after the storm

The T-storm hit at about 5 am shortly before dawn and it was followed by gusty breezes from the southwest. I was up and out early enough to catch the aftermath of the storm which clearly stirred the pot. The first thing I saw was small groups of American Robins  headed the wrong way -- southwest to northeast. This was followed shortly by masses of blackbirds -- mainly Red-winged Blackbirds but including a few Common Grackles and a high percentage of young birds. They clustered all around the marsh and pond edge in the dead trees killed by Sandy, clucking and chattering away. Two young Green Herons with streaked necks looked quite bedraggled; one had downy feathers still sticking out of its head as though it had just emerged from the nest -- and, indeed, perhaps it had just emerged from the nest! An adult Snowy Egret appeared on the pond with a young-looking bird -- possibly its offspring. And a juvenile Spotted Sandpiper prowled the muddy pond edges.

An excess of Catbirds probably included some birds on the move; there is a strong Catbird migration through our area but because this is such a common local bird, it is not much noticed. The same is true of the Am Robin but Robins fly high and in groups making their movements more obvious.

Eric Salzman