Date: 5/25/26 4:04 pm From: 'Kurk Dorsey' via NHBirds <nhbirds...> Subject: [NHBirds] Lubberland Creek, Newmarket 5/25
Birders
Once the rain cleared out, and I set aside the plans for my ark (I have no idea what a cubit is anyway), I headed down to Newmarket to see what was in. With a Blackpoll and Parula singing in the yard, I had hope for some migrant warblers. Alas, they were quietly reading up on cubits, so nary a one was in Newmarket.
Still, in just under two hours I ended up with a respectable 62 species (some of the individuals were less than respectable, but as a species they were all very above board).
Some highlights: Green Heron, Virginia Rail grunting (from moving cubits of wood would be my guess) on the freshwater side; on the saltmarsh side, I encountered a Snowy Egret, Bald Eagle, 2-3 Saltmarsh sparrows, single Purple Martin, and a great collection of shorebirds for this side of the bay—28 peeps (mix of Leasts and Semi-palms), at least 4 Semi-palm Plovers, a White-rumped Sandpiper, Greater Yellowlegs, and at least 49 Short-billed Dowitchers.
The dowitchers were a great sight, exactly 2 years after I had a flock of 40 at the same location. I had been scanning the end of the creek for the shorebirds and sparrows, feeling pretty good about the haul for the day, when I noticed a new shorebird poking its head between a couple of the low rocks at the end of the creek. I got the scope on it and realized that it was a dowitcher. It disappeared, for a few minutes, then I noticed a couple birds in another gap in the rocks, so I was able to watch at least 49 birds slowly proceed, feeding all the time, through a notch in the rocks.
