Almost gone...

On Monday there were just 12 days left until my departure for South Africa. I think I'll be ready, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little concerned about the state of the world as I board a 14 hour flight. I am trying not to worry, it ain't easy.

It's a slow time of the year and it has been very slow this week. Well for new birds anyway. There are Yellow-rumped warblers EVERYWHERE in force. Lots of Sparrow and the ducks are starting to return -- a sure sign on impending winter. Most of the birds on Monday were from Beavertail.

Eastern Phoebe

Swamp Sparrow

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Eastern Phoebe

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

Swamp Swallow

Chipping Sparrow

Swamp Swallow

Northern Mockingbird

Northern Flicker - Fort Getty

Northern Mockingbird

Carolina Wren

Fort Getty Berries -- lots of food around!

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Bald Eagle - Marsh Meadows

Mallards - Tri-Pond Nature Center

Tuesday I hit Quonnie Breachway & Moonstone Beach Road, but there was not much to photograph, so I didn't.

Wednesday I went to Newport/Middletown -- it was pretty quiet. NO birds in the water at dawn at Gardiner Pond -- which should have tons of overnight birds roosting shortly. Had a few nice birds are Third beach

Swamp Swallow

Great Egret

Savannah Swallow

Yet another Yellow-rumped Warbler

American Black Duck

Savannah Sparrow

Easton Pond -- American Coot

Mute Swan

American Wigeon

American Wigeon & Blue-winged Teal

American Wigeon

Blue-winged Teal

Blue-winged Teal

American Coot

Canada Geese

Pied-billed Grebe

Breton Point Ocean Drive -- Double-crested Cormorant

Common Eider

Thursday I needed to go to the Social Security office in New London, so I thought I'd mix it up and go to the Hawk watch in New Haven -- but the wind was from the south and that is no bueno for migration. So I checked Bluff Point -- also very quiet birdwise, but there was a "Mayday" airplane coming into the airport just across the river -- so tons of noise & emergency vehicles.

Then I was off the Hammonasset in Madison CT -- again Yellow-rumps EVERYWHERE, but some nice Sparrows too including some Juvi - White-crowned and a Grasshopper Sparrow. I didn't see the Clay-colored in CT and of course one was found where I was yesterday.

Bald Eagle

Northern Mockingbird

Savannah Sparrow

Blue Jay

House Finch

White-crowned Sparrow

More Yellow-rumped Warbler

Great Egret

Friday morning I went to Brenton State Park in Newport to hang out near the bathrooms (yes, bathrooms -- but in a beautiful old building) looking for the Clay-colored Sparrow that had been hanging out for the past few days. I had a nice morning with fellow birders Tim & Carl -- who I hadn't seen in a while -- catching up on news and why they hadn't be able to come the previous day. It was pretty slow & gloomy -- I left first, hoping for them it would mean the bird who show up and I would be the "sacrificial lamb" but nope, nobody found it yesterday -- just lots of Song Sparrows.

Song Sparrow, Brenton State Park

Yellow-Rumped Warbler, Harrison Avenue

Laughing Gulls (and one Ring-billed Gull) near Green Bridge

It was supposed to rain all day Saturday, so I was going to sleep in, but when I woke up to my alarm, the weather report said it was not going to rain until 10am -- so I got up and headed to Succotash Marsh. It rained almost the whole way there -- then it let up a bit. There were a good number of birds and in a spot that has been good in past years, but dead most of this year. In the pond across the road from the Sweet Spot I found a bunch of Black-bellied Plovers, Semipalmated Plovers & Dunlin. Nice to see that pond drawing in some birds again.

Succotash Marsh

The Sandbar behind Cap'n Jacks was alive with birds!

Black-bellied Plover

Dunlin

Semipalmated Plover

Dunlin

I watched this guy for a long time -- he seemed bigger than the Dunlin and I couldn't get a good look. He was tucked in a lot. Was hoping he might be a Long-billed Dowitcher which we haven't had in Rhode Island yet this year.

From this angle the bill looked straight, but not long enough to be a Dowitcher, maybe a Red Knot?

Started thinking Dunlin again (although he was bigger than the others)

Ah -- now I see the decurve in the bill - Dunlin!

Quonnie Point -- there is a Bonaparte's -- the small bird on the left with a spot behind its eye (pink legs too, but hard to see in this light/photo)

The Bonaparte's looks almost like a Mini version of the Laughing Gull with the behind the eye spot on the right (Bonaparte's the tiny bird on the left) -- except for the size and the leg color.

Saturday afternoon I visited the Misquamicut State Beach Parking lot where some Horned Larks have taken up residence along with 100s of Gulls and some other beauties.

Mallards swimming in the ponds created by the rain this morning

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Laughing Gull

Greater Yellowlegs

Horned Lark -- the start of the show today...

A gorgeous fall Sunday morning with only 5 more days (and 4 more birds) to go before I leave for ZA. I had a gift of a morning -- wonderful foliage, lovely skies and some unexpected birds. Starting at Quonnie to catch the low tide then off to Heaton Orchard ending in Tri-Pond Nature Center.

Lots of birds on the point at Quonnie poaching fish from the plethora of Double-crested Cormorants

A (relatively) new feature on the Sandbar is what I assume to be a root ball of a tree. You can see this even when the Sandbar is covered.

Heaton Orchard Foliage

Greater Yellowlegs

European Starling - I don't often take photos of them because they are so common (and at times annoying) but they are particularly fun today.

American Pipit in the deep grass but flushing regularly

Or occasionally perching on the phone wire

A little more foliage

European Staring (again)

Least Sandpiper -- a little late so it came up as Rare.

Finally American Pipit on the ground within photo distance

European Starling on some farm machinery

Tri-pond Nature Center

Not sure what the next 5 days will bring, but I will post a Pre-South Africa post before I leave.