But not before stopping at McDonald's, where we were rewarded with an Osprey.
When we got to the park, we were met with off-and-on rain, flooding (many closures), and mosquitos. Not the most fun conditions, but you just have to deal with it! Owen Point trail looked like this in some sections.
At one point, a C-177 Globemaster flew over. I was lucky enough to be one of the chosen cadets to go up in this plane. The one pictured here is the exact one that I went up in.
This Cherry-faced Meadowhawk was cooperative, however the angle it was perching at was not the best for photos.
There were a few Summer Azures flying around, along with Painted Ladies, Viceroys, and Monarchs (which I will start tagging soon).
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| Summer Azure |
Numerous birds were fliting about, such as chickadees, woodpeckers, robins, Eastern Kingbirds, and a Brown Thrasher.
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| Black-capped Chickadee |
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| Pileated Woodpecker |
Along the shoreline, gulls and terns were quite numerous.
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| Caspian Tern |
This Bonaparte's Gull got me a bit excited when I first saw it from a far. Upon closer inspection I couldn't turn it into a Franklin's Gull.
Shorebirds were hard to find, but I did eventually find a nice little pocket of seven species. Least Sandpipers (note the diagnostic yellow legs) were the most numerous, followed by Semipalmated Sandpipers, Semipalmated Plovers, Baird's Sandpipers, and singles of Black-bellied Plover, Spotted Sandpiper, and Sanderling.
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| Least Sandpiper |
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| Spotted Sandpiper |
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| Semipalmated Plover |
Double-crested Cormorants were everywhere, as they nest on Gull Island.
The Marsh Boardwalk was closed due to flooding, but from the observation tower we saw a Great Egret and heard a few Marsh Wrens.
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| Great Egret |
We finished off the day at the lighthouse. By this point the weather was turning quite bad.
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| Double-crested Cormorant |
Considering the conditions it was a pretty good outing, and I recorded 47 species. I can only imagine what the park is like during peak migration (it is still a little bit early for a major influx of shorebirds).
On the way home we stopped at the Big Apple. I found this sign a bit funny.
I'm sure it will be a busy next few weeks as I try to get in as much birding as I can before school starts up again. Fall migration has just begun!!!
