8.26.14 - Cape Cod Museum of Natural History - Tuesday Tweets

John Wing Trail - Brewster, MA

 

Our enthusiastic group headed out on another sunny Tuesday morning... I had to share the photo of the tree with the bird-like silhouette below.  This branch formation has fooled me before...until I grab the binoculars!  It was rather quiet in the thickets surrounding the museum itself, but once we headed toward the marsh... we were in business.  It's rather evil I feel, how very pretty poison ivy begins to look at this time of year.  Hard to imagine certain birds are able to consume parts of the plant (Carolina Wren)  The yellow colored warbler that I had my sights on for about 3 seconds before she flew off,(that I missed a photo of) I do believe was a Yellow Warbler female.  We also managed to sneak a peak at a Nashville Warbler.  It was a walk FILLED with Gray Catbirds at every turn!

(double click photos to enlarge)

 

Our List:

Northern Cardinal

White-breasted Nuthatch

Northern Flicker

Gray Catbird

American Goldfinch

American Crow

Ring-billed Gull

Osprey

Yellow Warbler (female)

Coopers Hawk

European Starling

Nashville Warbler

Eastern Phoebe

Eastern Kingbird

 

The branch that looks like a bird silhouette

Poison Ivy with berries 

Eastern Phoebe

Gray Catbird 

Eastern Phoebe

Eastern Phoebe 

Nashville Warbler

Eastern Chipmunk

I couldn't resist sharing the photo that I got of this lil' lady chowing down when I was headed back to the museum.  I always feel like it's a bonus when we see mammals on a bird walk!

Next opportunity for Tuesday Tweets: 9.16.14 $2Members/$4Non-Members

Happy Birding!

8.19.14 -  Cape Cod Museum of Natural History - Tuesday Tweets
John Wing Trail - Brewster, MA 

If I could choose the weather, I would always choose the weather we've had on our Tuesday Tweets this summer.  With the tide in our favor, a nice sized bunch of us headed out on our bird walk...and after a brief sighting of a small flock of House Sparrows...we were treated to a young Red Fox hunting in the marsh.  Suddenly our walk transformed into Mammal Watch!  It didn't seem to bother any of the bird lovers this sunny morning!  Please see photos below... admittedly, there are too many of the fox, but we had so many gifts this fine morning.  It's difficult to choose any particular moment over another.  Nature will reward you, if you give it time and patience.  We had many a poser, so I was able to get a few good shots without holding up the crowd today.  Enjoy!
(double click photos below to enlarge)

Our List:
Northern Cardinal
Carolina Wren
House Sparrow
Osprey
RED FOX!!!
American Crow
Blue Jay
Tree Swallow
Green Heron
Song Sparrow
Barn Swallow
Mourning Dove
Eastern Kingbird
Gray Catbird
Black-capped Chickadee
American Goldfinch
Laughing Gull
Common Yellowthroat
Coopers Hawk

I do believe the single shorebird who flew over our heads was a Greater Yellowlegs...but s/he flew by so fast... I cannot confirm.

House Sparrows

House Sparrows

Red Fox (juvenile) hunting

Osprey

 

Osprey - SO CLOSE!!! 

Osprey ...preening

Mourning Dove

 

Grey Catbird

 

I had to put one more of the Red Fox because s/he was so much fun to watch...

what a gift on our bird walk!

 

Next opportunity for Tuesday Tweets, 8.26.14 at 9:30am $2Members/$4Non-members

Happy Birding 'til then!

8.15.14 - Birding 101 - KidSummer - Cape Cod Museum of Natural History
Lee Baldwin Trail - Brewster, MA

On our last morning together of Birding 101 I wanted to spend as much time as possible outside.  Two and a half hours zips by pretty quickly when you're looking for birds!  We went over the birdwatching tips we discussed on our first morning together, remembering how behavior is one of the very best ways to identify a specific species.  Off we went with bird behavior check lists on clip boards and our binoculars...
What a MORNING!  If you know any of these young ladies, be sure to ask for them to tell you the story of two Eastern Kingbirds who paid us a much closer visit than we ever could have planned or even possibly IMAGINED!  I look forward to hearing from these official Bird Nerds in the future as they add to their life lists... 
(double click on photos to enlarge)

Our List:
Gray Catbird
Eastern Kingbird
Northern Cardinal
American Crow
Song Sparrow
House Sparrows
American Goldfinch
Red-winged Blackbird
Mourning Dove
Cedar Waxwing (!!!)
Eastern Phoebe
Tree Swallow

Empty Great Horned Owl nest

                            Northern Cardinal (male) with a molting or mite issue ...

Recording bird behaviors on the trail

American Crow

Song Sparrow

Learning about Cedar Waxwings in the field guide - we saw one!

Eastern Phoebe

Look at the railing on the right for the Eastern Phoebe...

patiently and quietly, we approached...

Now the Phoebe's on the left railing...

 

Look how close we got!!!

Turkey Tail fungus

 

 

 

 

 Bird Nerd Salute!

 

Thank you to the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History for supporting KidSummer's new course, Birding 101!  What a memorable summer and don't forget...

it's COOL to be a Bird Nerd!

                    

8.14.14 - Birding 101- KidSummer - Cape Cod Museum of Natural History

John Wing Trail - Brewster, MA

 

After spending our morning indoors yesterday due to weather... we spent most of our time together today outdoors on this ideal beach day.  After our Bird Matching game & a snack... most of us got to sit inside the ENORMOUS inflatable Humpback Whale to learn more about them and to simply appreciate their immensity.  We actually sat inside while learning more about Humpback Whales and their anatomy and diet and history.  It was pretty crazy in there!  Certain pelagic birds (those who live on the open ocean for most of, if not all of their lives) have a relationship with the baleen whales called "commensalism" (they live together in harmony without harming the other).  Some birds are able to enjoy an easy meal of fish when the whales are busy filtering the fish through their baleen.  The birds don't harm the whale and the whales don't harm the fish.

Another mammal graced our path on the trail today, see photo below...

(double click on photos to enlarge)

 

Our List:

House Sparrow

Gray Catbird

Song Sparrow

Osprey

American Goldfinch

Black-capped Chickadee

Mourning Dove

Eastern Kingbird

Barn Swallow

Laughing Gull

Herring Gull

Tree Swallow

Thirsty House Sparrows

Juvenile House Sparrows

Osprey

Mourning Dove

Bird Nerds In Training...doin' their thing

This wild cottontail started to head RIGHT FOR US! 

Sooooo special

Bird Nerd Salute on the bench

Stuck in the MUD!

Pattern of bird footprints

Sea Lavender

Bird Name Game on the beach

You kinda can't beat the view of Cape Cod Bay...

They approved so much, the view got the

Bird Nerd Salute!

 

One more morning together with the KidSummer Bird Nerds In Training...gonna miss these ladies...