an early fall day

A northwest wind and a dramatic drop in humidity produced a brilliant fall-like morning with one one thing missing: a major fall-out of migratory birds. However there were two interesting birds seen in silhouette against the light of the rising sun at the edge of the marsh early this morning (the sun just about making it over the Pine Neck trees at 6:30 am) but I couldn't identify them until they took off sounding the unmistakeable 'pink' 'pink' of Bobolinks. There were also a few Redstarts around -- female and first-year males -- but not much else in the way of migrants. There are at least two young Green Herons still up and about on the edges of the marsh to the mild consternation of the local Blue Jays who continue to harass them, apparently in the belief that they are raptors of some sort.

There were also a few Purple Martins flying somewhere high (I could hear them) but the Bay Avenue Purple Martin nest structure has been removed (most if not all of the Martins had already graduated) and there is work going on at the Town 'Marine Park' at the foot of Bay Avenue -- an expansion of the Town Marina I would guess. Hope there is a place there for the Martin colony next year. If there's no longer room for it on the Town site, maybe it can go up on our side of the property line.

One of the birds that is definitely on the move is the Belted Kingfisher. Although I didn't mention it in my post yesterday, there were several of these birds moving along the shore and some of the birds that are showing up on the creek here may also be migrants.

Eric Salzman