Birding the Block

    Many of you probably know that birding on Block Island can be great. Yet, if you have never done it, you probably have no idea where to begin. Luckily, Birding Block Island is pretty easy despite being ten miles offshore. Hopefully I can give those of you interested some advice.

Logistics-

   I assume everyone reading this knows that the way to get to BI is to take the ferry out of Galilee. You can take the high speed ferry or the traditional ferry.  Besides being cheaper, an advantage of the traditional ferry is that it goes slow enough to bird along the way. There are many parking lots in Galilee to leave your car if you choose

   The first ferry leaves for the pork chop at 9 am, meaning you are not going to get to the island until 10 am. By then morning birding may be over. Consider going the night before and getting a motel. That way you can be birding at sunrise. Remembering this is the offseason, motel prices are surprisingly  reasonable. You can still get a thousand dollar a night bed and breakfast if you'd like. However, I got a midweek deal for Sept 22-24 for $59/night with a shared bathroom. Check out https://www.blockislandreservations.com/  to find a place that fits your taste and budget.

This leads to getting around. You could get off the ferry and take a taxi to a birding destination. The cab drivers are pretty cool and will come pick you up with a phone call when you are done birding. The other option is to take your car. Usually one or two of my friends will take their car. Everyone chips in. Four people splitting the cost of the vehicle is about $20/each. It works out great for everyone when we split the cost.

The best time to bird the Block in the fall is after a night of NW winds. However, this is fall migration, so if the winds don't line up perfectly with your reservation don't be discouraged. It only takes one great bird! As for timing, birding is best from now until mid-October so you have time to plan a Bermuda of the North getaway. (*if you think I am enjoying using all of the nicknames for Block Island  such as BI, Bermuda of the North, the pork chop, you would be correct)

Birding-

  This section will be much shorter than you would think. Birding BI is pretty straight forward. Print out a street map and head north. When you get to the area around Sachem Pond walk up and down the dirt roads, public right of ways, and trails. Birding is best at the north end. It really is as simple as looking at trees.  I didn't go last year, but the year before we had some great birds. Cape May Warblers were everywhere. They were the most common bird we saw! That includes Robins and Chickadees!

   After you tire of the trails at the north end, you could walk through Rodman's Hollow in the southern part of the island. Rodman's Hollow is the only place east of the Mississippi to have a population of endangered American Burying Beetles. Besides that, birding can be good. My friend Jan found a Philadelphia Vireo in there two years ago.

   Last year my friends went on a spontaneous day trip in October and they saw a Clay Colored Sparrow and a Dickcissel. I was hiking through autumn foliage in the White Mountains. 

   Lastly, if you like shorebirds the place to check out is Andy's Way. Park at the end of the little road, put of shoes you don't getting wet and go explore. There is a large marsh and also beach sand. This is the best place on the island for shorebirds and wading birds. Last time I was there we had a Tricolored Heron and multiple Yellow Crowned Night Herons. Low tide is the time to be at Andy's Way

It really is that simple. Decide if you want to do a day trip or spend a night(s). Figure out if you want to bring a car or take a taxi (it would be a long walk, and if you bike, BI is hilly). Before you go know the tide and plan Andy's Way around it. Try to be at the north end at day break. Worst case scenario, you get some lunch at Poor People's Pub in New Shoreham (pulled pork sandwich). After lunch go admire the view at Southeast Light. However, chances are good you will see birds. 

Summer is for Shorebirds

Marbled Godwit

 Welcome to fall migration! What's that you say? It's July!

   Right you are, but so am I. The shorebirds that just passed through on their way to the tundra a month ago are already on their journey south. Between now and the end of September shorebirds will be going home. Shorebirds and birds of the shore (such as terns) are some of my favorite birds. Though most are dull grey and brown and confusing, I am fascinated by shorebirds, Even the common ones such as Semi-Palmated Sandpipers never get boring to me. 

   This post will not try to deal with trying to identify shorebirds. If you had a chance to see Matt Schenck's shorebird presentation this spring you know there is no way I can improve on that. This post will hopefully help you find places in the state to see shorebirds.  There are only a few places where shorebirds will congregate making it easy to know where to go, though some places aren't so easy to get to.

Napatree Point, Westerly

   Napatree sucks to get to (how is that for a positive attitude right off the bat). For me it is a four hour trip without even seeing a bird. It is a ninety minute drive (each way) and almost a half hour walk( each way). That said, there is something special about it. Even though you park in downtown Watch Hill  and there can be a parade of anchored boats on your way to the lagoon, it still feels wild to me. Pretty much every common to rare shorebird will land at Napatree at some point this season. Napatree is probably the best place in the state to find rare birds. Last year alone, Jan's Terek Sandpiper and a Red Necked Stint, and a King Eider showed up there.  In other years I have seen a Curlew Sandpiper and Little Egret there. 

   Besides the crazy rare birds, Napatree consistently has other good birds all summer. Other rarities that will most likely show at some point are Black Tern, Royal Tern (the bane of my existence),  Baird's Sandpiper, Whimbrel and Marbled Godwit. September will be a great time to see American Pipits added to the mix.. Walking around the lagoon keep an eye out for swallows, Willow Flycatcher, and Saltmarsh Sparrows.

   

Black Skimmers

   Napatree is home to two of my favorite species, Red Knot and Black Skimmers. Napatree is the most consistent place in the state to see Skimmers. Chances are if they show up in RI, this is the place. Watching them skim in the lagoon is one of my favorite memories. If you see a chunky gray shorebird this fall that is bigger than the other peeps, you probably found a Red Knot. The first Knot I ever saw was in its dull non-breeding colors and I thought I found a rarity, but it turned out to be a Red Knot. When they first start returning in late summer some will still have some red to the chest. 

   I know you'd like me to give some advice on parking but the truth is I have no idea. I know roadside parking is two hours and it is strictly enforced with $150 parking tickets.. But when they start monitoring and ticketing seems to depend on who you ask. I've been told that the two hour limit is enforced 24/7. Others have told me they don't start until 9 am giving you until 11 to get out of there. So do not take any advice from me. I've also been told the guards are much more lenient in the lot.

   Here's what I can tell you. I get to Napatree so early that I am leaving when the beach crowd comes in. I can make it to the lagoon in 25 minutes so I have about seventy minutes to bird before heading back. This is usually plenty of time to walk around the lagoon and look at the weed rack on the other side. I'm usually sweating pretty hard on my return trip, but as of yet I haven't gotten a ticket. 

Non-breeding Red Knot

   Another decent spot in Westerly is Atlantic Ave. I've seen both Yellowlegs in there. A Ruff was seen there a few years ago. 

Quonny Breachway, Charlestown

   The sandbar directly in front of the boat ramp (visible at low tide a couple hundred yards out) and the sandbar to the right of the boat ramp are good places to look for shorebirds, gulls and terns. The same can be said of the restoration area to the right of the parking area. Many good birds have shown up there. Barbara Seith found Skimmers this year. Last year a Hudsonian Godwit hung out in the restoration area for a few days.  Parking enforcement is much stricter now since so many people went there during Covid. Best to go there very early during a low tide. 

   Charlestown Breachway Mudflats, Charlestown

 

Four feet away from me. I had to wait for it
to wake up for this photo

     Of all the places to go birding in Rhode Island the mudflats behind the breachway are my favorite. Despite going there multiple times a summer, I still get excited the night before a trip there. To people that haven't been there they are a mythical place they hear about.  

   Obviously getting to the mudflats isn't easy. This in itself keeps the crowds of birders down. I will do my best to explain how to get to the flats but if you have never been there and crossed the channel it really is best if you go with someone that has. If you fall in over your head and ruin your camera do not blame me! Use common sense. If you see the water is too deep to cross do not cross. However, the water temp is like bathwater in the summer. If you carry your gear in a drybag and you go too deep it may be really fun. Obviously, going at low tide is both best for the water crossing and seeing shorebirds. 

   If standing at the boat ramp at the breachway you walk to the right. If the tide is high-ish you will almost certainly be walking in ankle deep water around the bend. After a couple of minutes you come to a point with a  small channel in front of you. You keep walking right over the marsh grass. A short walk will lead you to a water crossing that is about knee deep. The channel will still be on your left. Shortly after, you will see a "beach" on the other side of the channel. There may be a couple kayaks there. From the point that you went right at, this is roughly 100 yards. You want to look for your crossing here.

   However!!!! the deepest part is on your side of the channel! So be careful to find a spot where you can gradually get into the water. Make sure you can see the bottom! Once in the water cross over to the sand on the other side. The channel is between waist and nipple deep before you start walking up the other bank. It is a huge relief when you know you have reached the deepest point and start working your way up the far shore. 

   Now that you are safely across the channel there is a lot of mud to explore. From now through September there should be various amounts of shorebirds to scan. By far the most common are Semi-palmated  and Least Sandpiers. The easiest ways to tell them apart is the Least will be brown, some of them will have a nice fresh brown coat while others will be duller. The Semi's will be greyish. Also, the Least will have green legs while the Semi's are black. This only works in the right light of course. If you forget Least, Brown, and Green all have five letters. 

   Also in the mix will be Western Sandpipers. I love Western's because no two look alike. They can be tricky but generally they have a longish down curved bill and most (not all) will have red on the scapulars. White Rumped Sandpipers, Semi Plovers, Black Bellied Plovers and Piing Plovers should be present. Other rare birds that will show up at some point will be Whimbrel, Marbled Godwit, Black Tern, and Pectoral Sandpipers. 

   Like Napatree,, rarities can show up any time. Last year, two Little Stints (European shorebird) showed up. I found a Wilson's Pharalope last year. The year before a Red Pharaope was found (again, by Jan StJean) on the flats.

   I love seeing rare birds as much as anyone, but even if I don't see anything rare, the flats are awesome. If you are still, the birds will walk right up to you. The sandpipers will get almost under your feet. My theory is that the sandpipers feel safer near people than most birds because we offer some protection from Peregrine Falcons. I don't know if I'm right. I do know that while sitting in the sand last year photographing the Little Stint a Least Sandpiper walked up next to me, tucked its head and took a nap an arm's length from me.

 

Though "common" Common Terns are amazing
to watch in flight. I never tire of seeing them

Also while out there, you should see Common and Least Terns and multiple species of gulls. Look in the marsh grass (please don't walk through it) for Seaside and Saltmarsh Sparrows. If you are patient one will pop up close enough for a photo. Late summer will bring thousands of swallows staging for their migration south. They can be quite spectacular. 

    

Succotash Marsh, S. Kingstown

  Succotash Road on the way to East Matunack State Beach s the most accessible of the really good shorebird spots.  On the right side (heading south) of the road you will see a blue house. On the other side of the road is a small pulloff. Both sides of the road have a small pond. Though obscured by some reeds the area to the right can be very good. Last year an American Avocet was found in that marsh. Two years ago Barbara Gearhart found Stilt Sandpipers, which I got to see and were lifers. 

   A little further down the road just before where the road turns left is "the Sweet Spot". It is on the right and you can pull off  near the trees. This spot is always worth checking out. You may only see Least Terns flying, but you could potentially see a Hudsonian Godwit that showed up three years ago. Green Winged Teal will hang out there in the spring and fall 

Moonstone Beach and Mud Pond, South Kingstown

   Right now you can't access Moonstone Beach due to parking and roped areas to protect Piping Plover. However, when the ropes come down "the Cut" is a good place to check out. The Cut is a spot between Trustom Pond and the ocean where you have a nice opening. The walk is rocky and sometimes fruitless but is worth a look. You never know what you will see scanning the pond or at the Cut itself. 

Mud Pond is at the end of  Moonstone Beach Rd. The mud can attract shorebirds when the water is low. Always check the water and margins. So many great birds have been seen here over the last couple of years. Not necessarily shorebirds, but Bitterns, Galinule,Virginia Rail, Blue Winged Teal, and others have been seen here. There are also mink in the area.

   Andy's Way, Block Island

   I have only been to Andy's Way twice. However, it is the spot on BI. I have seen Yellow Crowned Night Heron and Tricolored Heron here along with peeps. If your birding on BI in the summer/fall it is a must to go at low tide.

Brenton Point, Newport

   Though I don't take the journey there I know shorebirds can be found on the rotting weed racks at Brenton Point. 

Third Beach Restoration

  Same with Brenton Point, I rarely take the trip in the summer. Though I do know Matt Schenck had a Franklin's Gull here. I've seen good ducks in the fall in the pond. It is well worth a look if you are in the area. 

Turf Fields

  First I need to start with another negative attitude. I hate birding turf fields. The birds are usually so far away and you need your scope. Getting even a ID photo can be impossible because of distance.. That said, when I first started birding, I enjoyed birding turf fields because it was new and different. I also admit you have at least as good chance of seeing a Buff Breasted Sandpiper at a turf field as the mudflats. You have a much better chance of seeing multiple American Golden Plovers at turf fields than seeing one at the shore. 

   Where to look is intimating if you don't know where to start. So instead of writing "turf fields are good places to find shorebirds after a rain' here are a few spots to start. 

 Route 2 just before Heaton Orchard Rd had American Golden Plovers last September on the right.

If you are heading south on Rt 2 and take a right onto Heaton Orchard, about 1/2 mile on your right you will see a pull off there is a dirt patch about 50 yards out. This spot seems to attract shorebirds including an Upland Sandpiper two years ago. On the other side of the street is Beaver River Schoolhouse Rd. I've seen Golden Plover in the field on the right.

Slocum, North Kingstown,  The fields around Indian Corner Road and  the Slocum Post Office are very good. I have seen Pectoral, Least, and Bairds Sandpiper here. You will need a scope.

The last turf field I have experience at is on Switch Rd in Richmond a few hundred yards north of Chariho High School. Last year Buff Breasted Sandpipers showed up. The year before there was a Bairds. I will warn you, the owners do not like birders. So if you step onto their property they will yell at you. Also someone I know got a nail in a tire at one of the pulloffs and I do not believe it was  coincidence.

   I have no desire to wish away the summer, but the turf fields are especially good in September. Buff Breasted usually show up Labor Day weekend (I tip I learned from Jan) and the plovers are soon to follow. Though they may still be worth checking after a summer rain, you may find your own Pectoral.

 

Solitary Sandpiper

 Mudbanks

   Lastly, as I write this my tomato plants are begging to see the sun after a week of clouds and rain, but at some point the sun will shine (it has to, right?) When the water level of the ponds lower during the summer they expose mud and easy to eat invertebrates. These muddy areas will attract shorebirds. Not by the millions but a rarity is just as likely to show up at one of these spots as the shore. Places like York Pond in Blackstone Park Providence or Meadowbrook Pond will have some exposed mud to check out. Also, York Pond is an excellent place to find Solitary Sandpipers in the spring.  

   I hope everyone reading this picked up a tip or two from this post. Thanks for reading.

Machias Seal Island Puffin Trip

   

On Thursday I got to cross off one of my top priorities from my bucket list. I went to Machias Seal Island to see the puffins (other Alcids and Arctic Terns). This trip had been three years in the making. Luckily it did not disappoint. 

   I had reservation to take this trip from Bold Coast Charters since 2019. I was supposed to go on the trip June 2019. Unfortunately for me, I got weathered out by a storm that brought with it ten foot waves. My friend Laurie and I planned a vacation around the trip. After my cancelled trip, I did spend five days in Acadia National Park. So I rescheduled for Thursday June 25, 2020, but as we all know, nothing good happened in 2020, I rescheduled for June 24 and hoped the third time was the charm. When I rescheduled for this year. I asked my friend Sue Palmer if she wanted to take the trip. She said yes. 

Logistics-

 

The awesome little house Sue rented

 First off, you need to make a reservation. Reservation period usually starts just after the New Year. The sell out fast. As in, a day or two!!! When I made my reservations for 2019, they could be bought at 8:30 am Jan 5. I started calling right then and hit redial 38 times (exact count). I talked to Captain Andy and he answered all of my questions for five minutes. I also sent an email before I got through on the phone. Tickets for the year were sold out by the afternoon the following day!!!

   Reservations for 2021 were different. The people that got Covid cancelled had first dibs, Instead of calling them, they contacted me. I sent an email with the same day as last year. 

   The cost of a ticket is $160. Half is paid by check mailed to Bold Coast Charters after you make your reservations. The other half is due cash or check the day of your trip.

The boat holds 15 paying customers. Its name is the Barbara Frost which was Captain Andy's mother's name.

Website- https://www.boldcoast.com/

To find out when reservations for trips can be made check the website everyday after Christmas. If this is something you want to do, you need to know when reservations can be made and set an alarm on your phone so you can start immediately.

Getting there-  You probably aren't going to fly to Maine from RI so you will have to make the long drive to Cutler on the Bold Coast of  Maine. From the MA/RI border where I live, my GPS said it would take me 6 hrs 24 minutes. This was leaving my house at the god awful hour of 3:30 am Wednesday. This meant I got through all of the Boston traffic before it started. However, realistically it is a seven hour drive. I drove straight through stopping at one rest area just to use the bathroom and I got gas in Ellsworth. It still took me seven hours because of road construction near Bangor. My ride home took 7 hrs 30 minutes thanks to hitting the MA border at 3:30 pm on a Friday.

Accommodations-  When I got weathered out in 2019, I stayed at Cobscook State Park about 45 minutes from Cutler. The campground and park are beautiful. If you like camping, I highly recommend  it. This time around, Sue got an Airbnb. She rented a house for a few days in Roque Bluff. When I realized paying half would be about the same cost as camping, I asked if I could take the couch. So we were roomies for two night. 

  Despite being fifty miles north of the touristy Bar Harbor area, there were quite a few motels in the Machias area. So finding a place to stay should not be a problem.

 

Captain Andy (no I don't know his last name)

The boat trip-

   As I said, the cost is $160, with half paid up front. The trip last between 4-5.5 hours. The goal is to land on Machias Seal Island and go to the blinds. Inside the blinds, you photograph Puffins, Murres, and Razorbills for a little more than an hour. Assuming you make it that far, the birds can be as close as three feet. Some may even land on the roof of your blind. 

   The boat does not leave at a set time everyday. The time is tide, wind, and weather dependent. Our trip went out at 11 am. The Wednesday trip left Cutler at 9 am and the trip on Friday was scheduled for noon. 

If you read any part of this post please remember the following- Bold Coast Charters does not guarantee island landings. If sea conditions are unfavorable THEY DO NOT LAND! I can assure you Captain Andy knows how badly the paying customers want to land and see Puffins close up, but he errs on the side of caution. If he feels island landings are unsafe, he will not risk it. The cost is the same for landings or not since he can not predict the weather.  I don't know what the ratio of successful landings are in a given year. However, thanks to the big storm in the Atlantic, they had not put passengers on the island in a week!

Common Murre, notice the chocolate
colored head

Our trip

  Now that I got all of the logistics I could think of out of the way, it is far more fun to tell my first hand experience.-

   We met a few minutes before 11 am at Cutler Harbor. Parking is tight, but it is also allowed on street. Captain Andy met us with a little skiff to get us out to the Barbara Frost. As usual on these kind of trips, he went over what to expect, safety instructions, and a little history. We got on the main boat and took the main boat to Machias Seal Island. The trip is ten miles and took 45-50 minutes to get there.

  The boat had fourteen paying customers (one cancellation). Of the fourteen, Sue and I were the only birders!!! The other twelve people were photographers. Not really even birders that enjoy photography (like Sue and I), How do I know this? Well, Sue asked a couple people if they were birders or photographers and they replied photographers. But here was what got me, NONE OF THE OTHER TWELVE PASSENGERS EVEN BROUGHT BINOCULARS! They brought fancy camera equipment but they didn't bring bins. Captain Andy had three spare bins for people to borrow, and none of them took him up on it.

   Anyway, Sue and I birded the entire ride from Cutler to Machias Seal Island. We were rewarded with twenty two Wilson's Storm Petrels (exact count of those seen) and a Leach's Storm Petrel! Leach's is a rare bird and a lifer for Sue. Once we got closer to the island we had flyover Razorbills, Puffins, and Murres. For the ride over though, the Leach's was the star of the show.

   

Razorbill

Once we arrived at Machias Seal Island, Capt. Andy was cautiously optimistic we could land. However we did not land right away. He wanted the tide to ebb some more which should make the waves smaller. As we waited for the tide to drop we had alcids fairly close to the boat. We saw hundreds up on the rocks of the island. We circled the island very slowly and had birds all around. We also saw some seals. Most important to me, we saw some Arctic Terns flying. They were a lifer for me. Though they were too far away for a decent photo, I was happy to see them. 

   After about an hour, Andy got in the little dingy alone and motored over to the island to see if we could safely land. He came back so quickly that I was sure it was a no. But when he pulled right up to the side of the boat he gave us a thumbs up. The dingy only holds a few people so it took three trips to motor the fourteen of us and his two mates (Abby and Levi)

Once we were all on shore Levi walked us to the blinds in two groups. Each blind holds 3-4 people. Sue and I got put in a blind with a guy named Brian from Ohio. It worked out for Sue and I because we only had to share our blind with one other person. But it also worked out really well for Brian because we were willing to share our camera holes and rotate so we all had different angles for photos. 

   The birds were only feet from us. The majority of birds in front of us were Razorbills. There was a large group of Common Murres directly in front of our blind but too far away to get photos of single birds. I took a few dozen photos of the Murres but mostly I concentrated on Puffins and Razorbills since some were within spitting distance.

   Razorbills were everywhere around us. Dozens were sitting on rocks and sunning themselves, fighting, or chattering. The Puffins came and went. They didn't stay around too long. One would fly in, hop around on some rocks, then go down to its burrow. Though there weren't as many puffins as Razorbills, there was usually one for each of us to shoot at any given time.

 

 The "Money shot" of a puffin is to get a photo of a Puffin with fish in its beak to feed its chicks. We saw few birds with fish in their mouth. I saw one Razorbill and one Murre. There were a couple Puffins that came back with fish. But they moved so quickly to the burrows that getting a photo was proving fruitless for all of us. About ten minutes before we had to leave a puffin flew in right next to the blind with some fish. It landed on a rock within feet of me, and I had the best angle to see it. I shot off about seven photos in five seconds then I pulled Sue into my spot and she did the same. After her five seconds were up, She moved over so Brian could get the money shot. Did I mention how incredibly lucky Brian was to be in the blind with us? Oh, that's right, I did. Needless to say, Sue and I were stoked and we high fived. 

   Ten minutes later, Levi came and got us, but not before seeing a single Northern Gannet that has been hanging around the island. Levi walked us back to the boat stopping at the helicopter pad so people could use the outhouse. This was awesome because Arctic Terns nest in the mowed grass and are within two feet of the pathway. Nowhere else will I ever get an easier photo of an Arctic Tern.

   Capt Andy took us back to the boat in three trips again. Talking with others, and overhearing conversations, it seems like we lucked out with the Puffin with fish in its mouth. One of the blinds didn't have any puffins land at all with fish.  Despite having to wait three years to go on this trip, it was well worth the wait. The weather was perfect and the birds were awesome. We all went back to Cutler with full memory cards and a memory to last a life time.  Some of us even had binoculars to put back in our cars.     

    Many photos below-

Common Murres

Common Murre

Razorbills

My lens is in the shop. So I had to make due with my 
70-300 mm. This is what I was getting with it. Thank
goodness we got to go to the blinds. 

This photo and the next five are 
Atlantic Puffins

Nesting Arctic Tern

   

Francis Carter Preserve

   

One of the many Indigo Buntings at Carter

One of my favorite places to bird in Rhode Island is Francis Carter Preserve in Charlestown. (Carter from now on). This huge preserve is owned by The Nature Conservancy . If you walked all of the trails it would take you most of the day, and that is if you didn't get lost. The main attraction to the preserve is the huge grassland in the middle. 

   There are dozens of acres of grassland at Carter. Large open grasslands are a rare landscape in Rhode Island. As such, some of the species that are common at Carter are rare across the rest of the state. Many of the birds I'm going to describe below can be found in the grasslands.

    Carter is locally famous for being the only place in the state that Grasshopper Sparrows breed. Grasshopper Sparrows got their name because their song does sound like a bug. Hearing them (if you know what you are listening for) is fairly easy after late May. Finding them in your bins is a little tougher. However, with a little patience, you should see one popped up on a bare twig or small bush singing its little heart out.

   Another common bird at Carter are Brown Thrashers. If you walk any of the trails along the perimeter of the grassland, you will run across at least a couple Brown Thrashers in the path or scurrying into the woods edge. While you looking for Brown Thrashers you will hear the optimistic song of Prairie Warblers. Their song rises in pitch as it goes. You should see Prairie Warblers also along the woods/grasslands edge. 

   One of my favorite breeding birds at Carter are the Indigo Buntings. If you can learn the song, you will realize they are breeding all over the place. For some reason, the song does not register in my head very easily, and it takes me a while to pick up on it. That said, there are enough Indigo Buntings around where you should see a few while walking the edges.

   The most exciting breeding bird at Carter is also the newest. For the last two years Blue Grosbeaks have nested in the grasslands! I went there on Friday with fellow board member Catherine B. Unfortunately we did not see the Blue Grosbeaks (though we had fantastic looks at the Grasshopper Sparrows). I went again on Saturday with my friends Tim Metcalf, Scott Tsagarakis, and Carlos Pedro. The Blue Grosbeaks put on a show for us. Both the male and the brown female were flying all over the grasslands. We saw them a half dozen times either flying or sitting on a small bush. Fun fact I did not know, Blue Grosbeaks twitch their tail like a Phoebe. 

    There are other good birds that breed at Carter. I'm positive that Tree Swallows, Baltimore Orioles, Orchard Orioles, Bluebirds, and Eastern Kingbirds nest there. Kingbirds are easy to find. Last time I was there we also saw Bank Swallows flying over the fields and the time before that Northern Rough Winged Swallows (they must be breeding close by).  Catherine saw a Broad Winged Hawk on Friday while I was down a wooded trail, so they must be added to the list of breeders. 

   Carter has also been producing rarities. This March a Northern Shrike was seen for a few days. I theorize it could have been their much longer than that and no one knew about it. Much more recently, about ten days ago my new friends Jennifer Krider and her son Ian heard a Mississippi Kite! They got a recording of it. Who knows is a Kite family growing up in there as I write this?  The last bird I will write about are the Whip-poor-Wills. If you are at the preserve at dusk you should hear the Whips. The place I usually hear them is where them is where the path from Old Mill Rd comes out into the grassland. Bring bug spray if you want to enjoy the Whips.

    Carter is huge and it has many entrances. The most popular, with a bathroom, is on Old Mill Rd which is off of Rt 112. There are also entrances at Botka Woods Rd, Rt  112, and Kings Factory Rd. If you have never been there I suggest Old Mill Rd and take a photo of the map. A ten minute walk down a slight hill will get you to the grasslands. As you open your car door you should hear Prairie Warblers singing along the powerlines. You could also download a map online 

   Despite going to Carter twice this weekend, it is still new to me. I've only been visiting their for the last three years. It is still exciting to me to see the birds there. I'm still learning new things about the place. We are very fortunate to have such a unique ecosystem in the state.

    

May misses and Heard Only Birds

   

The best photo of the best bird I saw over my two days off.
Virginia Rail

   I had Thurs/Fri off from work but I had to work the weekend. For me, that means May is pretty much over. On Wednesday I'm leaving for North Carolina to do some pelagic and land birding for a few days. Between now and Wednesday I have so much work stuff to get ahead on and too much personal stuff to catch up on. So, although I may get out for a couple hours after work the next couple of days, realistically I'm done.

   As I said a couple posts ago, May goes by way too fast. Obviously, missing an entire weekend next week will shorten a month, but I got to tell you, I think migration is about over anyway. For sure there is still a very good possibility for a rare bird such as another Mourning Warbler or Olive Sided Flycatcher to show up. But in terms of big numbers and the trees being covered with bright little birds, we are past the peak. Here is a quick rundown of my two hard days of birding. 

   Thursday morning I got great looks at a Virginia Rail at a swamp in Westerly thanks to my friend Sue. From there, we went to Burlingame north where we saw an Acadian Flycatcher and heard Hooded Warblers and Pileated Woodpeckers. 

   Then Sue and I went Rome Point. There had been two very good warblers there. A Kentucky and a Mourning. We got lucky and heard both. We didn't see either. Though later in the day, my friend Tim and I got a brief look at the Kentucky and he even got a couple photos.

   Friday I birded alone almost all day except at my first stop, Miantonomi. Louise R and I birded there from7-9 am. The woods were quiet. The only birds that we say that weren't residents were a Blackpoll and a Yellow Billed Cuckoo. He had great looks at both birds, but there was a disappointing amount of migrating birds. That theme continued all day.  Other than hearing a couple more cuckoos and finding an Acadian Flycatcher, my day was boring.

   This all leads up to migration being just about over. For me, it is a good thing I am not listing this year. I missed quite a few birds I normally see. I missed the rare Yellow Throated Warbler at Trustom early in migration. However, I missed some expected birds also. I did not see any Cape May, Nashville,  or Bay Breasted Warblers, or Louisiana Waterthrush (I didn't go for the Waterthrush) this spring. Somehow I missed Bay Breasted while others had it at Mia. I did not see any Yellow Throated Vireos. This was a bummer because I don't have any life photos of them. Though I still have a decent shot at the Vireo and the Cape May in the fall, especially on the Block. I'm sure there are probably others I missed but those are misses I never miss.

   Probably more frustrating than missing a few birds is the sheer number of "heard only" birds I have on my list. I have a tough time with songs and sounds. I am not musical at all. Usually I have to relearn all of the Warbler songs every spring because I will forget them by June. Over the last two weeks I have had Black Billed Cuckoo, Mourning Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, Whip-poor-wills,  Black Throated Green, Mississippi Kite, Tennessee Warbler, Worm Eating Warbler, Hooded Warbler, and Sora as heard only birds. 

   Right now I am at my "peak" of knowing bird songs and calls. Like I said, I will have forgotten them in the next couple of weeks. That said, hearing birds for me is only a tool to help see them. I'd much rather see a bird than hear it (Wood Thrush and Red Tailed Hawks being exceptions). Some birds like Sora and Mourning Warbler you don't expect to see. However, not seeing Hooded Warbler or Worm Eating is quite a surprise. Both nest in Rhode Island so maybe after I get back from the Outer Banks, chasing them could be a June goal. 

   Why did I write a post that was pretty much negative? Simply because it was honest. I did not see as many migrants as usual. Though part of that was there wasn't any pressure too. However, list or not, I want to see the birds. I still love seeing Bay Breasted and Nashville Warblers.Who wouldn't? I would much rather see the Missisippi Kite soar than hear it. Still, I got to see most of the birds. I found two very good birds on my own this May. I found Eastern Meadowlarks at Franklin Farm in Cumberland. If they are nesting, they most likely are the only ones breeding in the state. I also found Acadian Flycatchers at Weetamoo Woods. So all in all, though it sounds like complaining, May has had far more ups than downs. As Bill Belichick would say...On to shorebirds

Looking at the Birds

 There is a difference from birding and bird watching. If you talk to someone that does neither, they will almost certainly call you a bird watcher. Truthfully all of us with feeders at our house are bird watchers. We enjoy looking at the birds that come to our feeders or nest in our yards. We can do watch birds from our kitchen table, deck, or a lawn chair.

   Birding is far more active. Birding is actively going out to find the birds. Going birding requires patience, skill and time. The more of these three things you have the better the birder you will become. To be a good birder you need to study. You need to know the field marks of birds that look similar so you can tell them apart. If you think bird watching and birding are the same, I challenge you to walk out to Napatree under a hot sun when the next rare bird is found there. All the while rushing back so you don't get a parking ticket. You will understand the difference.

   But here is the thing about birding, birders spend far more time looking for rather than looking at birds. Think about that for a second because it is true. All of us have gone to Trustom right? Think about how many minutes you take to look at birds through your binoculars during a two hour walk. How long are the eye cups actually over your eyes? Chances are that amount of time is less than a few minutes. Of course, there are many reasons for this. There are plenty of roots and rocks to watch out for. There are plenty of places where there aren't birds to look at. These are  valid reasons. 

   The other main reason we don't spend a lot of time looking at the birds is because subconsciously our main goal is to ID them. Think about it. How many times have you raised your binoculars only to say out loud "Robin" or "just a Chickadee". Chances are if it is a common bird, you lower the binoculars and move on. Yes, I am just as guilty as anyone else. There is only so many times I can admire a robin when my main goal is a Pileated Woodpecker.

   However, what I am really trying to do is watch and look at the birds in migration, even the common ones. For example, I seem to be seeing Rose Breasted Grosbeaks everywhere. I've probably seen ten over the last four after work walks. They are still beautiful even though I am seeing them every day. So instead of raising my binos and saying out loud "another Rose Breasted Grosbeak" and then moving on, I have been watching them. I have been admiring their beauty. I watched a male chase off another male at the Cumberland Monastery last night. It was fun

   While I was at Great Swamp on Friday I came across a very cooperative Black and White Warbler. It was feeding only feet from me and didn't care about my presence at all. I've seen dozens of them so far this year. But this one wanted to put on a show. So I stayed there and I watched it. It would sing while it was feeding doing that high pitched buzz. The whole show lasted a good three minutes. I am happy it decided to hang out with me for that time.

   Since warbler migration only lasts a month or so, I am doing my best to keep my binoculars up when I see a pretty bird. Just because orioles are everywhere, it does not take away from their beauty. I love seeing them, I love getting photos of them. So this spring once I ID them I'm going to keep my binoculars on them for a few more seconds and really enjoy the colors. I will be better off for it.

A Long Single

   

My favorite warbler, Black Throated Blue.

   If I were to use a baseball analogy to describe Spring Migration so far, I'd say we hit a solid single to the outfield. We have rounded first but know that for now second base is out of reach. For sure spring migration is here. There are warblers, Great Crested Flycatchers, vireos, and thrushes. They just do not seem to be in big numbers yet.  I think between last week and today, I saw 18-20 new species for the year. This sounds good, but I think there are a lot of "easy" birds I still haven't seen.

    No complaining. There were plenty of birds to see, I just had to work a little harder for them. Today I birded my little heart out for twelve hours. I did about eleven miles (then I rewarded myself with Chinese Food, it's all about balance). 

This Osprey landed almost over our heads at Asa Pond

    I started my morning at Mia in Newport and ended it at Tri-Pond Park in South Kingston. My companions for most of the day were Sue Palmer and Tim Metcalf. We also birded with Carlos Pedro and Louise Ruggeri for part of the morning. 

   Mia was pretty slow all things considering. The highlight for us were two male Rose Breasted Grosbeaks. There was also a Black Throated Green Warbler calling before we got there, but we did not see or hear it. I also saw a Hummingbird. 

   

Thanks Little Buddy (Black and White Warbler)

From there we hit two land trust properties in Jamestown. Highlights were American Kestrel and my favorite warbler, Black Throated Blue. We could also see 53 Glossy Ibis flying around the marsh near Weedon Lane.  We did see or hear the more common warblers including Parula, Blue Winged, and Black and White.

   After buying lunch we stopped at Great Swamp but only hiked a little bit. There were multiple Redstarts and a Black and White that wanted me to take its photo. My main focus were Northern Waterthrush and Yellow Throated Vireo both of which we dipped on. 

Probably the best bird of the day, Solitary Sandpiper

  We hit another land trust in South Kingston near URI that I do not remember the name of. By far the best bird was a Solitary Sandpiper. We should have reported it, because that is a very good bird. However, a dog/dog owner scared it off and it flew out of sight so there was no point. 

My last stop was Tri-Pond park in South Kingston. There were multiple Warbling Vireos. I saw some swallows, Chimney Swifts, and Yellow Warblers around the pond.

My day ended photographing this singing Warbling Vireo

   All in all, Today was fun. I saw many  species of migrating birds but I know it could be better. It's only going to take one or two nights with the right winds for everything to explode. Until then, I'm not complaining. It is still nice to see color in the trees.  I've said it before and I'll say it again, May goes by too quickly!!!