Brewster, MA
We had a brisk start to our day with the wind working against us, but what a lovely walk it was this morning! We had some newcomers visiting from England - such a treat! I find it's a simple reminder to NOT take the species we see as "just a this, or just a that" because they're our their fighting for their own survival, invasive species or not. More often than not, I believe species typically become invasive due to human well-intentioned ignorance... sigh. We are not perfect. We make mistakes. OK - time to enjoy the birds.
Tuesday Tweets has grown to an enthusiastic bunch of smiling nature-loving 'regulars' as well - which makes my soul happy. Knowing that these trails, even though so well-traveled and familiar, manage to delight those of us who know them by heart, is a gift worth sharing. I love exploring new places, but when you come to know that fallen tree and those lichen covered rocks, they begin to tell their own seasonal stories.
I opted to NOT walk the beach this morning. When it's as windy as it was, even though we would've probably had a much closer viewing of the Brant in the distance, when you're watching birds with binoculars in that weather, your hands are shaking, your eyes are watering and it can be bone-chilling. That's no fun. The woods were happy to have us marching through this way and that and we got to observe some of the plants as well, some of them quite showy in their autumn shades.
It's always nice when a Grand Finale occurs... usually when you least expect it. The raptor that was soaring right above our heads and the salt marsh at the very end of our walk I will re-identify as a juvenile Cooper's Hawk. I studied and cross-compared. Sometimes when I have a spectacular photo (THANK YOU RICK!!!) of the bird, when I'm reviewing our adventure, I can then properly identify a bird. I do believe it was a juvenile Cooper's Hawk; more than likely a female because she was BIG for a Cooper's Hawk. (double click photos to enlarge)
Our List:
House Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Black-capped Chickadee
Blue Jay
American Goldfinch
American Crow
Northern Flicker
Northern Cardinal
European Starling
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brant
Yellow-rumped Warbler (sadly don't think anyone else saw...)
Red-tailed Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Turkey Vulture
Glasswort (sea pickle) casting marsh shadows in fall colors
Northern Flicker (PHOTO CREDIT: RICK)
Woodsy view of Paine's Creek in Brewster
Great Blue Heron hunting on Cape Cod Bay
Tuesday Tweeters
Red-tailed Hawk (PHOTO CREDIT:RICK)
Cooper's Hawk - juvenile (PHOTO CREDIT: RICK)
Next opportunity for Tuesday Tweets: 11.1.16 $2Members/$4Non-members
Happy Birding!
Spectacular! Thanks for sharing this great outing. Loved the regal flicker most of all!
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