Birding with Phil 2009By Phil Kyle 

December Birding

Common Redpoll

Birding, as it's called today, is exciting because many birders think this is the best of seasons; The beaches are empty, a sense of peace has returned and northern species like Snowy Owls, Crossbills and Redpolls and Sea Ducks can be seen, lingering "half-hardies", this all makes for a diverse "smorgasbord" of birds.

Northern Gannets move down the coast in late fall( ie. first 3 weeks of December !) and become our most dependable excitement during this month. Half hardies like Eastern Bluebirds, Yellow-rumped Warblers and northern species like Golden-crowned Kinglets, Juncos and White-throated Sparrows combine to make winter a great time to bird.

 Wintering ducks like to hang out on freshwater ponds. Alcids, like Razorbills, are available in abundance and can be seen on saltwater along with Horned and Red-necked grebes; not to mention Scoters, Long-tails and Goldeneyes. If lucky, one will see "Irruptive" species like Northern Shrike or boreal finches. So like many birders you can believe that WINTER can be the best birding season! ( We often spend a lot of time looking from inside the heated Thornton Burgess Van !) 

Join us Mondays at 8 and please remember to call ahead and register.

November Birding

This is the month where anything can show and usually does. The first killing frost of the season has already happened during the third week of October, that event marking the end of shorebird migration.  But there are definitely a few stragglers still around: Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Black-bellied Plovers, Semi-palmated Plovers.

The Canadian migrants have almost all arrived by now;  Junco, White-throated Sparrow, Ruby and Golden-crowned Kinglet, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Dunlin, Sanderling, Sea Ducks (Scoters, have already arrived but Long-tailed Ducks wait until this month, Gannets are seen on a semi-regular basis for the first time this month.

So November is a transition month .........where most  any birds can be sighted so get out there and watch ! Good birding.....Oh and if you want some direction and guidance BIRD with us  at Green Briar Nature Center Mondays we leave by Van at 8:00AM sharp.

September Birding

September means the continuation of Land-bird migration, Shore-bird migration and the beginning of Hawk migration. Most new birders assume that if summers over so is birding!  Although the peak of the BIRDING YEAR is the middle of May, there is birding year-round.

 In August we visited Mashpee River Woodlands and saw 6 Great egrets moving their way south and at Twin Ponds in Sandwich we saw 5 Snowy Egrets that were also migrating. But Hawk migration is along the Atlantic Flyway locally on the edge of Cape Cod and requires that you go to Pilgrim Heights, North Truro to see Hawks migrating south. Here at Green Briar we don't have time to check out this area but migrations still is occurring !

 The first of those aggravating FALL WARBLERS are beginning to filter through along with thrushes and vireos; like Prairie, Magnolia, Palm, Northern Parula, White-eyed Vireo and Hermit Thrush. Plus Northeast storms often bring pelagic birds closer to shore, like Shearwaters,  petrels and jaegers.

 So this is MIGRATION TIME, songbirds, shorebirds, raptors and a multitude of other land birds are all heading southwards………Join us Mondays, as we leave promptly at 8:00AM back by 11:00AM to check out different Cape Cod HOTSPOTS in the Upper and Mid-Cape area. 

Black-Bellied Plover

August Birding

Birding in August is more interesting with the passing of every day.  Shorebirds, Herons and Landbirds are the main interest this month because they are migrating south.

The peak of shorebirds in terms off sheer numbers occurs in early August. Black-bellied Plover, Semi-palmated Plover, Godwit, Sanderling, Dunlin, Least Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher, Red Knot and Whimbrel can sometimes be seen at Seagull Beach tidal flats in Yarmouth.  

Immature shorebirds begin arriving about August 20th and are present in smaller numbers. Herons are particularly visible in coastal marshes at this time. Snowy Egret, Great Blue, Glossy Ibis, Great Egret, Little Blue are also very often present. 

Landbird migration begins later in the month and it is possible to see a sizeable "wave" of southerly migraters. Usually the last migraters to arrive on Cape Cod in the spring are the first migraters to leave. Flycatchers are usually the main group to depart in late August, along with vireos and warblers. 

So please do yourself a favor and tag along with our birders when we leave MONDAY @ 8AM sharp by Nature Center van and are back at the Nature Center by 11AM. PLEASE pre-register so you can be called if there is inclement weather cancelling the trip.!

Piping Plover 

July Birding

The thoughts of Spring Migration are past and we welcomed SUMMER Sunday June 21st. Most of the nesters are almost done with their first brood. Most of them have fledged. The birds that have a second "batch" have already begun this process !

July means the beginning of chaos on Cape Cod - The dreaded Tourist Season ! One definitely needs to pick their birding locations carefully and the earlier in the morning one looks for birds the better. Many coastal migrant breeders can be viewed at this time, like the Piping Plover, American Oyster-catcher, Roseate Tern, Black Skimmer; and visitors like Wilson's Storm Petrel (common)& Little Blue Heron(rare).  

 One of highlights on this sandy peninsula occurs during latter half of July when the adult shorebirds, who started their migration south at the beginning of the month stop here and re-fuel, especially after cold fronts from the north.  One can see Whimbrels, Black-bellied Plovers, assorted Peeps, Dunlin & Sanderlings. Join us Mondays to see these summer "treats" from 8-11AM, we'll travel by VAN and pre-registration is required.

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

JUNE  BIRDING

Some birders consider SUMMER to be the low point of the birding year. Increasing temperatures  and associated reduction of song makes this true even on Cape Cod. This is the time of year where "BIRDING early in the AM " gained notoriety with the average person. Fortunately Cape Cod is surrounded by cool ocean water, which retards the leafing out fully of trees for a week or more until late May or early June and helps spring last longer. 

Most of the 115 new summer residents are still a challenge to find. Black-billed and Yellow-billed Cuckoo's are around especially Crooked-cart Pathway area of the West Barnstable Conservation Area. Thrashers and Scarlet Tanagers, summer residents also can be seen at Crane Wildlife Management Area. 

You can also see migrants like, Bank Swallow, Eastern Wood Pewee and the Blackpoll Warbler because almost every bird is so preoccupied with it chores as a parent, you get plenty of good looks!  

Remember Thornton Burgess Monday AM Birding happens weekly so come early and make sure you've pre-registered. We leave by Van at 8AM sharp and back before 11AM. 

April Birding

Being a Birder is an activity that is often lumped with  being a philatelist (stamp collector) or numismatist (coin collector). Most birders are unique!  But what they all have in common is an underlying love of birds. More than 20 million people in North America enjoy bird songs or have them come to their bird feeder. Birding is now more popular than gardening!

What other animals are that conspicuous ? OK ...... Insects, but there is no comparison in terms of entertainment quality, birds win hands down. The thing about birding is all one needs are Binoculars and a Field Guide, and hopefully someone who knows a bit more about birding than you do. Cape Cod alone has over 400 species of bird species that have been seen!

Every time one goes out into the field one can run into an accidental species, a rarity or an uncommon bird. The mystery awaits! Then of course if you visit different habitats you'll observe different birds! So find out what all the excitement is about! Join the crowd and discover what is lurking in your town if you go out and look!

So come along with Phil Kyle, a past President of the Cape Cod Bird Club, and Bird every Monday Morning-  Starting May 25- Leaving at 8am sharp in our comfortable van and back at Green Briar Nature Center by 11am. 

The Thornton Burgess Society
appreciates the support of the
Massachusetts Cultural Council

info@thorntonburgess.org

Thornton W. Burgess Society
6 Discovery Hill Road
East Sandwich, MA 02537
508-888-6870