Day 1 – Drive to New Hampshire; Parker River NWR (Plum Island); Birdwatcher’s Supply & Gift Store in Newburyport

Day 2 – Boston – Design Center, Xecelon Power Plant; Parker River NWR - Emmerson Rocks; Salisbury Beach Reservation; Newburyport - Merrimack River, Chain Bridge, Sewage Treatment Plant; Parker River NWR

Day 3 – Portsmouth - Golden Egg; Newburyport - Cashman Park, Sewage Treatment Plant, Seawall/Joppa Flats; Cape Ann - Rocky Neck/Ten Pound Island, Niles Beach, Eastern Point, Bass Rocks, Rockport Jetty, Cathedral Ledge, Andrews Point, Rowley Shore Road, Gloucester Harbour/Jetty.

Birding at Plum Island

With several inches of snow on the ground and the 3AM weather forecast for Boston having been downgraded to 2-4", we began what turned out to be a slow and event filled journey to New England. Driving through New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts we witnessed numerous tractor trailers in peril; somehow dodged an out of control SUV and found out that the storm had moved inland and we were in the heart of it! When all was said and done Boston received 10 inches! Consequently our plan to visit Boston to look for the Gyrfalcon was axed and we headed to Northeast Massachusetts. Arriving at Parker River NWR mid afternoon with snow still falling, our first bird was an immature female Snowy Owl perched on top of a pole at the bridge, allowing for a great view. After sitting for a while she took off after a Great Black-backed Gull and escorted it out of her territory before flying straight towards us, giving us wonderful close up looks at her. From here we visited the Birdwatchers Supply and Gift Store where it took a little while for the over wintering Clay-colored Sparrow to make an appearance at the feeders.

A cold crisp snowless morning greeted us Saturday. We headed straight for Boston and the Gyr. Pulling into the Design Center we spot a raptor on the building but it is only a Kestrel. A car pulled up besides us and pointed us towards the Xecelon Power Plant and the dark morph Gyr sitting on a “window” ledge! Though we were some distance from the bird we got decent scope views but…..we crossed the water and got to within a hundred yards as she sat patiently for all of us to see incredibly well. Though snow was being blown off the rooftops and around her, she was happy sitting tight though the snow was causing her some concern as she kept closing her white eye lids.

Returning to Newburyport, we first stopped at Parker River, where we had distant looks at a Northern Shrike; good views of a light morph Rough-legged Hawk and on the walk to the tower came across a small flock of Horned Larks, which were later joined by Lapland Longspurs.

A quick visit to Salisbury Beach Reservation yielded a Red-necked Grebe, distant Sanderlings and numerous Common Eiders. Stopping at the Sewage Treatment Plant in Newburyport produced an adult “white-wing gull” with characteristics of both Iceland and Glaucous. The primaries where pure white, as evident while standing and in flight and the small rounded head and bill suggested Iceland yet the neck was very thick and the overall body appearance appeared to be bulky, at least or even slightly larger than the size of the Herring Gull that was next to it. Hybrid? Possibly.

Returning to Parker River NWR we came across a very confiding Long-eared Owl that was catching the last rays of the day a short distance from the road and only 6 feet off of the ground. With such close views we were even able to see the eyelashes! Further down Plum Island several Snowy Owls were seen out in the marsh, one perched on a log and another in a cedar tree, but it was the Short-eared Owl quartering over the dunes that got us all excited. The views, in particular of the under side, were fantastic as we followed it as it hunted besides the road until well after the sunset. On our way out we got to see another Short-eared Owl silhouetted a-top a dead snag and against a brilliant red-orange sunset. What a wonderful way to end a spectacular days birding!

Long-earred Owl

Sunday morning began with a Great Horned calling at the hotel and another at the Golden Egg -our 4th owl of the trip. We could not locate the reported Screech Owl. Heading south, we stopped in Newburyport at Cashman Park where we were abruptly greeted by a hundred Mallards! A visit to the Sewage Treatment plant and to the seawall produced several Iceland ‘kumlien’s’ Gull’s one of which was continuously diving into the water obviously fishing. On Cape Ann, where we went around the scenic coast anti-clockwise, we picked up a male Barrow’s Goldeneye between Ten Pound Island and Rocky Neck, as well as a 1st winter Iceland and several young Harbor Seals. Black Guillemots were off of Bass Rocks where we were surprised to see a male Harrier over the coast. At Cathedral Ledge we came across a large group of Harlequins in the water and two Red-necked Grebes. At Andrews Point we picked up our second alcid species of the trip, as we observed a pair of Razorbills in flight, relatively close, followed by a small distant group of 6.

On our journey home while driving through Connecticut we came across a roost of crows that must have been between 2-4000 individuals – quite a site.

~ Adrian Binns

Civil Twilight at Portsmouth

SYSTEMATIC LIST OF SPECIES SEEN

BIRDS

• Common Loon ........Small numbers along the coast

  Horned Grebe .... Several off of Bass Rocks, Emmerson Rocks and Andrews Point

  Red-necked Grebe.....Singles off of Andrews Point, Salisbury Beach

  Double-crested Cormorant ... 3 seen along the Merrimack River

  Great Cormorant ... Large numbers at the Chain Bridge and at Bass Rocks

  Great Blue Heron... 1 at Cashman Park

  Canada Goose ... Seen in small numbers each day

  Mute Swan ,,, A couple on the Merrimack River and loads at Gloucester Harbour

  Gadwall ... Common at Eastern Point and several at Rocky Neck and Niles Beach

  American Wigeon ...2 on the Merrimack River

  American Black Duck ... Common

  Mallard ... Common

  Greater Scaup ... 12 seen off of Ten Pound Island

  Common Eider ... Small numbers around Cape Ann and good numbers off Salisbury Beach

  Harlequin Duck ... About 40 off of Cathedral Ledge

  Surf Scoter ... 2 at Bass Rocks

  White-winged Scoter ... Small numbers at Cathedral Ledge and Emmerson Rocks

  Black Scoter ...1 at Bass Rocks

  Long-tailed Duck ... Several pairs around Cape Ann and at Emmerson Rocks

  Bufflehead ... Common on the Merrimack, Parker River NWR and a few around Cape Ann

  Common Goldeneye... Small numbers around Cape Ann and on the Merrimack

  Barrow’s Goldeneye ... 1 male between Ten Pound Island and Rocky Neck

  Common Merganser ... Several at the Chain Bridge

  Red-breasted Merganser ... Common

  Bald Eagle... 4 at the Chain Bridge

  Northern Harrier ...1 male at Bass Rocks and several at Parker River NWR

  Sharp-shinned Hawk ... 1 while driving through the neighbourhood in Newburyport

  Cooper’s Hawk ...1 at Parker River NWR and 1 just outside Salisbury Beach

  Red-tailed Hawk ... Small numbers at Parker River NWR

  Rough-legged Hawk ... 4 at Parker River NWR including 1 dark morph

  American Kestrel ... 1 in Boston at the Design Center Building and 1 outside Newburyport

  Merlin ... 1 at Parker River NWR

  Gyrfalcon ... 1 dark morph female at the Xecelon Power Plant in Boston

  Sanderling ... 3 at Salisbury Beach

  Dunlin ...2 large flocks in Rockport Jetty

  Ring-billed Gull ...Common

  Herring Gull ...Common

  Iceland Gull ...1 adult of the nominate race, 2 2nd winter, 1 3rd winter and 1 adult “Kumliens” between the Sewage Treatment Plant and the seawall; 1 1st winter at Gloucester Harbour

  Great Black-backed Gull... Common

  Razorbill ... A group of 6 and a pair at Andrews Point

  Black Guillemot...3 at Bass Rocks

  Rock Dove ... Very Common

  Mourning Dove...Common

  Great Horned Owl... 2 heard in Portsmouth, 1 at the hotel and the other at the Golden Egg

  Snowy Owl ...At least 3 at Parker River NWR, 1 immature female, 1 female and 1 male

  Long-eared Owl ....1 very cooperative bird at Parker River NWR

  Short-eared Owl ...3 at Parker River NWR

  Northern Shrike ...1 on the dunes at Parker River NWR

  Blue Jay ... Common

  American Crow... Very Common – we past a huge (2-4000 birds) roost along 84 in Connecticut

  Horned Lark... About a dozen at Parker River NWR

  Black-capped Chickadee...Several at Parker River NWR

  Tufted Titmouse ... 1 at Parker River NWR

  White-breasted Nuthatch ...1 in the residential neighborhood in Newburyport

  American Robin...Common

  Northern Mockingbird ...Small numbers

  European Starling ... Very Common

  Yellow-rumped Warbler ...Several at Parker River NWR and at the Design Center in Boston

  American Tree Sparrow... Dozens at the Birdwatcher’s Supply Store and at Parker River NWR

  Clay-colored Sparrow ... 1 at the Birdwatcher’s Supply Store in Newburyport

  Song Sparrow... 2 at the Birdwatcher’s Supply Store in Newburyport

  White-throated Sparrow ... 1 at Parker River NWR

  Lapland Longspur ... 7 at Parker River NWR

  House Finch ... A few heard in Newburyport

  House Sparrow ...Very Common

MAMMALS:

• Harbour Seal ...2 At Ten Pond Island, 1 on the Merrimack, 1 at Bass Rocks

  White-tailed Deer ... 1 at Parker River NWR

  Grey Squirrel ...Several in Newburyport and 1 on Cape Ann