Call the RI RBA at (401) 949-3870
or see
or
for updates.
For images of the Mongolian Plover, see
http://www.nh.ultranet.com/~mirick/mgpl/mgpl.htm
Thanks to Barbara Volkle and Paul Buckley for information.
Laurie Larson
llarson@princeton.edu
---------------------------
Date: Mon, 26 Jul 1999 07:21:16 -0400
From: Barbara Volkle <barb620@world.std.com>
Subject: Mongolian Plover in RI 7/25
This bird was present at least as recently as yesterday afternoon [Sunday, 7/25]. Contact dlsaint@aol.com (Jan St.Jean) and Rachel Farrell (pollypie@att.net) for additional info. There are also phone numbers in the last message.
Thanks to all, especially Linda Ferraresso and the RI folks, for continuing to pass along info about this bird.... This bird was first found Saturday morning and returned Saturday afternoon. It was present Sunday (see details below).
Barbara Volkle
Northboro, MA
barb620@world.std.com
- - -
From: MarciaRI@aol.com
Date: Sun, 25 Jul 1999 21:54:06 EDT
Subject: Mongolian Plover 7/25/99
To: massbird@world.std.com
Hi Massbirders...... thanks to a very accomodating RI birder, Marcia West, I am getting to a keyboard for the first time in days. To review the activities of the bird for today:
The bird was seen from 5:45 am to 1:30 pm (which was dead low tide). At 1:30 the bird flew from the flats over the trees out of sight. The Whaler Women..... two very gracious sailors from the area..... took me out on their boat to see if we could relocate the bird. We were successful and redirected some 8 birders to walk further out on the flats and around the corner to the area where the bird had been seen. When some birders were not being successful, the WW actually ferried birders back and forth to see the bird.
Approx 3:30 pm, the bird returned to the flats where it remained til I left about 7 pm. While there was almost no mud flat left, a few birders were still seeing the bird.
A few tips:
* the bird has left the mudflats both days at "dead low tide". Rising or falling tide seem to be the best time to see it.
* to reiterate Jan St Jean's message on how to navigate the channel. You are going to get wet, but by walking out to the middle of the channel, you can more easily get to the mudflat area.
* you can avoid the $10 parking fee by arriving beforre 7 am. Parking should be less of an issue during the week.
I would like to thank the very gracious Rhode Island birders who helped so many people to find birding spot and the bird. At least one was at the scene at 5:30 am to relocate the bird, others took turns at the channel entrance directing birders through the water maze, and still another shuttled birders who had to park in the Town Parking lot. Still other local birders made am and pm visits to check on the status of the bird and asked whether reports had been made. Nancy Soulette of MA also stood sentinel at the waters edge to guide birders through the morning fog. It was truly a group effort. Not to mention the Whaler Women who expedited sightings when the the bird needed a change of scenery. A special thanks to Mary Jo Murray who helped to ID this bird and and worked hard to relocate it on Saturday when it took its low tide break from the flats. This was a great team effort and I thank everyone for what they did today to get nearly 200 birders looks at this bird. To date the longest distance traveler I have met came from Florida.
It was great to see so many old friends out in the mud today, and meet many others who I know in name only!
Please continue to post any updates for there is certainly still a lot of interest in this bird.
Good birding!!
Linda
Linda Ferraresso
Watertown, MA
tattler@juno.com
- - -
From: DLSaint@aol.com
Date: Sun, 25 Jul 1999 12:19:42 EDT
Subject: RI Hotline: MONGOLIAN PLOVER update
To: massbird@world.std.com
The MONGOLIAN PLOVER was found at 5:45 this morning, and was in view continuously until at least 10:30 when I left. (I have been on vacation, and so I don't know what has been posted on Massbird.) The bird seems to like the flats just before and after high tide. The tide was the highest today at 8 a.m. It's habit yesterday was to leave the flats as the tide went out, but it returned again in the afternoon. When the tide is low, there are many attractive flats in the area that are not accessible to birders easily, but when the tide rises the shorebirds are pushed into this area, as it can be the best available flats.
From the North, take 95 south and then the Route 4 exit (left exit) to Route 1. The signage for the Charlestown Breachway is very good. To avoid beach traffic when coming from the North you can stay on 95 south and take the Route 138 east exit in Richmond. Then take 112 south, it will merge into Route 2 which will dump you right on Route 1 just opposite the exit for the Breachway.
There is a fee to park in the lot at the Breachway. This lot will fill up by noon on a hot weekend, and you will be turned away. This a popular beach in Rhode Island. The gate keepers have asked that you park in the lot near the ocean. The back lot is reserved for people who are towing boats. The cost is $10 out of state, $5 in state on weekends, during the week it is less. If this lot is full you can go back up the dirt beach road .7 miles and park in the town beach lot. Once you are at the breachway parking lot, walk back behind the campers and look for the dumpster. Follow a narrow path to the marsh at the end. You will have to wade across the breachway to the flats you can see. You may see people digging for clams out there if you have hit the low tide. Expect to be a bit less than waist deep at high tide. Walking down the channel it is best to stay right in the middle as that is where it is the shallowest. The sides of the channel closest to the marsh grass can be very deep.
I will try to post updates daily. The RI RBA will be updated also. If you see it, you are encouraged to e-mail me, or call Audubon at (401) 949-5454, during business hours, and 949-7301 after the office is closed.
It is a beautiful shorebird, good luck! I guess I got back from vacation just in time!
Jan St.Jean
DLSaint@aol.com
Chepachet, RI