Falmouth, Sandwich, Plymouth

Three cars and nine brave birders drove through the cold and into the sun to Falmouth, at the first stop finding 600 Scaup, mostly Greater, sleeping in a tight flock on Salt Pond. Also scattered about the pond were a Common Loon, Buffleheads, Red-breasted and Hooded Mergansers, and Goldeneyes. A Great Blue Heron labored slowly across the sky. We drove to the beach road and found only a few Goldeneyes and Eiders offshore with bright light from sun and water in our eyes. We made our first visit to nearby Peterson Farm for reported landbirds, but found few. Then we stopped at Siders Pond for a few Buffleheads, a Common Loon, and a Red-breasted Merganser pair close. A few landbirds were there and a Carolina Wren sang. Then it was north to Crane reserve, where only a couple of Redtails were seen. A circuit of Ashumet Pond gave us no good access to find some reported ducks.

We hurried north to Town Neck Road in Sandwich, where the canal had a flock of 23 Brant go over low and close just as we arrived. Among the 900 eiders there were eight Common Loons, a few Black and White-winged Scoters, and 2 Red-breasted Mergansers. At the end of the road, the bay was scattered with 500 more Common Eiders, 50 Black and White-winged Scoters, a few Red-breasted Mergansers, a Red-throated Loon and another flock of Brant. One of us spotted four Razorbills riding the more turbulent waves far out and two Great Cormorants were there. We drove the short way to Sandwich center and turned onto the road next to Shawmee Lake, which was mostly frozen. At the lower end, open water had 17 American Wigeon and one male Eurasian Wigeon plus 3 Gadwall and 2 Hooded Mergansers.

We drove over the bridge and stopped for break and sandwich at McDonalds. Then we drove to Scusset Beach, where Common Eiders fed at the point and toward the bridge, estimated as another 1500 birds. Other birders walking from the west along bike trail told us of the King Eider, and we drove down to look for it. We got great looks at it from a wooden walkway fishing pier there. Two more Razorbills were spotted and a few Red-breasted Mergansers were also there.

On to Bourndale where we found Herring Pond open, but without birds at the south end. Eagle Hill had a flock of Goldeneyes close with one beautiful male Barrow’s Goldeneye. Most of us spotted it, but an adult Eagle swooped in and flushed the flock northward, where we could barely pick it out. We drove to the north end, where there were small flocks of Bufflehead, and Common Merganser with a few Hooded and Red-breasted Mergansers. Some of us heard a Kingfisher call.

We were running late, so decided to skip Manomet and Plymouth Beach. We found Jenny’s Pond drained, but the Harbor had Surf and White-winged Scoters, and Buffleheads far out with Black Ducks close by. We spotted a small flock of Dunlin resting on a small weedy sandbar close-by. Then two Sanderlings also flew in and landed close to check out the shore edge for food. Then it was time to leave the coast and drive inland on Rte. 44 to the Grasslands in Halifax, still known by birders as Cumberland Farms. We found the small parking spot and outlook on the east side where we had repeated looks at several Harriers and two Short-Eared Owls. Also there was a Cooper’s Hawk that attacked blackbirds in a low tree. These were some of hundreds that were flying in and landing as they prepared to roost.