http://www.BirdWatchingDaily.com 13coffee and trade anecdotes as we watch
treetop warblers come down to the
drip and listen to the yodel of
Common Loons and the keening cry
of Herring Gulls. If you don’t already
know the difference between the cry
of Herring Gull and the gruff snort of
Great-blacked Gull, you will before
day two.
Before the morning mist clears,
we’ll break into smaller groups for the
optional morning bird walks, eyes
turned sky ward, heedless of the
dew-laden ferns anointing pants legs
with the night’s sparkling tribute.
Don’t worry, nobody’s going to yell at
you for having wet feet. The moment
you step onto the deck of the Snow
Goose for the short trip to the island,
adulthood and all its admonishments
and obligations fall behind.
After breakfast, preordained groups
disperse for their scheduled activities.
“Parulas” to the shakedown cruisearound the island; “Guillemots” to the
Queen Mary lab for a morning-long,
hands-on exploration of Maine bird
ecology. Too soon, the meal bell
sounds for lunch, and we are forced
into the ref lected sparkle and
unbridled sunshine of coastal Maine.
One of the week’s most popular
outings is the walk on the mainland.
Pioneered by Roger Tory Peterson
when he was a young instructor, the
walk remains true to that path laid out
by RTP, encompassing an array of
habitats. Typical species include
Chestnut-sided Warbler, Bobolink,
Alder Flycatcher, and Virginia Rail
(how’s that for diversity?).
Sadly, and all too soon it’s time for
the Friday evening farewell lobster
cookout. Leave room for the surprise
dessert. In the morning, Captain Bill
and the Snow Goose will ferry campers
back across the channel and to lives
suspended but now transformed. You
have become an emissary of Hog
Island. Go forth and share what you
have learned.
My new mantra, foraged this past
June at Hog, is:
Be aware.
Be curious.
Share what you have discovered
with a friend.
Keep a journal for yourself.
As I write, the delicious light of a
Maine summer is gilding the back
room that is my office with taffy-
colored light. A Pileated Woodpecker
is beckoning. Sorry to cut this short,
but discoveries await.
See you next year?Be well,
Pete, Hog Island instructor“A tour de force for the reader
seeking to identify some of the most
difficult, contentious, and fascinating
taxa in the entire world of birds.”
—Edward S. Brinkley, author of
National Wildlife Federation Field
Guide to Birds of North America
Paper $35.“This book will be a foundational
publication for years to come.”
—Mike Parr, president of the
American Bird Conservancy
Cloth $29.ENGAGING: Pete Dunne chats with a Hog Island
camp attendee.Pete Dunne is the retired director of the Cape
May Bird Observatory, the founder of the World
Series of Birding, the Cape May Hawk Watch’s
first official encounter, and the author or
co-author of many books, including Gulls
Simplified, Birds of Prey, Hawks in Flight, and The
Art of Pishing.Pete also wrote about Hog
Island in our October 2010
issue. You can read the
article, titled “Back to the
source,” on our website:
http://www.birdwatchingdaily.com/
author/pete-dunne
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