North Point State Park - Bird Walk for Beginners

We knew it was going to be an exciting day of birding -  23 species were counted just from the parking lot!   A majority of the participants had just started birding - a few others had only been birding for a few years.  North Point is a perfect place for birders of any level - there are woods, wetlands, fields, and the Chesapeake Bay shoreline.  It's very easy walking, and from Memorial Day to Labor Day, a visitors center is open.


Along the marsh trail we added Gadwall, Mallard, Canada Goose, Green-winged and Blue-winged Teal, Hooded and Common Mergansers, and a Little Blue Heron was tucked in the corner.

Blue--winged Teal 
photo by Marisa Galitz



We got great looks at two Eastern Phoebes - they put on a good "tail pumping" show. 

Osprey
photo by Marisa Galitz
We also saw migrating Northern Harriers - including the "gray ghost" (male)!

Black Vulture
photo by Marisa Galitz



Doris remarked how beautiful this area was -- blue sky, pale tall trees, and green evergreens

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Scat from ?

 

The Chesapeake Bay!  Buffleheads and Double--crested Cormorants were spotted from here.  Unfortunately my recently repaired spotting scope is stuck in a California port so we couldn't see what other ducks were floating in the distance.

The refurbished jetty is beautiful.  Wind gusts were so powerful Doris thought we should link arms so we wouldn't be carried off.  A Red-breasted Merganser flew by us here, and Great-blacked Gulls were close by.

 

Thanks all for a fun morning of birding.  Here is our bird list - 44 species:

 

Canada Goose  6

Wood Duck  2
Gadwall  4
Mallard  4
Green-winged Teal  6
Blue-winged Teal 3
Bufflehead  12
Hooded Merganser  4
Common Merganser  2
Red-breasted Merganser  1
Double-crested Cormorant  6
Great Blue Heron  1
Little Blue Heron  1
Black Vulture  1
Turkey Vulture  8
Osprey  4
Northern Harrier  3
Bald Eagle  5
Red-shouldered Hawk  1
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Ring-billed Gull  X
Herring Gull  X
Great Black-backed Gull  3
Belted Kingfisher  1
Red-bellied Woodpecker  2
Downy Woodpecker  4
Northern Flicker  2
Pileated Woodpecker  2
Eastern Phoebe  2
Blue Jay  2
American Crow  5
Tree Swallow  15
Carolina Chickadee  2
Tufted Titmouse  1
Carolina Wren  2
American Robin  8
Brown Thrasher  1
European Starling  7
Eastern Towhee  1
Song Sparrow  1
White-throated Sparrow  3
Dark-eyed Junco  5
Northern Cardinal  6
Red-winged Blackbird  9

Also - lots of Wood Frogs and Spring Peepers calling

Mourning Cloak Butterfly

? Snake