Cape Ann & Plum Island

February 24-25, 2018 - There were 16 participants on this weekend trip.  We birded a total of 13.5 hours, 8 on Saturday and 5.5 on Sunday, getting 53 species in all.  It was a lovely day on Saturday, temps in the 50’s, mostly sunny.  Dry in the morning on Sunday, changing to rain and cooler temps later.  We visited several locations in Cape Ann on Saturday, including Jodrey’s Pier, Niles Beach, Eastern Pt., Niles Pond/Brace Cove, Atlantic Ave., Cathedral Rocks, Granite Pier, Andrew’s Point, Plum Cove, and Nelson’s Island.  On Sunday we covered the Newburyport area, including Salisbury State Park, Chapman Park, Joppa Flats, and Plum Island.

Waterfowl listed were Canada Goose, Brant 20, Gadwall 30, American Wigeon 1, Black Duck, Mallard, Pintail 1, Gtr and Lesser Scaup, C. Eider, Harlequin Duck, Surf, White-winged and Black Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Bufflehead, C. Goldeneye, Hooded and Red-breasted Mergan-ser, Red-throated and C. Loon, Horned and Red-necked Grebe, and DC (at Chapman Park)and Great Cormorant.  Hawks were Northern Harrier 2 and Red-tailed Hawk.  The only shorebird was Purple Sandpiper 50+.  Rarer gulls found were Iceland 1 and Glaucous 1.  Seabird special-ties were Thick-billed Murre 4, Dovekie 4 (1 at Eastern Pt., 3 more at Granite Pier, including one very close look with Thick-billed Murre), Razorbill 1, and Black Guillemot 1.  We had 8 Snowy Owls, 1 at Nelson’s Is., 4 at Salisbury Park, 3 at Plum Island.  Land birds included Mourning Dove, Rock Pigeon, Blue Jay, Crow, Chickadee, Carolina Wren, Mockingbird, Song Sparrow, Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, Grackle, House Finch, and House Sparrow.

The meeting spot at Friendly’s gave us looks at 20 Bufflehead.  First stop was at Jodrey Pier and we found a Razorbill right away.  We also were treated to a Thick-billed Murre for a while and quite close by.  Glaucous Gull was close on raft.  Regular birds were Oldsquaw, White-winged and Surf Scoter, Eiders, Bufflehead, Common Loons and Red-breasted Merganser.  Niles Beach had White-winged and Surf Scoters, Eiders, Oldsquaw, Buffleheads close and many Eiders.  Also there were a Goldeneye, 2 Red-breasted Merganser and 2 Common Loons.  Eastern Point parking lot had good looks at Dovekie, with many Oldsquaw, Eiders, White-winged and Surf Scoters, plus a few Gadwall, Goldeneye, and Red-breasted Mergansers.  Niles Pond was next and our car drove all the way out to brace Cove, where there was 15 Brant, Glaucous Gull, Goldeneye, White-winged Scoters and a Red-necked Grebe.  On Niles Pond, we had a flock of mostly Greater and two Lesser Scaup, plus 50 Red-breasted Merganser.  Atlantic Avenue had 10 Great Cormorant on rock, 40 Purple Sandpipers, 2 Black Guillemot, 2 Red-necked Grebe, Bufflehead, White-winged and Surf Scoter, Eiders, and a Surf Scoter.

After lunch went to Rockport, where Granite Pier gave us 2 Dovekie and a Thick-billed Murre in close, perhaps a view of a life-time.  Also there were 20 Harlequins, 20 Purple Sandpipers, Iceland Gull, some Brant, many Common Loons and a Red-throated Loon.  We had flocks of Eiders, White-winged Scoters, and Bufflehead and a few Red-breasted Mergansers and a Black Scoter.  Cathedral Rocks had another Dovekie, 25 Harlequins, plus Eiders, Black and White-winged Scoters.  Andrews Point was rough and crowded, but got more Harlequins, Eiders, and Black and White-winged Scoters.  Also, we had a two Horned Grebe, one Red-necked Grebe, 8 Common Loons, and a Great Cormorant.

We stopped at Plum Cove, where most had brief looks at Razorbill and Dovekie, plus some White-winged and Black Scoters and Red-breasted Mergansers, but only one Common Loon. We drove north to Stackyard Road where Chris spotted a distant Snowy Owl.   We checked in at Fairfield with 7 of us going to the Indian Food place again.

At 6:00 am we braved the wind and cold under threatening skies in Salisbury.  Our reward was close looks at four Snowy Owls.  Other good finds were 2 Harriers, 2 Guillemots, a few Red-throated and Common Loons, a Hooded Merganser and Black Scoter.  There were 200 Eiders, 30-40 Oldsquaw, Red-breasted Merganser, and White-winged Scoters.  We also had 20 Goldeneyes and Bufflehead.  We returned for the breakfast buffet and checked out at 8:30 am.  No Screech Owl was found in Newbury at Kent and Washington Streets.  Cashman Park at 9:00 am had Goldeneyes and Buffleheads.  We started down Plum Island in moderate rain, finding 2 more Snowy Owls.  The Salt Pannes had Pintail, 15 Gadwall, 2 American Wigeon, Mute Swan and 4 Red-breasted Mergansers.  The Bill Forward blind had 2 Pintail and Iceland Gull.