Amoskeag Fish Ladder

    I had plans to hang with my friend Nicole on Monday. We had hoped to go birding on Plum Island but the forecast was for really strong wind so we ditched those plans. A few rare birds showed up at Swan Point Cemetery so we went there early hoping to see them. We did not see any of the three rare birds reported but did see three other rare species (Lincoln's Sparrow, Yellow Bellied Flycatcher, and Least Flycatcher).

   From there we went to the Amoskeag Fish Ladder in Manchester, NH. The fish ladder side steps a dam on the Merrimack River making it easier for species like herring and shad to reach breeding grounds. I wen t last year and saw a Smallmouth Bass and a Sea Lamprey besides seeing the herring. 

   The viewing area of the fish ladder is open Monday-Friday 9-3 pm. It is weird to me but it is closed on weekends. It is free. There are two windows where you can watch fish in resting steps on the ladder. The room isn't very big and each window is about ten feet across. 

   The water was a little cloudier than when I went last year. We couldn't see the bottom or the other side of the wall. Still, we saw tons of herring. The only other species we saw was one bluegill. We spent about an hour looking at the fish.

   If this is something that interests you the season runs only in the spring while fish are making their way upriver. Check out the Amoskeag Facebook page for dates. The viewing is best on a sunny day because the light penetrates the water and makes it easier to see the fish.

Revenge Tour

Yellow Billed Cuckoo

    Last year I kept a list. While every species only count as one check on the list, some species mean more than others. Obviously any lifer is special as is any state bird. There are other species that I also want to see more than others for various reasons. A bird could be really pretty or it could remind me of a special memory. Some species I have only seen a few times and usually only count them as "heard only". It is nice to see those hard to find birds.

   My friend Richard Tucker uses the term "revenge tour" when it comes to seeing species that he missed the year before. In most instances, I don't care too much if I miss a bird or even a mammal. I missed moose last year and would have loved to see one, but I have seen many and am okay that I missed it. However, there were some species of birds that I really wanted to  see that I missed. Though I'm not keeping any lists this year, I still know what species I wanted but missed last year. So I am on my own personal revenge tour. 

   There are six species of birds (Don't get me started on Northern Pike!) that I missed last year that I really wanted. These are species that I enjoy seeing. But also selfishly, if I would have seen any one of the six I wouldn't have driven to the New Hampshire coast to see American Pipits in December. Pipits were my 300th bird. Any of those other six would have saved me the drive.

   Of the six species, four are woodland birds and two are shorebirds. The two shore species are Western Sandpiper and Black Tern. If they show up, they will be during the late summer.

   The other four species are as follows...Cape May Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, Black Billed Cuckoo, and Yellow Billed Cuckoo. This spring I have seen three of the four. The Wilson's has eluded me. 

    I got the Cape May early in the month at Miantonomi in Newport. It was high in a tree (where they usually are). I got a great look at it on my best day of birding for the year. No photos. Despite many days looking for migrants, I did not come across a Wilson's even when one was reported.

   After seeing virtually nothing at Mia except for good friends on Saturday we went to Francis Carter Preserve.  Carter was great for nesting birds. We had Orchard Oriole, Prairie Warbler, Brown Thrasher, and Grasshopper Sparrow. We also heard both species of Cuckoos. I love hearing Cuckoos so just hearing them would have been mildly satisfying. But I was hoping to see one (or both). So when the group moved on the path Laurie and I stayed in the area he heard them. 

   We had turned a corner looking at the edge of the woods when a Black Billed called. We went to that area and I found it in a pine along the edge of the trail. I whispered Laurie over and watched it until it decided to fly across the field.

Black Billed Cuckoo

   A few minutes later the Yellow Billed started calling regularly. It sounded very far back to me but somehow Laurie spotted it through a hole in the branches in a tree about five layers back from the path. We watched it for ten minutes and could see it make noise with its throat. The little opening was only big enough for each of us to look one at a time. Both birds were hard to get photos of due to branches but am quite happy I got some not awful proof shots. 

    On my revenge tour I got three of the four woodland birds with little chance of the Wilson's. It is unlikely but possible I see one in the fall. I am happy with three out of four. Hopefully the sandpiper and tern make an appearance when I'm not working in August. 

Last thought- I don't know how many species I've missed this year and I doubt I will end up with a number. BUT I do know some of the species I haven't seen that do mean something to me. I still don't have the Wilson's. I also haven't seen a Cerulean Warbler or a Tennessee. Always trying to figure out my own head... I wonder if I will care next year if I do miss them. Will I even remember and brood all winter and go on another revenge tour next spring?

Possum and a Prothonotary

  Prothonotary Warblers are a pretty rare warbler in New England. They nest in the south so when one shows up here it is usually an "overshoot". These are birds that get driven past their destination, usually by strong winds while they are migrating. A couple of Prothonotary Warblers show up in Rhode Island every year. If you are keeping a state list, this bird is worth the chase when one is reported. Not only do less than five show up each year but they are beautiful. They are kind of tough to photograph because they tend to stay in dense undergrowth. 

   I am not keeping a list this year so a "tick" on my checklist means nothing to me. Also, I probably can not get a photo upgrade because they are actually very common in North Carolina and I got great photos of multiple individuals. Last year, when I kept my vertebrate list I got to see a Prothonotary very early in the spring in Marshfield, MA. It was right out in the open in a swamp for fifteen minutes. I got a fantastic  look at it. When one showed up in RI, I didn't chase it because of the Mass bird. 

   A Prothonotary Warbler showed up in Smithfield, RI a few days ago. It was a male and it is building a nest hoping to attract a female. They have bred in Rhode Island before so it is possible some lost female could stumble upon him. I really didn't plan on going to see it. However, on Monday I spent many hours at Miantonomi Park in Newport birding. It was a good day and I saw a bunch of birds. After five hours I was getting bored. When someone asked if I'd seen the Prothonotary I thought I might as well. I had to work at 3 pm so I had about a half hour to look for it.

 

 The bird was right next to the parking lot. It was singing its little heart out. I was glad to see it and if I could get a photo all the better. As I said, I knew I wasn't going to get any photo upgrades.

    After less than a minute of watching this guy I noticed some rustling in the leaves. It was an Opossum. Now, a photo upgrade of an Opossum is a different matter all together. I don't have any good photos of an Opossum. The best I had was a blurry photo of the only one I saw last year at Great Swamp through sticks and brush.

   This little guy was walking along the edge of the water following the shoreline. The path was between twenty and forty feet from the water. I followed parallel to it. Every time there was an opening in the brush, I'd stop and take photos. I'd then move a little ahead and find the next opening. I had no idea if any of my photos would come out. I finally downloaded them to the computer and they are way better than I expected shooting into a dark swamp.

   After the Opossum  moved out of view I did watch the beautiful Prothonotary take a bath and stay into view until it was time to head to work. But I'd be lying if I said the warbler was the star of the show.

Trying to take in May

 

 There is so much to see and do in May that I really don't know how to do it all. FOMO (fear of missing out) is real this month. No matter what I am doing, I wonder if I should be somewhere else. With so much to see and do, I really love May. 

   So far I have fished for trout four times. I've done well twice (over ten each trip) and blanked twice. I've gone birding twice (more on yesterday below). I have only went striper fishing once so far which is my biggest regret of the spring to this point. Almost every shift I've worked lately has been a night shift so finding time for our seven lined friends has been hard. I've tried to get out bass fishing for largemouths but either wind or the search for birds has limited that endeavor. 

By far, my best photo of a Nashville Warbler.
Possibly my first photo upgrade of 2025

  Last Saturday I went birding at Miantonomi in Newport with Laurie and just about every RI birder. It was a fun day but the highlight for me was a picnic right in downtown Wakefield where we had chicken salad and chips. In the Saguatucket River we saw a Musk Turtle. 

Musk Turtle on top

   We also went to East Farm which is in full bloom. There are many species of crabapple trees all with their own flowers. The birds love the trees and seeing Baltimore Orioles is a sure bet.

   

Non-breeding male Scarlet Tanager

Yesterday was my best day birding in Rhode Island in years. I had planned on fishing all day because it was calm but since a couple good birds were reported at Mia, I went there first. Birding was so good, I didn't leave until 1:30 pm. My highlights were Blackburnian Warbler, Black Throated Greens and Blue. I saw both Summer (rare) and Scarlet Tanager. I also got to hang around with some friends I ran into. 

   Later on I went to Great Swamp which was also on fire with birds. I saw an Orchard Oriole, many common species of warblers, Veery and others. All told, I got fifteen species of warbler on the day. If I actually tried to do a warbler big day, I could have gotten a few more. 

  I got out trout fishing this morning and landed thirteen Brook Trout. All were caught on a float and a fly. I was surrounded by a dozen other guys. They weren't catching at all on Powerbait. One guy landed a couple on a spinner.

Despite the awful photo
This trout swam away with 
nothing more than a sore lip

   As spring goes on, I'll try to write more. If you read this, hopefully I can be useful in telling you what baits are working or what birds are around closer to real time. As for myself, I should write more anyway. This is basically my journal. If I go a month without writing, that is a moth worth of memories that I don't post and can only look back on in my head.

East Farm photos below