautifully with the five-star species, but being able to enjoy both the scarcer and commoner birds in such ideal and enviable circumstances.
male Red-breasted Merganser (Gloucester Harbour)
Up pre-dawn and on the road soon after, day two was sidelined for the very north-east corner of Massachusetts - The Gloucester and Plum Island coastal area north of Boston (thus travelling across the state coast to coast). After an arduous journey incorporating the latter's rush-hour and an unforgettable maniac in a pick-up truck, we reached the Mass Audobon visitors centre at Joppa Flats, Plum Island, for around 0945. Greeted by a northerly that felt like it'd whipped up a billion slivers of glass and a barren landscape more comparable to tundra than marshland, we checked basic details with the awfully nice lady behind the desk and headed onto the reserve in search of our suitably arctic quarry.
Conditions were sunny and clear and well below freezing, but the wind-chill added an extra challenge... few birds were foolish enough to inhabit the expansive, frozen terrain except for half a dozen Northern Harriers (including one adult male), but it mattered not. A few minutes of scanning the whiter-than-white panorama of the marsh and there it was (10 out of 10 Pauly) - a cracking male Snowy Owl.
A group decision to walk out onto the frozen ice-rink to get a closer view was perhaps foolish but well worth it, and we enjoyed excellent views of the bird yawning, blinking and taking little waddles out along the snow. Beautifully framed in the scopes, but well beyond the reach of the DSLRs (and too cold to attempt digiscoping), it was one of those experiences that's hard to forget in a hurry.
Mr. Paul Cook, your author and brother Neil - the Snowy Owl is stage right, the ambulance left
Other raptors present included another close-up American Kestrel by the road (a female this time), a few Red-tailed Hawks, and an adult Bald Eagle - at one point, the Snowy Owl, the eagle and two Red-tails were in the same field of view.
Hackney Birders a long way from the mothership - Paul, MJP and Mr. Laurence Pitcher
Suitably sated and (almost) warmed by our success, we made for nearby Gloucester Harbour, a working fishing port known to attract gulls and other seabirds. Immediately we were into quality - scanning above, below, on the boats and roofs in the crisp sunshine, one white-winged gull after another gradually gave itself up; unbeatably close views of about five 'Iceland' Gulls in first and second year plumage. After much educational (and enjoyable) debate and observation we came to the consensus that we were watching Kumlein's Gulls from various points on the accepted spectrum of the form / subspecies / species (depending on where you stand), and that 'pure' Iceland Gull as we know it was missing in action.
Several birds were particularly interesting, on account of features including the darkness of the primaries, dark tail bands and dusky washes across the belly. With e.g. Thayer's reported from the harbour recently we spent plenty of time on each bird, but with a lack of experience of e.g. darker Kumlien's / paler Thayer's, it's doubtless best to play safe (although larophile wisdom welcome). The accompanying photographs (see post above) show several birds illustrating the range of plumage variation.
Glaucous (centre) and Kumlien's (right) Gulls
Standing on the edges of warehouse walls, dodging fork-lift trucks and nodding to the fishermen like we were there everyday, we had fantastic views of not only the gulls but of e.g. Red-throated and Common Loons, White-winged Scoters, Buffleheads, Goldeneye, Red-breasted Mergansers and Eiders at point-blank range.
With the sun beginning to wane and daylight at a premium, we made for the rocky coast a kilomtere or so east of the harbour (and eventually found a spot to park up and view from the beach that wasn't already commandeered by private property). A few exposed rocky outcrops close in shore were sprinkled with plenty of gulls; scoters, loons and two Red-necked Grebes were offshore, but the larids kept our attention.
On each scan, Kumlien's Gulls of all ages seemed to be appearing out of nowhere; perhaps 20 or more were battling with commoner congeners for preening space. And it didn't take too long to nail a first-winter Glaucous Gull, at one point joining five Kumlien's and a single American Herring Gull on an over-populated rock.
A memorable and exhilarating day in the field. As with the rest of the coastal birding time, it was perhaps slightly surprising we didn't come across a rarer gull or seaduck, but the days were dominated by the success of not only connecting beautifully with the five-star species, but being able to enjoy both the scarcer and commoner birds in such ideal and enviable circumstances.
New England, U.S.A - Jan / Feb 2010 (4)
Day Eleven - The Coast
Kicking off earlyish in Rhode Island, Sakonnet Point provided not just Harlequins (see post below), but perfect conditions to enjoy a host of close-in seaducks, including Surf, Black and White-winged Scoters, Common Goldeneye, Buffleheads, Red-breasted Mergansers and (American) Eiders; most species were engaged in entertaining courtship and communications, complete with various calls and displays.
male Surf Scoter, Sachuest Point
Other expected species included Song Sparrows, Great Cormorants, a couple of Yellow-rumped Warblers and the odd Red-tailed Hawk, and a male American Kestrel on the wires by the roadside (see below) was both accomodating and stunning.
On to Sachuest Point next, and after meeting up with L & P, a short walk to the rocky bay provided another seaduck smorgasbord - all three Scoters, Eiders, lots of Buffleheads and Goldeneye, a few more Mergansers and at least 40 Harlequins - again characterised by plenty of displaying and vocalisations.
Brant
In addition, various other wildfowl / seafaring species were in attendance, including several large flocks of Brant, hundreds of Black Ducks, a single Gadwall (with the latter sp), several hundred Greater Scaup in a distant raft, a dozen or more Mallard, a pair of American Wigeon, a few Mute Swans, hundreds of Canada Geese, about ten more Common Loons, and eight Slavonian (Horned) Grebes - quite an array, and enough to keep our minds off the piercing cold.
Ring-billed and American Herring Gulls
Other species were predictably low profile, with a few scattered American Tree & Song Sparrows, Yellow-rumps and Northern Mockingbirds in the scrub and a Red-tail kicking around the car-park. It's an excellent place to savour classic (and specialist) wintering coastal species, and highly recommended, especially to those of an inherently lazy disposition.
A long and thorough scan through the several thousand gulls on the clam-covered beach at nearby Easton Bay produced endless Ring-billed, American Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls, and... well, nothing else. The ditch by the road however did at least hold eight Green-winged Teal, feeding a couple of metres from a busy four-lane thoroughfare.
Green-winged Teal
Back into Massachusetts for the latter part of the daylight, and towards our base on the river at Westport; three Wild Turkeys were just in the process of completing a road crossing as we passed them (to get to the other side, etc), and allowed us enough to time to use the hard shoulder, pile out and watch them nonchalantly trot off into the woods - a long overdue personal first.
The last hour of light was spent walking the bay and peninsula of Horseneck Beach, Ma (just a couple of miles from base) - more accomodating ducks (including a tame raft of Greater Scaup), a tame female Merlin on the roadside wires (see post below), the requisite scattered Common Loons on the sea, and about a dozen Yellow-rumped Warblers flitting in the scrub.
Yellow-rumped Warbler
The peninsula is a classic east coast haven, with long, sweeping stretches of sand, rock and shingle framing an extensive area of low scrub and rough grassland jutting out into the Atlantic - if it was in England, it'd have to be an Obs (and if a Bluethroat or a Yellow-brow hopped out it wouldn't have been so out of place).
Northern Mockingbird
Brother Neil had recently found two wintering Ipswich Sparrows (the distinct subspecies of Savannah Sparrow which breeds only on Sable Island) here, and we weren't to be disappointed - the first was flushed from low grass, duly stalked, and then had the good manners to run towards me to within a couple of metres before disappearing over the scrub. Five minutes later and we'd found it and it's partner feeding and running around in the low grass at the point, allowing very close approach and unrivalled views.
A truly classy bird; it's 'I'm a rarity, get me out of here' behaviour and beautifully subtle, ultra-washed out plumage made them one of the unexpected highlights of the trip. A fine day in the field, rounded off by the home comforts of our luxury secluded waterfront accomodation in Westport (thanks Nancee, Neil and Anya).
Kicking off earlyish in Rhode Island, Sakonnet Point provided not just Harlequins (see post below), but perfect conditions to enjoy a host of close-in seaducks, including Surf, Black and White-winged Scoters, Common Goldeneye, Buffleheads, Red-breasted Mergansers and (American) Eiders; most species were engaged in entertaining courtship and communications, complete with various calls and displays.
male Surf Scoter, Sachuest Point
Other expected species included Song Sparrows, Great Cormorants, a couple of Yellow-rumped Warblers and the odd Red-tailed Hawk, and a male American Kestrel on the wires by the roadside (see below) was both accomodating and stunning.
On to Sachuest Point next, and after meeting up with L & P, a short walk to the rocky bay provided another seaduck smorgasbord - all three Scoters, Eiders, lots of Buffleheads and Goldeneye, a few more Mergansers and at least 40 Harlequins - again characterised by plenty of displaying and vocalisations.
Brant
In addition, various other wildfowl / seafaring species were in attendance, including several large flocks of Brant, hundreds of Black Ducks, a single Gadwall (with the latter sp), several hundred Greater Scaup in a distant raft, a dozen or more Mallard, a pair of American Wigeon, a few Mute Swans, hundreds of Canada Geese, about ten more Common Loons, and eight Slavonian (Horned) Grebes - quite an array, and enough to keep our minds off the piercing cold.
Ring-billed and American Herring Gulls
Other species were predictably low profile, with a few scattered American Tree & Song Sparrows, Yellow-rumps and Northern Mockingbirds in the scrub and a Red-tail kicking around the car-park. It's an excellent place to savour classic (and specialist) wintering coastal species, and highly recommended, especially to those of an inherently lazy disposition.
A long and thorough scan through the several thousand gulls on the clam-covered beach at nearby Easton Bay produced endless Ring-billed, American Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls, and... well, nothing else. The ditch by the road however did at least hold eight Green-winged Teal, feeding a couple of metres from a busy four-lane thoroughfare.
Green-winged Teal
Back into Massachusetts for the latter part of the daylight, and towards our base on the river at Westport; three Wild Turkeys were just in the process of completing a road crossing as we passed them (to get to the other side, etc), and allowed us enough to time to use the hard shoulder, pile out and watch them nonchalantly trot off into the woods - a long overdue personal first.
The last hour of light was spent walking the bay and peninsula of Horseneck Beach, Ma (just a couple of miles from base) - more accomodating ducks (including a tame raft of Greater Scaup), a tame female Merlin on the roadside wires (see post below), the requisite scattered Common Loons on the sea, and about a dozen Yellow-rumped Warblers flitting in the scrub.
Yellow-rumped Warbler
The peninsula is a classic east coast haven, with long, sweeping stretches of sand, rock and shingle framing an extensive area of low scrub and rough grassland jutting out into the Atlantic - if it was in England, it'd have to be an Obs (and if a Bluethroat or a Yellow-brow hopped out it wouldn't have been so out of place).
Northern Mockingbird
Brother Neil had recently found two wintering Ipswich Sparrows (the distinct subspecies of Savannah Sparrow which breeds only on Sable Island) here, and we weren't to be disappointed - the first was flushed from low grass, duly stalked, and then had the good manners to run towards me to within a couple of metres before disappearing over the scrub. Five minutes later and we'd found it and it's partner feeding and running around in the low grass at the point, allowing very close approach and unrivalled views.
A truly classy bird; it's 'I'm a rarity, get me out of here' behaviour and beautifully subtle, ultra-washed out plumage made them one of the unexpected highlights of the trip. A fine day in the field, rounded off by the home comforts of our luxury secluded waterfront accomodation in Westport (thanks Nancee, Neil and Anya).
Thursday, February 11, 2010
New England, U.S.A - Jan / Feb 2010 (3)
The only tasteful Harleys in the USA
One of several target species for the trip, wintering Harlequins are a speciality of the Rhode Island / Massachusetts coastline, with several sites particularly favoured (although by all accounts they can be something of a lottery). With 45 minutes to kill before hooking up with Laurence and Paul, Neil and I headed for Sakonnet Point (R.I) - a small bay with rocky outcrops in the south-east corner of the state (and an infuriatingly private playground of the rich, all of whom were of course absent from their multi-million dollar mock mansions).
Ignoring the offensive warning signs intended to keep out sentient human beings, we parked up and walked out along the beach, overlooking the snow-covered rocks and a gentle swell. Plenty of seaducks were feeding, and after a couple of minutes, bingo - about ten Harlequins went about their business, snoozing, making short flights, diving for molluscs, and giving unbeatable views as they climbed onto the rocks right in front of us.
A while later, and after meeting up with L & P at Sachuest reserve a short distance west, we were treated to more stunning views of at least forty birds within an impressive array of equally showy seaducks. An unforgettable beginning to five days frost-bitten and constantly rewarding birding.
One of several target species for the trip, wintering Harlequins are a speciality of the Rhode Island / Massachusetts coastline, with several sites particularly favoured (although by all accounts they can be something of a lottery). With 45 minutes to kill before hooking up with Laurence and Paul, Neil and I headed for Sakonnet Point (R.I) - a small bay with rocky outcrops in the south-east corner of the state (and an infuriatingly private playground of the rich, all of whom were of course absent from their multi-million dollar mock mansions).
Ignoring the offensive warning signs intended to keep out sentient human beings, we parked up and walked out along the beach, overlooking the snow-covered rocks and a gentle swell. Plenty of seaducks were feeding, and after a couple of minutes, bingo - about ten Harlequins went about their business, snoozing, making short flights, diving for molluscs, and giving unbeatable views as they climbed onto the rocks right in front of us.
A while later, and after meeting up with L & P at Sachuest reserve a short distance west, we were treated to more stunning views of at least forty birds within an impressive array of equally showy seaducks. An unforgettable beginning to five days frost-bitten and constantly rewarding birding.
New England, U.S.A - Jan / Feb 2010 (2)
Falcon Crest
a few raptors that played nicely for the camera; the male American Kestrel was particularly stunning.
male American Kestrel, female and male Merlins, immature Red-tailed Hawk and ring-tail Northern Harriers (Marsh Hawks).
a few raptors that played nicely for the camera; the male American Kestrel was particularly stunning.
male American Kestrel, female and male Merlins, immature Red-tailed Hawk and ring-tail Northern Harriers (Marsh Hawks).
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