Halibut Point SP, Rockport
Aug 18, 2019 7:40 AM – 11:30 AM
Comments: I took Peter Van Demark’s monthly HP trip for him and we (8 of us) walked a loop through the quarry area, to the grout pile, down to the rocks, and back up the Trustees trail. Spent most of the time at the grout pile and on the rocks looking for seabirds since the land birding was slow. I hoped the fog would bring some pelagics close in, but it didn’t in the absence of wind. Just a few gannets after the fog lifted. I stayed on the rocks an hour after the others left (i.e., 0945-1045) and added several species as the fog gradually burned off.
31 speciesMallard 10 in the main quarry
American Black Duck 1 in ocean with eiders
Common Eider 49
Ring-necked Pheasant 0 One of our party had seen one a week or two ago near the stone statues, but we didn’t find it today.
Mourning Dove 1
Ruddy Turnstone 7 groups of 3 and 4
Laughing Gull 6 5 juvs, 1 adult
Ring-billed Gull 3
Herring Gull 220 many juvs
Great Black-backed Gull 60
Common Tern 1 The only tern!
Northern Gannet 30 Most were in a minor feeding frenzy with gulls about half a mile off the point. Many of them flew by and were easily visible. Majority were juvs and sub-adults.
Double-crested Cormorant 65
Downy Woodpecker 1
Great Crested Flycatcher 3
Blue Jay 6
American Crow 12
Black-capped Chickadee 1
Tufted Titmouse 2
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 3
Tree Swallow 450 Probably a lot more than that.
Bank Swallow 1
Barn Swallow 11
Carolina Wren 4
Gray Catbird 6
American Robin 5
Cedar Waxwing 2
American Goldfinch 9
Song Sparrow 1
Eastern Towhee 6
Black-and-white Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 2View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S59079989
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