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

When birdwatching this time of year, it is often the case that my brain has a hard time catching up with my ears in that we are starting to hear calls and songs of returning migrants that we haven't heard or seen in months.  Spring has not exactly sprung here on the Cape and we all had to keep warm as we hiked the trail today.  It is still VERY cold and the damages from March's storms are still visible everywhere you look.  So many of the tall marsh reeds, both the native and the invasive, have had much damage near the head of the trail on the marsh.  As we stepped onto the board walk, a pair of Canada Geese seemed to welcome us to Tuesday Tweets.   Yes, it is the season to start seeing pairs of birds everywhere.

We did make it to the shore this morning, and cold as it was, there were several gulls and so many Brant.  It is almost Earth Day and the very first time I remember wondering what those small geese, or large ducks were (small geese) was on Earth Day several years ago.  Brant seem to stick around gathering food for a while here on Cape Cod before migrating to the arctic for breeding season.  I remember seeing some even into May... we shall see.  The protective signs are up on the beach reminding us that breeding season has begun here though, as certain sandy zones are kept designated for plovers and terns.  It's exciting thinking about all of those babies who'll be hatching in just a few weeks.  I wonder when things will warm up around here!
Our List: 
American Robin
American Goldfinch
Canada Geese
Ring-billed Gull
Black-capped Chickadee
Blue Jay
Osprey
Song Sparrow
Tufted Titmouse
American Crow
Double-crested Cormorant
Herring Gull
Northern Cardinal
Carolina Wren
Pine Warbler
Brown-headed Cowbird
Great Black-backed Gull
Tree Swallow (!!!)

Canada Goose

Osprey on the nest

The trail looked very tunnel-like this morning

Bundled up Bird Nerds

A nest to keep watch on.  It looked more like
a bird's nest than a squirrel nest and it was big!

Brant on the shore

Many gulls and a few Brant coexisting nicely

These trees are no longer alive, but they add to the landscape and provide
shelter for both birds and small mammals scurrying across the sands

Gulls resting across the shore of Quivett Creek

Signs asking to give Piping Plovers and Terns their nesting areas

This American Crow had a lot to say

I noticed this Red Squirrel collecting nesting materials when I was leaving in the parking lot

Defying gravity

Hoping no one saw the secret nest

American Robin

Next opportunity for Tuesday Tweets: 5.22.18 9a $4Members/$6Non-members
Happy Birding!

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

It's still fairly freezing out there, but we're also fairly used to this weather on Cape Cod in March.  As our bundled up bird nerd bunch walked the trails, we did notice a certain quiet.  Birds that have normally migrated by now are still around, and there aren't too many new sounds of spring, despite us all craving them!  This March, Mother Nature has been brutal in this area and perhaps that is why we're all hoping the birds will get us through this next stretch of cold.  It's pretty crazy driving around and noticing SO many trees down, well, the trail was the same.  Fortunately for the museum and the Town of Brewster, there are committed volunteers who donate their time to ensure the trail-loving hikers can enjoy their walks on the John Wing Trail.

We did have a funny moment while listening to the bird calls we encountered.  There was definitely a weirdo one...  When a call sounds different to me, I don't like to identify it right away.  I try to be patient.  This call though, it sounded SO new.  I did pause and mentioned, "...well it could be a Blue Jay just messing with us...", which is exactly what it turned out to be!  Those crazy birds are outstanding mimics, and any bird nerd has had times when a Blue Jay was mimicking a hawk overhead, or even a rusty clothes line pully!  Blue Jays are in the corvid family & are closely related to Crows, who have an incredible range of different sounds.  This guy/gal had me stumped for a few minutes, but it was so cool to all of a sudden be sure, once we saw that bright blue flash, dashing from pitch pine treetop to treetop, seemingly laughing at the silly humans below.  It totally reminded me of Gary Larson's Far Side comic strip; not any one in particular... just the silly humans part.

While on the trail
Our List:
American Crow
Song Sparrow
Blue Jay
Carolina Wren
Northern Flicker
Tufted Titmouse
Brant
Herring Gull
Ring-Billed Gull
Double-crested Cormorant
American Black Ducks

Large Pitch Pine down along the trail

Someone's former vertebrae?

An "underpants" downy feather

Committed Bird Nerds

Crow tracks along the beach

Whelk egg-case

Skate egg case, AKA Mermaid's Purse

Bundled up Bird Nerds

This tiny slice of green in the grey made us
happy & hopeful for warmer temperatures

Oyster shell bouquet!

Looks like the Crows found this shell fish trap
as interesting as we did!

Next opportunity for Tuesday Tweets: 4.17.18 at 9a $4Members/$6Non-members
Happy Birding!

2.21.18   Flax Pond Day Camp - February school vacation
South Yarmouth, MA

Why not add a bird walk to a day camp experience!?  That's what I get to do with the Town Of Yarmouth Park & Recreation Department at Flax Pond during school vacation week!  The weather was a little raw, so we bundled up, the kids seemed enthusiastic about their birdoculars that I made for them and off we went!  I pointed out the wonderful habitat that surrounds you wherever you are when you're on the Flax Pond property.  The trails are an easy trek and there is evidence of birds wherever you turn.  This time of year you can see leftover nests from last year's breeding season.  There were holes manufactured by woodpeckers of all types, as well as many made by insects.  We tend to hear and see mostly Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers, Red-bellied Woodpecker and Northern Flickers in these woods.  The woods were quiet today though...

Being out in nature and learning about the local trails and woods that these children get to grow up near is so important and they seemed to thoroughly enjoy our hike.  As we were getting closer to the end of the trail, we did get to see and hear Black-capped Chickadees & Tufted Titmouse...and to my surprise - we got to see a Bufflehead male crusing along, all by himself, right on Flax Pond!  It was quite a treat!

Our List:
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Bufflehead

The small whitish dot in the bottom of the photo is actually a
Bufflehead male - a lucky find!  It's a first time seen
bird for these kiddos!

Making great use of their birdoculars

Beetle and bird damage on a piece of fallen Pitch Pine bark

Happy Birding young Bird Nerds!

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

It was not too cold, not too windy, not too rainy... we made it our own morning on this Tuesday Tweets.  I have to admit though... we did not see a whole bunch of birds.  I wondered if it was due to the storm on the way.  The birds always seem to know.  Walking this trail with the perfect crowd is one of my favorite ways to begin a day.  The tide was WAY out when we made it to Cape Cod Bay and far far in the distance we were able to make out some birds.  When I present my class Birdwatching For Beginners, one of the things I talk about is being able to identify birds at such a distance.  

I encourage is familiarity of the birds you see all the time.  When you are watching Black-capped Chickadees in your yard, even through the window, pay attention to their behavior, their movements.  When you see gulls on the beach (or in a parking lot) pay attention to that gull's behavior, also their markings.  When you start picking up on the details observing a bird rather close up, you'll be able to identify species from hundreds of feet away, with decent accuracy.  In other words... we were fairly certain we saw Brant that were probably close to 800 feet away.  It's a fun skill to practice... especially when you're walking with us for Tuesday Tweets!

Our List:
Northern Cardinal
Black-capped Chickadee
Blue Jay
Hairy Woodpecker
Song Sparrow
American Crow
Brant
Great Black-backed Gull
Herring Gull
Turkey Vulture
House Sparrow

See that bill?
Hairy Woodpecker

Bird Nerds checking out the calendar on the trail

We had a great bunch this morning!  

This tree is gonzo, and has been for a long time. 
It reminds me of a giant tumbleweed

Don't you wish you could...?

Ring-billed Gull

American Crow

Hairy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Black-capped Chickadee

Mrs & Mr
Northern Cardinal, that is...

Northern Cardinal - female

Northern Cardinal - female

Northern Cardinal - female
Enjoying the seedy buffet behind the Marshview Room

Blue Jays

Next opportunity for Tuesday Tweets: 3.20.18 9am $4Members/$6Non-members

Happy Birding!

2.7.18  Bird Nerd Moment 

Sometimes you just need to take a walk.  It doesn't matter where you live, it will do you good.  My thoughtful husband bought me a new camera for Christmas and I've been dying to try it out, which I did the other day during Tuesday Tweets.  I don't know why I was feeling sheepish about trying the big lens that morning, and later I wished I had because I missed some fabulous Eastern Bluebird photos... they were too far for the lens with less power to get great images.  Bummer.  It was time to try out the new camera and lens, and I figured since I live on the Cape, I should combine my walk with my camera and the higher power lens.

The universe was really looking over me on this walk.  I didn't have too much time to spend this morning when I was on the beach, so I took a slightly less traveled sandy path through the low dunes to cut my walk shorter than I really wanted.  As I was approaching the pavement to head back to the car... I really couldn't believe my eyes or my luck.  I saw a white owl-sized blob in the distance on the dunes... and there he was.  
No joke - the Snowy Owl.  
I just couldn't believe it!!!  
I can't post on here what I said out loud, but I am so excited to post this photo!  HOORAY!!! The lens works...
(double click to enlarge)

Snowy Owl

Happy Birding!