We took the Airstream to Massachusetts to see Jennifer and her family and do some birding in one on my favorite counties. Essex County is so geographically diverse and filled with good birds and some amazing birders. (I don’t count myself in that latter category!) In a couple of days, I picked up 68 species and never got on to Plum Island for shore or sea birds.
Saturday morning, I took the dog on a little outing with the truck and we explored a few of the back roads of West Newbury. It was a morning of dog walkers, runners, cyclists, and trash pickup trucks on the narrow wooded roads. There is one short stretch that bisects a marsh – part of the Crane Pond Wildlife Management Area – where I have previously birded. The road is paved until you get to the marsh, then there is a dirt stretch that is severely washboarded, but that didn’t slow down the folks out for their Saturday morning errands. I walked the dog, dodged traffic, and saw some nice birds. Here are a few photos:
The WMA is part of the headwaters of the Parker River and stretches across the towns of West Newbury, Newbury, Groveland and Georgetown.In spite of being adjacent to developed sites, the marsh is wild-like.
Early in my walk, I spotted an Eastern Kingbird flitting about. I took this shot just before the bird flew to a nest.
I never would have spotted her (him?) if I had not seen the bird flying.As might be expected, there were dozens of Red-winged Blackbirds. It’s amazing that a bird which we celebrate in early Spring can become commonplace and taken for granted.Likewise, the first Tree Swallows are exciting. I never tire of watching these aerial experts perform their routines.Cedar Waxwings were looking sharp in the morning sunlight.
After a while, in spite of the good birds, I got sick of eating dust from passing trucks and cars and headed back to the truck. It was a good outing – a little piece of wildness in an urbanizing area. Good birding.
After a burst of snow Wednesday night making our driveway interesting to negotiate, I checked weather forecasts and went ahead with my plan to move the Airstream to MA where we can launch after Christmas. It was a blustery chilly morning as I hooked the rig up in 6 degree temperatures. The electrical connection, normally supple, was stiff and everything took longer than normal. The chocks were frozen into the ground as was the front jack plate.
Hooked up and about ready to go — once the driver’s fingers thaw.
I used low 4WD for the first time to crawl down the driveway about 8 AM and soon, was wending my way past parked trucks and backing-out cars in downtown Montpelier. The roads were marginal but the interstate had a good clear lane and a slippery passing lane. Of course, the windshield washer fluid was blocked by ice so the first stretch featured a windshield streaked with salt. I got everything cleaned up and working at the first rest stop.
The truck felt a little squirrelly on the road, like the front end was floating a bit. It could be a balance issue with the new rig, it could have been the tail-wind pushing the trailer, or it could have been just me not used to the feel of towing, after a two year layoff. I did tighten a sway damper at that first stop and things either got better, or I just got used to things. It’s something to work on.
Driving I-89 in New Hampshire is easy most days — the traffic is light, there are very few trucks, and the hills seem easier than those in Vermont. There’s one thing that, if I let it, drives me crazy. There are mile markers every two/tenths of a mile so if you are not careful, you note mile 11.2, 11.0. 10.8 until it feels like you’ll never get there. Someone, likely a friend of a Congressman, got themselves a pretty lucrative signage project — talk about overkill. Fortunately, I’ve pretty much trained myself to ignore them.
When we stopped in NH, I noticed how much salt we had picked up on the truck and trailer. Wash time may have to wait until Tennessee.
Mid-day on a Thursday is a good time to travel: the traffic on I-93 was moving well as drove south from Concord. I remembered to put the EZ-Pass for the truck/trailer on so we flew through the high speed toll booth and soon were negotiating Route 101 and then down to Merrimac. I called Jennifer and she met me to help me get the trailer parked.
Her driveway is right off a fairly-busy road, which quiets down after rush hour, but it is a tricky backing up situation. Not only is it 90 degrees but it then curves and is rather narrow. You have a stonewall on one side and a split rail on the other. Yesterday, things went very smoothly — the luck of one who hasn’t done much backing up for a while. I soon had the Airstream parked in the wooded area we have cleared out and she took the dog while I buttoned things up and unhitched.
Airstream at rest in MA, badly needing a rinsing to remove road salt. Hopefully, temperatures will rise a bit in the weeks ahead.
Jennifer and her family live in a nice “birdy” area and they have a number of feeders. A bonus to the trip was some lunchtime birding I did walking down the driveway and watching a few moments from the house. I saw a large bird fly low from her lawn — it looked too big for a robin but I just got a glance. Then, as I approached the area, I saw a hawk under the trees on the ground and it immediately flew off, low through the trees carrying a bird or critter. The tail gave it away — a Cooper’s Hawk. I also heard a Carolina Wren, saw a Tufted Titmouse and several woodpeckers, and had a brief but neat birding experience for the day.
The dog and I launched for Vermont right after lunch, starting about one. The truck, without the trailer, reminded me of the feeling in my road racing days when I shed my trainers for racing flats. Same engine but more pep due to less weight.
After stopping for gas, ($3.39 looks good, boy are we conditioned to high gas pricing.) we set the cruise control and made it home in under three hours — by far a new record. Both Jen and Mary have said that there’s no way that happens with them in the truck!
So, we will see how this plan to launch from Massachusetts goes. We’ll finish stocking the trailer after Christmas and head out on Saturday, the 28th if the weather cooperates.
I took a trip over to Cherry Hill Reservoir a few days ago, braving a strong west wind, and got a good bracing workout for myself and the dog. We also saw some nice birds. Hundreds of Ruddy Ducks are often resting there in the fall and this trip was no exception: most were resting with the heads tucked in and stiff tails up in the air. This gal was off by herself.
Female Ruddy Duck with tail down and some morsel in her beak, just cruising along.
This American Coot did not want its picture taken. We’ll see many of these down south next month.A Double-crested Cormorant preening in the stiff west wind. This was taken at long-range zoom.This snappy-looking Bufflehead flew in and dove before he saw me, and popped up for this shot. Great bird.
Salisbury State Reservation has a series of parking lots that are nearly vacant this time of year. In addition to gulls, there were several flocks of one of my favorite birds: Snow Buntings. The pint-sized tundra breeders just seem to be having too much fun. They crouch as they feed, skittering along as a group, and can be really tough to spot in snow-covered grass or dirt — until they fly. Then they launch as a group, often chattering, and usually land close by.
Checking out a swizzle stick.
Nah, there’s better stuff here in the grass.SNBU’s often take off in unison, a beautiful patterned mosaic of brown and white. Here they are landing into the wind.
Here’s what Steven Moss of The Guardian recently wrote about these wonderful birds:
Snow buntings are, without question, the toughest small bird on the planet. No other songbird ventures so far north, and stays so far beyond the Arctic Circle, during the grim northern winter, when they – and the local people – must endure weeks of almost permanent darkness.
Snow buntings are so hardy that they are one of only three species of bird to have been sighted at the north pole – the other two being seabirds, Kittiwake and Fulmar.
Leaving the Airstream in Vermont (as noted in my last post), we got on the road a day early to combine a medical visit to Dartmouth with the trip to Massachusetts and got here Tuesday night. Then the sleet, rain, and wind hit and our decision felt pretty wise. Plus, it gave me a chance to bird a bit more — and for both of us to spend more time with the family.
There is quite an irruption of Snowy Owls in the Northeast and several had been reported in the Plum Island/Salisbury area so bright and early Wednesday morning, after walking the dog in the gale, I loaded her up and trekked over to Salisbury State Reservation. Here’s the beach scene:
The sea was rough with mist in the wind, and few birds flying. This is the breakwater at Salisbury Beach where Purple Sandpipers hang out at high tide. Not Tuesday – or Wednesday.
Steven Grinley of Birdwatcher’s Supply in Newburyport had reported a Glaucous Gull and a Laughing Gull in the flocks at the beach parking lot so I spent some time, from the shelter of the truck, sorting and counting gulls. It reminded me of going through flocks of Canada Geese, one by one, looking for a Cackling Geese or Snow Goose.
Nothin’ but us Herring Gulls here, sir!
So, we got a lot of fresh air, sorted through hundreds of gulls for something unique, and decided to try another day for Snowy Owls.
There are some farm fields not far from Jennifer’s house which have nice tree and brush lines and are a favorite place to bird while allowing the dog to roam to her heart’s content. We spent an hour there the evening before leaving for Vermont and it was a nice productive outing.
I nearly always hear and see Red-bellied Woodpeckers which are pretty special since they hardly ever frequent my Vermont haunts — and sure enough, there were at least three squawking and pecking away. Penny works ahead of me up the windrows of plants and weeds and for a while, all I saw were wings and tails of small brown birds. They were Song Sparrows and a whole host of Dark-eyed Juncos.
Heading up the second open field, two raptors suddenly soared overhead pretty low. I got the bins on them and then tried to frame them in the camera as they circled, often blocked by trees. At first I thought they were Red-tails but there was no red on either tail — and I’m pretty certain that they were Rough-legged Hawks. ( a birder friend, Sue McGrath wrote that they appear to be Red-tails, and I defer to her expertise.) Here’s one of them:
Red-tailed Hawk circling farm field in Merrimac.
We walked up to the fields on top, enjoying the fall afternoon but not seeing much, but returning, I noticed a couple of birds high in a tree down at the end of the field. The light was awful — I could not figure out what they were as we descended. I got closer and closer, with the dog cruising here and there, figuring that they would get scared off. Finally, almost right below them, I got to a place where the sun was behind me and sure enough, they were a couple of Rusty Blackbirds.
Rusty Blackbird high in tree
The truck was parked by an abandoned landfill which often has a lot of birds around it. As we approached, I saw some Tufted Titmice foraging in the leaves but then noted some flashes of blue — brighter than the Titmice. About six Eastern Bluebirds were feeding and being relatively uncooperative for long-range photos. The one I zeroed in on was doing all sorts of grooming but finally slowed down enough for this shot:
This Bluebird spent five minutes grooming, and still has some feathers askew.
I had logged my sightings into Birdlog as we went along and so I submitted the report as I got back to the truck. Just as the report swooshed off, I heard a Pileated Woodpecker – a nice ending to a nice outing.
We started Monday in Massachusetts by wishing grandson Mac a happy 13th birthday as he got ready for school. He was off to class and I was off to bird.
Mac off to school as a thirteen year-old.
Penny and I travelled over to one of my favorite spots for birding with a dog — Salisbury Beach State Reservation, one of the state’s most popular ocean beaches, stretching 3.8 miles along the Atlantic Ocean. We got there about 8 AM and no one was on the beach — so Penny just took off, racing down to the water, running to and fro. Meanwhile, in a cool wind, I was scoping the ocean, hoping for Northern Gannets (which I never saw.)
Hundreds of Double-crested Cormorants were heading south in rather large gatherings, catching the northerly wind. Other groups, like the ones below, seemed to be heading south by swimming part of the way.
“Hey guys, keep the line straight. There’s a guy trying to take our picture.”
I spotted a number of Common Loons and four Red-necked Grebes, which were too far out for clear photos. People were starting to show up with dogs to exercise so I caught my anti-social Vizsla and headed to the boat ramp and an access point on the Merrimac River.
The Merrimack is a powerful tidal river with lots of fish and birds. This is looking southward to Plum Island. There are Harbor Seals and Brants as well as the boat.
This is the time of year that Harbor Seals hang out on the rocks and in the Merrimack. It’s fun to see them laying in chilly air, like sunbathers, and to see them float along like an inflated animal balloon.
Harbor seals can be seen in and around the mouth of the Merrimack River during the fall and winter. You can read a short overview about harbor seals if you want to learn more about these interesting animals).An abundant small goose of the ocean shores, the Brant breeds in the high Arctic tundra and winters along both coasts. Note the Harbor Seal coasting by on its back.
With some shorebirds, a bunch of Northern Mockingbirds, and three aerobatic Northern Harriers as part of the morning’s sightings, it was another good outing at Salisbury. Both Penny and I were ready for some refreshment and rest.
We loaded up the truck Saturday afternoon and headed to MA (sans Airstream since it was a quick trip) to celebrate two important birthdays: daughter Jen’s 50th and grandson Mac’s 13th. The dog and I grabbed some good walks and birding as part of the deal.
I love to bird Parker River NWR when I’m visiting but since they do not allow dogs, it was out this trip. Sunday, Penny and I went over to check out a few favorite spots in West Newbury. Cherry Hill Reservoir always seems to have interesting birds and as I drove up, I could see hundreds of Ruddy Ducks sleeping and occasionally diving to feed. Here are a couple:
Ruddy Ducks dive to feed on aquatic invertebrates, especially midge larvae. They feed most actively at night, so you’ll often see Ruddy Ducks sleeping during the day, head tucked under a wing and tail cocked up.
I was hoping to walk the dog along the eastern shore where there is a nice trail and lots of sparrows but a guy showed up with a dog just as I did, and I decided to move on. So we drove a few miles over to Artichoke Reservoir where last year, I had seen some Greater White-fronted geese.
I had forgotten that last year, I got tangled up in a big road race that starts in Newburyport and weaves its way up along the reservoir. I was literally right in the middle of the back of the pack with the big truck as joggers and walker, most with earphones, moved up the narrow winding road. I finally got to an intersection where I could escape and I returned the following day for the geese. So, when I saw a small “road race 11-2” sign I realized that it was going to happen again, if I stuck around.
I had recalled seeing a gated woods road back aways at the south end of the reservoir so returning there, Penny and I had a great outing. There was no one around and she could run down the oak-lined farm road to her heart’s content. As we approached the outlet to the reservoir, I heard the croak of a Great Blue Heron and up ahead in the marsh, I saw it. I took a long distance shot before the dog scared it off.
“As my buddy Big Pappi says, ‘This is my #$%@! marsh!”
Further ahead, there was an overgrown trail that lead to the marshy shoreline. I flushed about 25 Mallards but across the water, there were dozens of Canada Geese and an old farm.
We finished up our walk as Penny romped through the farm fields. I got home in time to change, get to a birthday lunch with Jennifer, Mary, Mac, and Ben, and return to the house for dessert. Here’s the birthday girl and the killer cake that Ben ordered — it made me glad we’d done some much walking. I knew that we had another cake for Mac on Monday.
One of my favorite birding haunts is on Plum Island, Newburyport, MA. The Parker River National Wildlife Refuge is a prime Atlantic coast habitat for more than 300 species of birds. Our daughter and her family live less than an hour away so whenever we visit, I try to get over and check out the situation. The only problem is that dogs are not allowed at all and so it’s a hassle at times to find ways to leave Penny elsewhere. Like all refuges, a Senior Pass or a Federal Duck Stamp gets you in free.
You can grab some of the same information from eBird but Tom tends to personalize it — and he often sees many notable birds first. The issue with eBird is that there are dozens of hotspots along the island so you need to check numerous sites. Here’s a map of some of the spots:
Parker River Refuge has a number of accessible sites and for someone unable to travel far, good birding in many spots along the access road. On a weekend, hundreds of slow-moving cars traverse the area although you have to watch out for folks heading to the state beaches at the end of island (outside the refuge). Some of them could care less for birds, or birders.
Hundreds of migratory shorebirds, waterfowl and songbirds use the salt marsh and freshwater impoundments. Shorebird migration begins in July, with numbers peaking in August. photos by USFWS -NortheastThe Boardwalk near the Hellcat area is famous for warblers and songbirds. The birds are nearly at eye level. One end of the walk is the marsh/impoundments and the other, the ocean.
Peregrine falcons can be seen on the refuge from mid-September through November. In winter, the snowy owl returns – I saw my life bird there two years ago. Rough legged hawk and short eared owls can also be seen. Loons, grebes, scoters, and other waterfowl winter along the refuge shore.
Here’s how Tom Wetmore describes this neat spot:
If you are interested in only one specific group of birds you may be able to find a better spot in Massachusetts to see them, but if you are interested in finding the widest variety of birds from the widest variety of groups and on any day of the year there is no better spot to visit in the state than Plum Island.
We took a three day family trip down to Merrimac, MA where I got to do a little more southern birding. Unfortunately, most of the migrants have not yet arrived but it was great to see and hear birds, like Northern and Red-bellied Woodpeckers, that we don’t often see in Washington County, Vermont. I went to Salisbury State Park with the dog one morning and hit the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge for a few hours the next morning. Here are a few photos from my outings:
One of many European Phoebes.Chipping Sparrows were everywhere and singing steadily. (They just arrived in Vermont)This Cooper’s Hawk was patiently waiting along the access road to Salisbury SP.There were nearly 100 Brant on the rocks in the Merrimack River.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment and subscribing by RSS feed or via email to have future articles delivered to you.
