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.
Комментарии