Oceanside Marine Sanctuary
June 23, 2010 by kmirth 

Oceanside Marine Sanctuary
June 12, 2010  by Bernie and Linda Klempner

We were pleased to be leading a group consisting of five members and
guests at the Sanctuary on Sat. June 12th.  Birds calling begins in the
parking lot where we heard cardinals, robins, red-winged blackbirds,
song sparrows and American crows and saw them overhead.

The Sanctuary lives up to its name, as its calm serenity affects both
birds and the watchers. Tree swallows fly in smooth waves above the
grasses and around their nest boxes. The Clapper rail made a surprise
appearance swimming out of the grasses like a duck.  Although we heard
it several other times, we did not see it again.  The sought after salt
marsh sharp tailed sparrow sat on a snag giving us a great viewing.  Two
ospreys flew to a nearby tree when we approached the nest and then came
back to feed their three chicks.  The sound of calling willets fills the
air and egrets great and snowy, green herons, yellow-crowned and one
black-crowned night heron and a glossy ibis feed among the grasses.
Other fly-bys include American oystercatcher, d.c. cormorants, great
blue heron, Forsters and a least tern was sitting on a sand bar. 

Complete list follows:  Double-crested cormorant, green heron, great
blue heron, great egret, snowy egret, yellow-crowned night heron,
black-crowned night heron, glossy ibis, Canada geese, mallard, osprey,
clapper rail, killdeer, American oystercatcher, willet, laughing gull,
ring-billed gull, great black-backed gull, Forster's tern, least tern,
American crow, fish crow, tree swallow, barn swallow, American robin,
gray catbird, northern mockingbird, European starling, yellow warbler,
saltmarsh sharp-tailed sparrow, song sparrow, northern cardinal,
red-winged blackbird, common grackle and house sparrow. 36 species.

http://qcbirdclub.wordpress.com/