Cape Ann

Four members gathered in Ludlow and headed to Cape Ann to enjoy a day of coastal birding. The winds were very light, and it was sunny all morning.  Though skies turned overcast in the afternoon, the temperature stayed between 35-40 degrees all day.  The birding was comfortable, and the seas were calm.

Our initial stop was the Jodrey State Fish Pier (1) located in the inner harbor of Gloucester, where we picked up our first sightings of Common Eider, Surf Scoter, Red-breasted Merganser, Common Loon, Great Cormorant, and Rock Pigeon.  We also spotted a Peregrine Falcon, and all got good scope views of it, perched at the base of a steeple in town.  A Common Raven called while we were there, and it turned out to be the only one all day long.

By 9:00 a.m. we were already birding at our second stop, Rocky Neck (2). Here we added Long-tailed Duck, Common Goldeneye, and Bufflehead to the list along with several songbirds.  Next spot was Niles Beach (3), where we picked up Black Scoter in addition to those ducks already mentioned.  The numbers of Surf Scoters here were in excess of 200.

We spent an hour at Eastern Point (4), first checking the waters near the parking lot and then marching out to the dog bar and the furthest point on the rocks to get sweeping ocean views to the south.  Stepping out of the car, we immediately got views of Gadwall and Black Duck, two new species and a third, Horned Larks flying over and calling.  At the point, we spotted two Purple Sandpipers resting on the dog bar and 2 Black Guillemots.

Feeling good about our day, we headed to Niles Pond (5).  It was mostly frozen over, but we scanned the gulls on the ice, looking in vain for a smaller one, or a whiter one.  The water that was open gave us Hooded Merganser, Gadwall, Mallard and Black Duck.

Now on to the Elks Club (6), where we spotted two Red-necked Grebes, 20 White-winged Scoters and a Northern Gannet to add to the growing species list.  We stopped at the grocery store in town and added a Great Blue Heron while eating lunch in the parking lot, overlooking the marsh.  Granite Pier (7) was next and added Harlequin Duck to our list, along with a singing Carolina Wren.

On to Andrew’s Point (8), where parking in the “new” small lot often gives us songbirds as we make our way through the neighborhood to get to the oceanfront. Indeed, we picked up Northern Mockingbird, Black-capped Chickadee and White-breasted Nuthatch.  At the two overlooks on the point, we spotted a group of a dozen Sanderlings and one Dunlin on the rocks and then flying from one location to another.  More Gannets were here and over a hundred Black Scoters floated so close to shore, you could hear their murmuring calls of communication.  Also present were a hundred Harlequin Ducks, 200 Common Eider, 30 Long-tailed Ducks, a smattering of White-winged Scoters and 4 Common Loons.  It was a good spot, and excitement was high in our little group of observers.

Having read a report of a rarer goose at Mill Pond (9) in Gloucester, we headed there next and did spot the Greater White-fronted Goose almost immediately, grazing in the grassy field with many Canada Geese.  

From there we headed north to Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm (10) in Newbury to try for another rare bird, the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher.  It was not found near the pig pen, where it had been reported, but undaunted, we walked the muddy path flanked by open field on one side and untidy, natural hedge row on the other until it was spotted.  Of course it was on the other side of the hedge row, but we all managed several good looks through holes in the vegetation. What a striking bird!  He had the salmon-pink flanks and underbelly contrasting with the black wings and tail.  We saw the long, deeply forked tail that gave this bird its name, too.  What a thrill!  On our walk out, we met another birder who described the location of a gray-phase Eastern Screech Owl along the entrance road, and sure enough we found it in its hole high up one trunk of the tree.  

There was a bit of light left in the day, and we were close to Salisbury State Park (11), so we voted to try for the Long-eared Owl.  The cones were in place in Parking Lot 3 and another birder told us that the owl had been seen this year, but infrequently.  We studied the patch of trees where we saw it in February, but luck was not with us this time around.

All in all, it was a great day to be out birding.  We ended the day with 49 species and 12 new species to add to the club’s 250-challenge for the year.  Click below to view species list.