Brookline Bird Club – America’s most active bird club!

A combined BBC/SSBC trip to Plymouth Beach occurred yesterday. The weather, although hot, was not as humid as the past days or past trips. The lack of birds is deafening. Only 2 Common Terns and a total of only 117 (!!!) individual shorebirds of which 29 are nesting there (true-the young birders group saw a flock of 300 Semipalmated Sandpipers which we did not see). This trip should have 2-3 THOUSAND terns and several hundred to few thousand shorebirds. The terns were scared off early, in May, due to a raccoon and fox in the colony.

That said we enjoyed the day and seeing recently fledged Piping Plover and Least Tern is encouraging. We saw a few Least Terns courting at this late date; must have been failed breeders/lost young. I doubt such a late nesting would be successful as the safety in numbers issue would make them rather easy targets. If they do manage to get young to fledging the late date would make the young so inexperienced at a time when they need to migrate while learning to feed on their own would be problematic.

A southbound Whimbrel flying by on the long trip back was enjoyable.

Glenn

Plymouth Beach, Plymouth, Massachusetts, US
Jul 23, 2016 7:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
5.0 mile(s)
Comments: BBC/SSBC trip
41 species

Canada Goose 8
Mallard (Northern) 1
Double-crested Cormorant 7
Great Blue Heron (Blue form) 11
Great Egret 3
Osprey (carolinensis) 5
Red-tailed Hawk 1 1S
Semipalmated Plover 25
Piping Plover 23
Greater Yellowlegs 3
Willet (Eastern) 6
Whimbrel 1
Ruddy Turnstone 1
Sanderling 2
Least Sandpiper 1
Semipalmated Sandpiper 50
Short-billed Dowitcher (griseus) 5
Laughing Gull 150
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull (American) X
Great Black-backed Gull X
Least Tern 75
Common Tern 2
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) X
Mourning Dove 8
Downy Woodpecker 1
American Crow 2
Horned Lark 1
Tree Swallow 3
Bank Swallow 10
Barn Swallow (American) 1
Black-capped Chickadee 1
Carolina Wren 1
Northern Mockingbird 7
Common Yellowthroat 1
Yellow Warbler (Northern) 2
Song Sparrow 16
Common Grackle 4
House Finch 3
American Goldfinch 3
House Sparrow X

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S30826208

News Categories

BBC News
BBC Trip Reports
Pelagic Trip Report
In Find Memory
BBC Annual Report

Upcoming Field Trips

Field Trips / Events

Field Trips / Events Search and Views Navigation

Field Trip / Event Views Navigation

Today

  • Fruitlands Museum, Harvard

    Harvard - Fruitlands Museum 102 Prospect Hill Rd., Harvard, MA, United States

    Cosponsored with Boxborough Birders. We will look for local avian non-migratory species and early migrant arrivals. Expect to walk about two miles on trails through meadows and woods, with some steep sections. Prepare for ticks. We will bird at the meeting location for about 30 minutes so any latecomers can catch up.

  • Westborough WMA in Two Parts

    Northborough - Watson Park, Bartlett Pond 35A Lyman St, Northborough, MA, United States

    Part 1: 7 AM -10 AM / Part 2: 10:30 AM -1:00 PM. We will hike at a slow pace through mild moderate trails in search of sparrows and other migrants. For the first part we will hike the Eastern trails between Lake Chauncy and Little Chauncy(about 3 miles). Then we will again meet at

  • Belle Isle Marsh and Vicinity

    East Boston - Belle Isle Parking Lot 1399 Bennington Street, Boston, MA, United States

    Led by DCR staff. We will search on foot up to one mile on flat, easy terrain, for migrating or resident songbirds, raptors, shorebirds, and marsh birds at this birding hotspot and state park. This is a traveling program by car or bike. Prepare for ticks and mosquitoes. Ages: Adults and kids 8 years+ with

  • Millennium Park

    Boston - Millennium Park Canoe Launch 300 Gardner Street, Boston, MA, United States

    Join us to observe resident birds and spring migrants in a unique urban habitat that is a favorite for many bird species, including uncommon and rare flycatchers, swallows & warblers. Birders of all levels welcome. The trails are generally flat and easy to walk, with some rough patches. A water bottle, sunblock, insect repellent, waterproof

Established in 1913, America’s most active bird club!

© 2024 Brookline Bird Club

Go to Top