CAPE COD'S NOTABLE "SHOULDER SEASON" VISITORS (8/31/01)

Can you believe that it’s almost Labor Day? Seems that summer always comes to an end before we are ready for it. Wildlife, however, has a different feeling toward the seasons, being guided by an internal clock rather than by love of warmth, lazy days, eating outdoors and the other activities we savor in summer.

Reports from South Beach, Chatham, indicate extraordinarily high numbers of terns and shorebirds. Regarding the former, it would seem that the extensive efforts of the National Wildlife employees and volunteers in keeping an area of Monomoy free of herring and black-backed gulls has really produced results.

As for the latter, American oystercatchers, those large black and white birds with the oversized red bills, about 150 strong are a show in themselves. Other prominent shorebirds are the whimbrels and godwits. Now is the time to join one of the many local groups taking trips either to South Beach or North Monomoy. Although they didn’t arrive here by the busload, they are visitors nonetheless enjoying the Cape’s “shoulder season.” Don’t wait long, though, to witness their shopping sprees as they stock up on mollusks, crustaceans, worms and insects, for they will soon be on their way to various destinations in Latin America.

In addition to shorebirds, land birds are also short-term fall tourists. One good way to enjoy and learn about them during their stopovers is to visit the Wing Island Bird Banding Station located at the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History in Brewster. It has begun its fall migration monitoring, so that you can see birds the banders have caught in their nets in order to record each species and its age, sex, weight and other vital statistics.

The Cape Cod Bird Club can also bring you “up close and personal.” with many migrating birds on its scheduled field trips. If you’ve never joined a field trip before, don’t hold back. Don’t worry if you feel you don’t have enough expertise to go on one of these trips. .No one will expect you to find or identify birds, but you will learn much about birdwatching and great places to which you can return on your own.

One spot, for instance, where you could return to enjoy identifying birds is Corn Hill in Truro. This area is a haven in the fall for all sorts of birds, including blue grosbeaks, indigo buntings and an array of sparrows. In fact, this is one of the best locations to receive a course in sparrow identification. Fort Hill, Easthem, is another site that is fruitful for a wide variety of fall birds.

Here is the Club’s schedule for the next two months. Everyone, whether a Club member or not, is welcome on these outings. Just be sure to call the leader beforehand.

Saturday, September 8: Morris Island, Chatham, for warblers and shorebirds. Meet at the Monomoy NWR headquarters parking lot at 9:00 AM. Main leader, Jim Talin, 896-7169.

Sunday, September 9: Coast Guard Beach, Eastham. Meet at the main parking lot at 8:00 AM. We’ll look for shorebirds and other birds with an incoming tide. Leader, Mark Tuttle, 362-3015.

Sunday, September 9: Falmouth. Meet at the Locust Street parking area of the bike path at 7:00 AM. Leaders, Bob Vander Pyl and Alison Robb, 540-2408.

Friday, September 21: Corn Hill at Truro and other areas of Lower Cape. Meet at Friendly’s Restaurant near Orleans Rotary at 8:30 AM. Leaders, Diane Silverstein and Michael Dettrey, 398-9484, e-mail mikeanddian@hotmail.com.

Saturday, September 30: Fort Hill, Eastham. Meet at the Lower Parking Lot at Fort Hill at 8:00 AM. Leader, Jim Talin, 896-7169.

Sunday, October 14: Falmouth. Meet at the Locust Street parking area of the bike path at 8:00 AM. Leaders, Bob Vander Pyl and Alison Robb, 540-2408.

Thursday, October 18: Meet at the west end of the West Dennis Beach parking lot at 9:00 AM. Co-Leaders, Ruth Connaughton, 432-1580 and Nancy Reider, 398-8296.

Friday, October 19: Corn Hill at Truro and other areas of Lower Cape. Meet at Friendly’s Restaurant near Orleans Rotary at 8:30 AM. Leaders, Diane Silverstein and Michael Dettrey, 398-9484, e-mail mikeanddian@hotmail.com.

Saturday, October 28: Marstons Mills area for some pond and field birding. Meet at the Marstons Mills Post Office in Marstons Mills at 8:00 AM. Leader, Stauffer Miller, 362-3384, e-mail, emiller@seepub.com.

You can learn more about birds by coming to the Cape Cod Bird Club’s monthly meetings, as well. These meetings, open to the public, start at 7:30 pm at the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History with a few business items, followed by a program and refreshments. September’s program on Monday, the 10th is author Kenn Kaufman and his topic "Why Nothing Beats Birdwatching on Cape Cod!" On October 15, our speaker will be Andrea Jones, Bird Conservation Biologist at the Massachusetts Audubon Society.

So, get moving with the birds. Get out in the field! See you there! Birders on South Beach, Chatham, taken by Eva Casey, Somerville