Birdwalk Highlights for 9/7: Spear Farm Estuary Preserve and Yarmouth Town Landing

Today we focused on sampling both songbird and shorebird migrations. Beginning in the woods, we strolled Spear Farm Preserve, running into two or three mixed species foraging flocks. Amongst them were most of our songbird migrants on the morning, including a single PHILADELPHIA VIREO, along with 8 RED-EYED VIREOS, 3 PINE WARBLERS, 3 BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLERS, 2 NORTHERN PARULAS, and one BLACKPOLL WARBLER.

At the pond and the river, we had a great show from 3 BELTED KINGFISHERS, and spotted 3 OSPREYS, 2 BALD EAGLES, one GREAT EGRET, while 2 GREATER YELLOWLEGS were downriver. Back in the woods, a BROAD-WINGED HAWK was spotted, and a PILEATED WOODPECKER was among the species heard.

Relocating to the town landing, pausing for a close-up juvenile Broad-winged Hawk perched on a guardrail, we began with a perfect study of side-by-side LESSER and GREATER YELLOWLEGS, nicely demonstrating shape and size difference, and the stark contrast in feeding styles. A single WHITE-RUMPED SANPIPER joined about 60 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS on the mudflat, while a juvenile BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON retired into the trees for the day. We also spotted another Bald Eagle here, several more Ospreys, another Belted Kingfisher, and tallied a total of 16 DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS warming up on mooring buoys.