2nd Yr Glaucous Gull, Jodrey Pier, Gloucester, MA, – photo by Joan Duprey
View from Jodrey Pier, Gloucester, MA – photo by Joan Duprey
Eleven members of the Athol Bird and Nature Club enjoyed sunny and mild temperatures New Years day on the trip billed “Gull and Seabird Excursion” to Gloucester and Rockport. As is typically the case with winter birding on the coast when the weather is mild and the seas “flat”, the seabird action is slower. The upside though is that the lighting and lack of wind made viewing optimal with great looks of the birds we found on the water. Here’s the list of birds seen.
- Red-throated Loon
- Common Loon
- Horned Grebe
- Red-necked Grebe
- Northern Gannet
- Great Cormorant
- Canada Goose
- Gadwall
- American Black Duck
- Mallard
- Greater Scaup
- Common Eider
- Harlequin Duck (100+)
- Black Scoter
- White-winged Scoter
- Surf Scoter
- White-winged Scoter
- Surf Scoter
- Long-tailed Duck
- Bufflehead
- Common Goldeneye
- Red-breasted Merganser
- Ruddy Duck
- Northern Harrier
- Sharp-shinned Hawk
- Purple Sandpiper (250+)
- Ring-billed Gull
- Herring Gull
- Glaucous Gull
- Greater Black-backed Gull
- Thick-billed Murre
- Razorbill
- Black Guillemot
- Rock Pigeon
- Mourning Dove
- Blue Jay
- American Crow
- Black-capped Chickadee
- Carolina Wren
- American Robin
- Northern Mockingbird
- European Starling
- Song Sparrow
- American Goldfinch
- House Sparrow
Thanks to Mark Taylor, Northfield, MA for leading this fun and interesting trip.