Date— 17 October 2017
Participants— Cathy Bevier, Louis Bevier, Kaimyn O’Neill, Kate O’Halloran
It was a spectacular autumn day with a cloudless sky and plenty of “effective” sunshine. As we approached the island, Louis spotted flocks of migratory songbirds, mostly Yellow-rumped Warblers, staging for the next leg of their trip south. So he went to work immediately to scope out what species were around, and in what abundances (see his trip report at the link below). Once again, the island crew was so generous and helpful, even with their hands full with all the seasonal tasks. We’re grateful for all their support this past year, which certainly included dynamics new to the island schedule.
Goals today were to do one last round of looking and listening for my soundscape ecology project, to set out sound recorders for the day, and to make individual recordings of at least two species of bumblebees. We accomplished all three, and even found a few Red-backed Salamanders (Plethodon cinereus) and Green Frogs. The
flower garden still had lots of flowers and was alive with activity. Bumblebees buzz as they foray between buds, and there were also several species of flies enjoying the nectar. Some of the forested areas were also still productive and many bird species were singing away either during a migratory stopover, or maintaining their sites as year-round residents
Louis’s ebird list
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S39979530