Back to Quonnie & Missing Ed

Barbara Seith
Jul 26
2 min read

I've spent most of my birding time lately at Quonnie. I've been pretty inconsistent until this week but I've see a few things. These are from back in early July...

Snowy Egret

Least Sandpiper

Swallows (Barn & Tree)

Least Sandpiper

Piping Plover

Least Sandpiper

Very out of season (and Distant) Long-tailed Duck

Least Tern

A little later in the month...

Greater Yellowlegs & Short-billed Dowitcher

Red-tailed Hawk

Least Tern

Whimbrel

An exciting visit from some Black Skimmers recently -- I haven't had this good a visit with that species in Rhode Island since my first sighting of them early in my birding career. Activity in Quonnie is picking up.

Black Skimmers

Willet

Bonaparte's Gull

Black Skimmer

Bonaparte's Gull

Semipalmated Sandpiper

Semipalmated Plover

American Oystercatcher

Willet

American Oystercatcher

Bonaparte's Gull

Of course I went back the next day -- but nothing special showed up.

Snowy Egret

Semipalmated Sandpiper

Bonaparte's Gull

Semipalmated Sandpiper & Piping Plover

Spotted Sandpiper

Semipalmated Plover

Short-billed Dowitcher

Piping Plover

Bonaparte's Gull

Semipalmated Sandpiper

Common Tern

Semipalmated Plover

A little birding at Succotash Marsh --

Tree Swallow flying over a Green Heron

Green Heron taking flight

Little Blue Heron

Short-billed Dowitcher

Little Blue Heron

Being Harassed by Snowy Egret

My Condo's resident Barn Swallow -- perhaps it should be renamed a Condo Swallow?

Back at Quonnie

Herring Gull with Breakfast

The raft of Double Crested Cormorant

Pectoral Sandpiper

The Sandbar

Snowy Egret

Succotash Marsh

Pectoral Sandpiper

Semipalmated Sandpiper

Little Blue Heron

Wasn't going to bird on Saturday, but I just heard a wonderful man & photographer whom I met my first year birding at Quonnie passed away this morning, so tomorrow I will be going to Quonnie very early to pay tribute to Ed Hughes - although he's been in Florida for years now, he posted photos regularly -- there is a little less light in the world without him. He will be greatly missed! Here is my tribute...

I spent about an hour (most of it pre-sunrise) at Quonnie Breachway this morning, remembering the time I spent here with Ed Hughes - The first bird that flew over was a beautiful Male Wood Duck -- very unusual for that spot and my first thought was Ed... & too dark for a photo, I just enjoyed the thought that he must be in purgatory, but for sure Ed is coming back as a Raptor. After Quonnie I went to Moonstone Beach road, to a spot where Ed used to stake out baby Least Bitterns. When I am at those two places I always think of Ed. I found my first ever Black Tern at Quonnie with Ed -- that memory I will keep close forever. Attached a few photos from my Memorial sit this morning & my memories of Ed. Godspeed my friend...

One of Ed's photos (Short-eared Owl) I wanted to buy it but he wouldn't let me. A treasured possession!