Birders,
May, the month birders live for... Up before dawn, in the field with bug spray and boots...
We've got extra layers & gloves in the car for those cool mornings.
Sleep deprived and visually stimulated by the colorful wood warblers, orioles, grosbeaks and hummingbirds...
It's here; it's migration; it's unfolding; it's May!
Join in the excitement of May birding…
MAY MIGRATION PROGRAMS
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| Wood Thrush by Jeremiah Trimble |
Wednesday Evenings in Wild West Newbury
Dates: Wednesdays, May 3, 10, 17, 24, & 31
Time: 6:00 pm to dusk
Fee: $15
Meeting Location: Pike's Bridge Road parking area on Turkey Hill Road in West Newbury
We'll be exploring highly productive, birding locations in West Newbury during these evening programs. Some carpooling is involved. No facilities are available during this program.
Directions: From the Scotland Road exit off I-95, take Scotland Road heading west; then take an immediate right onto Turkey Hill Road. Drive north on Turkey Hill Road about half a mile to a large, dirt pull off on the left [this is where Turkey Hill Road curves right]. Pike's Bridge Road is a dirt road with a metal gate across it which allows no vehicles to enter.
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| Indigo Bunting by Margo Goetschkes |
The Birds of Oak Hill Cemetery
Date: Sunday, May 7
Time: 5:30 pm - dusk
Meeting Location: Just inside the Parker Street entrance - park near the compost area
Fee: $15
Oak Hill Cemetery is one of the best birding spots in Newburyport for songbirds. Bring binoculars if you have them. Beginners are welcome, and loaner binoculars are available.
Date: Sunday, May 7
Time: 5:30 pm - dusk
Meeting Location: Just inside the Parker Street entrance - park near the compost area
Fee: $15
Oak Hill Cemetery is one of the best birding spots in Newburyport for songbirds. Bring binoculars if you have them. Beginners are welcome, and loaner binoculars are available.
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| Bobolink by Bob Stymeist |
Tuesday Morning on Plum Island
Date: Tuesday May 9Time: 6:30 am - 9:00 am
Fee: $15
Meeting Location: Meet Sue at the North Pool Parking Lot on Parker River National Wildlife Refuge.
We won't ever be far afield, and there will be lots of birds for us to see! This easy-paced walk is great for new birders or for anyone who wants to relax and enjoy the morning sights and sounds. Loaner binoculars are available.
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| Cape May Warbler |
Date: Sunday, May 14
Time: 5:30 pm - dusk
Meeting Location: Just inside the Parker Street entrance - park near the compost area
Fee: $15
Oak Hill Cemetery is one of the best birding spots in Newburyport for songbirds. Bring binoculars if you have them. Beginners are welcome, and loaner binoculars are available.
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| Northern Parula by Nate Dubrow |
Thursday Morning in West Newbury
Date: Thursday, May 18Time: 6:30 am to 9:00 am
Fee: $15
Meeting Location: Pike's Bridge Road parking area on Turkey Hill Road, West Newbury
We'll be exploring Pike's Bridge Road, a highly productive, birding location in West Newbury, during this morning program. No facilities are available during this program.
Directions: From the Scotland Road exit off I-95, take Scotland Road heading west; then take an immediate right onto Turkey Hill Road. Drive north on Turkey Hill Road about half a mile to a large, dirt pull off on the left [this is where Turkey Hill Road curves right]. Pike's Bridge Road is a dirt road with a metal gate across it which allows no vehicles to enter.
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| Rose-breasted Grosbeak |
Birding Wild Byfield
Date: Sunday, May 28
Time: 5:30 pm to dusk
Meeting Location: District Courthouse at 188 State Street in Newburyport - just off the Route 1 Traffic Circle
Fee: $15
We will walk on fairly level, gravel roads, searching for breeding birds. Wear sturdy shoes; bring a hat, insect repellent and a beverage.
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| Scarlet Tanager by Margo Goetschkes |
West Newbury's Ash Street Swamp
Date: Monday, May 29
Time: 7:00 am - 9:00 am
Fee: $15
Meeting Location: At the corner of Main & Maple Streets in West Newbury Center ~ Maple Street isopposite the West Newbury Post Office.
Join us as we search for birds at West Newbury's Ash Street Swamp. We'll listen to birdsong as well as use our trained eyes. Participants should have good hearing ability and be able to walk on unpaved terrain. The pace will be slow. Waterproof shoes are suggested. Please be prepared with a beverage, a long sleeved shirt, long pants, hat and bug repellent.
Date: Monday, May 29
Time: 7:00 am - 9:00 am
Fee: $15
Meeting Location: At the corner of Main & Maple Streets in West Newbury Center ~ Maple Street isopposite the West Newbury Post Office.
Join us as we search for birds at West Newbury's Ash Street Swamp. We'll listen to birdsong as well as use our trained eyes. Participants should have good hearing ability and be able to walk on unpaved terrain. The pace will be slow. Waterproof shoes are suggested. Please be prepared with a beverage, a long sleeved shirt, long pants, hat and bug repellent.
Robert of Lincoln
by William Cullen BryantMerrily swinging on brier and weed,
Near to the nest of his little dame,
Over the mountain-side or mead,
Robert of Lincoln is telling his name:
Bob-o'-link, bob-o'-link,
Spink, spank, spink;
Snug and safe is that nest of ours,
Hidden among the summer flowers,
Chee, chee, chee.
Robert of Lincoln is gayly drest,
Wearing a bright black wedding-coat;
White are his shoulders and white his crest
Hear him call in his merry note:
Bob-o'-link, bob-o'-link,
Spink, spank, spink;
Look, what a nice coat is mine.
Sure there was never a bird so fine.
Chee, chee, chee.
Robert of Lincoln's Quaker wife,
Pretty and quiet, with plain brown wings,
Passing at home a patient life,
Broods in the grass while her husband sings
Bob-o'-link, bob-o'-link,
Spink, spank, spink;
Brood, kind creature; you need not fear
Thieves and robbers while I am here.
Chee, chee, chee.
Modest and shy is she;
One weak chirp is her only note.
Braggart and prince of braggarts is he,
Pouring boasts from his little throat:
Bob-o'-link, bob-o'-link,
Spink, spank, spink;
Never was I afraid of man;
Catch me, cowardly knaves, if you can!
Chee, chee, chee.
Six white eggs on a bed of hay,
Flecked with purple, a pretty sight!
There as the mother sits all day,
Robert is singing with all his might:
Bob-o'-link, bob-o'-link,
Spink, spank, spink;
Nice good wife, that never goes out,
Keeping house while I frolic about.
Chee, chee, chee.
Soon as the little ones chip the shell,
Six wide mouths are open for food;
Robert of Lincoln bestirs him well,
Gathering seeds for the hungry brood.
Bob-o'-link, bob-o'-link,
Spink, spank, spink;
This new life is likely to be
Hard for a gay young fellow like me.
Chee, chee, chee.
Robert of Lincoln at length is made
Sober with work, and silent with care;
Off is his holiday garment laid,
Half forgotten that merry air:
Bob-o'-link, bob-o'-link,
Nobody knows but my mate and I
Where our nest and out nestlings lie.
Chee, chee, chee.
Summer wanes; the children are grown;
Fun and frolic no more he knows;
Robert of Lincoln's a humdrum crone;
Off he flies, and we sing as he goes:
Bob-o'-link, bob-o'-link,
Spink, spank, spink;
When you can pipe that merry old strain,
Robert of Lincoln, come back again.
Chee, chee, chee.
Here's a clip of the Bobolinks vocalization:
This video celebrates the amazing song of the Bobolink, described by one author as "a mad, wreckless song fantasia—an outbreak of pentup irrepressible glee," and by another as "a bubbling delirium of ecstatic music that flows from the gifted throat of the bird like sparkling champagne."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
GIFT CERTIFICATES
Our Gift Certificates are always available for a private tour, our educational programs, birding basics, field study and birdwatching classes.
What a great gift for the naturalists and birdwatchers in your family! Contact Sue at newburyportbirders@comcast.
BIRDING IS GOOD FOR YOU
There's a natural draw to appreciating birds. Get outside with Newburyport Birders; you'll observe, appreciate and identify birds. Birding is good for you!
Birding can reduce stress, lower blood pressure and improve concentration. Take a deep breath of fresh air, listen to the sounds of the birds and appreciate their colors. There are millions of active birdwatchers in the United States who collectively spend more money watching birds than all Americans spend on movie tickets.
Good birding,
Sue