2 Yellow Crown Night Herons: " a hot time on the old coast today" plus Mendum's Pond

[Jeanne-Marie Maher]

Decided to make a day of it today, Started early on the coast before 7 am ,to avoid the crowds (which did appear).  

It was gorgeous and even required a bit of fleece in the early hours but of course that didn’t last long as temps careened from low 60’s to mid 90’s.

Birds were very active but quiet.  Impressive numbers of Tree Swallows, Barn Swallows,  (and a single Bank Swallow) throughout the coast.  Martins at Island Path, Cross beach (including the 4 end of the road on the cut), but no Cliff Swallows at Ft Constitution.  Did they even nest there this year?

Nice collection of Herons: Great Egrets, Great Blues, Snowys (mostly at Odiornne), Green Heron and  two odd looking Night Herons, which I thought were Yellow Crown (and have since confirmed with S. Mirick)  Off Worthley Ave in Seabrook in small Marsh.   (I have photos but haven’t downloaded to Flick’r yet)

2 lone Semipalmated Plovers, lots of Semipalmated Sandpipers,  Yellowlegs (both), Willets, a smattering of Least Sandpipers, Short Bill Dowitchers (Seabrook and Henry’s Pool), not a single Piping Plover even early in AM, one lone Sanderling

Terns: Roseate, Least, and many Commons

Finally gave a shot at the site Eric Masterson recommended: Mendum’s Pond on the way home.:  Hard to access but when I did was mostly rocky/grassy with 4 killdeer only in the lowered water from Dam work.  (It was however still in the 90’s and late in the day).  Perhaps someone else may have better luck.

Jeanne-Marie Maher

Nashua NH