Nature Note #137: Wintry Wednesday Birding
After a long month of snow, blustery weather, icicles freezing onto the house, and winter in general, yesterday I decided to treat myself to some birding up in Essex County. With the winter having taken a toll on my sanity to a certain degree, I thought that it would be nice to get out and try to find some year birds. Little did I know, how good of a day it was going to be.
I awoke at 7:00am and got out by 7:45am to meet the rush hour along Route 95 to Gloucester. My plan was to visit 6 different locations to secure year birds I wanted on my list,most of which I wouldn't get to see again until late next fall or winter (provided I'm still on the East Coast as well). The locations included Bass Rocks and Jodrey Fish Pier in Gloucester, Parker River in Newburyport, Salisbury Beach in Salisbury, Deer Island near Winthrop, and Horn Pond in Woburn. After braving the throngs of cars leading to Gloucester, I arrived at the looming snowed in walls of Jodrey.
While the walls of snow were expected, what startled me was how frozen the majority of the harbor was! Large graying sheets of slushy ice covered much of the shallows as gulls wheeled nearby. The first birds I noted as I exited my car were the omnipresent Feral Pigeons (Columba livia) that make their homes in and around the pier and surrounding buildings. The only other permanent feature of Jodrey is the smell of fish. I couldn't quite figure out what kind though. It smelled like cooked tuna, but would they have it there and why?
A more pressing problem then presented itself as I then realized I'd left my birding notebook at home. It's a small white-paged book with a watercolor picture of a waxwing on the cover and was given to me as a gift from my girlfriend, Alison. Luckily, I had a sheet of paper containing supplies for crafts and activities I had to get for work last week with enough space that would allow me to record the species I saw. Still, I grumbled at my failure to remember my notebook.
Within the first 10-15 min of being there, I'd located my first year bird targets sitting on one of the ice sheets. White like slushy snow and the size of some of the nearby Herring Gulls (Larus argentatus), sat two sleeping Glaucous Gulls (L. hyperboreus). Their size and bicolored bills separate them from their smaller cousins, the Iceland Gull (L. glaucoides). The latter had been reported as having large numbers in and around Jodrey with numbers as high as 90 reported as of February 21st! Usually there are only 5-10 puttering around, but this seems to suggest a significant movement south in recent weeks. They also differ in terms of breeding and wintering range. According to the Peterson Reference Guides to Gulls of the Americas, while the Iceland Gull is fairly widespread in the Northeast in winter, it only breeds in Greenland and on the northern islands in Canada, while the Glaucous Gull can be found on both coasts in the winter and breeds over much of the northern tundra in Alaska, Canada, and Greenland. One final distinction that in more colloquial than related to life history. An old nickname for the Glaucous Gull was "Burgomaster" which has an imposing quality to it. If you don't believe me, read some Forbush or look it up online. I guarantee you'll find it somewhere.
Jodrey is also a good place to get an up close look at a charismatic bird of northern lakes in the summer months, the Common Loon (Gavia immer). At this time of year, the birds look nothing like their dapper, monochrome selves and instead, they look worn and grey, with their thick bull necks, dagger-like bills, dark backs, and low profile in the water. I had the great fortune of taking some up close photos of one as it floated near the seawall.
After scanning the harbor for other birds (no luck on alcids), I decided to head over to Bass Rocks. When I arrived, I parked at the Elks Lodge, as is customary, and I looked up at the wall of snow facing me. Nearby, a JCB was pushing mounds of snow towards the back of the parking lot. It was going to tough getting up the snowbank. Fortunately, when I did get to the other side of the road, the bank was fairly solid. So much so, that my binocular tripod barely sank in, making for minimal bending over on my part.
As I scanned the waters below, many diving ducks came into view. The first ones that caught my attention were the Buffleheads (Bucephala albeola)
that dove frequently after their underwater quarry. I remembered years ago reading from cover to cover several times a book called Duck Hunting by Dick Sternberg and Jeff Simpson as it detailed the natural habits of ducks, equipment and clothing needed to hunt them, and what methods worked best for each species. What particularly interested me were the decoys, their presentation, and of course, the birds themselves. As a young boy, I relentlessly tested myself and became adept at identifying waterfowl even those that weren't native to the region. What I was remembering specifically was the species preferred food and whether they were good to eat or not. Most of the birds in front of me were regarded to be poor eating mainly due to their diets heavy in invertebrates such as crustaceans and molluscs, as well as small fish and little plant matter.
As I watched the birds diving for food, I realized that they were probably feeding on the same clams, and mussels that the Herring Gulls were feeding on back at Jodrey. While it might be surprising for some to learn that most sea ducks feed on those hard-shelled invertebrates, they are perfectly evolved to pursue them underwater, as well as tackled their clunky, well armored forms above the water. Initially in my field of view, I saw the Buffleheads, but was surprised to see a small group of Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) fly over as well. It was within the group however, that I noticed a smaller, white goose flying alongside them. Unbelievably, it was an immature Snow Goose (Chen caerulescens)! It was an unexpected view and how it wound up with these Canada Geese couldn't be answered, but it was a nice (early) addition to the year list.
Just minutes later, I managed to snag another year bird! A pair of Black Scoters (Melanitta americana) were floating together with an immature male Surf Scoter (M. perspicillata) and several actively feeding White-winged Scoters (M. deglandi). When I'm able to see all three North American scoter species in the same location, I call it the trifecta and today was a trifecta day!
As noon was fast approaching, I knew I needed to get back on the road, if I wanted to find anything at Parker River. As I was leaving Gloucester, a golden or straw-colored bird landing in some branches above caught my eye. It was smaller than a Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) with a rounded head and wings, pale underwings, a pale, streaked belly, and a strange moth-like flight. While there were no adequate spots to pull over and investigate further, I was fairly convinced as to what I'd seen. After arriving at Parker River, I consulted my Sibley and Crossley Guides accordingly and sure enough, I came to the most logical conclusion. I had inadvertently seen a Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) without even trying! What made it even more significant was that it was the first owl I'd seen this year, with it having been too cold or snowy to allow me to look for Great Horned (Bubo virginianus) or Snowy Owls (B. scandiacus) in the past few weeks. With that unexpected lifer under my belt, I headed to Lot 3 to find some more year birds. I immediately hit upon a problem.
Lot 3 was the furthest that the refuge officials had cleared due to the continued dumpings of snow over the past few weeks. While this was too bad, the whole place looked and felt like the tundra.
"Good luck finding a Snowy in this.", I thought out loud.
Another more obvious problem was the snow itself. Normally, the boardwalk that lead to the beach was 4-6 feet off the ground to preserve the fragile dunes below. However, due to the repeated blanketing snows, the drifts were now higher than the boardwalks themselves, making it more annoying to trudge through. Nevertheless, I headed up to the beach. When I arrived, I chatted with a photographer that was scanning the shore for anything of interest. We chatted briefly while I scanned the ocean for signs of life. Other than a solitary Red-throated Loon (G. stellata) actively diving in the incoming tide, there was nothing else about. I said goodbye to the photographer and headed back to the car.
It was two o' clock and I had a choice to make. I had already headed over to Salisbury Beach and after seeing how much it would cost to park ($9.00!) I decided to focus on my last two options instead. I could either head over to Horn Pond to try for three potential year birds including an Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrocephalus), Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana), and American Coot (Fulica americana) or I could try for Brant (B. bernicla) at Deer Island instead. I opted for the latter, due to the likelihood of finding such a bird in the harbor. As I negotiated the narrow, snow-choked streets of Winthrop, I hoped I would get lucky at my last stop for the day. As I parked in the small public parking area outside the gates of Deer Island, I noted a Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) sitting in a nearby sumac grove.
"Hopefully there's more activity on the bay.", I mused.
Sadly, it was not to be as the harbor was pretty empty save for a few gulls and two pairs of eiders and scoters. It was a letdown, but after having gotten a life bird, as well as 5 year birds in one day, that was certainly something to be proud of. Despite the rush hour traffic grinding away at my nerves when I headed home, I was happy knowing that I had had a great day out looking for the birds I love and hold so dear.
I awoke at 7:00am and got out by 7:45am to meet the rush hour along Route 95 to Gloucester. My plan was to visit 6 different locations to secure year birds I wanted on my list,most of which I wouldn't get to see again until late next fall or winter (provided I'm still on the East Coast as well). The locations included Bass Rocks and Jodrey Fish Pier in Gloucester, Parker River in Newburyport, Salisbury Beach in Salisbury, Deer Island near Winthrop, and Horn Pond in Woburn. After braving the throngs of cars leading to Gloucester, I arrived at the looming snowed in walls of Jodrey.
While the walls of snow were expected, what startled me was how frozen the majority of the harbor was! Large graying sheets of slushy ice covered much of the shallows as gulls wheeled nearby. The first birds I noted as I exited my car were the omnipresent Feral Pigeons (Columba livia) that make their homes in and around the pier and surrounding buildings. The only other permanent feature of Jodrey is the smell of fish. I couldn't quite figure out what kind though. It smelled like cooked tuna, but would they have it there and why?
A more pressing problem then presented itself as I then realized I'd left my birding notebook at home. It's a small white-paged book with a watercolor picture of a waxwing on the cover and was given to me as a gift from my girlfriend, Alison. Luckily, I had a sheet of paper containing supplies for crafts and activities I had to get for work last week with enough space that would allow me to record the species I saw. Still, I grumbled at my failure to remember my notebook.
Within the first 10-15 min of being there, I'd located my first year bird targets sitting on one of the ice sheets. White like slushy snow and the size of some of the nearby Herring Gulls (Larus argentatus), sat two sleeping Glaucous Gulls (L. hyperboreus). Their size and bicolored bills separate them from their smaller cousins, the Iceland Gull (L. glaucoides). The latter had been reported as having large numbers in and around Jodrey with numbers as high as 90 reported as of February 21st! Usually there are only 5-10 puttering around, but this seems to suggest a significant movement south in recent weeks. They also differ in terms of breeding and wintering range. According to the Peterson Reference Guides to Gulls of the Americas, while the Iceland Gull is fairly widespread in the Northeast in winter, it only breeds in Greenland and on the northern islands in Canada, while the Glaucous Gull can be found on both coasts in the winter and breeds over much of the northern tundra in Alaska, Canada, and Greenland. One final distinction that in more colloquial than related to life history. An old nickname for the Glaucous Gull was "Burgomaster" which has an imposing quality to it. If you don't believe me, read some Forbush or look it up online. I guarantee you'll find it somewhere.
 |
| Two Glaucous and two Herring |
 |
| Iceland flying |
 |
| Two Icelands to the left of the Great Black-backed Gull (L. marinus), as well as, two to the far right of the eider |
After scanning the harbor for other birds (no luck on alcids), I decided to head over to Bass Rocks. When I arrived, I parked at the Elks Lodge, as is customary, and I looked up at the wall of snow facing me. Nearby, a JCB was pushing mounds of snow towards the back of the parking lot. It was going to tough getting up the snowbank. Fortunately, when I did get to the other side of the road, the bank was fairly solid. So much so, that my binocular tripod barely sank in, making for minimal bending over on my part.
that dove frequently after their underwater quarry. I remembered years ago reading from cover to cover several times a book called Duck Hunting by Dick Sternberg and Jeff Simpson as it detailed the natural habits of ducks, equipment and clothing needed to hunt them, and what methods worked best for each species. What particularly interested me were the decoys, their presentation, and of course, the birds themselves. As a young boy, I relentlessly tested myself and became adept at identifying waterfowl even those that weren't native to the region. What I was remembering specifically was the species preferred food and whether they were good to eat or not. Most of the birds in front of me were regarded to be poor eating mainly due to their diets heavy in invertebrates such as crustaceans and molluscs, as well as small fish and little plant matter.
As I watched the birds diving for food, I realized that they were probably feeding on the same clams, and mussels that the Herring Gulls were feeding on back at Jodrey. While it might be surprising for some to learn that most sea ducks feed on those hard-shelled invertebrates, they are perfectly evolved to pursue them underwater, as well as tackled their clunky, well armored forms above the water. Initially in my field of view, I saw the Buffleheads, but was surprised to see a small group of Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) fly over as well. It was within the group however, that I noticed a smaller, white goose flying alongside them. Unbelievably, it was an immature Snow Goose (Chen caerulescens)! It was an unexpected view and how it wound up with these Canada Geese couldn't be answered, but it was a nice (early) addition to the year list.
 |
| The Snow Goose is the third bird going left to right. |
As noon was fast approaching, I knew I needed to get back on the road, if I wanted to find anything at Parker River. As I was leaving Gloucester, a golden or straw-colored bird landing in some branches above caught my eye. It was smaller than a Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) with a rounded head and wings, pale underwings, a pale, streaked belly, and a strange moth-like flight. While there were no adequate spots to pull over and investigate further, I was fairly convinced as to what I'd seen. After arriving at Parker River, I consulted my Sibley and Crossley Guides accordingly and sure enough, I came to the most logical conclusion. I had inadvertently seen a Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) without even trying! What made it even more significant was that it was the first owl I'd seen this year, with it having been too cold or snowy to allow me to look for Great Horned (Bubo virginianus) or Snowy Owls (B. scandiacus) in the past few weeks. With that unexpected lifer under my belt, I headed to Lot 3 to find some more year birds. I immediately hit upon a problem.
Lot 3 was the furthest that the refuge officials had cleared due to the continued dumpings of snow over the past few weeks. While this was too bad, the whole place looked and felt like the tundra.
"Good luck finding a Snowy in this.", I thought out loud.
It was two o' clock and I had a choice to make. I had already headed over to Salisbury Beach and after seeing how much it would cost to park ($9.00!) I decided to focus on my last two options instead. I could either head over to Horn Pond to try for three potential year birds including an Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrocephalus), Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana), and American Coot (Fulica americana) or I could try for Brant (B. bernicla) at Deer Island instead. I opted for the latter, due to the likelihood of finding such a bird in the harbor. As I negotiated the narrow, snow-choked streets of Winthrop, I hoped I would get lucky at my last stop for the day. As I parked in the small public parking area outside the gates of Deer Island, I noted a Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) sitting in a nearby sumac grove.
"Hopefully there's more activity on the bay.", I mused.
Sadly, it was not to be as the harbor was pretty empty save for a few gulls and two pairs of eiders and scoters. It was a letdown, but after having gotten a life bird, as well as 5 year birds in one day, that was certainly something to be proud of. Despite the rush hour traffic grinding away at my nerves when I headed home, I was happy knowing that I had had a great day out looking for the birds I love and hold so dear.
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