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This season typically prompts birders to venture towards the coast, where birds are still plenty visible during the day. Aside from the ubiquitous gulls, the most common birds seen along the coast are the stately waders that scour the shallows for fish and invertebrates.
Waders, which include herons, egrets, and ibises, are often conspicuous along mudflats and shorelines because of their large size and bright plumage. Many of the herons are striking blue or green, while egrets are gleaming white. All these species feed communally, and it can be an arresting sight to witness this multicolored arrangement on an otherwise boring stretch of marsh.
Many newcomers to birding struggle to distinguish between the many species, especially those that superficially appear very similar. For instance, both the Great Egret and the Snowy Egret are bright white birds, but several differences set them apart.
The larger Great Egret has entirely dark legs and a yellowish bill, while the smaller snowy has yellow feet and a dark black bill. While Great Blue Herons are easy to identify because of their size, two smaller species of blue herons in the area can cause some confusion.
The adult Little Blue Heron is a small cornflower-blue heron with a two-toned bill, while the slightly larger Tricolored Heron has a conspicuous cream-colored stripe down its neck and a pale underside. These field marks are so diagnostic that you will be able to identify most species even from a speeding boat.
Of course, nothing substitutes for practice, and the current large concentration of waders makes now a perfect time to investigate your local body of water.
William Haffey is currently a seminarian for the Diocese of Bridgeport, Conn. and has a background in avian ecology. He has birded extensively in the United States and Latin America.
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