Here’s a message from our sister society for this month:

         Greetings from the Cape Cod Bird Club!  It's an exciting time of year here as the seasons change.  We're seeing lots of migrants and viewing our first wintering birds of the season!  When we get hit with a storm out of the north, sightings are often great, looking out over the Cape Cod Bay.  The bay is along the northern edge of the cape's arm, before you reach the 'elbow' and then is on the western side of the cape as you travel up the 'arm' toward Provincetown (the 'hand').  Two beaches were recently visited - Sandy Neck in Sandwich and First Encounter in Eastham. [Editor’s Note:  Here’s an internet address for a map of Cape Cod so you can more easily understand what’s meant by “elbow”, “arm” and “hand”

         http://www.lonelyplanet.com/mapshells/north_america/cape_cod/cape_cod.htm ].               

From Sandy Neck, highlights were: 4 Leach's Storm-Petrels, 500+ White-winged Scoter, 700 Surf Scoter, 350 Common Eider, 5+ Black-legged Kittiwake, and 8 Dunlin.  Dunlin winter here on Cape after spending the summer here following breeding season in the tundra, and the other species noted are indicative of winter being right around the corner!

At First Encounter Beach, 2 Red-throated Loons were seen along with 1 PACIFIC LOON (alt. pl.), 23 Common Loons, 225 Red-breasted Mergansers, 750 Surf Scoter and 3700 Common Terns (on their way to their wintering grounds).  Northern Gannets are birds we see all winter, and juveniles are passing through now -- 1000+ were seen off this beach on October 13.  The brilliant white adults with their black wingtips will be here within a few weeks.  Good birding to you!