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| The Marsh Wren that I watched make a nest last week was defending it today |
I left home at 4:50 Wednesday morning reaching the island before 6:30. Things were quiet at first until the fog started to burn off, then the birds came out to play! I saw a total of 68 species in my two days. Like my trip last week, I did not try to break any numbers records. If I found birds, I stayed with them. I didn't go looking for other species. When the birding in one spot slowed down, I'd move to another trail.
I spent most of Wednesday morning in the Hellcat area. I walked up and down the road many times.I did the trails multiple times also. There were so many birds, I just stayed in that area for about three hours.
From there I went to the Pines Trail. Apparently, a Summer Tanager had been spotted there earlier. I didn't see it, but one guy did while I was there. I did see many more warblers.
After a late lunch, I birded the Mill Pond Rec Area. I saw an Indigo Bunting there last year. I didn't see one there this year, but did enjoy my short walk. I didn't get any "new birds"for the day but saw a Bobolink, Great Crested Flycatcher and Red Bellied Woodpecker.
Form there I went shad fishing in the Merrimack River. It was a bright sunny day, so I thought my chances of getting even one were slim. Luckily for me, the minute the tide started to drop, I hooked a fish. In the next ninety minutes I had six more hits. I landed four shad to about four pounds. I caught them all on a lime green shad dart. About ninety minutes down the fishing started to slow. More text below fish pictures
I was going to set up my campsite (it was about 6 pm) but I knew I'd get bored. So I decided to go back to Plum for an hour. The only real highlight I got was a Glossy Ibis flying over. I went back to my site and set up my tent and ate very quickly before dark.
I got up at 5:30 and packed my tent. I went back to Parker River about 6:15. The morning was bright. My first stop were the S curves. It was loaded with birds. In a half hour, I saw almost every single warbler I saw Wednesday morning. I also added a Nashville Warbler. I ended up birding the S curves, Pines Trail, and Hellcat until noon time. Birding really slowed down and I was pooped so I stopped at Subway for lunch and went home
All told, I saw 68 species. Like I said, I wasn't making it a contest. I didn't go to Sandy Point to see
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| Black Throated Green Warbler |
On top of eight of the warblers being first of the year, I also had seven other first of the year birds (Orchard Oriole, Least Flycatcher, Eastern Wood Pewee, Short Billed Dowitcher, Pheasant near my campground, White Crowned Sparrow, and Hummingbird).
My trip got me 15 new species of the year, bringing my total to 174. I'm glad I saw so many species, but it is just so cool to look up in the trees and see all the color. Going to Plum Island and birding is so much easier than birding in Rhode Island. Plum is one of the best birding spots in the country. No where in RI can match it. I suspect all the species I saw at Plum have been seen by the best birders in RI. The difference is in Rhode Island, you might get one or two of those species in a morning of birding. Go birding enough days and those numbers add up. However, so many species migrate through Plum Island in May with all the different habitat, birding is so much easier. I had a blast. Can't wait for nest year!
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| Oriole |
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| Singing Yellow Warbler |
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| Catbird using my car as a perch |
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| There are a lot of turkeys on the island |
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| Sunset was brilliant over the marsh |
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