OK, all of this rain is getting a bit old. While we did have a very enjoyable - and dry - birdwalk on Saturday, my Sunday outing was a washout. A quick check of the radar before I left the house suggested that there was only one blob of rain to contend with. I would either drive through that, or have to wait out the end of it by the time I got down to Sprawlborough Marsh.

And, that was right on. The rain came to an end as I turned onto Pine Point Road, and I made my way onto the beach and up towards the expansive sandbar and mudflats at low tide in the Pine Point Narrows. My timing was perfect - the tide was just beginning to come in, and birds were active. Dozens of Common Terns were feeding in the surf, catching small fish to feed to begging juveniles lined up on the beach. About 100 Bonaparte's Gulls were feeding along the channel, along with 75+ Short-billed Dowitchers, and a smattering of other species. Perfect conditions, perfect timing, and I just knew that there was a rarity to be found.

My enjoyment lasted all of about a half-hour. That's when some very distant thunder quickly became some not-so-distant thunder. I could see the wall of rain inching its way up Old Orchard Beach, so I - and the dozens of walkers, dog-walkers, fishermen, etc - all made an abrupt turn back to the parking lot. I made it just as the skies completely opened up. Unfortunately, this was no passing downpour. Torrential rains lasted nearly an hour, and after waiting in the car at Pine Point, I finally gave up, cut my losses, and headed to Yarmouth to take the early shift at the store. (Of course, the sun came out about an hour later - figures!). While I was in fact hoping to be out in some rain - as I have just begun my next product review for Birding magazine on the new Leica Ultravid HD's that have this remarkable new hydro-phobic lens coating - this was just a little too much rain for my tastes, and too much rain for birding - even with binoculars with hydro-phobic lenses.

As the tide was heading out in the afternoon, I visited Brunswick's Wharton Point to check on the shorebirds there. There were significantly fewer than a week ago, but numbers of Lesser Yellowlegs in particular were still quite impressive. A single Ruddy Turnstone was rather unusual for this location # I don't think that I've had one here before. Here's the count:
118 Lesser Yellowlegs
79 Short-billed Dowitchers
48 Semipalmated Sandpipers
22 Semipalmated Plovers
13 Greater Yellowlegs
7 Black-bellied Plovers
3 Least Sandpipers
1 Ruddy Turnstone

Luckily, feeder-watching from the dry-side of the window continues to be very productive, both here at the store, and at our home. At home, it is now downright dangerous to be out on the back porch. At least 5 Ruby-throated Hummingbirds continue in our yard, and are constantly fighting. They chase each other in circles around the house, and one needs to be careful not to be speared by one as you round a corner! Also at home, Jeannette and I have been enjoying an interesting behavior by an Ovenbird. Normally secretive forest ground-dwellers, this one bird has taken to sitting on the edge of our woods just behind our feeding station, and sallying for flying insects. I have never seen this behavior from an Ovenbird.

Anyway, my luck with the weather on Monday was slightly better. After giving a talk to the Yarmouth Rotary Club breakfast, I headed back down to Sprawlborough Marsh to try again. I once again started at Pine Point Beach as the tide began to roll in. At the Pine Point Narrows, most of the shorebirds had already begun to move upriver, but the tern show was excellent! All four regular species (it was a 5th species of tern that I was hoping for today!) were present on the sandbar: lots of Commons, at least three Roseates, two Arctics, and some Least Terns feeding fresh-out-of-the-colony juveniles (good to see!). 100+ Bonaparte's Gulls were present as well, many of them doing their foot-shuffling feeding "dance."

So I followed the shorebirds upriver a bit, and had my largest counts from the day from the pier at the Pine Point Co-op area. The number of Semipalmated Sandpipers grew rapidly as the tide was coming in, as birds were leaving the rapidly-inundated muddy creek edges and concentrating along Jones Creek. Many were heading straight offshore, likely to Stratton Island to roost. Fewer birds were heading upriver to roost in the marsh's salt pannes. No doubt all of our rainfall has filled the pans with so much water that these small shorebirds can't find a dry place to stand, and therefore were switching to the offshore, rocky roosting location. Here are my counts from Pine Point:
600+ Semipalmated Sandpipers
500+ Semipalmated Plovers
127 Short-billed Dowitchers
~30 Black-bellied Plovers
14 Greater Yellowlegs
~10 Ruddy Turnstones (I had over 50 from the beach)
12 "Eastern" Willets
9 Whimbrels (a good total)
2 AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHERS (always a treat!)
2 Lesser Yellowlegs
2 White-rumped Sandpipers

I checked a few other marsh locations, and then after lunch I decided to walk out to the salt pannes along the Eastern Road Trail to test my hypothesis. Sure enough, there was a lot of water, and not that many birds, although I did have one group of about 100 Semipalmated Sandpipers, plus a smattering of Least Sandpipers, and about 30 Lesser Yellowlegs. The highlight however, was a fluffy juvenile Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow that was struggling to follow its parent around. It only had the beginnings of wing feathers, no tail, and a still mostly-down body. It was simply adorable! But, a bird this young out of the nest was probably only occurring because its nest had been flooded out by the high water. No doubt that this was one of the lucky ones. But, there were quite a few other Saltmarsh Sharp-tails around, and plenty of Nelson's, and sure enough, the one Seaside Sparrow continues to sing away from his usual spot.

And, just as I began my walk back to the car, a Peregrine Falcon - an adult, and probably a male - flew overhead to put an exclamation point on my day. But, even better was the fact that this morning's rain showers had ended by the time I arrived in Sprawlborough, and they didn't resume - except for a few sprinkles here and there- until I was heading north! So today, the birds, tide, and weather all cooperated, well, except for that rarity that I was feeling!

P.S. I'm making one last - I promise! - request to take a moment to fill out my little blog survey. Please!?