Cape Cod Day 4 - Monomoy NWR (8/15)

On Tuesday we decided to travel down to Chatham to visit Monomoy NWR. We usually take a boat out to South Beach for a day of birding but the walk was too much for us this year. Instead we decided to walk along the shore of the island.

Unfortunately we made these plans the night before. When we woke up the skies were overcast and rain was in the forecast but we decided to make the trip anyhow. When we got to the island, the wind was howling. But there was still a lot to be seen. In addition to the terns, dowagers, and sandpipers we were able to identify at least one Piping Plover. Savana Sparrows popped in and out of the grasses looking for food. As we stood there watching, a Peregrin Falcon flew by and scared everything up. Even this expert flyer was having difficulties with the fierce wind.

But the best part of the walk was the Horseshoe Crabs. It was almost low tide and if you walked ankle deep in the water you could find hundreds of them. Almost all of them were small, no bigger than a dinner roll. I'm not sure how old this makes them but the beach was littered with their molted shells.

Before we left we stopped an the refuge visitor's center for a quick look at the exhibits. Then it was off to the nearby docks where we found a few American Oystercatchers before the rain started.

The rest of the afternoon was pretty much a washout so we decided to stop at some of our favorite spots. First was the Birdwatcher's General Store in Orleans. This is a great place to shop, even if you don't like birds (the store posts humorous signs everywhere). Then we drove to the Salt Pond Visitor Center for our annual showing of "Cape Cod: Sands of Time".