A group of 8 people with binoculars pose for a selfie in front of a beach. — Photo by Edward Warden.

words by Edward Warden

May 31, 2023

Furiously refreshing the weather app is never the best way to start a bird walk. Despite what had been a completely sunny day so far, the threat of popup thunderstorms loomed on the radar. But at some point you just have to make a call. And with that, a small group of us entered the Magic Hedge for an after-work bird walk around the famous Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary and Dunes.

By this point, peak migration had passed and warblers were proving hard to get, but right off the bat the aerial insectivores set the tone. Numerous swallows across several species soared above while several flycatchers called endlessly, most notably among them being the Eastern Wood-Pewees. Warbling Vireos also attempted to fill the warbler void with their warblery call as Red-winged Blackbirds reminded us whose turf we were on. Before exiting the sanctuary on the far northeast corner, we were teased by one lingering migrant warbler, a Blackburnian that showed off for a few seconds before disappearing into the thick bushes.

A Dunlin, a shorebird with a long black bill, streaky breast, black belly, and long legs, walks on a beach. — Dunlin. Photo by Alison Issen.

Reports had been coming in earlier in the day via GroupMe and other channels that a Whimbrel was spotted on the beach. So after failing to relocate the Blackburnian Warbler, we skirted the still closed off dunes area and made our way to the pier. After a short walk and a menacing cloud that dropped a few droplets but ultimately spared us, we reached the intersection of sand and concrete where the waves gently lapped the shore. We began scanning the large flock of gulls and terns that had settled in the natural area but were quickly distracted by a trio of Dunlins that suddenly appeared and foraged within feet of us! A few minutes later, we found the Whimbrel. For a nearly gull-sized shorebird, it was surprisingly hard to pick out standing among the dune grasses, but it was unmistakable once found. For the majority of this group, this was a lifer!

A Whimbrel, a large, brown shorebird with a long, curved, black bill, stands in a grassy dune area with a Ring-billed Gull, a white gull with gray wings and a black band around the end of his yellow bill. — Whimbrel and Ring-billed Gull. Photo by Alison Issen.

Doing a happy dance down the pier, we circled back along the dunes, visited the Bank Swallow colony, picked up some singing Savannah Sparrows, and proceeded back into the Magic Hedge. Here we picked up a few more species such as House Sparrows, gnatcatchers, and a cute fledgling robin. The clouds continued to roll by and the sun was getting low. Coupled with the notably decrease in bird song, it was clear the day was coming to an end. As we reached the sanctuary entrance where we originally entered, we picked up a few more late birds and identified to the best of our ability in the fading light a number of flycatchers. While I’m glad we didn’t get rained on that day, here’s hoping we do soon.

Field Trip Report: Montrose Point and Dunes After Work