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2010 Providence, Rhode Island Field Trips

A - Block Island

Block Island, jutting from the Atlantic 12 miles off the Rhode Island coast, has been called the best birding spot in the state, and The Nature Conservancy has designated it "One of the 12 last great places in the Western Hemisphere." Formed by glaciers 20,000 years ago, Block Island features a diverse array of habitats. Maritime shrubland, beaches, "a different pond for every day of the year," and open grasslands support more than 40 endangered species, including the American Burying Beetle. For birders, it is magical, especially in the fall when we will be there. Birds migrating down from the north make the short hop from mainland to island with no problem but then find themselves facing a huge expanse of water. They turn around to correct their mistake and get back to the mainland and end up funneling through the island's north end, where low bushes and pines come alive with warblers, vireos, sparrows and orioles, and beaches, ponds and a marsh fill with shorebirds, including Black-bellied and Semipalmated Plover, Pectoral Sandpiper, Dunlin and Willet. Among the warblers, Cape May, Bay-breasted, Black-throated Blue, Blackburnian, Canada, Magnolia, Nashville and Connecticut are just a few of the species that come through here in early October, as well as both cuckoos, 5 vireos and at least 8 species of sparrow. On the south side of the island, we will roam spectacular grasslands divided by old stone fences that overlook Long Island Sound looking for Bobolinks and Indigo Buntings among others, while watching for migrating raptors, especially Peregrine Falcons that ride the updrafts above the cliffs. Throughout the day, we will be on the lookout for rarities, which the island always seems to produce at this time of year. To reach the island, we will use the Block Island Ferry, a 55-minute ride across Block Island Sound.

B – Norman/Sachuest

This trip heads south of Providence to the Norman Bird Sanctuary and Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge. We will split into two groups, with half birding Norman in the morning and the other half Sachuest. We will meet up for lunch at Sachuest, then our groups will switch locations. Norman is a private, non-profit sanctuary that protects over 300 acres of woodlands, grasslands and marsh. Over 50 species of migrating birds are possible in the deciduous woods and fields, including cuckoos, warblers, vireos, thrushes, flycatchers, sparrows and Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and we will be on the lookout for woodpeckers as well as Red-shouldered Hawk. At Sachuest, a 240-acre preserve, we will walk through grasslands looking for sparrows, American Pipit, Eastern Meadowlark and Bobolink to the point, where we will scan the sea for scoters (all 3 species are possible), other ducks and gulls. We will also look for early arrivals of Harlequin Duck and Purple Sandpiper, both of which spend the winter around Sachuest Point. At the end of the afternoon, we will all gather at "Third Beach" to look for ducks, migrating shorebirds and herons. Then we will head over to Newport, where we will stop to give everyone a chance to explore the waterfront area of this enchanting, historic town, famous for its jazz festival and the Americas Cup.

C – Ninigret/Trustom/Swarovski Optik's Repair Facility

On this trip we will bird two national wildlife refuges on the coast southwest of Providence, Trustom Pond NWR and Ninigret NWR. Both of these preserves are renowned as birding destinations, especially during fall migration when migrants filter down the coast on their way south. We will all start out in the morning at Trustom Pond, the only undeveloped coastal salt pond in Rhode Island. The refuge includes nearly 800 acres of fields, shrublands, woodlands, fresh and saltwater ponds and sandy beaches and dunes. Trustom Pond has a greater variety of ducks than another other single area in Rhode Island, and its woodlands can be full of migrating passerines – many species of warblers, several vireos, sparrows, Eastern Bluebird, Brown Thrasher, Hermit Thrush, Bobolink, Eastern Meadowlark, Eastern Kingbird, Great Crested Flycatcher, etc. After a full morning's birding, we will retire to the auditorium at the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's Kettle Pond Visitor Center to rest and eat our packed lunches. We will then stop at nearby Ninigret NWR, which was once a naval air station, built in World War II. We'll start out birding the old airstrip and work our way down to the pond. It is a refuge of about 400 acres of grasslands, shrublands, wooded swamps and freshwater ponds. It is a good place to see both Black-billed and Yellow-billed Cuckoo, as well as many species of warblers, vireos, sparrows, and other migrants. Both refuges have easy, well maintained trails that cut through woods and shrublands that can keep a birder very busy for hours! In late afternoon, we will return to Warwick, where those who are interested may spend an hour or so touring the Swarovski Optik's repair facility, which is only a few minutes drive from our hotel.

D – Napatree Point

This field trip will go to the extreme southwest corner of Rhode Island, where the Napatree Point sand spit forms a barrier protecting Little Narragansett Bay from the sea as it reaches over toward the Connecticut shore. The sand spit is about a mile long, and we will walk in a leisurely fashion out to the end enjoying what is renowned as one of the best coastal birding sites in the state. The end of the spit is famous as a stop-over for migrant shorebirds. We will look here for American Oystercatcher, Black-bellied and American Golden-Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, Short-billed Dowitcher, Least, Semipalmated, Western and White-rumped Sandpipers and perhaps even a lingering Hudsonian or Marbled Godwit. We will scan the sky for migrating swallows and the sea and the bay for terns which at this time of year wander far from their breeding grounds as they wend their way south. And above all, we will keep our eyes open for raptors, including Sharp-shinned and Cooper's Hawks, Osprey, Peregrine Falcon and Merlin. Most of the Northeast's adult raptors use inland migration routes, but juveniles tend to use the coastline as their guide. Somewhat surprisingly, the brushy areas at the end of the spit can be very good for migrating warblers. We will need to each carry our own box lunch in a day pack, as we will spend most of the day out on the spit and will be eating out at the point. On the way back, we may stop at the very small Avondale Farm Preserve, tucked into a residential area, which has brush and grasslands that are a well-known hotspot for sparrows.

BIRDING CONDITIONS

Rhode Island may be the smallest state in the U.S. but in terms of bird migration it is really major in the fall. Birds that breed throughout the northeast portion of North America funnel down through New England, hit the Rhode Island coast and turn west to follow close to land as they move south for the winter. Early October is at the peak of this fall migration for passerines and raptors, and shorebirds and waterfowl are still moving through as well. The weather can be beautiful, but it also can be cold and very wet, especially if a "nor'easter" blows in with lots of rain. So birders should come prepared for rain, and to endure hours in cool, damp winds off the sea as we bird coastal areas. Wearing layers is always a good idea, so you can adjust to whatever temperatures you may encounter. You will need to have a daypack in which you can carry your rain gear, water, and still have room for your box lunch on the day you go to Napatree Point. Deer ticks that carry Lyme Disease can be a problem in any brushy area, so it is a good idea to spray your pant legs with insect repellant.

PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS INFO

Since we will be birding along the coast, the walking will be nearly always on flat terrain. Most of the preserves where we will go birding have very well constructed, well maintained trails. Even the walk out to the end of Napatree Point will be mostly on hard sand. The most we will walk at any given time will be no more than a couple of miles at a very leisurely pace. All of the birding will be at the ABA field trip rating of Level 1: "Easy walking, mostly level paths, or birding from vehicle."