New England Coastal BIrds

New England Coastal BIrds

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Part 2 July/August Shorebirding Journal

Part 2, Shorebirding Journal-  (Continued from Part 1)

     August 12, Hammonasset- At 8:00 am when the Park opened, I drove to the western end hoping to check the puddles for Shorebirds. Unfortunately, the puddles were nearly dried up, and empty of birds. But there was a large number of Gulls spread out on the usual parking lot roost. Among them were twenty-five Laughing Gulls-












    
     Meigs Pond was a bit different however, Shorebirds were present and feeding in earnest. In the flock were both Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Short-billed Dowitcher, Semi-palmated and Least Sandpiper, and five White-rumped Sandpiper-



















   









      Little Blue Heron-



   
     Tri-colored Heron-






















     Sharptail Sparrow-









     August 13, Hammonasset- The White-rumped Sandpipers continue-


















    And the Tri-colored Heron. It landed in one of its favorite perch trees near Meigs Pond. After bellowing out a few harsh squawks it flew down into the pond-











    I joined up with Jim Carr ad Jack Faller to see if we could photograph the Bobolinks. Two birds popped up from the deeper grass and Queen Anne's Lace, but not close enough for good photos. However, they were beautiful birds to watch and enjoy-










  

    In the parking lot near the Restoration Marsh, the fields were busy with hunting Willow Flycatchers. This one had captured a mating pair of Dragonflies-










    Near the exit of the Park, this Green Heron was standing in the small marshy pond. It jumped up into the overhead trees where I lost sight of it





     August 14, Hammonasset-  A contented pair of Willow Flycatcher-






     This Harrier stirred-up the Shorebirds in Meigs Pond. After the Harrier left the area, the Shorebirds made a few passes over the Pond, headed southwest and didn't return-




















     This Peregrine with unidentified prey (most likely a Shorebird) could be seen on the beach at the end of the Moraine Trail; viewed from the platform on Cedar Island-







     A Coopers Hawk was being escorted out of the area by a few Tree Swallows-






     Immature Little Blue Heron with an adult-






     Part 3 Continues- click on "Older Posts" below right.......