Rhode Island: Block Island - Birding Mecca September 17, 2010

Our weekend trip to Block Island will combine the scenic beauty of Mohegan Bluffs, exploring the "Maze", combing the beaches and marshes of Andy's Way and hoping to witness a fallout of warblers and other migrants at North Point. This beautiful glacial island is only 11 square miles but combines a large variety of habitats and spectacular scenery. Given its location, the island forms a natural 'trap' for land birds that have overshot the Rhode Island coastline on their southward migration. Besides these passerine migrants, the island has several locations for resting and feeding shorebirds and oceanbirds. This weekend trip will start with our ferry ride to the island which should produce shearwaters and petrels plus a few early sea ducks. Once on the island, we will spend a lot of our time birding the North Point area looking for many species of warblers, vireos, and woodpeckers as well as visiting a nearby banding site. We will explore the "Maze" - a series of winding paths through low scrub vegetation - for mixed flocks of migrants. At Andy's Way, we will find shorebirds, bitterns and herons including Yellow-crowned Night Heron. If the Barn Owls are in the Southwest fields, we will head out at dusk to catch them hunting mice. In the end, you will know Block Island in depth with all its charm, beauty and diverse bird population. Being such a small island, we are always near our hotel, short drives to each site, great seafood - basically a semi-relaxing trip with awesome birds and beautiful habitats! - - Fee: TBD - - This program is open to anyone age 18 and older. Please write or call for complete itinerary: 781-259-2206 or jriley@massaudubon.org. Registration is required. Call 781-259-2200 for details. See http://www.massaudubon.org/catalog/listing.php?program_code=856-DFP10SU1 for more information.