Worst Day on Plum Island turned into a Great Day in Rhode Island

Black Billed Cuckoo

Because of all the rain we had this month, I felt like I didn't get enough birding in. Last week would normally be the best of the month, as bird migration is at its peak. But somehow, I felt underwhelmed. So I asked if I could do a double on Tuesday and take three days off this week. My boss said yes, so I birded Rhode Island on Wednesday and Thursday and planned on going to Plum for Friday.

I made a friend last year at Plum and magically, we stayed in touch. I contacted him earlier in the week to see if he wanted to get together and do some birding. Friday worked best for him. I got up at the god-awful time of 5 am to meet him at 7 am. My morning started off bad  when I realized fifteen minutes from home I forgot my camera. I couldn't go back and get it, because I'd have been late. Also, while I was driving up, I got a text message that an Alder Flycatcher was heard only ten minutes from my house at the Cumberland Monastery.

I thought I was meeting Steve at Hellcat Parking area then we'd bird together. Little did I know that Steve stopped at a place called "the S curves" and birded first. He saw yellow billed cuckoo, scarlet tanager and few other species. While I was waiting for Steve, I too had some good birds. I heard a willow flycatcher. A few minutes later I heard an Alder Flycatcher which was a life bird. You can count birds you hear, the goal is to identify them.  Note- Whether seeing them or hearing them, it is all the same morally and ethiclly. Usually there is more enjoyment when watching a bird obviously, but I am learning there is great satisfaction hearing and recognizing a song.

Unfortunately for both of us, once we got together about 7:30 we saw very little. The wind was howling and we assumed it kept the birds down. We had a few good warblers such as Magnolia and Blackburnian, but mostly it was bad. I went up to Plum Island the same date last May and I had ten birds for each one today.  Steve had to leave at 11 am for an appointment. I stuck it out until 1 pm but didn't see anything new. Today was by far the worst spring day I have ever experienced at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge.

When I got home I picked up my camera and went to the Cumberland Monastery. I had heard the Alder at Plum Island but couldn't count it because it wasn't in RI. I knew I had almost no chance of hearing the Alder from the morning. It most likely stopped singing or moved on. Still, it was only 3 pm and the drive was only ten minutes. I didn't hear the Alder Flycatcher but as soon as I got there I got buzzed by a Black Billed Cuckoo (yes, as in Cuckoo clock). I had never seen either species of cuckoo. I was disappointed I missed the one that Steve saw this morning. So I was really excited to see the Black Billed Cuckoo this afternoon. Both species are fairly common in migration and considering how much time I spend in the woods, it is almost statistically impossible that I had never seen either species.

When I was driving home from Plum I got a text from my friend Jan that she was going to look for Mississippi Kite at Frenchtown Park in East Greenwich and asked me to go with her. The kite was seen two days ago as a flyover by a guy mowing his lawn. They are extremely rare in New England and are considered a vagrant. More over, seeing a bird "flyover" isn't really cause to go look for it because it could be 20 miles away in a matter of minutes. Still, I would have went if I hadn't just drove a combined 3:45 hours. Besides I was stuck in traffic north of the Mass Pike. Within fifteen minutes she got the Mississippi Kite anyway.

Mississippi Kite

A little while later when I was at Cumberland Monastery basking in the glory of finding the cuckoo and just relaxing on the trails Jan sent me another message that FIVE Mississippi Kites were spotted by another birder at Frenchtown Park (Jan had left). To which I responded "At this point I think you're enjoying tormenting me.  Her response to that was"YOU'LL GET THEM, GO NOW!"

So I went back to my car, headed south on I-295, and sat in Friday before Memorial Day weekend traffic. I eventually made it to Frenchtown Park. Three other birders I know where there Dan and Sue (last name is unknown to me) and Alex Patterson. They had just seen the birds. I was worried I was five minutes too late. However, I didn't have a long wait. Within a few minutes two Mississippi Kites were in the air. We watched them for a minute then they flew off. A minute later another came from the opposite direction. We definitely saw three different ones. This went on for an hour where we would see a kite soar for a minute then we'd have a five minute lull until another showed up.

So all in all, Plum Island being lousy was a blessing in disguise. I did hear the Alder Flycatcher up there, so it was a lifebird and not a wasted trip. However, the best part of my day was definitely after I got home. I'm glad I stopped and got my camera and thrilled to see the cuckoo. I also appreciate Jan kicking me in the ass and "forcing" me to go chase the Mississippi Kites.