PI Birders,

This morning there were three AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHERS on Emerson Rocks
off Lot Seven of the refuge. For large shorebirds they were difficult
to pick out, often out of sight between large stones. It was over half
an hour before we (I had been joined by John Nelson, Oakes Spalding
and Herman d'Entremont) were sure there were three birds rather than
the two reported to Steve Grinley. Two Oystercatchers had been seen
there on the fifth by Oakes and Herman, so these are birds that might
be in the area for awhile. As the rocks were covered by tide the three
birds left together, flew south over the Bar Head rocks, and then
turned west and flew into Plum Island Sound to parts unknown.

Some other sightings today...

Common Eider -- one immature male off Lot Seven.

Black Scoter -- one adult male off Lot Seven.

Wilson's Storm-Petrels -- one (John had two) off Lot One, and four or
five off Emerson Rocks.

no Shearwaters or Jaegers

Northern Harrier -- one adult female over Pines Field, likely a local
breeder.

Spotted Sandpiper -- one probable juvenile on the beach at Lot Seven.

Short-billed Dowitchers -- 35 to 60 adult females (probably) various
locations around the south end of the island, including 35 feeding at
Sandy Pt.

American Woodcock -- one flew up out of the grass near the North Pool
Overlook.

Bonaparte's Gull -- ten Sandy Point.

Laughing Gull -- one+ one ocean, six flyby Emerson Rocks, one+ Sandy
Point.

Good birding,

Tom Wetmore
Newburyport, MA
http://bartonstreet.com/tom/birds/
Think globally, bird locally.

p.s. There have also been four large penguins near the Clam Shack
recently. Come by and check them out.