Autumn birding on Long Beach is a treat and our recent trip was no exception. Many of the wintering birds, such as the Brant above, have arrived, and migrants, like the Black-bellied Plovers below, are lingering.
Black-bellied Plovers in their winter plumage lack the black belly, as do juveniles.
Other shorebirds included Sanderlings and Dunlin. Foraging along the shore, they took to flight numerous times.
Sanderlings in flight. Perhaps a Dunlin is in the flock
We finally glimpsed what was putting them up in the air – a Peregrine Falcon!
Peregrine Falcons are occasional visitors to Long Beach
Birds aren’t the only attraction on the beach. This horseshoe crab shell was a good find.
Thanks to our trip leader, Soheil Zendeh, for a delightful trip.
And, thanks to field trip participant and photographer, Sherry Carney, for all of the photos used in this post.
Full list of birds seen
Brant 52
Mute Swan 1
American Black Duck 44
Mallard 20
Green-winged Teal 18
Common Eider 6
Surf Scoter 34
White-winged Scoter 28
Black Scoter 1
Long-tailed Duck 56
Bufflehead 7
Red-breasted Merganser 19
Red-throated Loon 68
Common Loon 26
Horned Grebe 10
Red-necked Grebe 1
Northern Gannet 8
Double-crested Cormorant 42
Great Blue Heron 2
Northern Harrier 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Black-bellied Plover 10
Sanderling 177
Dunlin 157
Bonaparte’s Gull 18
Laughing Gull 3
Ring-billed Gull 11
Herring Gull 94
Great Black-backed Gull 27
Forster’s Tern 13 Seen well
Peregrine Falcon 1
Blue Jay 1
American Crow 2
European Starling 8
Snow Bunting 75
warbler sp. (Parulidae sp.) 1
Song Sparrow 3
American Goldfinch 2
