This Sunday, May 22, 2011 is the last spring migration trip to Star Island for the year.  Weather is forecast to break by Sunday.  For information, on signing up, see below.

Saturday’s trip (May 14th) for the Harris Center was SPECTACULAR, due to the arrival of a cold front on Friday after prolonged southerly airflow.

Northern Parula, Star Island “apple tree” May 14, 2011.

Black and White Warbler, Star Island “apple tree” May 14, 2011.

Star Island Apple Tree adjacent to Hotel Veranda.

Parula’s circled in red.

Spring is all about the warblers, and in 3 years of leading these trips, 22 species of warblers have been recorded. Last Saturday we had 19 warbler species, but the real story was the number of birds — an estimated 150 northern parula alone. The famous apple tree in front of the hotel held about 30 to 40 birds while we sat eating lunch only feet away (mainly parula and black and white, but also black-throated green, black-throated blue, and yellow-rumped warbler).

Depart the dock (Rye Harbor Marina) at 8am on 22nd and return to dock 2pm or earlier depending on birds.  Cost $40pp includes boat fare and island access fee. There is a $5 charge to park at Rye Harbor Marina.  Trip limit is 20. Dress with warm clothing. The island has shelter, bathrooms, but no food or water, so bring your lunch. The crossing is 45 minutes from Rye Harbor located off Route 1A.

Star Island Spring Trip List 2008-2010:

• Canada Goose
• American Black Duck
• Mallard
• Common Eider
• White-winged Scoter
• Long-tailed Duck
• red-throated loon
• Common Loon
• Manx Shearwater
• Northern Gannet
• Double-crested Cormorant
• Great Cormorant
• Great Blue Heron
• Great Egret
• Snowy Egret
• Green Heron
• Tree Swallow
• Green Heron
• Black-crowned Night-Heron
• Osprey
• Northern Harrier
• Merlin
• Peregrine Falcon
• Black-bellied Plover
• Semi-palmated Plover
• Spotted Sandpiper
• Greater Yellowlegs
• Willet
• Lesser Yellowlegs
• Ruddy Turnstone
• Semi-palmated Sandpiper
• Least Sandpiper
• Purple Sandpiper
• Dunlin
• Black-headed Gull
• Bonaparte’s Gull
• Laughing Gull
• Ring-billed Gull
• Herring Gull
• IcelandGull
• Glaucous Gull
• Great Black-backed Gull
• Least Tern
• Roseate Tern
• Common Tern
• Arctic Tern
• Razorbill
• Black Guillemot
• Mourning Dove
• Yellow-billed Cuckoo
• Ruby-throated Hummingbird
• Northern Flicker
• Eastern Wood-Pewee
• Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
• Alder Flycatcher
• Willow Flycatcher
• Least Flycatcher
• Eastern Phoebe
• Eastern Kingbird
• PhiladelphiaVireo
• Red-eyed Vireo
• Blue Jay
• Tree Swallow
• Barn Swallow
• Red-breasted Nuthatch
• Ruby-crowned Kinglet
• Veery
• Swainson’s Thrush
• Hermit Thrush
• American Robin
• Gray Catbird
• Northern Mockingbird
• Brown Thrasher
• European Starling
• Cedar Waxwing
• Nashville Warbler
• Northern Parula
• Yellow Warbler
• Chestnut-sided Warbler
• Magnolia Warbler
• Cape May Warbler
• Black-throated Blue Warbler
• Yellow-rumped Warbler
• Black-throated Green Warbler
• Blackburnian Warbler
• Prairie Warbler
• Palm Warbler
• Bay-breasted Warbler
• Blackpoll Warbler
• Black and White Warbler
• American Redstart
• Ovenbird
• Northern Waterthrush
• Mourning Warbler
• Common Yellowthroat
• Wilson’s Warbler
• Canada Warbler
• Chipping Sparrow
• Field Sparrow
• Savannah Sparrow
• Grasshopper Sparrow
• Song Sparrow
• Lincoln’s Sparrow
• Swamp Sparrow
• White-throated Sparrow
• White-crowned Sparrow
• Dark-eyed Junco
• Northern Cardinal
• Rose-breasted Grosbeak
• Indigo Bunting
• Bobolink
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Common Grackle
• Brown-headed Cowbird
• Orchard Oriole
• Baltimore Oriole
• House Finch
• American Goldfinch