Yes, truly beautiful -- lots of birds and sunshine and birders out and about. Made me remember why I love birding in Rhode Island. Started the day at Mud Pond with an American Bittern (new 2024 bird). Had some great time with a few other Redheads ;) Ending the morning at my patch Quonnie Breachway - won't be too long before I will be sitting there daily and soaking in the birds.
Mud Pond
Great Blue Heron
Ruddy Duck
American Bittern
When I first spotted it -- very well camouflaged...
Starting to peek out
Ah - there it is...
All unfurled
South Kingstown Town Beach
Red-winged Blackbird
Killdeer
Perry Pond
Redhead
Quonnie Breachway
Common Eider
Just a quick bird on Tuesday Morning because I had a lunch in Greenwich CT on Tuesday and of course there was a Accident on 95 a few miles before I needed to exit.
After Lunch had to go up to the Merritt Parkway to get home. Long day.
Mud Pond
Northern Harrier
Ruddy Duck
Atlantic Avenue, Misquamicut
Common Raven
While I was sitting in traffic on Tuesday some visitors from Maine - the folks who run the pelagic I got to in June discovered a Pink-footed Goose at a nursery in Middletown. So Wednesday I headed over the bridges early (because of the construction) and I was hoping to hear the Eastern Screech Owl that had been reported in a wooded park in Newport. I was in place @5:15am.
I did hear the Owl fairly quickly, but stuck around to see if it might vocalize again and listen to the other sounds of the woods in the dark -- a couple of American Woodcocks were active and so were several male Northern Cardinals. I had never seen Cardinals behave like that.
Went to the Goose site next, but no Geese -- not surprising, I find they usually spend the night on water and only go to the feeding grounds a little later. So I did a tour of Middletown & Newport.
Gardiner Pond
Great Blue Heron (fuzzy Common Merganser in back)
Ocean Drive
Harlequin Ducks
Brant
Fort Getty
Immature Male Common Goldeneye
Ross's Goose
This is an older photo of a Pink-footed Goose. The one from today was in the back of a brushy field across a busy street and a photo wasn't possible. This one was at a pond in Cranston and I took it right before the stress fracture in my foot kicked in (that lead to surgery) -- at least I got a good life bird before I was out of commission for awhile.
Rainy day on Thursday, so basically quiet & wet. Had to meet a fellow birder the lend him an extra camera body while his was being fixed and ended up at Camp Cronin. Had some nice moments with the Scarborough Beach Black-headed Gulls.
Succotash Marsh
Northern Harrier
Great Blue Heron
Scarborough Beach
Black-headed Gulls
Camp Cronin
Red-throated Loon
Horned Grebe
Took a ride on the Block Island Ferry on Friday -- have been trying to do that for a few weeks, but either the marine forecast, my schedule or FOG stopped me. I met James at the Ferry and another birder also joined us.
Very productive trip out -- a Black Guillemot (maybe 2) & 2 Common Murres were new year birds for me. I didn't get a lot of photos because on the way out the weather was very good and too many people crowded the front deck making it challenging to get photos. Here's what I had worth posting.
Block Island Ferry
Common Murre
Surf Scoter
Razorbill
Spent Saturday at a conference -- it is early Sunday morning and its pretty messy out there (rain, astronomical high tide & WIND!), so I might wait until low tide this afternoon to venture out.
Basically there was NO low tide today -- just extremely high tide and high tide. So just a few photos from Quonnie Breachway.
Common Loon coming into breeding plumage
Grey Seal fighting the tide
Here's hoping for better weather next week.
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