Cape Cod

The day was cold and windy, with temps hardly breaking 30 degrees and the wind bringing the “feels like” temp to 20.  Our small group left Ludlow and headed straight for Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge on Morris Island in Chatham. The trip was scheduled for Falmouth and Sandwich birding, but that plan was rerouted when we read about various sightings of a western hawk in the Chatham area.  It was a Ferruginous Hawk, very rare in this locale, and would be a state bird for most birders gathered there that morning.  The parking lot was full and there was even a reporter from the Cape Cod Times present to capture a few photos and get the birding excitement in the news.  While hunting for the hawk, we managed to spot a Hermit Thrush, several Northern Gannets, Common Loons, Long-tailed Ducks, White-winged Scoters and a Cooper’s Hawk that flew in, just a few feet in front of us, and perched very close in a leafless shrub.  He did not seem daunted by the small crowd of birders gathered there.  Alas, the Ferruginous Hawk was not to be found by anyone that day.  Many birders had been there before daylight in heated search, so by 11:30 AM we gave up hope and turned our combing to less rare species at other locations.

Since we were so far out on the Cape, we decided to hit some beaches that had never been explored on this annual January trip.  At West Dennis Beach the reported Lesser Black-backed Gull was observed in good light, along with 15 Sanderlings, and Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead and Common Eider were surfing the waters.  

Onward to the next stop, Eugenia Fortes Beach in Hyannis, home of the Kennedy Compound.  We searched in vain for the reported Black-headed Gull, but this bird was also not to be spotted by any-one that day.  While walking the beach, we passed in front of the Kennedy mansion.  Interesting, but we agreed that finding the gull would have been our preference.  

The next stop on our route brought us to the Mill Pond at Marston’s Mill.  Here we racked up a few dabbling ducks, including Green-winged Teal and Northern Pintail, as well as a couple of Mute Swans.  Next, we headed back to the shore to Loop Beach in Cotuit and were rewarded with a male and female Barrow’s Goldeneye among the many Common Goldeneye.

We next journeyed inland to Old Meeting House Road in Falmouth, where we hoped to find an Ash-throated Flycatcher that was most recently spotted just two hours previous to our arrival.  This flycatcher is a western bird, whose winter range is Mexico and Central America.  Unfortunately for us, a Sharp-shinned Hawk swept low in the area as we approached and a Red-tailed Hawk was perched in the tree right above.  This could very well be the reason we did not get eyes on the flycatcher.

Shawme Pond in Sandwich was next, and while driving in we noticed a throng of ducks at the north end of the pond.  Searching through 130 American Wigeon and a few Hooded Mergansers, we found the lone male Eurasian Wigeon.  It is a stunning bird and the light was great for us to take it all in.  Also at Shawme were a Ring-necked Duck, 45 Gadwall, 2 Bufflehead, Mallards and Canada Geese.  The trees and bushes along the shore often give us a variety of land birds and this day was no different.  We picked up a flock of 50 Robins, a Hairy and a Red-bellied Woodpecker, a Tufted Titmouse, 2 White-throated and 3 Song Sparrows, 3 White-breasted Nuthatches, a Catbird and another Cooper’s Hawk perched low nearby.

It was getting late, and skipping Town Neck Rd, we sped over to Scusset Beach only to find that the gates to the beach close at 4:00 PM.  The guard was nice enough to allow us entrance at 3:45 for a quick look around.  Not having time to walk out to the beach overlook, we settled for scanning the canal to find a Great Cormorant, 4 Red-breasted Mergansers, 3 Common Loons, 22 White-winged Scoters, Black Ducks, Mallards and a raft of 500+ Common Eider, but no Razorbills.

Our last stop with dimming light was at the south end of Great Herring Pond.  Here we added 60 Lesser Scaup, 15 Common Goldeneye, a Hooded Merganser, 3 Common Loons and another Great Cormorant.  By dark we had identified a total of 48 species.  It turned out to be a great birding day after all, despite the cold weather!