Focus on Shorebirds

The Newburyport/Plum Island area is one of the finest places along the East Coast for viewing shorebirds during fall migration. By early July, many of the shorebirds that have bred in northern Canada are already moving southward along the coast. The extensive mudflats near the mouth of the Merrimack River, the salt marshes in the Plum Island estuary, and the salt pannes and impoundments on the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge provide excellent feeding areas and roosting sites for these long-range migrants. - - Join us as we explore the Newburyport area looking for these fascinating birds. We expect to see black-bellied and semipalmated plovers, greater and lesser yellowlegs, semipalmated and least sandpipers, short-billed dowitchers, willets, Hudsonian godwits, and more. During our program, we will focus on the many aids to field identification including physical characteristics, habitat preference, and feeding techniques. Registration is required. Call 978-462-9998 for details. See http://www.massaudubon.org/catalog/listing.phpprogramcode=346-JF10SU1 for more information.