American Black Ducks, Stage Fort State Park, MA

American Black Ducks, Stage Fort State Park, Glauster, MA; 11/12/2011.

Our final birding stop for the day (11/12/11) in search of coastal sea birds in Massachusetts was Stage Fort Stae Park in Glauster. I was hoping to see a Great Cormorant, but all I found were Double-Crested Cormorants along with quite a variety of water birds in a very pretty setting. Some of the birds which I was able to identify were Great Black-backed Gulls, Ring-billed Gulls, Herring Gulls, Common Eiders, Red-breasted Merganser (Below), Common Loons, Buffleheads, Mallards, and Amarican Black Ducks (Above). I was happy to have identified American Black Ducks on sight without the aid of a Field Guide because I have been under the impression that they are so similar to Mallards, that I have probably have seen them before but mistakenly assumed they were mallards. But once I saw this small flock of 4-5 ducks, I knew immediately they were American Black Ducks. They are much darker than Mallards from below the neck to their tail, with a lighter neck and head. They will be darker at the crown and have a dark eyeline with  greenish/yellow bill. In the Midwest these ducks are not very common, but when they are visible they seem to be among a flock of the more numerous Mallards. But on the East Coast, American Black Ducks are more apt to travel in their own flocks.  Primarily a resident of the Eastern half of the country, Am. Black Ducks will reach as far north as Northern Quebec in the Summer and as far south as Georgia in the Winter. They will spend year round starting in a midsection from southern Wisconsin and Michigan, going east to the Atlantic coast and then stretching out from North Carolina to Maine.

Red-breasted Merganser, Stage Fort State Park, Glauster, MA; 11/12/2011.

Sea Birds from the Rockport Headlands, MA

Fly-by Long-tailed Ducks, Halibut Point State Park, Rockport, MA; 11/12/2011.

This post will not acclaim to have quality photos, but as I was exploring the rocky sea shore of Halibut Point State Park, in Massachussets, watching for Harlequin Ducks, several flocks of sea birds flew past. They were all quite far out to sea and travelling at a fast clip, and because I am not very good at identifying most sea birds by their flight pattern (yet), I wasn't certain of their identities. I just pointed my lens, tried to get them in my viewfinder, put my camera on auto-focus in "sports mode," and let it burst. At the distance, I assumed the first flock (Above) to be some more Harlequins, but upon looking at my images later in the day, I realized they were Long-tailed Ducks. Very cool, this is the first time I have ever seen a Long-tailed Duck. Below, I cropped my best image (which isn't saying a lot in this case) of these Long-tails, so you can see how unique their non-breeding plumage is with their light grayish/pinkish mask with a black cheek and wings, and a long tail trailing behind - thus its name. In summers they will keep the mask but the remainder of their head will turn black with a white swoop behind their eyes. In the top left corner of the pic (Above) ia a juvenile Long-tailed Duck. Its face is whiter without the mask and its black cheek and breast have not yet fully developed.

A close up of the Long-tailed Ducks , Halibut Point State Park, Rockport, MA; 11/12/2011.

Long-tailed Ducks spend their summers in Northern Canada and Alaska, and will migrate down both the Atlantic and Pacific Coastlines to spend their winters.

A Northern Gannet, Halibut Point State Park, Rockport, MA; 11/12/2011.

One of my target birds (along with the Harlequin Ducks my Christmas Day post - http://northernillinoisbirder.blogspot.com/2011/12/harlequin-duck-ornamental-duck-for-your.html ) was the Northern Gannet which is common along the entire Atlantic seaboard during the winter months.  I saw this large white bird (Above) quite far out over the ocean. It seemed too large to be a gull, so I found it in my viewfinder and burst as many shots as possible, hoping that I  might get an image that will let me identify it. Sure enough, upon searching through my day's images, most of my shots from that particular series of bursts were far too blurry to know for sure what it was, but I had at least 3 images that told me it was indeed a Northern Gannet (Above). Its all-white body with black wing tips weren't the give away, but its long thick gray bill giving away to a long gape (the fleshy edges at the corners of the mouth - often looking like a smile or a frown), and its yellow tinge of color on its nape were unmistakenable. I was very happy to see a Northern Gannet, but unfortunately, it was the only one I saw during my 3-day weekend in Massachussets, and this is the best image I could get.

A flock of Surf-Scoters flew by by, Halibut Point State Park, Rockport, MA, 11/12/2011.

The final flock of seabirds that flew by (that wern't Gulls, Harlequins or Eiders) were Surf-Scoters, which enabled me to identify all three types of Scoters (Black and White-winged being the other two. See my 12/11/2011 post - http://northernillinoisbirder.blogspot.com/2011/12/scoters-parker-river-nationl-wildlife.html ) during my weekend. Again because they quite far out to sea away from the shore, I had to rely on hoping to get a good image from a series of burts in auto-focus. Surf-Scoters are mostly a dull grayish brown diving duck, lighter underneath and with a white verticle loral patch at the base of its bill. Females will also sport a white patch on its cheek. Surf-Sxcoters are another bird that are summer residents of the extreme north - Alaska, and Nunavut and Quebec, Canada; and will migrate along both coasts for the winter.
These three species, Long-tailed Ducks, Northern Gannet, and Surf Scoters were additions to my Life List (#342-344).

Greater Black-backed Gull

A Greater Black-backed Gull, Andrews Point, Rockport, MA; 11/12/2011.

Among all the sea birds I have seen off the Atlantic Coast during my November weekend in Massachussets, it probably comes to no surprise that seagulls were the most common sighting. The three gulls that dominated were the Ring-billed Gulls that are one of the most common gulls of this continent; Herring Gulls, another common gull throughout North America; and the Great Black-backed Gull (Above), common along the Atlantic Coast, and also became #337 on my Life List.

A Greater Black-backed Gull, Halibut Point State Park, Rockport, MA; 11/12/2011.



The Great Black-backed Gull gets its name ffrom two obvoius traits - it's all-white except for a black back and black wings, and it is the larger of two similar gulls, the other being the Lesser Black-backed Gull. Greater Black-backs can grow up to 30" in length with a 65" wingspan, while the Lesser BB Gull will only reach a maximum of 21" with a 54" wingspan. In fact, Greater Black-backs are North America's largest gull. I often saw Black Backs floating out on the ocean waves off shore, many times with ducks, such as Eiders.

Snow Buntings for a New years Day

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

A Snow Bunting in its winter plumage, Halibut Point State Park, Rockport, MA; 11/12/2011.

HAPPY NEW YEARS! What better way to bring in the New Year than with the beautiful Snow Bunting. Last winter in late January, was the first time I saw a Snow Bunting - of all places in a weedy, vacant field behind Peak Fitness. As I was returning from a winter hike in Rock Cut State Park, I noticed a flock of whitish birds fly over the street and land in the field.  I pulled over and stalked them long enough to get some photos, but the light was bad and I was quite a distance away, so none of my photographs were of note (but you can check out my blog post from March 31, 2011 - about winter birds in Northern Illinois - http://northernillinoisbirder.blogspot.com/2011/03/northern-illinois-winter-birds.html ), where I posted a photo of that flock.

Snow Buntings feeding off the cliffs at Halibut Point State Park, Rockport, MA; 11/12/2011.

During my fall visit out to Massachusetts, to search for mostly sea birds, I was returning back to my rent-a-car after seeing my first Harlequin Duck (Christmas Day post - ). You can Imagine my surprise when I happened upon another flock of Snow Buntings (Above), which were hanging about some grassy areas above the cliffs of the quarry in Halibut Point State Park. This time I lucked out - it was a bright sunny morning, and the flock stayed relatively close by so I could get some great photos (Top of page and Below).  I didn't expct to see Snow Buntings in such an environment.

A Snow Bunting, Halibut Point State Park, Rockport, MA; 11/12/2011.

But I shouldn't have been surprised as Snow Buntings will migrate as far south as Southern Idaho in the West, Central Illinois in the Midsection, and Deleware in the East for the winter. They will spend their summers in the far north of Canada on the high Arctic rocky tundra.

Who do you think you're looking at?

A Snow Bunting's winter plumage (as all of my pics show) is very pretty - mostly white with a short yellow bill and cinnamon colorings on its head, back and on a throat band. Black feathers are interspersed in its wings and back. I have yet to see a Snow Bunting in its very striking breeding plumage - all white with a black back and wing tips, and a dark bill. Maybe some day I will be fortunate enough to see their winter plumage before they migrate North, because its highly unlikely I would be visiting the Arctic Circle anytime soon.

Snow Buntings, Halibut Point State Park, Rockport, MA; 11/12/2011.

A Song Sparrow living in the rocks of the Quarry at Halibut Point State Park, Rockport, MA; 11/12/2011.

I also some other land birds at Halibut Point State Park, such as the ubiquitous Song Sparrow (Above) which I seem to find in all parts of the country in many different habitats and the only warbler that is likely to be seen in the winter months inside the U.S. borders - the Yellow -rumped Warbler (Below).

A Yellow-rumped Myrtle, Halibut Point State Park, Rockport, MA; 11/12/2011.

Common Eider

A pair of Common Eiders, Andrews Point, Rockport, MA; 11/12/2011.

While visiting Halibut Point State Park in Rockport, Massachussets, looking for sea birds that I wouldn't find in the Midwest. One of the first birds I saw was a female Common Eider floating in the the rough waters near the rocky shore.  While I was focussing on this Eider, a Harlequin Duck floated right into my viewfinder (my Christmas Day post).  Later while exploring the Andrews Point, only a few minutes away from Halibut Point SP, a rather large flock of Common Eiders (A pair Above) flew in and landed several yards off the shore line. The female on the left are all brown with a barred wing pattern, gray bill that extends to the crown leaving virtually no forehead. They also have a long lighter eyebrow.  Males (on the right) are black and white with a yellow bill. Their heads and backs are white, with black wings and a black crown.

A fly-by female Common Eider, Halibut Pt SP,MA, 11-12-11

The Eiders stayed quite far out to sea, but the closest one came to me was a female that flew by not far off the shore (Above).

A female Common Eider and a Harlequin Duck enjoy the wave action at Halibut Pt SP,MA, 11-12-11

Wave action at Halibut Point Sate Park, Rockport, MA; 11/12/2011.

Eiders like the rough sea near rocky shorelines similar to the photo (Above).

A male Common Eider, Andrews Point, Rockport, MA; 11/12/2011.

Males (Above) are black and white with a yellow bill. Their heads and backs are white, with black wings and a black crown.

A juvenile male Common Eider, Andrews Point, Rockport, MA; 11/12/2011.

Within the flock that landed at Andrews Point, there were many adult females and males, but also some juvenile males (Above), which look similar to adult males, but their necks and heads are mostly black. During the summer, Common Eiders can be found along the extreme northern shorelines of Canada and Alaska - the Hudson Bay, Baffin Island and the other islands of Nunavut in the Arctic Circle.  For the winter they will migrate a bit south along the north Atlantic seaboard as far south as Virginia, and along the Aleutian Islands and the North pacific Coast of Alaska and Canada. They can be found year round in the North Atlantic along the eastern Provinces of Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, and Labrador. In the States they can be found year round along the coast of Maine. As I noticed in the summer of 2008, the first time I saw a Common Eider, they may spend their summer months as far south as Rhode Island (Below).

Female Common Eiders rest on some seaweed covered rocks, Judith Point, Narragansett, Rhode Island; 7/29/2008.

Harlequin Duck - an ornamental duck for your merry Christmas

A beautifull marked Harlequin Duck floating in the Atlantic, Halibut Point State Park, MA; 11/12/2011.

Merry Christmas!  There is no bird (at least duck) more beautiful to feature on Christmas Day than the Harlequin Duck (Above).  One of the main reasons for my wanting to visit the Massachusetts Atlantic coast

was to try to find one of these torrent ducks. After reading John Nelson's article about "Birding Hotspots Near You" in the October 21, issue of Bird Watching ( http://www.birdwatchingdaily.com/Where%20to%20go/Hotspots%20Near%20You.aspx ), I was motivated to try to get away for a long weekend to someplace interesting and with potential birding possibilities. Since I was too busy to get away during the long Thanksgiving weekend, I decided that I would try to find a place to go during the Vetrans' Day weekend, of which I had a 3-days away from school. The "hotspots" that the article featured were in Nestucca Bay NWR, Oregon; Middle Creek WMA, Pennsylvania; Merced NWR, California, and the Rockport Headlands, Cape Ann, Massachusetts. All of these places sounded interesting, but since Val has relatives in the Boston area, and one of the highlighted birds from Cape Ann was the Harlequin Duck among other sea birds that I do not get a chance to see here in the Midwest. Since Cape Ann is not more than an hours drive north of Boston, I proposed to Val a quick mini-vacation to the area.  Initially, she thought I was kidding, but I assurred her I was serious. She could see her relatives who she doesn't get to visit very often, and I get to go birding in places that I would not be able to do very often - a win-win situation. At the very least, a win-lose situation - even if I don't get to see the birds I would like to, at least she would get to see her relatives, so it would not be a wasted trip. She agreed.

A fly - by Harlequin Duck, Halibut Point State Park, Rockport, MA; 11/12/2011.

Since most of Val's relatives were busy during the day of our arrival, our plan was upon landing at Logan Airport in Boston, we would rent a car and immediately drive up to Plum Island (Parker River NWR - see my last few posts about birds from Plum Island), spend the day there, drive back to Boston, stay with Val's Aunt (Hi Celeste), then the next day drive out to Cape Ann and visit the "hotspots" that John Nelson mentioned in his article.  In his article, he said never to "gaurantee" that one will see a bird, but he mentioned that he has never failed to see a Harlequin Duck in at least one of three locations. So I thought, why not give these locations a try? The first hotspot was Halibut Point State Park in Rockport. After a short hike through some beautiful scenery past a water-filled- no longer in use quarry, we reached the ocean's coast, and within minutes I saw a female Common Eider (A bird I only have seen once before a couple of years ago in Rhode Island) riding the waves near the rocky shoreline.  While I was focussing on this Eider, another water bird floated right into my viewfinder. Lo and behold, it was a Harlequin Duck (Top photo). As it bobbed into and out of view in between the 2-foot waves, I managed several good pics. Later as I was exploring the rocky shoreline, another harlequin Duck flew by at quite a clip, but I was lucky to get a bead on its flight path and burst several shots (Above), which turned out to be one of my best photos (in my opinion) of 2011.

Harlequin Ducks riding the waves crashing into the Cathedral Rocks, Rockport, MA; 11/12/2011.

After completing our visit to Halibut Point State Park, we drove along some shoreline streets to further explore the area, and checked out two other hotspots that John Nelson recommended - Cathedral Rocks and Andrew Point. Near Cathedral Rocks, I hopped out of the rent-a-car, and ventured out onto the rocks so I could better see the ocean's shoreline. Within seconds I saw four more Harlequins (3 male, 1 female) riding the waves in a small cove (Above). They were content to let the waves push them to whereever it led them. As a wave would carry them over a rocky ledge, and when the wave subsided, the ducks would stay on the rock until another wave came along and washed them off the rocks where upon they would let the waves carry them to their next destination. This continued for several minutes until they decided they had enough of the waves and then climbed up higher onto the rocky ledge where the waves couldn't reach them (Below).

A row of Harlequins, Cathedral Rocks, Rockport, MA; 11/12/2011.

Native to Europe, Harlequins are also found in both the East and West ends of Canada in the summers, as well as in Alaska in the West and Greenland in the East, and year round in the Aleutian Islands. In winter months they can be found along both the North Atlantic and North Pacific coastlines. So my hats off to John Nelson from Bird Watchinmg Magazine for leading me to these magnificent ducks.

Dunlin & Greater Yellowlegs, Plum Island, MA

Vibrant colors on the Pines Trail,  Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.

My last few posts dealt with Sanderlings, Semipalmated Sandpipers and Black-bellied Plovers, but I also saw another two shorebirds during my day on Plum Island, Massachusetts. The Greater Yellowlegs (Below) is a shorebird that I have seen in the Midwest, and is also found coast to coast throught Canada in the summer, and keeps itself along both coasts during the winter.

A Greater Yellowlegs, Parker River NWR, Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.

But it was the second shorebird that I noticed, which was separated from the other sandpipers probing the beach as a collected flock. This shore bird appeared out of nowhere. I was in the same general spot for several minutes and was surprised I didn't see it before. As I took its picture, I was thinking it seemed a bit larger than the Semipalmated Sandpiper of the similar brownish color. It certainly wasn't as white as the Sanderlings. I turned my attention back to the main flock, then looked for the lone shorebird again, but it was nowhere in sight. I was lucky to get that one photo (Below) because I didn't see it again. While sorting out my photos at day's end, I came to the image of this bird and upon seeing this shorebird with its long curved bill, I confirmed it was neither a Sanderling nor a Semipalmated.

This lone Dunlin appeared for a brief moment near a flock of sanderlings and Semipalmated Sandpipers,  Sandy Point, Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.

Again, because of my lack of identification skills of the subtle differences between many Sandpipers, I needed to check my guidebook (The Sibley Field Guide...)to identify this one. The long curved bill and the geographic area narrowed down my choices to Western Sandpipers, Dunlins, and Stilt Sandpipers. It is possible that all three of these could be found along the north Atlantic coast during their fall migration. However, it would be rare for the Western Sandpiper to be seen north of New York during the winter but certainly could be seen as it is migrating through. I decided that the bird I saw was larger than a Western Sandpiper which would be in between the size of Sanderlings and Semipalmated SP's. Stilt Sandpipers would be the right size and could also be migrating through, but their legs are yellow, so I dismissed these. Dunlins would be the most common of the three as it is a winter resident along the entire Atlantic Coast as far north as Maine. and its size and colorization seemed about right being slightly larger than a Sanderling and much larger than a Semipalmated and a Western, but the same genral color and markings. I was excited that I could add a Dunlin to my Life List (#340), and wished I paid more attention to it to get a better quality photograph.

Tomorrow and the next couple of weekends I'll feature photos of birds that I found along the Rocky Atlantic shores of Rockport and Glauster, Mass.

Black-bellied Plover and Western Sandpiper, Plum Island, MA

A boardwalk leading out to an Atlantic beach on Plum Island, MA, 11/11/2011.

Plum Island has a varied beautiful habitat to attract many types of birds, but shore and water birds specifically find this area a fantastic place to live or as a stopover on their migration routes. I particularly was hoping to find a Piping Plover, which calls Plum Island its summer home, knowing that by the middle of November they may already have left for their winter grounds.

Waves incoming, Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.

After searching several beaches, searching for some shorebirds, about all I observed were Herring Gulls so I turned my attention to the waves crashing onto the beach. While I was taking pictures of the Atlantic waves,  I noticed a shore bird appear near a salt water puddle. Its short bill suggested to me that it was a Plover and not a Sandpiper.

Black-bellied Plover, Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.

It wasn't a Piping Plover, but it still was a new a new bird to add to my Life List, a Black-bellied Plover in its nonbreeding plumage. These Plovers are very similar to the American Golden Plover, but this bird's (Above) belly was too white to be that of an American Golden.

Black-bellied Plover,  Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.

Black-bellied Plovers are found inside the Arctic Circle in the northern shores of Alaska and Canada during the summer months. It would have been cool to see this Plover's breeding plumage as males sport a black breast, throat and face set off with white under the tail and along the sides of the neck that run up along to its forehead.  In its nonbreeding plumage, they lose their contrasting white and black feathers and become more drab (Above).  Their undersides become whiter, but the rest of thier bodies,  become more brown, with streaked breast and a white eyebrow. They will spend their winter months along both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, which of course, is where I saw this guy.

Semipalmated Sandpipers - Plum Island, MA

Sandy Point Beach, Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.

While chasing after Sanderlings on Sandy Point on Plum Island, who in turn were chasing waves (yesterday's post), I noticed a bird that didn't seem to fit in with the rest of the flock. It was slightly smaller and had darker plumage on its back.

Which one of these is not like the other? Sandy Point, Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.

I must have been observing these Sanderlings for quite a few minutes, when it occurred to me that one of them didn't have the same markings, but was following and doing everything the Sanderlings were doing.  I figured it looked like a Semipalmated Sandpiper or a Least Sandpiper (Both which could have been migrating through), but because I wasn't completely certain about my identification of shorebirds, I had to wait until I was able to use my bird guide and make a sure ID.

Can you spot the Semipalmated Sandpiper among the Sanderlings? Sandy Point, Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.

Semipalmated Sandpiper, Sandy Point, Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.

After a few minutes the Semipalmated Sandpiper separated itself from the Sanderlings so I could isolate it in a photo (Above). Then I noticed there were two Smipalmated SP's (Below). They are often found on mudflats feeding together with their close relatives, the Least and Western sandpipers, but in this case, with Sanderlings.

A couple of Semipalmated Sandpipers hanging with a flock of Sanderlings, Sandy Point, Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.

The markings and size of these two birds were similar to both the Semipalmated and the Least Sandpipers, but the bill is what helped me determine it was a Semipalmated. The Least SP's bill is slightly longer, thinner and droops down more than the Semiplamated SPs. It was fortunate for us to see these Sandpipers while they were on their long migration route south.

A swarm of Semipalmated Sandpipers over the Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick, Canada; 8/1/2008.

Perhaps the most numerous shorebird in North America, sometimes occurring by the thousands during migration, Semipalmated Sandpipers spend their summers on the mudflats of  Northern Canada surrounding the Hudson Bay and the many islands of the Northwest Territories. They travel a long way during their migration route, flying all the way to South America to spend their winters. A couple of summers ago, while Val and I were  exploring the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick (Canada), we had the good fortune to witness thousands of these Sandpipers, on their way North, "fishing" for insects and mollusks out in the bay. They flew in a swarm (Above) chasing the insects, changing directions all together, which made them look like a wave in the air.

A fling of Semipalmated Sandpipers, Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick, Canada; 8/01/2008.

The photo (Above) is about the closest I could zoom in to get some shape of each individual Sandpiper. However, I was able to get a bit of video (Below) that captured the crazy movement the fling of Semipalmated's as they moved back and forth as a collective group, simulating a wave.

A video clip of a "timestep" of Semipalmated Sandpipers cruising the Bay of Fundy for insects on the oceans surface; New Brunswick, Canada; 8/1/2008.

The name of these Sandpipers has an interesting origin. The word "semipalmated," refers to the birds' toes, means "half-webbed." The toes are only slightly lobed at their bases and help them to walk on mud without sinking. According to Whatbird.com, a group of sandpipers has many collective nouns, including a "bind", "contradiction", "fling", "hill", and "time-step" of sandpipers.

A Semipalmated Sandpiper, Sandy Pointy, Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.

Sanderlings - New Wave Chasers

A small grain of Sanderlings were the object of our amusement as they chased waves in and out of the beach at Sandy Point, Plum Island, Massachusetts; 11/11/2011.

As promised, today I have some fun pics of a flock of Sanderlings being the ultimate wave chasers. They would scurry out as far as the surf's edge would take them. Then as a newly formed wave merged toward the shore, the Sanderlings would hustle back away from the wave. As soon as the wave receded, they would quickly feed on the invertebrate prey that the waves deposited in the sand, and then wait for the next wave. This action was repeated for hours.

Sanderlings - running into the surf getting in position for the incoming wave, Sandy Point, Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.

Sanderlings - running away from the incoming wave,  Sandy Point, Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.

Sanderlings - quickly feeding on the morsals left behind by the receding wave, Sandy Point, Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.

....And repeat ....

Running in ... waiting for the next wave ...

...running out ...

...and quckly feeding...

This would go on for hours and the Sanderlings, busy at their feeding frenzy, soon became very accustomed to me being there, and let me get quite close. In the photo (Below two pics), I hardly needed to either zoom in with my Sigma 500mm lens, nor had to crop the photo later in photoshop.

Sanderlings, hurdling the wave's edge, waiting for their meal to be deposited at their feet,  Sandy Point, Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.

Another pic that needed no zooming in or cropping, sanderlings, Sandy point, Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.

Some wilder wave action off the Atlantic Coast, Plum Island, MA; 11/11/2011.