Into Africa

In a few days, I will be headed back to South Africa. Looking forward to birding again with Vince in Cape Town and Andrew in Kruger National Park. As is my practice later I designed a logo for the trip.

Although it is more focused on the Safari part of the trip, it is the whole Magilla.

Meanwhile back in Rhode Island -- it's been a fun few weeks.

Rambling in Foster

Red-eyed Vireo

American Robin

Emu at Farm

Chipping Sparrow

Green Acres

Gosling

Canada Geese

Eastern Kingbird

Eastern Phoebe

Great Blue Heron Rookery -- the babies are growing fast!

Morning at Succotash

Barn Swallows

Yellow Warbler

Dunlin & Least Sandpiper

Laughing Gulls

Willet

Atlantic Avenue Kayak Launch

Least Sandpiper

Quonnie -- 1st official beach sit -- very buggy (and they bite)

Willow Flycatcher

Ruddy Turnstone

Willet

Least Sandpiper

Piping Plover

Least Sandpiper

Willow Flycatcher

Black-bellied Plover

Piping Plover

Watch Hill Lighthouse

Tern Party

In the evening -- the party continues - likely @400 birds

Quonnie Breachway

Black-bellied Plover in the fog...

Piping Plover

Least Sandpiper

Ruddy Turnstone

Horseshoe Crab

Female Bobolink

Eastern Cottontail

Succotash Marsh

Clapper Rail

Semipalmated Plover

Saunderstown

Baltimore Oriole

Osprey with Breakfast

American Redstart

eBird has a nice new feature -- you can load photos and recordings to your checklist that are site related and not just birds -- they have other creatures now too. Since I see and photograph other creatures on a regular basis -- I will take full advantage of this.

I'm going to pause Rhode Island for a minute and share a few shots from my Safari Guide Andrew -- he is in the park regularly and gets some amazing photos.

Kruger National park

Malachite Kingfisher

Wild Dogs

Male Kudu

Female Lion

Back to Rhode Island - Early Morning Quonnie

Green Heron (there were 2!)

Semipalmated Plover

Piping Plover

Least Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher, Sanderling

Short-billed Dowitcher

Least Sandpiper

Horseshoe Crab

My Sunday seat at the North side of Miantomoni Park in Newport.

I've really been enjoying sitting in the woods this Spring. My listening skills have improved considerably and Spring has some of my favorite sounds!

Wood Thrush - literally my favorite bird sounds!

Swainson's Thrush -- the third of my target birds for Spring Photographs. I feel accomplished.

Wood Thrush

The rest of the week has been a lot of rain but still managed to get out a bit.

Quonnie Breachway

Mink with Breakfast

Willet

Yellow Warbler

Black-bellied Plover

Great Egret

Swan Point Cemetery

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Female House Sparrow with breakfast

Lovely Photo ops on Friday - started at

Succotash Marsh

Osprey under attack (with breakfast)

Killdeer

Semipalmated Plover

Northern Mockingbird

Willet

Card's Pond Road

Female Red-winged Blackbird

Mud Pond

Barn Swallow

Tree Swallow

Bank Swallow

Gray Catbird

Quonnie Breachway

Short-billed Dowitcher

Least Sandpiper

Semipalmated Sandpiper

Black-bellied Plover

Atlantic Avenue, Westerly

Greater Yellowlegs

Pectoral Sandpiper

Town Kayak Launch

Willet & Ruddy Turnstone

Flock of Peeps

Misquamicut State Beach -- last pre-summer day (Calm)

Semipalmated Plover

House Finch

Semipalmated Plover

Northern Mockingbird

Atlantic Avenue

Snowy Egret

Least Sandpiper

The holiday weekend is rather quite because it is COLD -- in the high 40s and windy. Not exactly each weather, but the tides (almost high) and parking were in my favor, so I did a sit at Quonnie Breachway. Beautiful light this morning. Lots to do before I go, so home @7:30.

Quonnie Breachway

Great Egret

Snowy Egret

Piping Plover

Ruddy Turnstone

Semipalmated Sandpiper

Least Sandpiper

Horseshoe Crab

Semipalmated Sandpiper

Black-bellied Plover

Common Tern

Atlantic Avenue, Westerly

Willow Flycatcher on the same branch as yesterday!

Misquamicut State Beach

Black-bellied Plover (2 of them!)

Early on Memorial day I set off for Francis Carter Preserve to look for a Grasshopper Sparrow. I found it -- heard it in the usual place @.5 miles from the parking lot, only to talk to someone and find out folks had only been seeing it way on the other end (too far for me) of the preserve. I'm glad I didn't find that out before I went I might have bailed -- here are some shots from today.

Francis Carter

Northern Flicker

Eastern Towhee

Pine Warbler

Baltimore Oriole

Very Noisy Brown Thrasher

This is my last post before departure. Next birds -- South Africa!