Natural History Journal

Given my predilection for marshy, swampy places, it should come as no surprise that on my very first morning in Maine, the first place I headed was... a saltmarsh.  Scarborough Marsh, to be specific, south of Portland on the winding Nonesuch River.  It was here, in a drizzly rain shortly after dawn, as we squelched through mud and shooed away mosquitoes, that I fell in love with the state of Maine: dark green woods bordering the vividly verdant saltmarsh, brooding clouds reflected on the surface of glassy water, crisp air perfumed with a delightful combination of saltmarsh and conifers that I can't quite describe, and, of course, birds.   It was during my marshland reverie, as we attempted to cross a particularly soggy spot on a precarious plank, that Eric, hood drawn tight against the increasing rain and droning insects, mused aloud that this particular part of our "vacation" would be difficult to explain to our friends and family back home. The Nonesuch River meanders t

After spending the bare minimum amount of time required for a professor of American history to tour the seemingly endless collection of historic sites in the greater Boston area (which turned out to be five days for us, still not nearly long enough for Eric), we headed north to resume our birding adventure, sights set on the rugged and alluring coast of Maine.  But first, we stopped to spend the morning at one of Massachusetts' great birding sites: Plum Island.   Follow along with us as we bird our way through New England! Part I: New York Part II: Connecticut Part III: Massachusetts: Fort Hill Part IV: Massachusetts: Race Point Part V: Massachusetts: Plum Island Part VI: Maine's Saltmarshes Part VII: Maine's Rocky Islands & Coast Part VIII: Maine's North Woods The renowned Parker River National Wildlife Refuge occupies most of the Plum Island, and during spring migration this is one of the places to be in Massachusetts.  By the time I arrived, in mid-June, the bir

Ahh, the seaside.  Is there anything quite as nice as a long walk on the beach... to bird? Our first morning on Cape Cod brought ideal weather conditions for an absolutely gorgeous walk down Race Point beach.  There, I met up with birding friend Liam, where we spent a few hours strolling the sand, stopping frequently to watch the birds. Right away, he pointed out Common Eider and Manx Shearwater, sitting on the calm surface of the Atlantic.  A few Northern Gannets flapped past in the hazy distance, far out over the ocean.  Double-crested Cormorants and gulls were common, though it was an adjustment for me to get used to seeing Double-crested and only Double-crested Cormorants along the coast; here on the West Coast, Brandt and Pelagic Cormorant far outnumber Double-crested in coastal habitats.  Other than that, the skies over the water were nearly as quiet as the sea itself; most of the birds we saw were along the sandy shore. Piping Plover Piping Plover and Least Tern both nest in the

After leaving  New York  and  Connecticut  behind, we continued east into Massachusetts, where we would spend the next week birding and visiting as many historic sites as possible! Follow along with us as we bird our way through New England! Part I: New York Part II: Connecticut Part III: Massachusetts: Fort Hill Part IV: Massachusetts: Race Point Part V: Massachusetts: Plum Island Part VI: Maine's Saltmarshes Part VII: Maine's Rocky Islands & Coast Part VIII: Maine's North Woods Our first stop in the beautiful state of Massachussets was Cape Cod.  And it was love at first sight. We picked up some dinner and headed straight to Fort Hill in Eastham, a birding hotspot with a stunning view of lupines, saltmarsh and dunes far beyond.  We ate on a bench, rather distractedly, as I paid far more attention to the glorious scenery and birds than the food.  (Food?  Forget the food!  There are birds here!!) Almost immediately, a pair of American Black Ducks flew past, giving me gr

One morning of birding in Connecticut is certainly not enough.  But, since what matters most is what we do with the time that is given us... I still managed to see nearly 60 species of birds, several of which were new to me, in the brief time that we had as we passed through the state on our way to Massachusetts!   Follow along with us as we bird our way through New England! Part I: New York Part II: Connecticut Part III: Massachusetts: Fort Hill Part IV: Massachusetts: Race Point Part V: Massachusetts: Plum Island Part VI: Maine's Saltmarshes Part VII: Maine's Rocky Islands & Coast Part VIII: Maine's North Woods Birding at Connecticut's lovely  White Memorial Conservation Center  gave us the opportunity to explore several miles of beautiful trails through woods and wetlands, all of which proved to be very birdy habitat! Along a riparian corridor, we admired an Eastern Phoebe, while listening to and looking [unsuccessfully] for a singing Alder Flycatcher.  Since the

No, not New York City.  While Central Park is a renowned birding hotspot during spring migration, the focus of our recent June visit to the East Coast was on breeding birds of New York and New England's forests, woodlands, wetlands and coast.   And we found lots!! Join us as we make our way north, birding through New England: Part I: New York Part II: Connecticut Part III: Massachusetts: Fort Hill Part IV: Massachusetts: Race Point Part V: Massachusetts: Plum Island Part VI: Maine's Saltmarshes Part VII: Maine's Rocky Islands & Coast Part VIII: Maine's North Woods As always when we travel, time was limited.  After an evening arrival in New York, we got out of the city as fast as possible , making our way northwest into the impossibly green, rolling, forest-covered hills of New York State.  Our sights were set on a few key birding spots that are well-known for a couple of very special species of warblers that breed there, species that I have been wanting to see sinc