Ok, so I may be nuts, but the Cape is fun ! I booked a room (AB&B) in Ptown for Sunday night, with high hopes of catching a Whale Watch (pelagic birds) trip.
The Whale watch season is almost over….. and the seas Sunday afternoon were rockin’ !! but the weather looked ok for Monday. And so it turned out. ~50 degrees, bit windy but ok. (and clear)
150 folks on the boat plus naturalist (Peter Trull)….. we had to motor way out into the Stallwagen Bank, and they had not been out in a week due to high seas. Super looks at 4 Humpy’s. Tails and even looks at lateral fins.
And a few birds. Most notably Cory’s Shearwaters. Dipping and swirling near the boat. They have a distinct yellow bill. Not large but fun to watch. The other notable birds were many No. Gannets and a bunch of Bonaparte’s Gulls.
Head of the Meadows in (Truro) always produces good birds: scoters, 200 Tree Swallows, gannets, see the list below. (if you want)
Also birded the fabulous !!! Chapin Beach in Dennis. This is on the inside of the Cape. Expansive. And very tidal !! Tuesday was calm, today windy. Fun !!
Also: a few fresh water ponds for dabblers. (widgeon ! and a few Mute Swans).
The Cape is fun ! nothing like a walk w/ binoculars on the beach.
Race Point, Head of Meadow, and Ptown vicinity. Nice day (Sunday before WW about 48 for a high.
35 species
Brant 7
Mallard 3
American Black Duck 2
Common Eider 60
Surf Scoter 8
White-winged Scoter 46
Bufflehead 42 Pilgrim Pond
Red-breasted Merganser 4
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 60
Black-bellied Plover 3
Sanderling 15
Greater Yellowlegs 21
Bonaparte's Gull 40
Laughing Gull 12
Ring-billed Gull 120
Herring Gull 140
Great Black-backed Gull 24
Caspian Tern 5 Saw this flock 2 separate times. Large !! tern with large, distinct red bill. several had breeding cap.
Forster's Tern 16
Red-throated Loon 1
Common Loon 1
Northern Gannet 40
Double-crested Cormorant 130
Great Blue Heron 12
Blue Jay 4
Tree Swallow 400 Along the beach, big cloud ! and streamed by.
Black-capped Chickadee 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1 on the beach.
Gray Catbird 1
Northern Mockingbird 1
White-throated Sparrow 4
Song Sparrow 4
Palm Warbler 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler 3
House Sparrow 18
Whale watching tour w/ Peter Trull. Decent weather !!
10 species (+2 other taxa)
Common Eider 30
White-winged Scoter 20
Surf/Black Scoter 30
scoter sp. 20
Bonaparte's Gull 40
Ring-billed Gull 20
Herring Gull 30
Great Black-backed Gull 6
Common Loon 1
Cory's Shearwater 40
Northern Gannet 40
Double-crested Cormorant 100
Dennis Chapin Beach, Barnstable, Massachusetts, US Oct 23, 2018 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.5 mile(s)
Comments: Nice weather. Calm !! Tide coming in, pushed birds toward me.
30 species
Brant 15
Canada Goose 12
Common Eider 56
Surf Scoter 34
White-winged Scoter 45
Black Scoter 56
Red-breasted Merganser 6
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 1
Black-bellied Plover 120 estimate
Semipalmated Plover 22
Red Knot 1
Sanderling 400 estimate
Dunlin 48 estimate
Greater Yellowlegs 2
Laughing Gull 40
Ring-billed Gull 120
Herring Gull 60
Great Black-backed Gull 22
Forster's Tern 200 estimate. lots of plummages. Great looks, watched for an hour, even took pics !
Common Loon 1
Northern Gannet 32 estimate
Double-crested Cormorant 40
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Belted Kingfisher 1
Merlin 1 even landed on the beach !
Black-capped Chickadee 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
House Finch 8
Song Sparrow 4
House Sparrow 6
Hamblin Pond, Marston Mills, Barnstable, Massachusetts, US Oct 24, 2018 12:10 PM - 12:20 PM
Protocol: Stationary
Comments: Mill Pond Conservation area. great for dabblers !
4 species
Mute Swan 1
Wood Duck 6
American Wigeon 79
6 Gadwall
Mallard 8