Cold & Wet...

An interesting week -- cold but productive.

Monday I went to Watch Hill to see if I could see the Snowy Owl that had been hanging out on the Napatree Osprey nest was viewable from the lighthouse -- It was when I first got there -- it looked just like a little white lump through the scope, but then it flew and I knew. On the way there I spotted a Ring-necked Pheasant (which I hadn't seen around here since since 2020 in Avondale) before the sunrise. A few other treasures too...

Watch Hill

Ring-necked Pheasant

My last Ring-necked Pheasant from 2020 in Avondale

Horned Grebe

Common Eider

Misquamicut

Northern Cardinal

Female Northern Pintail

Great Blue Heron

Tuesday was the wet part -- I hit the high (much higher than we expected) on a Pelagic with 25 other intrepid birders. Most more intrepid than me -- I only sat outside for the first @2.5 hours of the 8 hour trip. After than it was way too rough for me to feel safe outside -- fortunately unlike a number of others I did not get sick -- but I also missed some good birds -- Glaucous Gull & Dovekie. We saw a very unexpected bird on a pelagic trip -- a Snowy Owl on Block Island...

Northern Gannet

Seals & White-winged Scoters (which were out in force)

Snowy Owl

Razorbill

White-winged Scoter

Razorbill

Wednesday was a quick trip to Mud-Pond and Scarborough Beach...

Mud Pond

Merlin

Scarborough Beach

Black-headed Gulls

The rest of the week I was out on and off -- didn't take many photos but here you go.

Misquamicut State Beach

Lapland Longspur

Horned Lark

Watch Hill Lighthouse

Snow Bunting

Horned Lark

Snow Bunting

Ninigret Park

Barred Owl

Burlingame Boat Ramp

White-throated Sparrow

That's a wrap for a cold week -- getting prepared for my January trips to Southern California & the Southern Ocean Pelagic out of Durban South Africa -- stay tuned!