Brig 6/11--Sora, Gull-Billed Tern

Gull-billed Tern

Shari & I met our buddy Bob Auster down at Brig this morning. It was only my second trip of the year there, and though June is a "shoulder month" in terms of migration, we still figured to get a few interesting species as we looped the refuge. Our first stop, as usual, the Gull Pond, yielded immediate results. When he got out of the car, Bob thought he heard a Sora, but it wouldn't respond to our bad imitations. After looking around for a few minutes and the fairly slim pickings, I heard something from the reeds. Bob did too. It was a Sora. A stubborn Sora who once again would not call for Shari. 

Common Tern at the NE turn

Then, flying over, we spotted our first Gull-billed Tern for the year. And that was it, for me, for year birds. Bob picked up a few more, but the rest of the time was spent looking the usual place for the usual birds which is both one of the pleasures of Brig and one of my objections. I just know that at the northeast corner by the sluice gate I'm going to see a Common Tern and sure enough, there it was when we went by today. 

Drive along the beach side of the south dike and you're going to come across American Oystercatchers and there, Shari, are your American Oystercatchers. I wasn't expecting a slew of shorebirds today and we didn't get many species, though a White-rumped Sandpiper, all by its lonesome on the north dike was a slight surprise. What was disappointing was the dearth of waders--not many white egrets of either species, a couple of Great Blue Herons, and only 3 Glossy Ibises. No night-herons of either variety. I did a lot better than that from Great Bay Blvd a few days ago, which is only a few miles north through the same salt marshes. 

On the upland trail we stopped at "Pete's Pishing Place" about a 1/2 mile beyond Jen's Trail, where the late Pete Bacinski used to stop on field trips and pish so vigorously for birds that the car would start rocking. It worked today without actually moving the vehicle: towhee, catbird, Carolina Chickadee, Carolina Wren. Further on, past the road to the overlook, we stopped a few times and listened for chat. There was at least one calling "blatt blatt blatt." On our second trip around, at the same spot, the same "blatt," but like the Sora, it wasn't particularly chatty, though at least Shari did get to hear this one. 

I came up with 58 species on a slow day, Shari a few less, Bob a few more. Despite our best efforts, every Marbled Godwit turned out to be a Willet. 

Canada Goose  100
Mute Swan  4
Mallard  15
American Black Duck  3
Mourning Dove  3
Clapper Rail  5
Sora  1     
American Oystercatcher  3
Black-bellied Plover  1
White-rumped Sandpiper  1
Semipalmated Sandpiper  60
Greater Yellowlegs  2
Willet  25
Laughing Gull  275
Herring Gull  25
Great Black-backed Gull  5
Least Tern  1
Gull-billed Tern  18
Common Tern  1
Forster's Tern  20
Black Skimmer  15
Double-crested Cormorant  22
Great Blue Heron  2
Great Egret  8
Snowy Egret  5
Glossy Ibis  3
Osprey  10
Bald Eagle  1
Willow Flycatcher  2     Heard
Eastern Phoebe  1
White-eyed Vireo  2     Heard
Blue Jay  1     Heard
American Crow  12
Fish Crow  4
Carolina Chickadee  2     Heard
Purple Martin  17
Tree Swallow  4
Barn Swallow  5
White-breasted Nuthatch  1     Heard
House Wren  1     Heard
Marsh Wren  6
Carolina Wren  1     Heard
European Starling  4
Gray Catbird  7
American Robin  3
House Finch  1     Heard
Chipping Sparrow  1     Heard
Field Sparrow  3     Heard
Seaside Sparrow  15
Saltmarsh Sparrow  2
Song Sparrow  2
Eastern Towhee  1     Heard
Yellow-breasted Chat  1     Heard upland
Red-winged Blackbird  70
Common Yellowthroat  6
Yellow Warbler  3     Heard
Northern Cardinal  2
Indigo Bunting  2     Heard