Marine Park--West 3/27: Shorebirds

I arrived at MP-W at 9:01; low tide was around 9:30. As I walked in I heard a Song Sparrow trilling, alternating with a blackbird calling. I found both pretty quickly (birding by ear is okay to build up the list, but generally, I want to see the birds); 3 hours later that sparrow was in the same tree, same branch, still singing. Indefatigable.

Notable were two birds I saw and one I didn't. There were no Canada Geese. It seems impossible that I walked 2 miles along a creek without seeing one CAGO. Plenty of Brant were in evidence and 5 Mute Swans, which are a little unusual there, but not one Canadian. Department of Agriculture starting early?  http://www.aphis.usda.gov/regulations/

The two new-for-the-year species I did see were Greater Yellowleg and American Oystercatcher (return of the big-nosed birds!).  As I was scanning the end of the creek I saw one yellowleg walking along the rocks, pretty far off. I really didn't feel like walking over to the other side of the creek to the Salt Marsh Nature Center to see if it was greater or lesser. Then another one flew in, calling, and I knew from the 3 note call that it was the greater species.  The oystercatchers were, of course, much easier. I first spotted 3 flying around  on the creek, their unmistakable bills glowing in the sun. Later, about 2 miles away on the beach where the creek begins I saw two more.

Continuing my series, "The Abandoned Cars of Marine Park-West," I found two more, deep, deep, in the phragmites of a trail I hadn't (to my memory) walked on before. This is also a subset to the motif--these cars are both flipped over. I cannot figure out how these cars were driven through the muck this far away from a road to be ditched (and just for the hell of it, turned over) and why--if a car can be driven this far over such terrain, isn't it good enough to sell? There's probably some crime angle that I just don't get as to why these cars end up in a city park.

30 species for the day:
Brant    350
Mute Swan    5
American Black Duck    9
Mallard    2
Bufflehead    40
Hooded Merganser    2
Red-breasted Merganser    2
Ruddy Duck    35
Pied-billed Grebe    2
Northern Harrier    1
Red-tailed Hawk    1
American Oystercatcher    5
Greater Yellowlegs    2
Ring-billed Gull    140
Herring Gull    25
Great Black-backed Gull    4
Mourning Dove    1
Downy Woodpecker    5
Eastern Phoebe    1
Blue Jay    2
American Crow    2
Fish Crow    1
Black-capped Chickadee    5
American Robin    35
Northern Mockingbird    2
Yellow-rumped Warbler    5
Song Sparrow    4
White-throated Sparrow    1
Northern Cardinal    6
Red-winged Blackbird    15