MA - Merlin and RB Merg - 03/04

Kumlien's Gull - first-cycle. Barton Cove, Franklin Co., MA, March 3rd, 2010.

Recent visits to Barton Cove in Turner's Fall/Gill have seen a few changes taking place perhaps hinting at some spring migration? Gull roost numbers have increased to over 1000 birds which may have some exciting potential, but the last two visits have been frustrated by Bald Eagle activity resulting in near constant flushing of the gulls. The few periods when gulls were actually present on the water or the ice, I did manage to pick out the regulars - 2 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 1-2 first-cycle Kumlien's Gulls. A second-cycle Glaucous Gull was present on 3rd and 4th, and a nice 2nd-cycle Kumlien's Gull appeared briefly on 4th as well. No major rarities so far this winter but it's encouraging to detect some fresh birds, perhaps on return migration. Tom Pirro had an excellent gull session here on Saturday February 27th, and you can view his blog entry here.

Also of note on the 4th, a nice male Red-breasted Merganser with Common and Hooded Mergansers, and about 8 Common Goldeneye. Plus terrific views of a female Merlin from the public boat ramp on the Gill side of Barton Cove.

Of note today, March 5th, a Turkey Vulture over our apartment on North Whitney Street, Amherst - our first local bird of the year, plus a nice visual of a Barred Owl in the Wildwood Conservation area. Last week I saw the same Barred Owl in the same area with an Eastern Chipmunk in its bill, and I've had a few chipmunk sightings since that time. A real highlight today was a Fisher crossing Rt 63 in Montague as Matan and I headed North. It was Matan's first and only my second, my first being on the bike path in South Amherst about four years ago.

Red-breasted Merganser - adult male. Barton Cove, Franklin Co., MA, March 4th, 2010.

Hooded Merganser - adult male. Barton Cove, Franklin Co., MA, March 4th, 2010.

Glaucous Gull - 2nd-cycle. Barton Cove, Franklin Co., MA, March 4th, 2010.

Merlin - female. Barton Cove, Franklin Co., MA, March 4th, 2010.

Ring-billed Gull - adults in summer plumage. Barton Cove, Franklin Co., MA, March 4th, 2010.

FL - Sunshine birds - Part III - La Sagra's Flycatcher 02/16

La Sagra's Flycatcher - Bill Baggs/Cape Florida State Park, Key Biscayne, Miami-Dade Co., February 16th, 2010.

Of all the birds encountered during our two week tour of Central and Southern Florida with Birdfinders, it's perhaps the La Sagra's Flycatcher that stands out as being the most memorable. Far from being easy, we needed to return to Bill Baggs/Cape Florida State Park three times before finally catching up with this beauty. Was it worth it? Most certainly yes! All of these images were taken during 0954-1000hrs on February 16th, 2010 using a Swarovski HD telescope and a Canon Powershot A590 digital camera.

FL - Sunshine birds - Part II

Burrowing Owl - Fort Jefferson, Dry Tortugas National Park, February 14th, 2010.

Red-cockaded Woodpeker - Babbcock-Webb WMA, February 18th, 2010.

Florida Scrub-Jays - Canaveral National Seashore, February 8th, 2010.

Glaucous Gull (first-cycle) - Daytona Beach, February 8th, 2010.

Harlequin Duck - Sebastian Inlet, February 9th, 2010.

Painted Bunting - Bill Baggs S.P., Key Bisayne, February 12th, 2010.

Barred Owls - Everglades National Park, February 11th, 2010.

Black-hooded Parakeets - Holmes Beach, February 19th, 2010.

Bachman's Sparrow - Three Lakes WMA, Kissimmee, February 20th, 2010.

American Purple Gallinule - Three Lakes WMA, Kissimmee, February 20th, 2010.

American Crocodile - Flamingo, Everglades National Park, February 11th, 2010.

American Bittern - Vierra Wetlands, February 8th, 2010.

Pine Warbler - Corkscrew Sanctuary, February 17th, 2010.

FL - Laughing Gulls in flight

Selection of 'digi-binned' flight shots of Laughing Gulls all taken in Florida between February 8th and 12th, 2010. Images taken with special reference to this unidentified gull photographed in The Gambia on November 17th, 2007. Despite a long running debate on the Surfbirds Advanced Identification Forum, no definitive conclusion has been reached on the Gambian bird.

FL - Sunshine birds - Part I

La Sagra's Flycatcher - Bill Baggs State Park, Key Biscayne, Miami-Dade Co., February 16th, 2010.

Just back from a very enjoyable and hugely successful February trip to Central-Southern Florida with Birdfinders. Here's the first batch of photo-highlights;

White-crowned Pigeon - Kendall, Miami-Dade Co., February 12th, 2010.

Short-tailed Hawk - Ft. Lauderdale, Broward Co., February 10th, 2010.

Spot-breasted Oriole - Coral Gables, Miami-Dade Co., February 12th, 2010.

Snail Kite - Tamiami Trail, Miami-Dade Co., February 16th, 2010.

Shiny Cowbird - Corkscrew Sanctuary, Collier Co., February 17th, 2010.

Shiny Cowbird - Corkscrew Sanctuary, Collier Co., February 17th, 2010.

Red-whiskered Bulbul - Kendall, Miami-Dade Co., February 12th, 2010.

Red-footed Booby - Biscayne Bay, Miami-Dade Co., February 10th, 2010.

Masked Boobies - Hospital Key, Dry Tortugas National Park, February 14th, 2010.

Broad-winged Hawk - Middle Torch Key, February 15th, 2010.

Blue-crowned Parakeet - Holmes Beach, Manatee Co., February 19th, 2010.

Black-hooded Parakeet - Holmes Beach, Manatee Co., February 19th, 2010.

MA - PACIFIC LOON - 02/03

Pacific Loon - adult with male White-winged Scoter, Race Point, Provincetown, MA. February 3rd, 2010. Series of distant digi-scoped images taken from atop the dunes at Race Point, about 3/4 mile West of Race Point parking lot. The bird was swimming East and only observed for a short time (12:47hrs - 12:53hrs), and this despite frequent scanning of the ocean especially on the walk out to the point. Some fifty or so Red-throated Loons close-by provided useful comparisons, as did a handful of Common Loons.







Nick Bonomo and I spent most of the day on Outer Cape Cod enjoying a walk out to Race Point and then checking multiple spots in the Provincetown and North Truro areas. The walk to and from Race Point was highlighted by an adult Pacific Loon, detected by Nick on our return walk from the point. Despite frequent scans on the way out, we missed this one completely until we returned but it was also fascinating to see that Red-throated Loon numbers had increased on our return visit as well. Parties of up to a dozen Red-throats were scattered up to a quarter mile off-shore, totally at least 50 birds. Common Loons were far fewer. There was no strong alcid show, despite an nice NE wind but by careful scanning we found about 5 Common Murres and enjoyed a good prolonged fly-by view of Thick-billed Murre. Gulling proved to be frustrating with most flocks rather skittish, and we watched in awe as two trawlers came in off the ocean being followed by hundreds, perhaps thousands of gulls. However, Kumlien's Gulls proved to be frequent throughout the day numbering about 25 birds, most of them adult. An adult Glaucous Gull (my first adult of the winter) was at Race Point, and we later relocated the same bird at Pilgrim Lake. The latter location also held a nice assortment of Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Greater and Lesser Scaups.