April 2017https://www.birdobserver.org/Issues/2017/April-2017Birding Essex County, Vermont, Part 2: Silvio O. Conte National Wildlife Refuge and Wenlock Wildlife Management Areahttps://www.birdobserver.org/Issues/2017/April-2017/birding-essex-county-vermont-part-2Where to Go BirdingSat, 01 Apr 2017 00:00:00 GMTBirding Essex County, Vermont, Part 2: Silvio O. Conte National Wildlife Refuge and Wenlock Wildlife Management Area<h3>Wenlock Wildlife Management Area</h3> <p><strong>Moose Bog</strong></p> <p>The Moose Bog Trail in Wenlock WMA is the crown jewel of birding in the Northeast Kingdom. In a short mile and a half walk you can find four boreal species on a regular basis year-round. Black-backed Woodpecker, Gray Jay, Boreal Chickadee, and Spruce Grouse breed near the trail.</p> <p>From the stop intersection with the blinking red light in Island Pond (point of interest #1 on the Wenlock WMA map), drive east on Route 105. At 8.3 miles, there is a large pull-off on the left about 0.5 mile after you cross railroad tracks. During the winter months this may be the only available place to park if snow depths exceed one foot. It is also not a bad place to stop and bird year-round. Gray Jays frequent this location as well as Black-backed Woodpeckers. Kinglets and nuthatches are plentiful.</p> <p>From late spring through fall, there are two other places to park closer to the trail. At 8.7 miles—or 0.3 mile from this pull-off—on the right shoulder is one end of the trailhead. There is usually enough room for two or three cars to pull off the roadway here. The preferred place to park is on South America Pond Road, which is 9.3 miles from Island Pond and one mile east of the pull-off. The red gate is open most of the year except during mud season from April to mid-May. Even in winter the gates are open, and with 4-wheel drive you can navigate the 300 yards to an opening wide enough for six cars on the right side of road.</p> <p class="caption"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo45-2/Image_010.jpg" style="width: 472px; height: 315px;" title="" /><br /> Moose Bog trailhead. All photographs by the author.</p> <p>On some visits you may not have to leave this parking area to find two or three boreal species. Spend at least 15–25 minutes here listening to what is around before starting the trail. During crossbill years there are frequent fly-overs here. The Moose Bog trailhead is another 200 yards farther along South America Pond Road on the right. There is a sign warning hunters about the difference between Ruffed and Spruce grouse, but no sign to indicate you are at the trailhead. The trail winds through a mix of balsam fir, black spruce, and northern white cedar. From late March through May, listen for the flutter flight of male Spruce Grouse as they fly from leks to branches 10 feet off the ground. The birds are almost tame this time of year and spend large amounts of time on territory displaying for females, who are often close by. Often these grouse may be perched at eye level or foraging along the trail. At any point along this trail, you can find any of the four boreal species. Year-round, you are likely to find Golden-crowned Kinglets, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Blue Jays, Brown Creepers, Ravens, and Hairy, Downy, and Pileated woodpeckers. In spring through summer, expect to find Nashville, Magnolia, Black-throated Green, Palm, Canada, and Yellow-rumped warblers. Hermit Thrushes and Swainson’s Thrushes are present, as well as at least one Yellow-bellied Flycatcher. White-throated Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos are common. In winter months, depending on the year, Pine Siskins, both crossbill species (mainly White-winged Crossbills), Pine Grosbeaks, and Common Redpolls can be found. Northern Saw-Whet Owls have been heard and seen along the trail.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo45-2/Image_011_r.gif" style="width: 673px; height: 460px;" title="" /></p> <p>Access to the pond—Moose Bog—is by a spur trail on the left about 0.75 mile along the trail. A new wooden boardwalk and viewing platform were built in the summer of 2016. This is an excellent location to look and listen for Lincoln’s Sparrows, Yellow-bellied Flycatchers, Black-backed Woodpeckers, and Gray Jays. Palm Warblers and Nashville Warblers breed here. If you continue along the main trail, it will merge back onto Route 105. In spring and late fall there may be a few different species of migrating ducks on the pond, but for the most part, Canada Geese, Black Ducks, and Mallards are the summer residents.</p> <p class="caption"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo45-2/Image_012.jpg" style="width: 472px; height: 313px;" title="" /><br /> Spruce Grouse habitat along Moose Bog Trail.</p> <p>After you’ve birded the bog pond, return to the main trail. You have two options: If you did not find Spruce Grouse on your way in, trace your route back the way you came—things change every minute, and your luck may improve. Option two is to walk back to the South America Pond Road parking area by way of Route 105. If traffic is light you may be able to hear Boreal Chickadees or a Black-backed Woodpecker as you walk the shoulder. The birding is great along this road, and there are as many boreal species on the north side of Route 105 as on the trail. I often bushwhack into the woods north of Route 105 upon hearing the drumming of Black-backed Woodpeckers. The Nulhegan River is a short distance in and will keep you from wandering too far.</p> <p class="caption"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo45-2/Image_013.jpg" style="width: 235px; height: 176px;" title="" /><br /> Spruce Grouse.</p> <p>On South America Pond Road, there is a swamp a little farther down the road from the Moose Bog trailhead. The swamp, on both sides of the road, has Northern Waterthrush, Common Yellowthroat, and Swamp Sparrow. It is also a great place to see and hear Black-backed Woodpeckers drumming on the dead snags. Rusty Blackbirds have been found on the right side of the swamp. There’s a trail on the left just before the swamp, which leads to the back of the swamp and is worth checking out if you haven’t found all of your target birds. The trail eventually winds up in private camps, so I usually take it only to access the rear of the swamp. Beyond the swamp on the right is an old logging access trail, which is a good place to check for boreal species, Ruffed Grouse, and Winter Wren.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo45-2/Image_014.gif" style="width: 465px; height: 606px;" title="" /></p> <p>For an adventurous side trip from mid-May through October only, Wenlock WMA connects with West Mountain WMA. Take South America Pond Road for several miles connecting with Paul Stream Road, and eventually you will pass Maidstone Lake on the right. The road runs into Route 102 bordering the Connecticut River. You can stop anywhere along these hard-packed dirt roads as they weave through a mix of various conifer and hardwood forests and wetlands. Expect to see at least 15 warbler species as well as flycatchers and thrush species. You can drive the roads with your family car during these months.</p> <p>Two other birding locations worth checking out along Route 105 while you are in the Wenlock WMA area are:</p> <p><strong>Moose Viewing Platform and Boardwalk</strong></p> <p>Halfway between South America Pond Road and the refuge headquarters at Conte NWR —0.75 mile east of South America Pond Road —is a moose viewing platform (point of interest #2 on the Wenlock WMA map), built about five years ago by the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. This half-mile stretch of road is known as Moose Alley, and while early morning seems to be the best time to see moose as they browse the muddy wet areas along Route 105, take care while driving along this stretch, as they can be on the roadway any time of day. Pull in on the right at the platform. If you have time, walk or drive down the old logging road. This is one of the entrances to West Mountain WMA. Bearing to the right as you drive or walk the road, you will come to a wide clearing and large power line at 2.4 miles in. I usually try my luck here for Broad-winged Hawks, Indigo Buntings, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Ruffed Grouse, and any number of warblers.</p> <p class="caption"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo45-2/Image_015.jpg" style="width: 235px; height: 207px;" title="" /><br /> Moose, Wenlock WMA area.</p> <p><a href="http://www.vtfishandwildlife.com/UserFiles/Servers/Server_73079/File/Where%20to%20Hunt/St.%20Johnsbury%20District/Wenlock%20WMA.pdf">Map and description of Wenlock WMA</a> (pdf)</p> <p>The Brighton Airport is on the left side of Route 105 at 3.5 miles from Island Pond. There is a sandy road at the extreme east end of the runway that is drivable and will take you to the edge of Nulhegan Pond. Check for Northern Harriers and any shorebirds and waterfowl on the pond. Savannah Sparrow is common and on occasion Vesper Sparrow has been reported here.</p> <h3>Silvio Conte National Wildlife Refuge, Nulhegan Basin Division</h3> <p>The headquarters and visitor center (marked VC on the Conte NWR map) of the Nulhegan Basin Division of the Silvio Conte National Wildlife Refuge is 1.4 miles east on Route 105 from South America Pond Road, or 10.8 miles from Island Pond. The refuge has some great displays, information, and maps that you will want to have with you as you explore the 44 miles of dirt roads on the refuge. It also has the best bathrooms in Essex County. The refuge is closed to auto traffic from first snowfall through mud season, reopening usually around May 15. Stone Dam Road becomes a snowmobile route, but in early spring if the gates are locked you can park outside—do not block the gate—and walk into the refuge to bird. <a href="http://www.vtfishandwildlife.com/hunt/find_a_place_to_hunt/find_a_wildlife_management_area/kingdom_heritage_lands_road_conditions/">View road conditions</a> or telephone 877-811-5222.</p> <p>Entrance to the refuge is a left turn onto Stone Dam Road at 1.9 miles east of the headquarters after you cross the bridge and railroad tracks (12.7 miles from Island Pond). There is a small kiosk on the left side at 0.2 mile, with maps and checklists available. You can park on the shoulder of the road here and begin birding. There is a path on the right side of the road opposite the kiosk that leads to a power line clearing. You can find Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Ruffed Grouse, and a good variety of warblers here, along the roadway, and along the Black Branch of the Nulhegan River on the left side of road. During spring migration there may be surprises such as Wilson’s Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, Mourning Warbler, and once, Yellow-throated Vireo. At 2.4 miles along Stone Dam Road there is a 10-acre clearing—woodcock and grouse management Unit #1—(Point of interest #3 on the Conte NWR map). Check for Field Sparrow, Indigo Bunting, and Great-crested Flycatcher as well as warbler, vireo, and thrush species. Continue on until you reach a wooden bridge that crosses the Black Branch of the Nulhegan River at 2.8 miles. This is a good place for Northern Parulas, Blackburnian and Nashville warblers, American Redstarts and, on occasion, Tennessee Warblers migrating through.</p> <p class="caption"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo45-2/Image_017.jpg" style="width: 472px; height: 315px;" title="" /><br /> Black-backed Woodpecker.</p> <p><strong>Peanut Dam Road</strong></p> <p>On the right side of the road at 4.2 miles, you’ll find an old logging trail, Peanut Dam Road. Park in the short pull-off, then walk the one-mile dead-end trail. The habitat is mostly larch, spruce, and fir. Boreal Chickadees have bred here, Gray Jays and Black-backed Woodpeckers can be found, and Spruce Grouse occasionally are seen along the trail. Warblers include Yellow-rumped, Magnolia, Nashville, Black-throated Green, and Northern Parula. Bob Stymeist, leading a field trip here in June, 2015, found a male Cape May Warbler—hinting at possible breeding of the species at this location!</p> <p>Stone Dam Road becomes Canal Road and then intersects with Eagles Nest Road at 6.8 miles. You have two options. Option one: Turn right, and in another 0.4 mile you will find a marshy area on the left (point of interest #4 on the Conte NWR map). Check for Rusty Blackbird and Common Grackle. Keep in mind that you still can find any of the four boreal species on any of these roads in the refuge. At one mile along Eagles Nest Road, you’ll come to a “T’ intersection after a wooden bridge. You can bird Upper Tin Shack Road by turning left or Lower Tin Shack Road by turning right. These are old logging roads but are drivable with your car. Lower Tin Road seems to have more coniferous or boreal habitat.</p> <p><strong>Mollie Beattie Bog</strong></p> <p>Option two: I tend to turn left at the intersection of Canal and Eagles Nest Roads. Drive for 1.1 miles and you will reach another “T” intersection with Lewis Pond Road (7.9 miles from the entrance). Make the left onto Lewis Pond Road and in 0.7 mile (8.6 from the entrance) you reach a 30-acre clearing, which is another woodcock and grouse management area. You can often see Northern Harriers here along with Mourning Warblers. Turn right onto Four Mile Road. In another 1.4 miles, there will be parking on the left for Mollie Beattie Bog. A boardwalk and viewing platform are on the right. Expect to have Gray Jays and Black-backed Woodpeckers visit as a Palm Warbler or two sing nearby. Magnolia Warblers, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Swamp Sparrows, and Lincoln’s Sparrows are also around.</p> <p class="caption"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo45-2/Image_018.jpg" style="width: 472px; height: 315px;" title="" /><br /> Mollie Beattie Bog trailhead.</p> <p>For a shortcut back to Island Pond, continue on Four Mile Road and it will run into the Henshaw Road access. This is the back entry into the refuge. It is a 6-mile drive from Mollie Beattie Bog out to Route 105 using this route. Also, birding can be good along this road.</p> <p>Side trip: At the intersection of Eagles Nest and Lewis Pond Road, turn onto Lewis Pond Road to reach Lewis Pond and the Lewis Pond overlook. While Lewis Pond may not have any waterfowl, Black-backed Woodpeckers have nested along the shoreline, and the views from the overlook are spectacular, especially in the fall.</p> <p><strong>North Branch Trail</strong></p> <p>There is one other trail on the Conte refuge that is worth a visit, especially during fall migration. From the Island Pond stop sign, head east on Route 105 for 7.3 miles. Or from the refuge headquarters, head west on Route 105 for 3.5 miles. A small parking lot for 3 or 4 cars is on the north side of the road. The North Branch Trail (point of interest #5 on the Conte map) is a 3.5-mile loop trail that travels through mixed habitats and runs along the south side of the Nulhegan River for at least half of the distance. In September, Bay-breasted, Blackpoll, Cape May, and Tennessee warblers, along with Philadelphia Vireos, have been found foraging along this trail. Good numbers of Red-eyed Vireos and a few flycatchers and Ruffed Grouse are also found here.</p> <p>Link for <a href="http://www.fws.gov/r5soc/library/nulhegan_basin/nulhegan_basin_map.pdf">map of Silvio O. Conte NWR</a></p> <h3>Bonus Birding Sites in Northeast Essex County (See map for overview)</h3> <p><strong>Side Trip #1: Plum Creek Timber Lands (Also see Silvio O. Conte NWR map)</strong></p> <p>Plum Creek Timber Company owns several thousand acres of land in the Northeast Kingdom. The State of Vermont holds easement rights to these lands, and they are open to the public for hiking, birding, hunting, and recreation. The roads are somewhat maintained by the timber company and access to many of these roads can be done in the family car. From the Stone Dam Road entrance of Conte NWR, drive another 0.9 mile east on Route 105 (13.6 miles from Island Pond), then turn left onto East Branch Road. This is just before the bridge that crosses the East Branch of the Nulhegan River. The trip is a 15-mile-long drive through a mix of coniferous and hardwood forests, much of it in successional growth after decades of timber harvest. The good news is that young forests are great for migrating spring and fall warblers. Stop anywhere along the dirt road and see what each particular slice of habitat may offer. At 3.1 miles along the road, cross a wooden bridge and bear left toward Averill/Norton, staying on the main road. You will find a few coniferous areas at 6.5 miles that may be a good place to check, as Spruce Grouse were reported here in summer of 2015. At 9 miles, continue straight—north—toward Averill. At about 15 miles, you merge with Jackson Road. There is a Vermont Fish and Wildlife access for Little Averill Pond if you choose to see what may be on the pond. Otherwise, continue on Jackson Road to Lake Averill and merge onto Route 114, heading west and then south back to Island Pond.</p> <p class="caption"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo45-2/Image_019.jpg" style="width: 236px; height: 238px;" title="" /><br /> Gray Jay, Moose Bog.</p> <p><strong>Side Trip #2: Brighton State Park, Spectacle Pond, and Island Pond Access (Also see Wenlock WMA map)</strong></p> <p>From the stop sign in Island Pond (point of interest #1 on the Wenlock WMA map), drive 1.6 miles east on Route 105. Turn right onto Lakeshore Drive and, after the railroad tracks, make a left onto Fishing Village Road. A Vermont Fish and Wildlife access is located ahead. Check for Hooded Mergansers, Ring-necked Ducks, and Common Loons. You will find Brighton State Park and the town beach 0.8 mile from Route 105 along Lakeshore Drive. Another Vermont Fish and Wildlife access at 1.4 miles is beyond the beach area on the right. In fall months, you will find migrating waterfowl here, including Common Goldeneyes, Red-breasted and Common mergansers, Buffleheads, both scaup species, and all three scoter species. Occasionally, you will see Horned Grebe and Red-necked Grebe. You can often see Bald Eagle in the fall.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo45-2/Image_016.gif" style="width: 472px; height: 348px;" title="" /></p> <p><strong>Side Trip # 3: Miles Pond and East Concord (Also see Side Trips 3 and 4 map)</strong></p> <p>Miles Pond is a neglected hotspot for birding. From the North Concord intersection, drive 3.1 miles east on Route 2 to Beach Drive on the right. There is a dirt road, Camper’s Lane, on the extreme east end of Miles Pond. Park on the right in front of the town beach and picnic area. The trail for birding is located on the railroad tracks—no longer in use—that head eastward away from the pond. While at the pond area, spend a few minutes to look for Common Loons, Spotted Sandpipers, Baltimore Orioles, Warbling Vireos, and other lakeside passerines.</p> <p>The old railroad tracks run from Miles Pond to the village of East Concord almost four miles away. If you have two cars, you can leave one at Miles Pond and the other at East Concord where the tracks come out, and walk this trail one way. In summer months, the trail on these tracks can have thorny growth and may be hard to navigate, but persevere and you will be glad you did. You will pass through a mix of habitats including marsh, conifers, hardwoods, and successional growth. In spring, you can find any of the 20 warbler species that migrate through here, including many Canada, Chestnut-sided, and Nashville warblers. Our Audubon chapter often starts our Bird-a-thon here and we can find 60 species. Wood Thrush, Hermit Thrush, and Winter Wren are common, as are Blue-headed and Red-eyed vireos, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and Great-crested Flycatcher.</p> <p>About halfway along the rail trail, you will come to a power line that bisects it. Ospreys have nested atop the poles here, and Marsh Wrens and Olive-sided Flycatchers have been found close by. An ATV/snowmobile trail runs beneath the power lines. Walk in either direction for a few hundred yards, and Mourning Warbler may be your reward. After you cross the trestle past the power lines, the terrain on the right side of trail will be more upland, and on the left side of the trail Miles Stream forms eddies and wetlands below. Openings through the brush reveal waterfowl,ingfishers, and perhaps Olive-sided Flycatchers as well. The railroad bed gets overgrown with vegetation but is still manageable with proper clothing and boots.</p> <p><strong>Side Trip # 4: Leonard Hill Road: Whip-poor-wills (Also see Side Trips 3 and 4 map)</strong></p> <p>If you are in the Kingdom in late May and June, East Concord has one of the best locations for hearing Whip-poor-wills. Wait till the moon has risen above the horizon for at least an hour, preferably closer to a full moon. A short mile or so east on Route 2 from Miles Pond, turn right onto Oregon Road, and follow it for 3.0 miles into the village of East Concord. Bear to the right on Cedar Street and take Leonard Hill Road up the hill over a small concrete bridge. Prime Whip-poor-will habitat runs from 1.5 miles through 3.5 miles along Leonard Hill Road. I’ve done surveys here for 10 years and always find two to five birds. The best place to stop and listen is where the high voltage power lines cross Leonard Hill Road, at about 2.0 miles. Listen for Northern Saw-whet Owls and Barred Owls, also. I often get each of them as I drive this dirt road. Common Nighthawk is possible in spring and fall as well. If you choose, you can continue on Leonard Hill Road for another eight miles through the village of Concord Corners where you’ll make a right turn onto Shadow Lake Road, pass Shadow Lake, and merge into the town of Concord and Route 2.</p> <p><strong>Side Trip # 5: Northern Essex County Ponds</strong></p> <p>North of Island Pond, there are five ponds along Route 114 on or a few miles south of the Canadian border that provide waterfowl stops during fall migration. Beginning in mid-September and well into November, any one of these ponds may attract several species of migrating waterfowl. In the spring, these ponds remain frozen until late April so there is less of a chance of finding waterfowl migrating north. In the fall of 2016, I surveyed these ponds regularly and was able to find all three scoter species; all three merganser species; Horned, Red-necked and Pied-billed grebes; both scaup species; along with Ring-necked Duck, Long-tailed Duck, Common and Red-throated loons, Common Goldeneyes, Buffleheads, Ruddy Ducks, Green-winged Teal, Black Ducks, and Mallards. I was also able to find Brant, Snow Geese, Canada Geese, and Bonaparte’s Gulls. Migrating waterfowl find these ponds inviting enough for a short visit. Short is the key word here, as some birds remain only a few hours before moving on, so timing a trip to these ponds can be hit or miss. One day I had close to 1000 birds among the five ponds and the next day fewer than 50.</p> <p>Starting at the blinking red light at the intersection in Island Pond (point of interest #1 on the Wenlock WMA map), turn left onto Route 114 and head north. At 0.2 miles, Meadow Street is on the left after you cross a small bridge. This is a good place to stop for a variety of birds year-round. The half-mile dirt road dead-ends at the town’s sewage treatment plant. In spring and fall I always check for shorebirds and waterfowl on the two ponds behind the chain link fence. There are a few industrial buildings along the road with several crab apple trees that are worth checking for Pine Grosbeak, Bohemian Waxwing, and Evening Grosbeak during late fall and winter. At least three homes have a few feeders up from November through April. During the winter of 2016, at least 120 Evening Grosbeaks came to the feeders of the house at the corner of Meadow Street and Route 114.</p> <p>Continue north on Route 114 for 7.5 miles to Hurricane Road on the left. This dirt road leads to a marsh and beaver pond surrounded by a conifer mix of spruce and balsam fir. It is good in the spring for warblers, a few duck species, blackbirds, and the usual woodpecker, kinglet, and nuthatch species. Do not take this road any farther than the pond as it dead-ends at private homes. Return to Route 114.</p> <p>At 19.5 miles from the Island Pond intersection, turn right onto Jackson Road, the turnoff for Little Averill Pond. This dirt road is open only from late spring to late fall. After five miles of dirt road, you’ll arrive at a boat launch and fishing access on the east end of the pond, which is great for kayaking in the fall. To stay on Jackson Road, always bear to the right.</p> <p>Return to Route 114 and travel north 0.5 mile, turning right onto Lakeview Road, which passes along the northern shoreline of Great Averill Pond. Pull over at any clearings to get scope views of the pond. Another pond that is off the beaten track is Forest Lake. Return to Route 114 north, and in 0.1 mile turn right onto Forest Lake Road. The lake is really a small pond, located 1.6 miles on the right. Check for dabbling ducks in the fall. I have had Boreal Chickadees along the conifer shoreline while scoping Forest Lake.</p> <p>Four miles up the road from Great Averill Pond is Wallace Pond (24.6 miles from the Island Pond intersection). This 540-acre pond straddles the border with Canada and is the first body of water in the northeastern section of Vermont that migrating waterfowl see as they fly south. There is a Vermont Fish and Wildlife access road on the western end of the pond, but visibility to the pond is not good at that location. I prefer to pull off the road halfway along the pond and scope through the open areas between homes along the shoreline. Many of these homes are summer camps, so during the fall months you won’t be interfering with owners’ privacy. On the eastern end of the pond, there is a wide opening for scope views of the pond. Wallace Pond is, in my opinion, the best pond for finding waterfowl in Essex County. During the fall, plan to stay at least a few hours at this location. As I stated earlier, the birds seem to come and go, so each time you re-scope there is a good possibility that something new and different has arrived.</p> <hr /> <p><em><strong>Thomas Berriman</strong> moved to the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont in 2002 after living in San Francisco for 25 years. He has spent a good deal of the time since birding that area of Vermont. He is an Audubon chapter president and leads several field trips throughout Vermont each year. Over the last five years, he has honed his skill in digiscoping the birds he finds.</em></p> The Famous Herring Gull of Brenton Reefhttps://www.birdobserver.org/Issues/2017/April-2017/the-famous-herring-gull-of-brenton-reefFeature ArticlesSat, 01 Apr 2017 00:00:00 GMTThe Famous Herring Gull of Brenton Reef<p>George H. Mackay (1843–1937), the author of that piece, holds a special place in the history of the study of our avian friends. The son of Robert C. Mackay, a merchant conducting business in India with his firm Mackay and Coolidge, George had his future career mapped out for him from a young age. As a child, George lived with his parents at 176 Beacon Street in Boston a bustling avenue known as the home of the rich and famous of the city; at 19, he went to sea as supercargo on his father’s behalf during the Civil War. His job was to ensure the safety of the cargo aboard and see to its sale when it reached Calcutta. It was, as the old saying went, an education in the “school of hard knocks”—the “knocks” coming as the ship rolled back and forth and occasionally banged against waves caused by rough seas. Mackay married Maria Mitchell Starbuck, of the great whaling family of Nantucket, on October 13, 1874. In 1880, he still listed his occupation as “East India merchant,” but eventually he would become a stockbroker. About that time, they moved to a new home, at 218 Commonwealth Avenue in Boston, with a summer home at Main Street and Bloom Street on Nantucket. Together they had three children, one of whom, a Noble and Greenough and Harvard alumnus, returned from World War I sporting a wound he gained flying for the Royal Air Force.</p> <p>In 1865, George Mackay took up the hobby of not only gunning—hunting for sport—but also journaling his experiences on his gunning trips. For about a forty-year period, gunning was both an avocation and a vocation in New England. On the coast of Massachusetts, gunners could make a living producing game birds for the many hotels that dotted the shore. Their prey ranged from pheasants to “coots”—the three species of scoter ducks that migrated in large numbers each fall. Gunners also produced feathers and even entire birds for display on hats in the women’s millinery market. Mackay’s father, incidentally, never used a steel pen, instead proudly boasting that he used a quill pen his entire life. It was the public display of this wanton shooting that led to the formation of the Massachusetts Audubon Society in 1896. Eventually, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 outlawed the shooting of most species of birds, but in the late 1800s gunning was a gentlemanly pursuit. Mackay’s shooting journal, reflecting fifty-seven years of activity, was privately published in Boston in 1929. In due time he became, particularly through his interests in saving the tern colonies of Nantucket, an important early bird conservationist.</p> <p>In the days before the routine use of spotting scopes or even binoculars for birdwatching, gunners and egg collectors learned more about birds than most others interested in them. Gunners necessarily watched birds for long periods of time in order to shoot them, and they could hold the birds in their hands and examine them closely.</p> <p>In addition to his private journals, Mackay took to writing about his experiences, especially around southern New England, for publication in <em>The Auk</em>, the journal of the American Ornithologists’ Union, in the 1890s. In his 1892 article, one of many he wrote for The Auk, Mackay describes many characteristics of the Herring Gull, including its propensity toward kleptoparasitism (stealing food from other birds), how it carried different species of clams into the sky and dropped them to break open on the rocks below, and the wariness of suspicious adult birds that would not fall for tricks gunners used to lure young gulls near enough to be shot. He then dedicates the last three pages of his article to the story of “Gull Dick” and the Brenton Reef Lightship.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">That it is customary for some of our water birds to return to their old haunts in New England waters has long been my belief,” he writes. “It is therefore with pleasure that I narrate an instance of such return by an American Herring Gull, for the facts concerning which my readers are indebted to the politeness of Captain Edward Fogarty, master of the Brenton Reef Lightship, Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, who has at my request most kindly furnished me with a description of the Gull and the details of its sojourn in the vicinity of the Lightship for so long a period.</p> <p>The Brenton Reef Lightship stationed at that time, <em>LV 11</em>, was built in Baltimore in 1853 and originally served as Nantucket’s first lightship, taking up its station on June 15, 1854. After breaking loose from its chains and drifting ashore at Long Island’s Montauk Point in February 1855, it was rebuilt in New York and dispatched to Narragansett Bay in 1856, where it would serve until 1897. In 1890, <em>LV 11</em> ironically—at least in the context of this study—was damaged when it was struck by a British steamer named after a bird, the <em>Curlew</em>. The <em>LV 11’s</em> master, formerly known as its keeper, was Edward Fogarty, who sailed on the ship from 1888 to 1898. When the next lightship, <em>LV 39</em>, took over, Fogarty stayed with the station, remaining in charge until his retirement in 1912.</p> <p>Born in Dublin, Ireland, on July 16, 1850, Fogarty went to sea as a cabin boy at 15, visiting ports from Great Britain to South America. In 1871, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served on ships traveling the world, rounding Cape Horn and visiting Alaska, Egypt, Italy, and more destinations until settling into the job on the lightship on July 23, 1888. As fellow transoceanic sailors, Mackay and Fogarty spoke the same language.</p> <p class="caption"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo45-2/Image_023.gif" style="width: 338px; height: 263px;" title="" /><br /> For many years in the later 19th century, sailors on the Brenton Reef Lightship off Rhode Island awaited the return of their Herring Gull friend, Gull Dick. Image courtesy of Thomas A. Tag and the United States Lighthouse Society.</p> <p>Mackay asked Fogarty for details about a gull that had been reported to recurrently visit the area around Brenton Reef. This individual bird, it turned out, was well known to the crew. “This particular bird is described as appearing old, and not showing the same activity as other Gulls of the same kind which also frequent the neighborhood of the lightship,” writes Mackay. “After it has been absent from the first of April to the middle of October, at which times it usually departs and returns, there are many eyes on the lightship constantly on the lookout to welcome Dick back again.”</p> <p>When Gull Dick arrived on October 5, 1891, the crew noted the event as the twentieth anniversary of his presence in the area. Although the crew had changed with time, old sailors retiring or otherwise leaving the lightship, watching out for and feeding Dick remained an annual tradition. As the years passed, the crew became increasingly concerned about his age and what they perceived as his feebleness. The crew claimed they recognized him by his cry and by “certain marks on its wings,” and the fact that he approached the vessel much more closely than any other gulls would, though he never landed on the lightship itself.</p> <p>“It is fond of and eats boiled pork or fish with voracity, preferring the former, swallowing six or eight pieces the size of a hen’s egg when hungry,” Mackay reports. “If not hungry and other Gulls are about at the time of its being fed, it will not let them have any if it can prevent it, although not wishing to partake itself, making the greatest possible fuss all the while if one of the other Gulls attempts to secure an occasional piece.” In one instance Fogarty shared with Mackay, Dick grabbed another gull “becoming too bold” by the neck and tore out a bill full of feathers, leaving the other gull “only too glad to escape further punishment by an immediate retreat.”</p> <p>“Every morning at sunrise, when the lights on the ship are lowered for the day,” states Mackay, “this Gull is perceived coming towards the ship, from the rocks (where it roosts) about two miles away, for its breakfast which it always received from the hands of the crew. Should the bird not be noticed flying around near by, one of the crew will call the bird by name, whistle, or wave his hand, and soon the bird appears.” Once the lights were hoisted for the night, Dick headed ashore, to roost on the rocks near Beavertail Lighthouse on Conanicut Island.</p> <p>And so it went, each winter, for twenty years. On April 12, 1892, Captain Fogarty noted that he had last seen Dick six days prior. What became of him? Had he flown north once again for the breeding season, expected to return once again in the fall?</p> <p>Mackay, though, speaking with the heart of a true sailor, says that perhaps that was okay. “Pause my reader and reflect on what this story conveys. Is it not a most interesting portrayal of successful bird life well rounded out? Storms, disease, fatalities, perils of migration, have all been braved and surmounted for twenty years at least, and perhaps for a longer period. Yet still constant, Gull Dick, now a veteran, may nevertheless be seen as of old in his accustomed haunt, - while on board the lightship there is not today a man who was there when this bird first appeared.”</p> <p>As it happened, Gull Dick continued to return to the lightship for an additional four seasons, which Mackay noted in a series of short annual notes published in <em>The Auk</em> (Mackay 1893, 1894, 1895, 1896). In Mackay’s final note about Gull Dick (Mackay 1898), he wrote that the gull had been last observed at the lightship on April 7, 1896, marking its 24th consecutive season at the ship. However, and one can sense Mackay’s sadness, he also wrote,</p> <p>The failure of this bird to put in an appearance as usual in October, 1896, and his continued absence ever since, leaves but little doubt that he is dead, as are all the captains of the Light-ship except the present incumbent, Captain Fogarty. Having recorded this bird’s movements while alive for several years past in ‘The Auk,’ I now feel called upon to record his probable demise.</p> <h3>References</h3> <ul> <li>Mackay, G. H. 1892. Habits of the American Herring Gull (Larus argentatus smithsonianus) in New England, <em>Auk</em> 9: 221–228.</li> <li>Mackay, G. H. 1893. Larus argentatus smithsonianus, <em>Auk</em> 10: 76.</li> <li>Mackay, G. H. 1894. Further notes on the “Gull Dick”, <em>Auk</em> 11: 73.</li> <li>Mackay, G. H. 1895. “Gull Dick” again, <em>Auk</em> 12: 76.</li> <li>Mackay, G. H. 1896. “Gull Dick”, <em>Auk</em> 13: 78.</li> <li>Mackay, G. H. 1898. “Gull Dick”, <em>Auk</em> 15: 49–50.</li> </ul> <hr /> <p><em><strong>John J. Galluzzo</strong> is the development writer for the South Shore YMCA. Formerly, he was the director of education and camping for the South Shore Natural Science Center and ran adult education and citizen science programs for Mass Audubon’s South Shore Sanctuaries. He also holds the Thomas and Phyllis Tag Fellowship for lighthouse history research through the United States Lighthouse Society.</em></p> Sixth Report of the Maine Bird Records Committeehttps://www.birdobserver.org/Issues/2017/April-2017/sixth-report-of-the-maine-bird-records-committeeFeature ArticlesSat, 01 Apr 2017 00:00:00 GMTSixth Report of the Maine Bird Records Committee<h3>SPECIES ACCOUNTS</h3> <div class="thumbnail pull-right"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo45-2/Image_026.jpg" title="" /> <div class="caption">Black-bellied Whistling Duck. These six were on Mt. Desert Island, Hancock County, Maine May 27&ndash;30, 2013. Photograph May 28, 2013 by Trevor Persons.</div> </div> <p><strong>Black-bellied Whistling-Duck</strong> (<em>Dendrocygna autumnalis</em>). Up to six were in the towns of Mount Desert and Bar Harbor, <em>Hancock</em>, May 27&ndash;30, 2013 (Steve Dugay&dagger; and Rich MacDonald*; Ed Hawkes, Becky Marvil, William Nichols*, and many others; 2013-003). Dugay photographed the flock in a small wetland at the north end of Long Pond, Mount Desert (44.35526&deg; N, 68.36410&deg; W). MacDonald et al. independently discovered the birds the next day at settling ponds next to Mount Desert Island High School, Bar Harbor (44.37284&deg; N, 68.30321&deg; W), which is about 3.24 miles ENE from the previous location. One bird died of unknown causes on May 28 and this specimen is at Colby College.</p> <p><strong>Pink-footed Goose</strong> (<em>Anser brachyrhynchus</em>). An immature was at Cherryfield, <em>Washington</em>, November 5&ndash;28, 2012 (Joel Wilcox&dagger;; Sandy Wilcox, Chris Bartlett&dagger;, Louis Bevier&dagger;, Bruce Cole&dagger;, Pat Moynahan*, Tal Roberts&dagger;, Bill Sheehan*, Margaret Viens&dagger;, et al.; 2012-020). One was found at Puddledock Pond, Fort Fairfield, <em>Aroostook</em>, October 13&ndash;15, 2014 (Bill Sheehan*&dagger;; John Wyatt&dagger;, Jerry Smith&dagger;, Clay Hardy; 2014-009). These sightings are the 3rd and 7th state records of this now annual vagrant.</p> <p><strong>Ross&rsquo;s Goose</strong> (<em>Chen rossii</em>). An adult was on the coast at Rockland, <em>Knox</em>, January 31&ndash;February 4, 2013 (Don Reimer&dagger;; Louis Bevier&dagger;, Doug Hitchcox&dagger;, et al.; 2013-001). Another was at Westbrook, <em>Cumberland</em>, November 30&ndash;December 28, 2015 (Pat Moynahan*; Doug Hitchcox*, Rob Speirs&dagger;; 2015-008).</p> <p><strong>Tufted Duck</strong> (<em>Aythya fuligula</em>). An adult male was on Sabattus Pond in the town of Greene, <em>Androscoggin</em>, March 31, 2016 (Don F. Smith*; Rob Speirs&dagger;; 2016-006).</p> <div class="thumbnail pull-right"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo45-2/Image_027.jpg" title="" /> <div class="caption">This cooperative Western Grebe was at Owls Head Harbor, Knox County, Maine February 11&ndash;19, 2016. Photograph February 11, 2016 by Mike Fahay.</div> </div> <p><strong>Western Grebe</strong> (<em>Aechmophorus occidentalis</em>). An apparent male by bill shape was at Owls Head, <em>Knox</em>, February 11&ndash;19, 2016 (Mike Fahay&dagger;; Nancy Houlihan*; 2016-004). Another, thought to be a female by bill shape, was on Middle Bay, Brunswick, <em>Cumberland</em>, April 17&ndash;23, 2016 (Derek Lovitch; Louis Bevier*&dagger;, Doug Hitchcox*&dagger;; 2016-005). NOT ACCEPTED, IDENTIFICATION QUESTIONED: one was seen by a competent observer who described, sketched, photographed, and videotaped a bird in Middle Bay, Brunswick, <em>Cumberland</em>, December 26, 2014 (2014-011). Unfortunately, due to the distance involved, the photographs were felt inconclusive. Most members agreed the bird was an <em>Aechmophorus</em> Western or Clark&rsquo;s Grebe, but some were uncertain if the bird could be identified even to genus. It is possible that this bird was the same Western Grebe well documented at the same location the following winter (2016-005, above).</p> <p><strong>Rufous</strong> or <strong>Allen&rsquo;s Hummingbird</strong> (<em>Selasphorus rufus</em> or <em>sasin</em>). An immature female at Cousin&rsquo;s Island, Yarmouth, <em>Cumberland</em>, October 16&ndash;17, 2015 was photographed (Lois Randall, Phil Bunch&dagger;; 2015-004). The images clearly show a bird that is either Rufous or Allen&rsquo;s hummingbird and not another <em>Selasphorus</em> species, e.g. Broad-tailed (<em>S. platycercus</em>) or Calliope (<em>S. calliope</em>). Feather details that might allow identification to either Rufous or Allen&rsquo;s could not be seen in the photographs, and, even so, photos alone may not be sufficient to identify immature females of this species pair. Minor differences in the breadth of the outer tail feather, the shape at the tip of the next to innermost tail feathers, and, perhaps, how graduated the tail appears are necessary.</p> <div class="thumbnail pull-right"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo45-2/Image_028.jpg" title="" /> <div class="caption">This and another King Rail were present at Webhannet Marsh in Wells, York County, Maine from May 1&ndash;July 4, 2016. Although clearly territorial, breeding was never documented. Photograph June 9, 2016 by Josh Fecteau.</div> </div> <p><strong>King Rail</strong> (<em>Rallus elegans</em>). Up to two were well documented in the southern part of Webhannet Marsh, part of the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve, Wells, <em>York</em>, May 10&ndash;July 14, 2016 (Bri Benvenuti*&dagger;; Louis Bevier*&dagger;, Josh Fecteau&dagger;, Doug Hitchcox&dagger;, and others; 2016-012). Because the two species hybridize in southern New England, Dr. James Maley, an expert on the King and Clapper rail species complex, evaluated the evidence. Dr. Maley, who is at the Moore Laboratory of Zoology at Occidental College in Los Angeles, California, stated that he saw no reason to suspect mixed ancestry (<em>in litt.</em> to L. Bevier). One bird repeatedly gave calls that match male advertising vocalizations of King Rail in pacing and rate of note delivery. Another bird was heard countering or responding at the same time. If nesting occurred was never determined, despite a clearly established territory.</p> <p><strong>Great Knot</strong> (<em>Calidris tenuirostris</em>). A stunning first for Maine, a breeding plumage bird stopped on Seal Island, <em>Knox</em>, July 23, 2016 (Keenan Yakola&dagger;; 2016-018). This species has a limited breeding range in northeastern Russia and winters in Australia. The global population is in decline and designated as Endangered by Birdlife International (2017). It is a rare migrant to western Alaskan islands and the Seward Peninsula, with a few vagrants down the West Coast of North America. Exceptionally, one was found August 13, 2007 in West Virginia (Fazio and Wiltraut 2008).</p> <div class="thumbnail pull-right"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo45-2/Image_029.jpg" title="" /> <div class="caption">This Surfbird delighted birders from throughout the region when it lingered at Biddeford Pool, York County, Maine March 21&ndash;April 18, 2015. Photograph March 26, 2015 by Louis Bevier.</div> </div> <p><strong>Surfbird</strong> (<em>Calidris virgata</em>). One first-year in basic plumage delighted many March 21&ndash;April 18, 2015 at Biddeford Pool, <em>York</em> (Tin Mountain Bird Society with Chris Lewey, Rick Steber, Sean Ashe, et al.; John Lazzaro&dagger;, Sandra Mitchell&dagger;, and many others*&dagger;; 2015-009). Not surprisingly, this bird was unexpected and not identified in the field. Photos sent by Lewey and, independently, by Mitchell and Lazzaro, were soon identified, making the bird&rsquo;s presence widely known. This record was a first for Maine and only the second for the Atlantic Coast proper. The only previous Atlantic record is from Florida in 2005&mdash;four other Florida records are from the Gulf Coast peninsula and panhandle. There is one fall record for Presque Isle State Park, Erie, Pennsylvania. There are at least 10 accepted records for Texas. Given that the species winters as far south as southern Chile&mdash;even wrapping around Tierra del Fuego, it is plausible that some birds cross at the Isthmus of Panama to enter the Atlantic and Caribbean basins.</p> <p><strong>Ruff</strong> (<em>Calidris pugnax</em>). A rufous and black adult male was at Scarborough Marsh, Scarborough, <em>Cumberland</em>, June 30, 2016 (Timothy Fennell*&dagger;; Travis Marceron*&dagger;; 2016-015). A female, or Reeve, was at Scarborough Marsh, Scarborough, <em>Cumberland</em>, May 9, 2015 (Zeke Smith*&dagger;, Collette Lauzau, Rob Lambert; 2015-001).</p> <p><strong>Ancient Murrelet</strong> (<em>Synthliboramphus antiquus</em>). One in breeding plumage was first found at Seal Island, <em>Knox</em>, May 13, 2016 (John Drury*; Keenan Yakola&dagger;; 2016-007). Presumably the same bird appeared at two other locations in the Gulf of Maine during the following weeks: Petit Manan Island, <em>Washington</em>, May 22 and June 1 (Jill Tengeres* and Nancy Magnusson&dagger; respectively) and Machias Seal Island, <em>Washington</em>, May 27 (Tim Dunn&dagger;). Machias Seal Island is also claimed by Canada and the province of New Brunswick but lies in Maine waters. This species has a long history of vagrancy to eastern North America, but this sighting was the first for Maine.</p> <p class="caption"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo45-2/Image_030.jpg" style="width: 358px; height: 215px;" title="" /><br /> This Ancient Murrelet, first found at Seal Island, Knox County, Maine on May 13, 2016, visited other alcid colonies in the Gulf of Maine, being seen at Petit Manan Island, Washington County May 22 and June 1, and Machias Seal Island, Washington County May 27. Photograph at Seal Island May 13, 2016 by Keenan Yakola.</p> <div class="thumbnail pull-right"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo45-2/Image_031.jpg" title="" /> <div class="caption">This Tufted Puffin frequented the alcid colony on Machias Seal Island, Washington County, Maine. The island is claimed by Canada but is within Maine waters. June 17&ndash;July 23, 2014. Photograph July 8, 2014 by Durlan Ingersoll.</div> </div> <p><strong>Tufted Puffin</strong> (<em>Fratercula cirrhata</em>). An apparent adult was collected by a &ldquo;fisherman gunner&rdquo; somewhere near the mouth of the Kennebec River, <em>Sagadahoc</em>, during the winter of 1831&ndash;1832 (John James Audubon; 1832-001). One was on and around Machias Seal Island (and in Maine waters), <em>Washington</em>, June 17&ndash;July 23, 2014 (Ralph Eldridge*&dagger;; Durlan Ingersoll&dagger;, Steve Shreiner&dagger;, Amanda Didychuk&dagger;, Claus Wolter&dagger;, Ben West&dagger;, et al.; 2014-015). Audubon states explicitly that his plate is based on a bird procured in Maine (Plate 249 in Audubon 1835a), and the specimen ascribed to this bird is a mount preserved at the New York State Museum (NYSM zo-9435). Audubon may have seen only the skin, and the mount might have been made up at a later date&mdash;John Bell was a New York taxidermist associated with Audubon. Audubon&rsquo;s plate shows the prostrate and inwardly curved inner toenails that all puffins exhibit, but the mount has the toes unnaturally straightened. If the specimen is the same skin that Audubon saw may be in question, but the committee accepted Audubon&rsquo;s account (Audubon 1835b). One member noted that the number of furrows on the bill suggested an older bird and might thus be unusual given that most vagrants are immature birds. The record has long been accepted, and the committee endorses it here. The Machias Seal Island bird fittingly reaffirms the validity of the species in the state and also was a first for New Brunswick. Note the last date for this bird is July 23 (<em>fide</em> S. Tingley, <em>contra</em> Petersen 2015 and Seeler 2015).</p> <p><strong>Franklin&rsquo;s Gull</strong> (<em>Leucophaeus pipixcan</em>). A bird in breeding plumage was on Stratton Island, Saco, York, June 3, 2015 (Kristina McOmber&dagger;; 2015-003). An immature at Sebasticook Lake, Newport, <em>Penobscot</em>, October 28&ndash;November 14, 2015 presaged a major influx to the Northeast that occurred in mid-November (Bruce Cole*&dagger;; L. Bevier&dagger;, Steve Mierzykowski&dagger;, et al.; 2015-006).</p> <div class="thumbnail pull-right"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo45-2/Image_032.jpg" title="" /> <div class="caption">This first-winter Mew Gull at Owls Head Harbor, Knox County, Maine January 7&ndash;March 13, 2016 was easily identified as belonging to the West Coast subspecies, Short-billed Gull (Larus canus brachyrhynchus). Photograph January 19, 2016 by Louis Bevier.</div> </div> <p><strong>Mew Gull</strong> (<em>Larus canus</em>). One adult or subadult was at Thomaston, Knox, August 3&ndash;26, 2013 (Don Reimer&dagger;; Louis Bevier&dagger;, Mike Fahay&dagger;, Rob Speirs&dagger;, et al.; 2013-007). This bird showed characters of the western North American race, Short-billed Gull (<em>L. c. brachyrhynchus</em>) based on analysis by L. Bevier (also see Adriaens and Gibbins 2016). One bird identified from photos was briefly seen on Harbor Island, <em>Knox</em>, September 24, 2013 (Peter Vickery&dagger;, Geoff LeBaron*; <strong>2013-022)</strong> and may have been the Thomaston bird. A first-winter bird, also a Short-billed Gull, was at Owls Head, <em>Knox</em>, January 7&ndash;March 13, 2016 (Margaret Viens&dagger;, Scott Hall*, and Don Reimer&dagger;; many observers; 2016-002).</p> <div class="thumbnail pull-right"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo45-2/Image_033.jpg" title="" /> <div class="caption">Maine&rsquo;s first Trindade Petrel washed up on Ogunquit Beach, York County, Maine June 10, 2014. Photograph by Doug Hitchcox.</div> </div> <p><strong>Trindade Petrel</strong> (<em>Pterodroma arminjoniana</em>). Maine&rsquo;s first was a corpse found on Ogunquit Beach, Ogunquit, <em>York</em>, June 10, 2014 (Doug Hitchcox&dagger;; 2014-008). Measurements of bill and foot made from the photographs coupled with plumage characters eliminated other similar taxa. Massachusetts recorded its first two occurrences in late July the same year (Garvey et al. 2015).</p> <p><strong>Swallow-tailed Kite</strong> (<em><span lang="fr-FR">Elanoides forficatus</span></em>). Sanford Lagoons, Sanford, <em>York</em>, July 1, 2016 (Josh Fecteau*&dagger;; 2016-016).</p> <p><strong>Mississippi Kite</strong> (<em>Ictinia mississippiensis</em>). NOT ACCEPTED, IDENTIFICATION QUESTIONED: A bird at Frenchville, <em>Aroostook</em>, April 20, 2012 (2012-018) was documented with poor cell phone photos and was not identified in the field. It was circulated as this species because the observer thought the bird was a raptor, and Mississippi Kite was suggested by one reviewer. The images are inconclusive, one member suggesting Swallow-tailed Kite was not eliminated and would be more likely in mid-late April. No conclusion was reached on the identity of the bird.</p> <p><strong>Swainson&rsquo;s Hawk</strong> (<em>Buteo swainsoni</em>). A juvenile flew over Cadillac Mountain, <em>Hancock</em>, October 30, 2015 (Jason Bojczyk*&dagger;; 2015-005). NOT ACCEPTED, IDENTIFICATION QUESTIONED: One seen briefly at Laudholm Farm, Wells, <em>York</em>, February 2, 2016 (2016-003*). Details were felt insufficient to verify what would be an extraordinary date for this species in the Northeast.</p> <div class="thumbnail pull-right"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo45-2/Image_034.jpg" title="" /> <div class="caption">Maine&rsquo;s first Crested Caracara was originally found August 26&ndash;27, 2014 at Unity Township, Kennebec County and relocated at Norridgewock, Somerset County September 2&ndash;8, 2014. Photograph August 27, 2014 by David Ladd.</div> </div> <p><strong>Crested Caracara</strong> (<em>Caracara cheriway</em>). Providing a first state record, Steve and Debby Muise(*&dagger;) found a bird at Unity Township, <em>Kennebec</em>, where seen August 26&ndash;27, 2014. The same bird was found subsequently over 22 miles to the west-northwest at Norridgewock, <em>Somerset</em>, September 2&ndash;8, 2014 (Derek Willette&dagger;, and many others; 2014-014). The bird at both locations was in the same state of molt and had a missing toe nail on the outer toe of the left foot. Comparison of photos of a caracara in New Brunswick during April 2014 were inconclusive as to whether the Maine bird was the same. Comparison of primary patterns and other features with birds recently seen in Nova Scotia was likewise inconclusive. A strong pattern of vagrancy has developed for this species in recent years, with some individuals ranging hundreds of miles over long periods of time.</p> <p><strong>Gray Kingbird</strong> (<em>Tyrannus dominicensis</em>). NOT ACCEPTED, IDENTIFICATION QUESTIONED: The committee reviewed an older, published report (Bent 1942) of two birds at Deer Isle, Stonington, <em>Hancock</em>, September 14, 1938 (Martin Curtler*; 1938-001). The date is within the expected time for a vagrant to New England, but the occurrence of two together was viewed as too unlikely. Some members felt Western Kingbird was not eliminated, but the observer never mentioned yellow underparts, only underwings, which Gray Kingbird indeed shows. Moreover, the observer noted similarity to shrikes in appearance, suggesting the dark mask, also shown by Gray Kingbird. The notes, however, are simply too vague to be sure of the identification.</p> <p><strong>Rock Wren</strong> (<em>Salpinctes obsoletus</em>). One was at Bog Brook Cove, Trescott Twp., <em>Washington</em>, October 29, 2013 (Tom and Pat Cabe*; 2013-017). The observers described salient features of plumage and behavior that were convincing. This first state record is one of the few accepted based only on descriptive evidence. Its occurrence fits a late fall and winter pattern for the species in the Northeast.</p> <p><strong>Mountain Bluebird</strong> (<em>Sialia currucoides</em>). One was at Lincoln, <em>Penobscot</em>, November 23, 2014 (Ty Oliver*&dagger;; <strong>2014-010)</strong>. NOT ACCEPTED, IDENTIFICATION QUESTIONED: A bird described at Skowhegan, <em>Somerset</em>, May 13&ndash;14, 2015 was from a date that is highly unusual for the species in the Northeast (2015-002).</p> <p><strong>MacGillivray&rsquo;s Warbler</strong> (<em>Geothlypis tolmiei</em>). A composite of descriptions and a voice-recording supported one at Kettle Cove, Cape Elizabeth, <em>Cumberland</em>, November 27&ndash;29, 2015 (Derek Lovitch, Luke Seitz*; Doug Hitchcox&dagger;, Becky Marvil*; 2015-007). NOT ACCEPTED, IDENTIFICATION QUESTIONED: The description of a bird at the Saco River Walk, Saco, <em>York</em>, October 28, 2014 lacked enough detail to support the identification (2014-012).</p> <p><strong>Townsend&rsquo;s Warbler</strong> (<em>Setophaga townsendi</em>). NOT ACCEPTED, IDENTIFICATION QUESTIONED: A bird photographed incidentally was thought to be an adult male of this species at Sandy Point, Yarmouth, <em>Cumberland</em>, September 26, 2011 (2011-014). The single image was thought by most members to show a Townsend&rsquo;s Warbler but insufficient to definitively support the identification. The date is on the early side for vagrants to the Northeast, most being for late fall, but there are similar early records, even involving adult males.</p> <div class="thumbnail pull-right"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo45-2/Image_035.jpg" title="" /> <div class="caption">Monhegan Island, Lincoln County, Maine always produces surprises. Maine&rsquo;s first Brewer&rsquo;s Sparrow was present there May 25&ndash;29, 2014. Photograph May 25, 2014 by Doug Hitchcox.</div> </div> <p><strong>Brewer&rsquo;s Sparrow</strong> (<em>Spizella breweri</em>). One bird that occasionally sang was on Monhegan Island, <em>Lincoln</em>, May 25&ndash;29, 2014 (Lysle Brinker*&dagger;, Jeremiah Trimble*&dagger;, Doug Hitchcox&dagger;, Blair Nikula, and many others; 2014-006). Analysis of the plumage&mdash;paler brown with thin black crown streaks&mdash;and of the song&mdash;exhibiting broad frequency range&mdash;suggest the bird was nominate <em>S. b. breweri</em> versus <em>S. b. taverneri</em>.</p> <div class="thumbnail pull-right"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo45-2/Image_036.jpg" title="" /> <div class="caption">This handsome Black-throated Sparrow, found on the Schoodic Point CBC, was present in a Winter Harbor, Hancock County, Maine neighborhood January 1&ndash;March 17, 2016. Photograph January 8, 2016 by Louis Bevier.</div> </div> <p><strong>Black-throated Sparrow</strong> (<em>Amphispiza bilineata</em>). One found at Winter Harbor, <em>Hancock</em>, January 1&ndash;March 17, 2016 (Chuck Whitney, Ed and Debbie Hawkes; many others; 2016-001). This bird provided much enjoyment and solid documentation of the species in the state.</p> <p><strong>Dark-eyed (Oregon) Junco</strong> (<em>Junco hyemalis [oreganus group]</em>). A bird showing characters of the &ldquo;Oregon&rdquo; Junco subspecies group was at Reid State Park, Georgetown, <em>Sagadahoc</em>, December 7, 2015 (Derek Lovitch&dagger;, Kristen Lindquist; 2015-010).</p> <p><strong>Lazuli Bunting</strong> (<em>Passerina amoena</em>). NOT ACCEPTED, IDENTIFICATION QUESTIONED: A bird incidentally photographed and later thought possibly this species was on Monhegan Island, <em>Lincoln</em>, May 25, 2010 (2010-019&dagger;). The bird shows whitish wing bars and plumage features suggestive of Lazuli Bunting. The notion of a female vagrant in spring and lack of more details meant the record failed to gain support.</p> <p>Recent noteworthy occurrences in Maine that have not yet been reviewed include a returning Little Egret to Cumberland and York Counties; a Corn Crake on Monhegan Island that, if accepted, would be the second state record (the first in 1889); and two separate Bullock&rsquo;s Orioles.</p> <h3>Acknowledgments</h3> <p>The committee thanks Jeremy Kirchman for photographs of the Tufted Puffin specimen. Mary LeCroy and Bob Peck provided helpful background on Audubon&rsquo;s work. Ian McLaren and Stu Tingley helped with comparison of Crested Caracaras photographed in the Maritime provinces. Thank you to the following committee members and secretary who provided comments on drafts of the manuscript: Lysle Brinker, Becky Marvil, Trevor Persons, Will Russell, and Margaret Viens. The committee as of this publication includes: Louis Bevier, Lysle Brinker, Doug Hitchcox, Becky Marvil (secretary), Pat Moynahan, Trevor Persons (chair), Will Russell, Luke Seitz, Bill Sheehan, and Margaret Viens. Robby Lambert also voted on many of the records in this report; he retired from the committee in 2016.</p> <h3>References</h3> <ul> <li>Adriaens, P., and C. Gibbins. 2016. Identification of the <em>Larus canus</em> complex. <em>Dutch Birding</em> 38 (1): 1&ndash;64.</li> <li>Audubon, J.J. 1835a. <em>The Birds of America</em>. Volume 3. London. Published by the author.</li> <li>Audubon, J. J. 1835b. <em>Ornithological Biography</em>, or <em>an account of the habits of the birds of the United States of America</em>. Judah Dobson, Philadelphia.</li> <li>Bent, A.C. 1942. Life Histories of North American Flycatchers, Larks, Swallows, and Their Allies. <em>Bulletin of the United States National Museum</em> 179: 1&ndash;555.</li> <li>BirdLife International. 2017. Species factsheet: <em>Calidris<span lang="ar-SA">&nbsp;</span>tenuirostris</em>. Downloaded from <a href="http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/22693359">http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/22693359</a> on January 10, 2017.</li> <li>Fazio, V. W., III, and R. Wiltraut. 2008. Fall migration: eastern highlands &amp; upper Ohio River valley. <em>North American Birds</em> 62 (1): 66&ndash;71.</li> <li>Garvey, M. P., J. R. Trimble, and M. J. Iliff. 2015. Nineteenth report of the Massachusetts Avian Records Committee. <em>Bird Observer</em> 43 (5): 299&ndash;311.</li> <li>Petersen, W. R. 2015. Nesting Season: New England region. <em>North American Birds</em> 68 (4): 481&ndash;484.</li> <li>Seeler, D. 2015. Nesting Season: Atlantic provinces &amp; St. Pierre et Miquelon. <em>North American Birds</em> 68 (4): 475&ndash;479.</li> </ul> <hr /> <p><em><strong>Louis Bevier</strong> can be reached at 25 Great Meadow Lane, Fairfield, Maine 04937, email: <a href="mailto:lrbevier@colby.edu">lrbevier@colby.edu</a>.</em></p> From Sanctuary to Sanctuary: Portraying the Diversity of Mass Audubonhttps://www.birdobserver.org/Issues/2017/April-2017/from-sanctuary-to-sanctuary-portraying-the-diversity-of-mass-audubonFeature ArticlesSat, 01 Apr 2017 00:00:00 GMTFrom Sanctuary to Sanctuary: Portraying the Diversity of Mass Audubon<p>When I started the project, there were 54 public sanctuaries, but two more came online in 2015, and in addition, I decided to include Mass Audubon’s Wildwood Camp in Rindge, New Hampshire. This brought the total number of properties to 57—and that was my goal for the two-year working period. I have been a Mass Audubon member for many years, and during that time had visited many of the Society’s properties, but I had certainly not visited all of them. Now I had no excuse!</p> <div class="thumbnail pull-left"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo45-2/Image_039.jpg" title="" /> <div class="caption">Black-throated Blue Warbler in Birch, Eagle Lake, Holden.</div> </div> <p>I typically spend a full day at each location, although some properties are visited more than once. On every visit I carry a 9” x 12” sketchbook for notes and pencil studies, but I also carry several types of watercolor paper and a full watercolor kit. For optics I carry 8x binoculars and a 25x scope, along with a small digital camera.</p> <p>Initially, I thought I might do all of the watercolor paintings on location, but I quickly realized that this approach was too limiting. Some subjects, like nesting birds, landscapes, and botanical subjects, easily lend themselves to location work, while others prove more challenging. I also realized that some of my best ideas for pictures come to me after a visit, when I’ve had the leisure to mull over my experiences and ponder on the imagery. As it is turning out, about half of the watercolors are produced in the field, and the rest are done in my studio.</p> <p>In some instances, I’ve timed my visits to work with very specific subjects, like the yellow lady’s slippers at High Ledges or the purple-fringed orchids at West Mountain. For places like Marblehead Neck or Sampson’s Island, I made sure to visit at the most productive time of year. Occasionally, I’ve taken advantage of unexpected weather events, like the spring snowstorm on March 21, 2016, at the end of a mild, open winter.</p> <p>In general, I did not work towards any predetermined list of species or sanctuary specialties, though many of the subjects I painted would fit that description. My primary aim was to take advantage of artistic opportunities as I encountered them, and at every location a good deal of serendipity was involved. Along the way, I hope I’ve created a body of work that celebrates the richness and biological diversity of Massachusetts and the Mass Audubon sanctuary system.</p> <p>I’ve painted many birds for the project, but also worked with landscapes (some featuring Mass Audubon buildings), flowers and plants, butterflies, dragonflies and other insects, mammals, salamanders, turtles, frogs, and fish. Looking at the entire body of work, I see an obvious bias toward certain subjects, and for this I make no apologies. I tell my students: Draw what you love and it will be reflected in your work!</p> <p class="caption"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo45-2/Image_040.jpg" style="width: 472px; height: 324px;" title="" /><br /> Black-billed Cuckoo, Burncoat Pond, Spencer.</p> <p>Here are some of the observations I made in the course of writing my posts for the <em>Taking Flight</em> blog:</p> <p><em><strong>May 11, 2015, Eagle Lake, Holden</strong></em>—As I hike in along the Appleton Loop trail, it becomes obvious that Black-throated Blue Warblers are the most abundant warbler at this site. Every quarter mile or so, I encounter another Black-throated Blue singing from the sweet birches that arch above the mountain laurel thickets. Pausing along the trail, a female circles and scolds me—I must be near a nest, so I move on…</p> <p><em><strong>May 26, 2015, Ashumet Holly, Falmouth</strong></em>—Drawing birds, as opposed to photographing them or birding, entails observing and studying individual birds for relatively long periods of time. Perhaps because of this, I often find bird nests during my fieldwork. I’ll notice that a bird I’m drawing is hanging around one particular spot, or I’ll see a bird carrying nest material. Today I found the nests of a Yellow Warbler, a Baltimore Oriole, and an Orchard Oriole!</p> <p><em><strong>June 24, 2015, Burncoat Pond, Spencer</strong></em> —While I’m eating lunch under a big sugar maple near the parking area, a bird flies into the branches over my head. Something about the bird looks interesting, but I can’t locate it among the maple leaves. Finally, it moves to an oak across the road and I quickly get my scope on it—a Black-billed Cuckoo! Good looks at cuckoos never seem to last very long, and this one is no different, giving me just one good look before it disappears. I rarely try to develop a painting from such a brief look, but the impression was a strong one, so I take out my sketchbook and get down as much as possible of what I remember. I’ve learned that it’s sometimes good to force myself to work from memory; it has a way of distilling and intensifying a field experience.</p> <p><em><strong>July 19, 2015, West Mountain, Plainfield</strong></em>—As I’m assembling my gear to hike the trails, I hear a commotion in the woods across the street, and a young bear pokes its head out of the thick roadside vegetation and looks straight at me! I must look threatening because the animal makes a hasty retreat back into the woods, only to circle around and do the same thing again. The bear clearly wants to cross the road, but after its second retreat it must have decided to cross elsewhere. The fact that it made so much noise in the woods was reassuring, since it would be unlikely to take me by surprise if I encounter it again.</p> <div class="thumbnail pull-left"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo45-2/Image_041.jpg" title="" /> <div class="caption">Young Red-tailed Hawk, Habitat Sanctuary.</div> </div> <p><em><strong>July 24, 2015, Stony Brook, Norfolk</strong></em>—Heading back to the visitor center, I hear the distinctive notes of a Purple Martin. Upon my arrival at the sanctuary earlier, I had noticed the martin house in the big field next to the parking area, but had seen only House Sparrows perched there. Now, I focus my scope on the house and find a single martin perched on the top mast. Later, I asked sanctuary director Doug Williams about the birds and was pleased to hear that the martins were in their third year of using the box and that this year three nests had produced a total of 10 young birds. I saw no more martins this day, but was happy to know that the colony is on the increase.</p> <p><em><strong>August 17, 2015, Long Pasture, Barnstable</strong></em>—The tide is low, and there are many birds spread out and feeding on the mudflats in front of me. I greatly enjoy drawing birds at the shore, where my spotting scope really comes into its own. As I work quietly from one spot, the birds soon forget my presence and some of them approach quite closely. After a while, some kids arrive, remove their shoes and socks, and head out on the flats to explore. This puts an end to my drawing as the birds quickly move away, but I’ve had a good session, and am happy to see the kids getting excited over the crabs, snails, and worms that they find.</p> <p><em><strong>October 6, 2015, Lincoln Woods, Leominster</strong></em>—As I’m about to depart, a movement along the opposite shore catches my eye, and I focus my binoculars on two Blackpoll Warblers that have come to bathe in the vernal pool. The bright olive hues of the birds make an unexpected contrast with the somber colors of the shoreline, and their reflections seem to glow on the dark waters. Within minutes the birds have moved on, and the pool is once again quiet and still. I make some quick sketches to fix the scene in my mind.</p> <p><em><strong>October 25, 2015, Moose Hill, Sharon</strong></em>—The rocky ridge top of the Bluff Overlook (elevation 491 feet) hosts a plant community quite distinct from that of the surrounding forests. Eastern red cedars are the most conspicuous feature, but there’s also a predominance of pignut hickory, and a small shrub-like oak called bear oak. Another prominent feature visible from the overlook is Gillette Stadium. I arrive on the ridge about an hour before game time, and Gillette is lit up like a spaceship—glowing in the fog and light drizzle (yes, the rain persists!). Rock music from the public address system drifts over the intervening hills.</p> <p class="caption"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo45-2/Image_042.jpg" style="width: 472px; height: 321px;" title="" /><br /> Blackpoll Warbler bathing in vernal pool.</p> <p><em><strong>January 26, 2016, Eastern Point, Gloucester</strong></em>—Gloucester is a popular winter destination for birders, so I am not surprised to meet some today, including Jim Berry, an expert on Essex County birds. He helps me sort out the gulls that are present, and points out a group of about forty Purple Sandpipers hunkered down on the lee side of the Dog Bar Breakwater. Most of the birders are, of course, moving from spot to spot in search of “good birds,” whereas I confine my observations to the sanctuary and the immediate vicinity. If you want to “do art,” you can’t run around a lot, too!</p> <p><em><strong>February 29, 2016, Habitat, Belmont</strong></em>—Are there more Red-tailed Hawks around these days, or is it just me? I’m watching a Hairy Woodpecker at Weeks Meadow when a big bird swoops in to land in the lower branches of a nearby tree. It’s a handsome young Red-tail attracted to a noisy mob of House Sparrows in the thicket below. Young birds, being rather clueless, can be excellent models. I’m in full view of the bird, and though I move myself and the scope several times to get better views, it seems totally oblivious to my presence.</p> <p><em><strong>March 22, 2016, Arcadia, Easthampton</strong></em>—The eagle nest, by its sheer size, is easy to locate, but to get the best views requires careful positioning of my scope and field stool on the hillside above Ned’s Ditch. I settle down to watch. The nest is placed in a main crotch near the top of a large, live tree (oak?), and is truly MASSIVE in size—so much so that the bird’s head, protruding above the mass of sticks and twigs, looks ridiculously tiny! I later learned that Bald Eagles make the largest nest of any single pair of birds.</p> <p class="caption"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo45-2/Image_043.jpg" style="width: 472px; height: 332px;" title="" /><br /> White-eyed Vireo in Cherry.</p> <p><em><strong>May 4, 2016, North River, Marshfield</strong></em>—In the lower end of the meadow, a big platform has been erected to attract nesting Ospreys, and sure enough, a bird sits on the nest, likely incubating eggs. The platform was erected in 2009, but this is the first year ospreys have used it to establish a nest. Needless to say, David Ludlow and the staff are excited! With my scope, I have superb close-up views of the incubating bird. I get to work with my sketchbook, attempting to capture the angular shapes of the head and that intense, angry look on the bird’s face.</p> <p><em><strong>May 19, 2016, Marblehead Neck, Marblehead</strong></em>—As with many types of birding, hitting a place like this on just the right day is largely a matter of luck. The day I visited did not coincide with any spectacular fall-outs, but neither did it disappoint. Arriving at the parking area at 10:15 am, I claimed the last parking spot. It had been a busy morning, and some birders were just returning to their cars. They had the usual report: “You should have been here yesterday.” However, I could hear a Blackpoll Warbler, a Magnolia Warbler, and a Black-throated Green Warbler from the parking lot, so how bad could it be?</p> <p><em><strong>May 28, 2016, Allens Pond, Dartmouth</strong></em>—I’m surrounded on three sides by coastal scrub: dense thickets of shrubs and low trees that are home to a variety of birds. Catbirds and Yellow Warblers are abundant, but an unfamiliar song captures my attention. It’s a loud, persistent song starting and ending with a sharp chip. I jot it down in my sketchbook thus: “chip-che-wheeyou-chip!” For 45 minutes I stare intently into the thickets, trying to pinpoint just where that song is coming from. Persistence finally pays off when the bird moves to a slightly higher perch in a small cherry tree, and I have a clear view of a White-eyed Vireo. Only later do I read that these birds usually sing from a low, concealed perch!</p> <div class="thumbnail pull-right"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo45-2/Image_044.jpg" title="" /> <div class="caption">Osprey on nest.</div> </div> <p><em><strong>June 30, 2016, Ipswich River, Topsfield</strong></em>—When I pause along the trail, I notice an interesting phenomenon: small birds—mostly titmice and chickadees—approach me closely, coming to within arm’s length. Later, as I work on a watercolor, a White-breasted Nuthatch approaches on a tree trunk and inspects me with a curious expression. This happens at least three times while I’m painting, and I’m beginning to fancy that through some mysterious telepathy, the birds recognize me as a kindred spirit. Back in the parking lot, I relate these “close encounters” to Sandy Selesky (a regular visitor), and she laughs, explaining that Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary is well known to locals as a place where the birds have become habituated to taking hand-outs of food from visitors. So much for my communion with the birds!</p> <p><em><strong>July 11, 2016, Sampson’s Island, Cotuit</strong></em>—This is my first sanctuary visit that requires a boat. I meet two coastal waterbird wardens at a rendezvous point in Cotuit, and load my field kit into a small, open runabout. Brad Bower is the Sampson’s Island crew leader, and his associate is Brian Lonabocker. They are students of biology and environmental science, and this is a summer job for them. Today, they load signs into the boat, which they’ll be posting in various spots around the island. During the peak breeding season, boats are not allowed to land on the island, in order to safeguard the birds during this critical period.</p> <p><em><strong>July 12, 2016, Daniel Webster, Marshfield</strong></em>—I notice a movement at the base of the cattails, and watch a Virginia Rail emerge into the open water, followed closely by another, darker bird. A moorhen or coot??? No, it’s too small and the bill isn’t right for either of these species. It’s charcoal black, save for a few fuzzy patches of chestnut, and the bill is dark and thin, with a pale nostril and pale tip. It is, of course, a young Virginia Rail! It shadows the adult closely, following every movement of its parent with keen interest. The adult finds what looks like a dead frog or tadpole, and both birds take turns poking, prodding, lifting, and tossing. The show is over all too soon, and the birds melt back into the cattails…</p> <p><em><strong>August 19, 2016, Wellfleet Bay, South Wellfleet</strong></em>—Where the Try Island Trail meets the boardwalk to the beach, I meet a group of volunteers who are monitoring diamondback terrapin nests. Each nest is protected by a wire enclosure, and I’ve encountered many of them as I walk the trails. The nest monitors, Theresa Hultin, Steve Monroe, and Nancy Munger, kindly allow me to watch as they assist at a hatching nest. The number of hatchlings and eggshells are carefully counted and recorded in a log, along with location of the nest, time of hatching, and the depth of the nest. Theresa, the team leader, tells me that 85 terrapin nests have been located on the sanctuary this year. Each nest, if it is not disturbed by predators, will produce between 12 and 22 young turtles.</p> <p class="caption"><img alt="" src="/Portals/0/Assets/bo45-2/Image_045.jpg" style="width: 472px; height: 363px;" title="" /><br /> Virginia Rail and young.</p> <p><em><strong>September 2, 2016, Boston Nature Center, Mattapan</strong></em>—On the Snail Trail, I pass through a mature forest of oaks and silver maples, interrupted by sunny glades of lush undergrowth. I watch a flock of young starlings gorging on wild grapes, and make some drawings. Young starlings display this unusual plumage for only a short time in late summer. Their tawny gray heads are set off by black vests densely spangled with bold white spots. A black “bandit mask” on the face gives them an intense, slightly sinister look. The combination of the fruiting grapevines and the smartly dressed birds leaves a powerful impression—and one that I re-create later in my studio.</p> <p><em><strong>September 28, 2016, Canoe Meadows, Pittsfield</strong></em>—As I’m packing up to leave, a hawk flies in to land in a big poplar across the pond, which immediately raises a clamor among the neighborhood crows. I put my scope on the bird and see that it’s a Cooper’s Hawk – a young bird (brown upperparts and fine streaking on the breast) with a lean, hungry look. It strikes me as impossibly elongated or stretched out—like a figure painted by El Greco. The bird is driven off by the crows several times, but each time it returns to perch in the big poplar. It’s that LEAN, HUNGRY look that I keep uppermost in mind as I develop its portrait.</p> <p><em><strong>September 29, 2016, Pleasant Valley, Lenox</strong></em>—The eastern side of Lenox Mountain falls into afternoon shadow early at this time of year, and I have to watch my footing carefully as I descend the Overbrook Trail. The hemlock gorge is especially dark and gloomy, but the footing becomes easy again as the trail flattens out at the base of the mountain. On the Bluebird Trail, a fleeting brown blur darts under the boardwalk as I approach. I pause and make some quiet squeaks and “pishes”—enough to coax out a Winter Wren into the open. It utters some notes that remind me of a Song Sparrow, and hops around some decaying birch logs on the forest floor. I make some sketches, noting that impossibly short and jauntily cocked tail. What a charming imp!</p> <p><em><strong>November 3, 2016, Nantucket</strong></em> —Although the official list of Mass Audubon sanctuaries names only Sesachacha Heathlands, the Society actually owns three properties on Nantucket. My overnight accommodations are at Lost Farm Wildlife Sanctuary—a 90-acre tract that borders Hummock Pond and features an extensive pitch pine forest. Mass Audubon’s smallest property on Nantucket is a 30-acre parcel at Smith’s Point near Madaket. The Smith’s Point property was once owned by Mr. Rogers of television fame. His house, which he named “The Crooked House” and often referred to on his show, is at the edge of the reserve. I chuckled when I noticed that the sign is mounted crookedly on the house (Fred Rogers had a good sense of humor!).</p> <p>I am now nearing my goal of visiting and working at all 57 Mass Audubon public properties. At this writing, I have visited 53. I’ve filled three sketchbooks, and have produced 150 watercolors. I’ve taken hundreds of photos, and posted more than seventy accounts on the <a href="http://blogs.massaudubon.org/takingflight/"><em>Taking Flight</em> blog</a>. Now that the working period is coming to an end, I’m feeling a reluctance to finish – it’s been a wonderful two years!</p> <hr /> <p><em><strong>Barry W. Van Dusen</strong> is an internationally recognized wildlife artist who lives in central Massachusetts. Barry has illustrated many publications for Mass Audubon, and his bird illustrations have appeared in books published by the American Birding Association, HarperCollins, Princeton University Press, and Cornell University (Comstock). His paintings have been featured in </em>Bird Watcher’s Digest, Birder’s World, Birds Illustrated (U.K.), Wildlife Art,<em> and </em>Yankee Magazine<em>, as well as </em>Bird Observer.</p> <p><em>In 2014, Barry was named Master Artist at the annual BIRDS IN ART show (Wausau, Wisconsin) - an award that recognizes artists who have shown “outstanding achievement in using bird imagery in their artwork. At the invitation of the Artists for Nature Foundation, Barry has traveled to Spain, England, Ireland, India, Peru and Israel, working alongside other wildlife artists to raise money for conservation of threatened habitats. See more of Barry’s work at <a href="http://www.barryvandusen.com/">www.barryvandusen.com</a>.</em></p>