Local birding report

Despite the lingering snow of late March, spring migration is well underway. Certain birds mark the changing of the seasons for me and there is something special about the arrival of Fox Sparrows every spring that renews my spirit. This lusty, robust ground sparrow is a wild bird of thicket and forest and typically does not linger long in our backyards on its way north to the Canadian boreal forests.

Amongst the dozen or so Song Sparrows, three White-throated Sparrows and pair of Dark-eyed Juncos below our bird feeder on March 23, the Fox Sparrow stood out in the crowd. Slightly larger than a bluebird and with a uniform comprised of rich rusty-chestnut and white with broad spots and streaks below, this bird is one of sparrows that scratches the ground with two feet at once.

Later in the afternoon along Trundy Point my youngest son and I came upon a single Yellow-rumped Warbler foraging within the tiny swath of pines, the soft golden light filtered through the branches illuminating the bird with a warm, almost ethereal glow. A flock of seven Cedar Waxwings passed overhead.

A few additional notes from the yard and field over the last two weeks include, on March 25 within a small pond along Wells Road I came across an uncommon migrant to Cape, a pair of Northern Shovelers. This dabbling duck’s specialized bill is shaped like a shovel, measuring nearly an inch longer than a Mallard’s and containing nearly a hundred fine, comb-like projections that serve to filter out seeds, aquatic invertebrates and tiny crustaceans from the water.

The female’s plumage is mottled brown and similar to a female mallard but has an extensive bright orange bill. Males exhibit a bright white chest, rusty side and a bright green head, Ornithologist Edward Howe Forbush once stated “The Shoveller stands alone. No other duck in North America carries about such a long, broad and extremely specialized spatulate bill, and no other exhibits in the full plumage of the handsome male so peculiar an arrangement of striking colors. It bears no close resemblance to any other bird.”

On March 28 the first Brown-headed Cowbird arrived in our yard; fortunately it was run off by a Sharp-shinned Hawk. That evening my wife alerted me to an owl calling outside. I stepped out into the starey darkness and stood listening.

Shortly thereafter an eerie guttural squawk pierced the stillness and my imagination went into overdrive—spinning possibilities from logical to the most outlandish (Great blue heron). Great-horned Owls are known for their range of vocalization and a mating pair will often communicate with squawks and chitters. As I had heard two owls calling to each other several nights prior, the noise I was hearing was likely coming from a female Great-horned Owl calling to her mate to hurry up and bring food back to the nest.

Also, on March 29 along the Sawyer Road section of the Spurwink River I noted a flock of twenty or more Green-winged Teals, two Greater Yellowlegs and a Northern Harrier. On this same day I spotted a Northern Harrier flying below the Cliff Walk in Fort Williams.

And last but not least, on the cold, soggy afternoon of March 30 along the Spurwink River Crossing, I was observing four Snow Geese flying high out over the marsh when a fellow birder directed my attention to a spot along the far bank of the tidal river where a Wilson’s Snipe was hunkered down.

Elusive as it is interesting, this robin-sized member of the Sandpiper family’s camouflaged coloration allows it to blend into the wet meadows, marshlands and bogs that it dwells in. Wilson’s Snipes are equipped with eyes set far back on their heads, allowing the bird to see in almost every direction.

Snipes also have long, flexible bills which are roughly one-third of its body length. This distinguishing characteristic allows the bird to probe for food deep within the soil. Their feeding habits contribute to soil aeration, which enhances nutrient cycling and supports plant growth. Additionally, the presence of Wilson’s Snipes serves as a reliable indicator of wetland vitality— habitats like the Spurwink Marsh are among the richest and most diverse on the planet. Protecting them, along with their inhabitants, is crucial for sustaining global biodiversity.

During the coming weeks males will fly high in the sky over the marsh making haunting whistling noised, referred to as “winnowing.” Henry David Thoreau described hearing his first snipe of the season in one of his journal entries as “a-lulling the watery meadows, fanning in the air like a spirit over some far meadow’s bay.”

Although hiding is one of the snipe’s primary defenses, this “shorebird” is primed to make a quick escape if a threat presents itself. Snipes are equipped with huge pectoral muscles that make up more than a quarter of their weight. These muscles allow them to quickly reach speeds up to 60 mph. Both speed and an erratic flight style helps this secretive bird to stay safe from the predators of the marsh. Interestingly, the word “sniper” originated among British soldiers in India during the 1770s as they hunted for snape.