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Back in the Saddle

Writer's picture: Barbara SeithBarbara Seith

After a week of sickness & travelling, it is good to be back in Rhode Island birding. Although it may be suspended again tomorrow because of weather, Monday was lovely -- weather and bird-wise. I started at Beavertail in Jamestown. Had a lovely walk and visits with an Iceland Gull (that I've been looking for, for several weeks now) and quite a nice assortment of ducks. From there to Fort Getty for more ducks & some loons (no photos). After that I returned a third to Godena Farm for the Clay-colored Sparrow hoping it as the charm. It was, although it was too quick for a photo, was glad to see it before the snow comes to town.

Beavertail, Jamestown

Harlequin Duck

Surf Scoter (Female)

Herring Gull

Long-tailed Duck

Iceland Gull

Black Scoter (Female)

Common Eider

Fort Getty

Common Goldeneye (Female)

Godena Farm

Northern Mockingbird

No birding on a snowy Tuesday.


Returned from my Valentine's day (Wednesday) bird refreshed and renewed after a day of doing my taxes and booking hotels in Arizona. Despite the snow & cold, they were out there. The good news is the harbinger of spring -- the Red-winged Blackbirds were at almost every spot where I stopped. Maybe they are as confused as the Groundhog, but I hope not!


Heard from my South Africa guide who was back in Kruger complaining about the heat (But not the birds -- they were great!), so I stalked Misquamicut until I found a few Horned Larks in the snow to cool him down.

Quonnie Breachway

Common Eider

Common Loon

Bald Eagle

Red-winged Blackbird (through the windshield)

Jerusalem

Great Black-backed Gull on snow...

Matunuck Schoolhouse Road

Common Grackle

Watch Hill Lighthouse

Great Cormorant & Great Black-backed Gull

Herring Gull Paws

Common Eider

Horned Grebe

Misquamicut

Horned Lark in snow...

Thursday was a nice birding this morning with a clear, sunny sky and Maria who was back from St. Simons Island for a few days . She got 8 new year birds for RI. And we were able to tell another birder in search of a Northern Shoveler where it was hanging...


Green End Pond

Northern Shoveler

Gardiner Pond

Snow Goose

Common Merganser

Brenton Point, Ocean Drive

American Tree Sparrow

Started Friday morning taking a friend to the airport, then off to see if I could find the Vesper Sparrow that was spotted yesterday. Turns out I didn't have to. Another birder found it (and three of its siblings) before I arrived - Thanks Barbara G. I spent some time watching them, but the "country" road they were on was across from a very active Solar Panel construction site and it has a surprising amount of traffic. Still managed to get a few nice photos.


Got home and was just settling in when I heard a duck species I need was seen on a South County Pond, so off I went (an unusual day when I had no plans in the afternoon). It was extremely windy and the pond looked more like a bay with 25mph winds - even hard to hold my camera steady. If the ducks hadn't flown by, I would have missed them. No photos of the Canvasbacks, but some of the other ducks & the water to give you an idea of what I was searching through.

Beaver River Road

Savannah Sparrow

Vesper Sparrow

Chipping Sparrow

Vesper Sparrow

Tree that looked like it might have an Owl in it -- NOT!

Worden's Pond

Greater Scaup & Ruddy Ducks

Wave!

Awoke to snow again on Saturday morning, but it was light, so I braved it anyway. Not a lot of activity or visibility, but I did have a few lovelies on the way.

Succotash Marsh

Greater Yellowlegs

Weekapaug Breachway Ponds

Hooded Merganser

Great Blue Heron

I trust you see the snow -- it snowed until @2pm.


Close out the week by returning to Worden Pond, since a bunch of birders saw the Canvasbacks again yesterday to see if I could get a photo -- I did but they aren't so great...

Worden Pond

Canvasback - the bird with wings out and the two behind it.

The one in the center with the ski slope bill, the one directly behind (bucked in) and the one of the far right -- the smaller ducks are Ruddy Duck.

Peckham Farm - URI

European Starling

Dark-eyed Junco

House Finch

Savannah Sparrow

Song Sparrow

It was a Sparrow kind of day (Dark-eyed Juncos count)! My ability to tell the different Sparrows apart has grown considerably -- still don't love them. Hoping to get out more in the coming week -- which means hoping for better weather.

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