Birdwalk Highlights for 10/24: Here and There.

Jeannette delivered the group to Sandy Point on Cousin's Island, but the very light Morning Flight has already dried up by the time I joined the group. Nonetheless, we birded the usual loop thoroughly, even though migrants were few: three migrating EASTERN BLUEBIRDS, a slightly late GRAY CATBIRD, two fly-over YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, and a migrating RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER (and two more in the woods). In addition to a variety of residents, including 1 RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH and at least 6 NORTHERN CARDINALS, we added a LAUGHING GULL and about 20 COMMON EIDERS in the channel.

Next up we tried Grist Mill Park, which was even slower. We enjoyed a GREATER YELLOWLEGS at the fall, and carefully checked a GREAT BLUE HERON. The scrubby edges included 4 each of SONG and WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS, another Red-bellied Woodpecker and more cardinals, a single PINE SISKIN with a total of about 10 AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES, and finished up with a fun performance from a pair of duetting CAROLINA WRENS.

Then we visited the Walsh Preserve to see if there were any shorebirds still around, finding another 11 Greater Yellowlegs and a single KILLDEER. Three tardy GREAT EGRETS were in the marsh, a BELTED KINGFISHER rattled in the distance, a few more Pine Siskins flew over, another pair of Red-bellied Woodpeckers were detected, and a single TURKEY VULTURE struggled to gain lift on this chilly fall morning.