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Lily birding Safari-style, Plum Island, Newburyport, MA |
Another day, another dozen birds to check off a brand-new life list (and stamps to add to the MassAudubon Passport to Nature). We headed north to Plum Island. Goal: ducks and sandpipers.
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Mostly American Wigeons, Salt Pannes, Plum Island, Newburyport, MA |
Close to perfect fall duck day. We got gadwalls, wigeons, scaup, pintails, shovelers,
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Northern Shoveler female, Salt Pannes, Plum Island, Newburyport, MA |
ruddy ducks, eiders, green-winged teal, and even a redhead (!) barely viewed through a kindly offered scope.
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Yellowlegs, Plum Island, Newburyport, MA |
Sandpiper activity was also amazing. We parked at lot 7 and walked out to the beach.
This is when every interest Lily had in birds disappeared.
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Black-bellied plovers and a sanderling, Plum Island, Newburyport, MA |
Look Lily! Black-bellied plovers, sanderlings, dunlins! Oh wow, is that a red knot?
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There's at least one red knot in there, I'm sure of it. |
Lily nodded but didn't even hold up her binoculars. She would get to count the species but she didn't have to care. There was a whole beach to play on! (Meanwhile, immense sandpiper clouds were blowing up the coast).
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Rockery Pond, Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary, Topsfield, MA |
A quick stop at Joppa Flats for a stamp and a gift store purchase and we were off to Ipswich River. This to finish our weekend trifecta of direct bird contact:
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Lily in a now familiar pose, Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary, Topsfield, MA |
Hand-feeding the chickadees! And titmice and nuthatches.
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Very friendly white-breasted nuthatch, Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary, Topsfield, MA |
I'm not sure how we are going to top this weekend. Our MassAudubon stamp count is up to six. Only four more and we get a prize! Where should we go next?
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