Cape Ann (originally scheduled as Plum Island)

We delayed the scheduled trip by one day to avoid 3-5” of snow expected to fall early morning on Saturday.  The destination was also changed to Cape Ann, rather than the originally scheduled day on Plum Island.  The weather was comfortable, with temps in the mid-30s, though the wind picked up during the day.  

Six members gathered in Gloucester and headed to Jodrey’s State Fish Pier to begin the day of birding. We got our first looks at Long-tailed Duck, Surf Scoter and Common Loon, three of each species and two each of Bufflehead and Horned Grebe.  Also there were 50 Common Eider and a few Red-breasted Mergansers.

Next stop was Rocky Neck Beach where we added 25 more Long-tailed Ducks, 3 Gadwall, 2 Surf Scoters and a Black Scoter.  Niles Beach gave us more of the same species and added a Common Goldeneye and a White-winged Scoter.  

By 10 AM, we reached Eastern Point. We were unable to walk out to the dog bar or the rocky cliff to scan the open ocean as we usually do, but still managed to add 4 Greater Scaup, 4 Brant and a dozen Purple Sandpipers to the list.  Other species spotted from the parking lot were a dozen each of Canada Geese, Black Duck and Long-tailed Duck, 8 Gadwall, 6 Bufflehead, and 4 Red-breasted Mergansers.

Niles Pond was frozen, so we headed to nearby Brace Cove spotting 34 Canada Geese, 4 Common Loons, 4 Mallards, 3 Black Ducks, 6 Red-breasted Mergansers, 2 Bufflehead, 6 Common Eider, 2 Common Goldeneye, a dozen Robins and a Downy Woodpecker.  

On Atlantic Ave, we noticed 3 Great Cormorants perched on Cormorant Rock, which shouldn’t really be a surprise. Tim spotted a fly-by of Sharp-shinned Hawk as we approached the Elks Club. New birds here for the list included, a Black Guillemot, 2 Mockingbirds, and 3 Razorbills, along with more Robins, Common Eiders, Buffleheads, Black Ducks, Long-tailed Ducks, a Common Loon and another Great Cormorant.  It was here that we noticed the wind picking up, lowering the feels-like temperature and allowing the cold to creep in.

It was time for a quick lunch break at our favorite Stop & Shop, before heading up the coast to Loblolly Cove in Rockport. On our arrival, a Carolina Wren was singing and a Northern Cardinal, too. Two Rock Pigeons perched on wires above the street. There were 6 Common Eider, a Razorbill, two each of White-winged Scoter, Common Goldeneye, Red-breasted Merganser, Bufflehead, Black Duck and Mallard and another Great Cormorant.

Our next destination was Granite Pier. Here we added a dozen Harlequin to the list and saw a dozen Common Eider, 4 Red-breasted Mergansers, two each of Horned Grebe, Bufflehead and Black Scoter, 3 White-winged Scoter and 10 Surf Scoter.

On to Cathedral Rocks to observe a raft of 30 Harlequins, with a raft 40 Black Scoters just a bit more distant in the water. There was a Razorbill sitting on the water and 5 more spotted by Chris flying past.  Other species were Bufflehead, Horned Grebe and Red-breasted merganser.

Close by at Andrew’s Point, we were tipped off by another birder that floating in Hoop Pole Cove was a single Dovekie in very close.  This sighting not only added to our 250-Challenge list and the day list, but lifted our spirits a notch, too.  Three more new birds for the day were House Finch, Black-capped Chickadee, and Song Sparrow, all heard from the trees near the car park.  Other species seen were a whooping 77 Long-tailed Ducks, 50 Harlequin, 40 Black Scoters, 12 Common Eider, 4 Red-breasted Mergansers and a Common Loon.

It was 2 PM now and a consensus was reached to quit early due to weather advisories for a big storm to arrive by evening, forecast to bring 18-36 inches of new snow to New England.  One of us decided to stay just a bit longer and bird Plum and Folly Coves.  It was with luck that the reported Thick-billed Murre was at Plum Cove and sitting up upon a rock on the edge of the water, a Razorbill.  All three scoter species were there, too, along with 15 Bufflehead and 2 Red-breasted Mergansers.  Folly Cove had 2 White-winged Scoters, 5 Great Cormorants, 14 Black Ducks, 2 Common Loons and 3 Red-breasted Mergansers.  To end the day, a Red-tailed Hawk was spotted high in a tree across the street.  

Fortunately, all got home safely, just as the first snowflakes began to fall. It was a fine day of birding and fellowship!  Our final species total was 38, with some rarer species bringing excitement to the day.