Least sandpiper.
I awoke to a summery Sunday. Could only manage half a day of work on my new novel before the allure grew too strong, and I had a crazy thought, and I grabbed Jack, and the two of us took a short trip to the Rockland Breakwater.
Semipalmated sandpiper.
I figured it would be crowded, and sure enough it was the most crowded I’d ever seen it down there. We parked waaay up the road, on the grass, and walked a looong way down to the breakwater trail. Many people, quite a few dogs. Warmth, little breeze, high tide. Goldfinches, waxwings, a house sparrow, gulls. Soon after we turned onto the breakwater itself, I heard the peep-peep! of, well, peeps. Least sandpipers, a few here and there, zipping along the granite in search of lapping shallows.
I could ID the least sandpipers, and for a while I thought that’s all that were there, but then I saw some lighter birds and wondered if they might be semipalmated sanpipers, but I’m not great at shorebirds and so had to wait until tonight to check with my friend Kristen, who confirmed my tentative ID.
Cormorants, loons, laughing gulls, a harbor seal. Friendly folks, friendly dogs. We had a good time.
Afterward, I rode my bike twenty miles. Bought beer and brownies at Megunticook Market. Saw turkeys and geese at Aldermere Farm.
Buoy.
Then Jack and I hiked Beech Hill. Quite a few birds up there, although I only saw one species: waxwings, flying over.
Tonight is lovely, cool and calm. The night has crickets and stars.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 5:30 p.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Eastern towhee (v)
2. Black-capped chickadee** (v)
3. American goldfinch** (v)
4. Common yellowthroat (v)
5. American crow* (v)
6. Cedar waxwing**
7. Song sparrow (v)
8. Yellow-rumped warbler (v)
9. Blue jay** (v)
10. White-throated sparrow (v)
11. Gray catbird (v)
Elsewhere
12. Herring gull
13. House sparrow
14. Double-crested cormorant
15. Least sandpiper
16. Common loon
17. Osprey
18. Laughing gull
19. Turkey vulture
20. Rock pigeon
21. Northern cardinal (v)
22. Wild turkey
23. Canada goose
24. Mourning dove
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
