Registrar: Mary Beth Kooper
Participants: 11
Weather: Sunny, unseasonably warm, little wind
Bird Species: 21
This day was not about seeing as many bird species as possible, it was about learning how to identify gulls, and that we did! Bobbi Manion and Dennis Hrehowsik did an amazing job of sharing their vast knowledge and experience about this family of birds, which many find so difficult to differentiate among.
We began the trip by looking out at the ocean which had a nice assortment of species, including hundreds of Northern Gannets that were plunge diving to feed. When we turned toward the beach for our immersion in gulls, we almost immediately had both a first-year and an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull to study. By the end of our trip, many of us were able to identify these gulls to species and cycle (or year).
Thanks to our wonderful leaders, and a very engaged and enthusiastic group of participants, this trip was both a joy and a big success.
Species Lists
Birds
Brant
Common Eider
Surf Scoter
Black Scoter
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Sanderling
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Black Skimmer
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Northern Gannet
Double-crested Cormorant
Black-capped Chickadee
European Starling
American Goldfinch
White-throated Sparrow
Butterflies
Monarch
Cabbage White
Orange Sulphur
