On Monday morning, June 2nd, the Wildlife and Habitat committee held it’s second annual spring bird walk at the Quonochontaug Breachway. Due to the poor weather this spring, the event unfortunately had to be rescheduled a couple of times. Regardless as to the challenges, our group of five had a terrific outing, with clear skies, light winds and temps in the high 50s.

Soon after we started, two beautiful Mute Swans flew overhead and out over the pond. It was a good omen for the day. With low-tide nearing, the many shorebirds out on the spit were busily feeding on a range of invertebrates such as insects, worms, mollusks, and crustaceans. This included Willets, Rudy Turnstones, Sanderlings, Dunlin, Least Sandpipers and Semipalmated Sandpipers – with a typical mixed flock of Herring, Ring-billed and Laughing gulls resting easy nearby. Least and Common Terns made several passes overhead, as did Tree and Barn Swallows, while several Ospreys actively fished the pond and breachway!

Spring Migration at the Breachway

In total, the hour-long survey led by Bill McNee yielded 40 species, including a beautiful Green Heron that gave us a good look as it flew overhead. A highlight for the group were the sightings of several beautiful Yellow Warblers, Common Yellowthroat and Willow Flycatchers that all make their home at the breachway each spring and summer after migration, and having the Merlin app pick up the call of a Chestnut-sided Warbler. There have been some fun warblers passing through the breachway this spring, including a Bay-breasted Warbler found just the other day by Barbara Seith. Prior to finishing up, the group surveyed the road back toward the parking lot cut-out halfway to the entrance – where we found a flock of Cedar Waxwing, a Towhee, and several Egrets.

Prior to the group arriving, Bill McNee made an initial pass starting around 6:45am that similarly yielded 41 species, including a few that we didn’t see or hear during the formal bird walk survey. This included Black-bellied and Semi-palmated Plover, a solitary Short-billed Dowitcher and a Bonaparte’s Gull out on the spit, and an American Redstart (warbler) on the drive to the main parking lot. Combining the two eBird lists, a total of 48 species – which is a very good day of birding indeed.

While we missed out on catching a glimpse of the migrating Red Knots (sighted and photographed by Niall Doherty out on the spit just two days prior), as they say – there is always “next year.”

Photo credits: Bill McNee