Beyond The Binoculars – On Birdwatching And New Beginnings

Story & Photos By SAM DRYSDALE

When I moved to the South Shore from the hustle and bustle of city life in Boston, I first found Cape Cod’s slower pace to be a difficult adjustment.

Some people recommended bike riding or beachgoing to fill my days in my new home, but I missed the unique joy of never knowing what a day might bring from living in a city—that is, until I went birdwatching.

An activity I had never previously given much thought to proved to be full of excitement, mystery and a community willing to help and welcome me with open arms. So, read along to join me—an amateur birder—on my first birdwatching experience around the Upper Cape, with plenty of tips and tricks for you to get started on your next adventure, too.

Sandy Neck Beach

Park, Sandwich

This large marsh on the border of Sandwich and Barnstable was my first stop on my birding tour. On a frosty February morning, the frozen sand dunes and ice-covered trails made me feel I had left the comfort of the Cape for some arctic landscape.

Mary Jo Foti, the Cape Cod Bird Club’s guided walk coordinator, had recommended the spot as a place to see seashore birds, even in the winter, including egrets, Northern harriers, raptors and sparrow species.

I used my old digital Nikon camera with a long-zoom lens. Most birders I spoke to recommended getting a pair of binoculars for the best experience, but these can range from $100 to a couple of thousand dollars.

Since I was just starting out and not sure what kind of investment I was willing to make, Ms. Foti recommended I start off just with my digital camera as a way of “zooming in” on birds beyond my sight range.

“A lot of people bird with their cameras; it’s a good idea for amateur birders,” she said. “Once you’ve gone out a few times, if you like it and want a pair of binoculars, you’ll have a better idea of what you want and are willing to pay for.”

Using my camera had the added benefit of being able to snap photos of the birds to identify them later when I got home.

Michael Tucker, who volunteers with The 300 Committee Land Trust in Falmouth, leads birdwatching walks and manages the popular Facebook page “Falmouth Wildlife,” has been birding since he was 11 years old and can identify species by their songs before he even lays eyes on them. For us rookies, having a photo to reference later is a great trick to stay in the moment while birding and not to get lost down a hole of Google searches while out on the trail.

If you do not have a digital camera, a smartphone could work for this purpose as well.

The public hiking trails that wind through the marshes and maritime forests at Sandy Neck Beach are home to a range of birds both large and small. The marsh has several manmade osprey nests, and although ospreys migrate south for the winter, the nests did seem to attract other large birds to the area.

I had the pleasure of spotting a red-tailed hawk soaring above the marsh and a green heron skimming its surface, gliding just a few feet above the icy grass.

In the trees, a black-capped chickadee caught my attention with its famous “chickadee-dee-dee” call. Robins hopped and flitted through the trees.

I left Sandy Neck having spotted at least four unique bird species, and of course many geese, and was instantly hooked.

(A tip offered to me by Ms. Foti: You need to pay to park at Sandy Neck Beach, but there is free parking for the hiking trails. The hiking lot is off the road leading up to the beach to the left before the gatehouse. Park there, and cross Sandy Neck Road to the right to access the marsh trail.)

Mashpee/Wakeby 

Pond, Mashpee

I took a chance visiting Mashpee/Wakeby Pond. Ms. Foti and Mr. Tucker had recommended South Cape Beach and Johns Pond Park as locations in Mashpee to find some interesting birds. Having just visited a beach-like area, however, I wanted to explore Mashpee’s forests to see some woodland birds.

Although I am sure South Cape Beach and Johns Pond would have been lovely, I could not have been more pleased with my gamble.

I parked at the Mashpee/Wakeby boat ramp on the south side of the pond off Fisherman’s Landing and explored the wooded area near Sams Cove.

There are no traditional trails here, so I walked near the shoreline of the pond through the woods. Honestly, however, the best place for birdwatching was in the boat ramp parking lot itself.

Dozens of robins swooped on the edges of the tree line, and I began to appreciate how amusing it is to watch them hop along the ground.

At one moment standing alone in the parking lot, I felt as though I heard a drum in the distance and knew the tapping and pattering could only mean a woodpecker. I saw the female hairy woodpecker first, a beautiful bird with black wings barred with white and a soft, white tufted breast.

I watched her for a few minutes until a flash of red caught my eye and I spotted her male counterpart. He was nearly identical, save for a thinner body and the red spot on the back of his crown. Though I had not identified them yet, I figured they were a part of the same species and was delighted to watch them at their work drilling new holes in the trees in search of food.

While standing in the parking lot of the Mashpee/Wakeby boat ramp, I was also lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a red-bellied woodpecker, a striking bird with a bright red head and an intricately striped black-and-white pattern on its wings.

The most elusive bird was the tufted titmouse, a small bird with large black eyes, soft blue gray feathers and a tuft of hair on top of its head that made it look like it hopped out of a Disney animated movie. Though he moved quickly between the branches, I finally was able to snap an albeit blurry shot that allowed me to identify him later.

I could not believe how much there was to see in the unlikely space of a boat ramp parking lot. I recalled a story that Mr. Tucker told me.

“Some people really like the quest. They get a list of ‘life birds,’ species they hope to see in their lifetimes,” he told me.

The Stellar’s sea eagle was on Mr. Tucker’s life bird list, the largest species of sea eagle with a 6.6-foot wingspan. They are rare in Massachusetts, and when one of Mr. Tucker’s friends called him to report that they spotted one by the Taunton River, Mr. Tucker said he was in his car within 15 minutes on the road to find the bird.

“I got myself a life bird, probably the best life bird I ever got,” he said. “It can be exciting when you get into it; the quest can be addictive.”

Though the tufted titmouse is common in eastern forests, following the bird through the woods to get a decent glance reminded me of Mr. Tucker’s story, and I realized I had caught the bug—I was pursuing the quest.

Peterson Farm, Falmouth

The final stop on my bird tour was Peterson Farm, which is not far from Woods Hole Road in Falmouth.

Mr. Tucker told me it had both open space and forest trails that are home to a variety of birds. Plus, I could not resist the chance to see the sheep grazing on the land.

Most of what Peterson Farm had to offer, it seemed at first, was more hopping robins. I walked around for a while without much luck and was considering going home when I spotted what became my favorite bird of the trip.

An Eastern bluebird, which is kind of small thrush, sat quietly on the outstretched, low-hanging branch perfectly within my sightline. This was the official bird of my home state, New York, but I had never seen one before.

I was surprised by how much its quiet beauty moved me, and I felt the affection was mutual when it let me approach and take several close-up photos.

In addition to the bluebird, I observed birdwatchers in their natural habitat at Peterson Farm.

Couples carrying large cameras, individuals with binoculars and families with their dogs in tow (though Mr. Tucker had warned me to leave any dogs at home while birdwatching) all made their way to the farm on a bright Sunday afternoon to see what Mother Nature had in store.

When my 2006 Volkswagen, which is not cut out for New England winters, got stuck on ice in the Peterson Farm parking lot, three kind birdwatchers put down their cameras and binoculars to help me push my car out of the rut.

“It’s a real community,” Ms. Foti had told me a few days prior. “The people are so nice and so helpful; they have all been so generous with me.”

Her words came back to me as I chatted with the people helping me push my car about the birds we had each spotted that day.

Later when we connected on social media, and I began planning to go on organized bird walks with the Cape Cod Bird Club and The 300 Committee, I thought about looking for community in a new home and finding it in the unlikely space behind binoculars and the lens of my camera.

Other Tips And Tricks 

For Amateur Birdwatchers

I did not get a chance to go to all the birdwatching spots Mr. Tucker and Ms. Foti recommended to me for this piece, so here are some other Upper Cape birdwatching spots to check out: the Cape Cod Canal, Frances A. Crane Wildlife Management Area, Scusset Beach, Santuit Pond, The Knob, Old Fish Hatchery Trail, and more.

Mr. Tucker’s Facebook page “Falmouth Wildlife” is a great resource for finding new birdwatching spots across the Cape and has a community of nature lovers willing to help you identify bird species and share their tips. Mr. Tucker will occasionally post that he is leading a bird walk and will invite anyone who is available to join him.

The 300 Committee and Cape Cod Bird Club both lead group bird walks. Visit their websites for a schedule and a description of what you may see.

“Bird Observer” is a New England-based bimonthly journal for birders of all skill levels that can be a great resource for birdwatchers both old and new.

Lastly, and this is just a personal preference, I recommend getting a field guide bird book. Although I knew I could look up the birds I saw on the internet, having a field guide specific to Cape Cod birds extended the feeling of “the quest” and has helped me learn to identify bird species. I used “Best Easy Bird Guide Cape Cod” and would recommend it.

Also, check out www.ebird.org, a database of bird observations providing scientists, researchers and amateur naturalists with real-time data about bird distribution and abundance. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology created and maintains eBird, and you can download the app to your smartphone.

Birding gave me a reason to spend time outside on a beautiful day when I might otherwise have stayed in. The pandemic had forced us all into habits of isolation, but this COVID-safe activity forced me out of my comfort zone and into beautiful new places. I cannot wait to dive further into the world of birdwatching.