7-22-22 Private Walk   Bell's Neck Conservation Lands                                                      Harwich, MA      (bird sighting list and photos below)

It is always a lovely surprise to hear from bird nerds that I've known for years and when I heard from Jim and Pam wanting to schedule a guided bird walk - I was thrilled!  We opted for Bell's Neck in Harwich, a new spot to them and a diverse location for a bird walk.  There are 259 acres that make up this conservation area and it includes varied habitats; including woodlands, a salt water marsh and a fresh water reservoir.  This diverse ecosystem did not disappoint.  Be sure to check out our bird species list below.

I realize not every person is willing to go for a hike when it's abundantly sunny, 85 degrees and humid, but I have to say, we did well.  We immediately started spotting birds even in the small woodsy parking area on Bell's Neck Road.  As soon as we got out of our cars, there were 3 Gray Catbirds who didn't seem to be all that excited about our arrival.  Across the way in the West Reservoir (fresh water), we immediately began spotting and hearing species after species.  One of the great things about birding in my opinion is that it gets you to slow down, watch, listen, appreciate and learn.  There's always something to learn when you do that I find.  I also feel strongly that when you are on the lookout for birds in particular, it's more about the quality, rather than the quantity.  What I mean is that of course it's fantastic to see as many bird species as possible, and WE DID!  You don't necessarily have to cover an expansive territory to do so when you get to take in protected habitats such as this.

We did enjoy a nice hike on the shaded wooded trail.  I was hoping to get a closer peek at the Belted Kingfisher seen perching on a branch over the water from farther away.  He never did show up again, but we got to hear his call when we admired him through binoculars.  Spectacular bird!  Once we got deeper into the woods and could get a new perspective though, there was a Great Egret Jim spotted in the distance and a pair of terns (I could not tell which tern species - they were too distant) who seemed to be battling over something.  Perhaps they were siblings, learning arial acrobatics.

It was important to me to end the walk with a flourish and I wanted to get to the foot bridge over the marsh along the Herring River to see and hear what we would see and hear.  What a view!  Though Mute Swans are an invasive species, they are always a bird that gives pause. They paddle so elegantly through the water.  

A Friday morning bird walk was an ideal way to welcome this late July weekend, for what I feel is the very best time of year here on the Cape.  The photos tell the best story. Thank you so much Pam, Jim, Faye and Keith!  I anxiously await our next Cape Cod Bird Nerd walk!

Our List: (double click photos in gallery below to enlarge)

Gray Catbird  

Double-crested Cormorant  

Fish Crow  

Mute Swan  

Red-winged Blackbird

American Goldfinch  

Eastern Kingbird  

Eastern Towhee  

Belted Kingfisher  

Ring-billed Gull  

Laughing Gull  

Song Sparrow  

Great Egret  

Pine Warbler  

Hairy Woodpecker  

Common Grackle  

Tern(not sure what species) 

Mallard  

Osprey  

Tufted Titmouse  

Chipping Sparrow  

American Robin  

Eastern Wood-Pewee  

Black-capped Chickadee  

Red-tailed Hawk  

Snowy Egret

Gray Catbird

Double-crested Cormorants

Fish Crows

Great Egret

Great Egret

Great Egret

Mamma Mallard and her 3 ducklings

Song Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Snowy Egret

Mute Swans

Admiring Mute Swans

Black-capped Chickadee

Eastern Wood-Pewee (VERY HARD TO SEE.  Not the greatest photo)

Great Egret

Double-crested Cormorant & a pair of Fish Crows

Monarch Butterfly

Red-winged Blackbird - male

Fish Crow

Red-winged Blackbird - male

Red-winged Blackbird - male

American Goldfinch - male

Mrs. & Mr. American Goldfinch 
SHE is in the bottom left corner of the photo!

Mute Swan & Double-crested Cormorant

Fish Crows

Fish Crow & Eastern Kingbird pair
The Fish Crow was an intruder

Fish Crows in flight

Bird Nerds

Osprey

Feather in our path

Butterflies are not my specialty at all, but I think this is a Brown Elfin Butterfly

Happy Birding! 

 7-11-22  Bird Nerd Moment - South Dennis

This week marks a career anniversary for me.  I will have been a certified early education teacher for a year now.  I'm not sure why it took me so long to find this particular path.  Perhaps it was exactly the right time though.  I am certain that I found just the right spot to land, sprout roots and grow.  I was welcomed from the moment I walked into Scargo School.  It has been a great fit for me ever since and I am a proud member of the teaching team there.  As a bird nerd, I enjoy working with people of all ages.  One of the things I enjoy the most about working with youngsters is learning what they know and what they are willing to share.  I get to learn with them and I get to show them things and they observe from where they are.  Sometimes I am greeted in the morning with, "Miss Gretchen!  I saw a bird!".  This opens a new discussion about that particular bird/birds and the learning continues.  Birds are amazing.  That people notice them and are interested in them and care about them is an important fascination to pass along.  Check out what this young guy had to say about something discovered during our time together at day camp.  I am so proud of him!  

What is that on the ground?

I strongly recommend looking around when you're outside, no matter what season.  It would be a bummer to miss such things to admire.

Happy Birding!

 6-26-2022  Bird Nerd Memory Moment                                                                                  South Yarmouth

I filmed this video ten years ago this week.  I thought it was fitting to re-share it as I have just launched my new website that I am very excited about.  Ten years ago I stalked this flicker family for two weeks in order to get this shaky sequence.  Equally important, I felt it was a good space to correct myself.  In my original posting of this video I took in my own back yard, I called the adult Northern Flicker as "momma".  The adult bird feeding the screaming, hungry, demanding younsters in this video is actually "dada".  I point this out because I love learning about birds and I want to get it right.  I make mistakes too.  That's OK.  Humans do!  VERY OK!  I find it is often the very best way to learn.  I hope you enjoy the video and I recommend, SOUND ON!

                                                          Northern Flicker family lunch

Happy Birding!

6-21-22  Bird Nerd Moment                                                                     Yarmouth, MA

I'm very excited to share this!!!  Today is the day I decided to introduce capecodbirdnerd.com!  

Summer is my favorite season and right now on Cape Cod, the juvenile song birds are in every direction - NEW SEASON! NEW LIFE!  NEW WEBSITE!  NEW BIRD NERDS!!!  

I have been working with a very talented artist/graphic designer for some time now.  Miriam Voros, of MVArtistri, crafted my new logo with my detailed specifications.  We worked so well together I asked her if she would also design my website.  I am so grateful for her patience with me and my ideas and her ability to gather them all to create this next phase of my business.  We are artistic collaborators and I cannot say enough about her artwork. 

STICKERS FOR PURCHASE

Featured above, is my new cape cod bird nerd logo, in sticker form!  They are for purchase, click here for info on stickers.  I hope you enjoy the website and the new logo and there will be more merch coming.  I wanted to share and I am grateful that you are here too, and so are the birds.

Thank you💚

                              Gretchen, AKA the Cape Cod Bird Nerd