Holy Dow!! And More

A few days ago I had a group of 6 Short-billed Dowitchers and a single Dunlin down at Plains Flats. As I related in my previous post, I left the photography equipment at home thanks to the impending storm. The next day was bright and sunny and I went back hoping to photograph them- but no luck. But yesterday I found a group of 24! In fact I hadn’t even gotten down to the main pool when I found the large group in the fields that had been flooded from the rain.

short-billed dowitcher

But almost as soon as I saw them, I noticed terns flying just over the horizon (the main pool is behind a hill). I booked it down there to find a winter plumage Forster’s Tern and a breeding plumage Common Tern. There was debate over if the breeding plumage was Common or Forster’s but the picture clinched it for Common.

winter plumage forster's tern
common tern and forster's tern

And, as a special treat, I found not 1 but 3 Dunlin.

dunlin

Besides that there were still Semipalmated Plover (7 or 8), a Greater Yellowlegs, tons of Least Sandpiper, Spotted and Solitary Sandpiper, a Bonaparte’s Gull and some Ring-bills. The non-shorebird highlight was a Merlin perched in the tree on the island. Also all the swallows were present (except Purple Martin which isn’t really seen in our county much).

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NOTE: Any post that begins "REPORT:" is something I'm passing along and will include date, while all other posts will be my sightings from the field and should be considered from within a half-hour of the post.

Countdown to 300

After re-entering birding in June 2007 and subsequently throwing away my life list, I am finally approaching 300 species on my new life list. So I’m going to countdown the last ten.

#290 Arctic Tern
Lake Wallenpaupack, PA Oct. 24, 2009
After a crazy storm pushed down lots of seabirds. Not accepted by PORC but I didn’t get a photo. But I’m positive of ID.

#291 Common Eider
Sandy Hook, NJ Nov. 8, 2009

#292 Lapland Longspur
Sandy Hook, NJ Nov. 8, 2009

#293 King Eider
Sandy Hook, NJ Nov. 8, 2009

#294 Ivory Gull
Cape May, NJ Dec. 6, 2009
Seen on my first true “chase” of a single bird.

#295 Cackling Goose
Harvey’s Lake, PA Dec. 9, 2009
Weird to see this on my list after a mega like Ivory Gull, but I wasn’t very aware of this species since it wasn’t it’s own species when I originally birded. Then I haven’t crossed paths with it since studying up on the ID until now.

#296 Brown-headed Nuthatch
Lewes, DE Apr. 2, 2010

#297 Little Gull
Lake Wallenpaupack, PA Apr. 10, 2010
This was on my most wanted list for a while. Now on to Black-headed Gull.

#298 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
PPL Riverlands, PA June 14, 2010
In county lifer. Nice.

#299 Black-headed Gull
Bombay Hook, DE August, 21 2010
One of my most wanted birds. Check.