Tuesday, August 14, 2018

8.14.18  Tuesday Tweets - John Wing Trail - Cape Cod Museum of Natural History
Brewster, MA

We had the perfect sized group for our Tuesday Tweets this morning: eight.  I like that size because we are not too big to scare away all of the birds, and we can have mini conversations along the way.  It's also a great to have others spotting birds when I'm looking the other way, or talking too much.  I can't help it when I'm talking about or listening to a story about birds!  I am easily distracted, much like most humans.  The heat was a bit less hot this morning, and I like to believe that allowed for seeing as many species as we did.

Gray Catbirds are heard every direction this time of year, and they did not disappoint in the woods.  We also lucked out in that we ran into Sue Finnegan, the Wing Island Bird Bander.  If you ever have an opportunity to see one of Sue's demonstrations, do not miss it!  She is fantastic and that up close and personal touch is what bumping into Sue means!  We got to see a young Song Sparrow as well as a juvenile Gray Catbird.  I love her ease with the birds and that they are so trusting of her.  It's amazing to watch.  It is a gift in the middle of our bird walk.

We made it to the beach today and though there were not as many birds on the shore as we may have liked, the breeze was perfect, the air was salty, the sand was hot... it was a PERFECT beach day.  Sometimes a bird walk can be a tease, particularly when part of your destination is Cape Cod Bay.  It is tough to beat! Thank you Shirley for sending such great photos for me to include here.  Your photos are given credit of course! 
(double click photos to enlarge)

Our List:
Gray Catbird
Osprey
Song Sparrow
Barn Swallow
American Goldfinch
Great Blue Heron
Blue Jay
American Crow
American Robin
Northern Flicker
Carolina Wren
Eastern Towhee
Ring-billed Gull
Laughing Gull
Eastern Kingbird
Belted Kingfisher


Bees busy at work on the Salt Reed Grass

Osprey

Song Sparrow

Song Sparrow

I know it's blurry, but it was a treat seeing a Great Blue Heron
PHOTO CREDIT BELOW: SHIRLEY - much better photo!

Add caption






Fiddler Crab

Osprey in flight

Thanks to Sue Finnegan, we snuck in
close ups of a Song Sparrow
PHOTO CREDIT: SHIRLEY
Juvenile Song Sparrow

...and a juvenile Gray Catbird
PHOTO CREDIT: SHIRLEY
Cape Cod Bird Nerd & Cape Cod Bird Bander!

The silhouetted leaves look so pretty.
This happened when my lens focused on the leaves
instead of the bird in the background

Magic tree!
Eastern Kingbird, Northern Flickers & European Starling

Eastern Kingbird (lower left)
Baltimore Oriole (upper right)
PHOTO CREDIT: SHIRLEY


Several European Starlings

Southward facing Eastern Kingbirds
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Great Blue Heron preening her/himself
PHOTO CREDIT BELOW: SHIRLEY
Hers is much better! : )



Bird Nerds

American Goldfinch

American Goldfinch
PHOTO CREDIT: SHIRLEY

PHOTO CREDIT: SHIRLEY

American Goldfinch

Cormorants in flight

Canada Geese

Rump of an Eastern Towhee

Barn Swallow darting over the salt marsh

More Swallow acrobatics!
Next opportunity for Tuesday Tweets: 9.4.18 9am $4Members/$6Non-members
Happy Birding!

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