This Week’s Bird Sightings

Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Aug. 20 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary.

Sightings at Race Point in Provincetown this week included a Pacific Loon, a Long-Tailed Jaeger, 4 Parasitic Jaegers, an Arctic Tern, and a Lesser Black-Backed Gull.

An American Bittern was seen at High Head in Truro.

Bald Eagles nest in forested areas, usually within a mile of open water, but in areas where the shoreline has been developed they will nest farther inland. They typically build in the tallest trees in the immediate area for superior views, and their nests can be enormous: as large as eight feet across and weighing up to two tons, according to the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary website, which also reports that some pairs have two nests that they alternate between. (Photo by Andy Morffew)

A survey of the Herring River in Wellfleet tallied 3 Clapper Rails, 6 Virginia Rails, a Sora, 2 Common Ravens, and 6 Marsh Wrens. There was also a Bald Eagle, a Wilson’s Snipe, and 20 Whimbrels at Indian Neck.

If you have questions about these sightings or want to report a sighting, call the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary at 508-349-2615 or send an email to [email protected].