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. Other shorebirds included Sanderlings and Dunlin. Foraging along the shore, they took to flight numerous times. We finally glimpsed […]
The Best Summer Photos from Long Beach
August 14, 2016 By
A number of talented photographers joined Goldenrod’s bird walks on Long Beach in Plymouth this summer. They shot and shared gorgeous photos. Honestly, there were so many “best” photos that I couldn’t include them all. The most accurate title for this post might be: Some of the MANY incredible images taken by persistent and talented photographers with big lenses […]
Photos & Lists from our Early June Birding Trips on Long Beach
June 5, 2016 By
Plymouth Long Beach in June is always a hit for birders. Not only can nesting birds, such as the Willet above (photo by Stan Deutsch), be found, but migratory shorebirds, Osprey, bank swallows, horned larks and lingering sea ducks abound. Highlights included Red Knots, Black Skimmers, and nesting Piping Plover and Least Terns. Enjoy this […]
Off to a Good Start with a New Year’s Day Birding Trip
January 2, 2016 By
This year’s New Year’s Day birding trip on Plymouth Long Beach didn’t disappoint. The weather was beautiful; in fact, it was a balmy 42 degrees with partial sunshine and a brisk wind. Our group of nine eager birders walked from the Goldenrod field station along the beach and around the northern tip of Long Beach. We […]
Plymouth Christmas Bird Count Surprises
December 20, 2015 By
Each year, in lieu of hunting them for sport, thousands of Americans pursue birds with binoculars to identify and count them in support of the Christmas Bird Count or CBC, overseen by the National Audubon Society and now in its 116th year. A CBC count circle is 15 miles in diameter; the Plymouth circle, which I participated in, stretches from the […]
Lovely Day for Birding on Long Beach
December 14, 2015 By
What a day for birding on Long Beach! The temperature was close to 60 degrees and the sky overcast, providing excellent viewing conditions. We could clearly see the markings on these White-winged Scoters and other birds. (Photo above by Debbie Plume.) Our leader, Soheil Zendeh, pointed out colorful sea ducks, stately Great Blue Herons, a soaring Northern […]
Long Beach Birding Trip Report, Nov. 16
November 20, 2015 By
We enjoyed a warm day for our birding trip on November 16 and had many great sightings. A highlight for many was seeing an immature peregrine falcon stoop on a flock of Dunlin. It was unsuccessful in securing a meal. Long-tailed ducks entertained us with delicious views, as did Snow Buntings. Several other species of […]
World Shorebirds Day Field Trip Results
September 7, 2015 By
On World Shorebirds Day – September 6 – hundreds of ardent birders across the globe identified and counted their local shorebirds. In Plymouth, Massachusetts, Soheil Zendeh and Dorie Stolley led a trip for Goldenrod Foundation on Long Beach with 13 participants including Lisa Schibley of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN). (Photo above by […]
Shorebirds in Migration: A Field Trip with Brian Harrington
May 27, 2015 By
“What draws thousands of migrating shorebirds to Plymouth and Long Beach?” questions Brian Harrington, an ornithologist and our guide and teacher for the day. The students, recent graduates of Goldenrod’s Beach Ambassador program, suggest various answers: marine worms, food, beaches, habitat. “Yes,” says Brian, “it’s the incredible food resource the birds can find in Plymouth, Kingston, […]
Plymouth Christmas Bird Count 2014-15
December 22, 2014 By
The totals are in from the Plymouth Christmas Bird Count held on December 17, thanks to compiler Trevor Lloyd-Evans of Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences. The area covered annually on this citizen science project is a 7.5-mile radius circle centered at the Pinehills, which includes ponds, beaches, forest, roadsides and backyard bird feeders. Twenty-six birders, including […]
