The threat of rain kept most folks away today, but the birdwalk encountered only a few light showers. With the one-car-sized group, we went further afield, working the farms and fields between here and Gray.
While our only grassland birds were on Mayall Road, we were treated to a goodly 45 AMERICAN PIPITS, many of which repeatedly landed in fairly close proximity. The 10 or so HORNED LARKS were less cooperative, however.
We sorted through a total of 351 CANADA GEESE between Thornhurst Farm and Greely Road, but otherwise, all of our field birding produced totals of only: 86 AMERICAN CROWS, 52 MOURNING DOVES, 20 RING-BILLED GULLS, 16 EUROPEAN STARLINGS, 15 MALLARDS, 4 BLUE JAYS, 2 HOUSE FINCHES, 1 HERRING GULL, and 1 TURKEY VULTURE.
With only 12 species, we knew we needed a coastal stop, so the Cumberland Town Landing was our next destination. The productive waters here quikcly added 75 BUFFLEHEADS, 64 AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS, 4 SURF SCOTERS, 3 COMMON LOONS, and 1 GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL, along with a calling NORTHERN CARDINAL. Plenty more Ring-billed and Herring Gulls were added to our tally, too.
Surprisingly still short of 20, a quick swing into Yarmouth's Lower Falls Landing immediately produced two more species to reach our goal: a single lingering DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT and two BONAPARTE'S GULLS.