January in Rhode Island

I spent one day birding in Rhode Island before I left for Southern California and I've been birding almost every day since I got back. Tomorrow I leave for a Pelagic Cruise - Flock to Marion, Again out of Durban, South Africa. So here's a quick summary of January.

Happy New (Bird) Year! I love birding on January 1st because every bird is a new bird. This year my intent is to always feel that way. When I woke very early this morning and realized the deluge of rain had already passed through. I got ready and went to 7-11 for coffee… it was closed. Disappointed and un-caffeinated, I headed for my sister’s place, not to get coffee, but to see if the Great Horned Owl that has been in residence (and keeping my niece up) hooting for the past few months. It was, so my first bird of 2025 is a Great Horned Owl. Seems appropriate since I am headed to Minnesota in February to spend some time seriously Owling.

I was at Succotash Marsh waiting for the sun to come up. Then I will work my way back along the shore to finish in my town, Westerly. Not as intensely as I have in the past, but with an appreciation for the precipitation-free morning & the joy of birding. Hope your day was equally full of joy & peace...

Succotash Marsh

Greater Yellowlegs & Long-billed Dowitcher

Long-billed Dowitcher

Great Blue Heron

Mud Pond

American Bittern (and American Black Duck)

Perry Pond

Northern Pintail

Misquamicut State Beach

Lapland Longspur

Back in the Saddle in Rhode Island -- Dipped on the Short-eared Owl first thing (and first of three dips - finally saw it!) this afternoon (it's still snowing), reviewing the photos & journal from SoCal to write my blog. Busy day!

Breton Point

Common Goldeneye

Black Scoter

Harlequin Duck

Fort Adams

Snow Goose

Lark Sparrow

Jamestown

Black-crowned Night Heron

Avondale Farm

Red-shouldered Hawk

Pound Road - Westerly

Grey Ghost - Male Northern Harrier

Still running around catching up on what I missed during my vacation, but the best birds today were the ones I was not expecting -- first thing a Barred Owl sitting in a tree, then a Cooper's Hawk doing the same (Photos below), then a few out of season Red-winged Blackbirds mixed in with a flock of European Starlings & Eastern Meadowlarks (this is the bird I was looking for).

Scarborough State Beach

Black-headed Gull

Moonstone Beach Road

Barred Owl

Mud Pond

Great Blue Heron

Juvenile Great Black-backed Gull -- not sure what is was roosting on or if it was OK -- sand bar in the channel between Mud & Cards Pond.

Deep Hole

Long-tailed Duck

Succotash Marsh

Belted Kingfisher

Behind Cumberland Farms (Narragansett)

Coopers Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

Sunset Farm

Rock Pigeon (with unusual plumage)

Matunuck Schoolhouse Road

Eastern Meadowlark

Back to Newport this morning to dip again on the Short-eared Owl, the up to Colt State Park to dip on the Barrow's Goldeneye -- but got a bunch of other stuff I needed. Then I hit Haines Memorial Park -- a new place for me -- and saw the Red-Headed Woodpecker.

Colt State Park

Common Goldeneye

Brant

Common Goldeneye

Red-breasted Merganser

Common Goldeneye

"The Magic Rock" Sanderling, Dunlin, Purple Sandpiper & Ruddy Turnstone

Purple Sandpiper

Common Goldeneye

Purple Sandpiper

Ruddy Turnstone & Sanderling

Ruddy Turnstone

Purple Sandpiper

Common Goldeneye

Purple Sandpiper

Dunlin

Common Goldeneye flock

Haines Memorial Park

Red-headed Woodpecker

Ran back up to Colt State Park on Tuesday to try to catch the Barrow's Goldeneye again -- fortunately Jan St. Jean was there and had already located the female.

Colt State Park

Female Barrow's Goldeneye

Stayed pretty local on Wednesday but did see these Gadwall in the ocean/bay which is pretty unusual.

Watch Hill Lighthouse

Gadwall

Took off Thursday for weather and Friday was a slow photo day. Saturday was stellar -- This Black-bellied Plover showed up at Succotash early in the day and in the afternoon we had a visit from a MEGA (very rare) bird --

Succotash Marsh

Black-bellied Plover

Always fun when a never before seen in Rhode Island bird shows up -- At this point we're saying its a Tundra Bean-Goose... waiting for the experts to weigh in, but its leaning that way. I just found out there is a three bean goose complex (who knew?) Is that like a three bean salad? Tundra Bean, Taiga Bean & Pink-footed (what no Bean?) Here is what the one I saw today (with 50+ other birders from multiple states) looks like...

Portsmouth High School

Tundra Bean-goose

Took a spin around a few spots to try to pick up some more birds, but had the gift of another visit with a Barred Owl!

Moonstone Beach Road

Barred Owl

Salty Brine State Beach

Surf Scoter

Lesser Black-backed Gull (I saw its Yellow legs when it landed)

Monday I finally saw the Short-eared Owl, but briefly, backlit & mobbed by crows. Went north and east to dip on a Eastern Screech Owl that is normally in Tiverton, but I think it was too early in the morning. Looked for Geese too without much luck.

Boyd's Land Marsh

Frosty Great Blue Heron

Tiverton

Potential Eastern Screech Owl Roosts

Off to South Africa tomorrow -- see you after I get back!