This week started with a walk hosted at Quonnie for the Salt Ponds Collation. Stopped raining just before we started, but the tide was extraordinarily high due to the Super & Blue Moon the night before, the copious rain we've had, the storm surge from Ernesto and a Southwest wind which blows into the pond.
We saw some nice birds, but I didn't take my camera so I could focus on the participants and utilizing the scope to help the walkers get a better close-up look.
The walk ended in an absolute deluge -- still I wasn't done birding. I went up to Browning Mill Pond because a year bird I needed was seen there the previous night -- Got it. Bonus -- I saw a Blackburnian Warbler -- unexpected, but beautiful -- unfortunately no photo.
Next went to Connecticut to try to see a life bird -- Mississippi Kite family that has been hanging around in Lebanon recently. I had to drive through several deluges while driving on windy country roads. I almost gave up, but I'm glad I did not. I had some quality time with the Juvenile and a few visits from an adult. I did get photos of this...
Lake Williams Drive, Lebanon, CT
Mississippi Kite - Juvenile
Adult lower left, Juvi upper right
Adult
Big community service week for me -- Tuesday was a beach sit for Ocean State Bird Club. I rallied the troops via email to arrive early due to the exceptionally high tides which would push us off the point before the end of the scheduled session.
we started @6:15 I was glad we did -- Al Schenck, spotter extraordinaire, pointed out a group of White Ibis (1 adult & 6 juvis) in the distance. We were both able to get a few photos -- or we would have never been able to ID the Juvi's.
Toward the end of the session we got word there was a Hudsonian Godwit at Misquamicut. Participants slowly started to drift off to see the Godwit and we finally called it, so I got to go too. We see a few Hudsonian Godwits every year, but I haven't always gotten to see it. We had a nice visit.
It's been a good week in just two days -- 5 year birds (4 in RI), 1 state bird, 1 life bird. Can't complain!
Quonnie Breachway
White Ibis (1 adult 6 juveniles)
Short-billed Dowitcher
Misquamicut State Beach
Hudsonian Godwit
Least Sandpiper
Wednesday I was also meeting some new-ish birders on the point, but I had some good quiet time before other folks arrived. The tide was much lower and there was even a sandbar when I arrived. It was COLD - 53 degrees when I arrived -- I was very happy I had my fleece and wore gloves most of the time.
Quonnie Breachway
Short-billed Dowitchers (and a few peeps) in flight
Common Terns at play
Short-billed Dowitchers (and a few peeps) in flight
Common Tern
Least Tern
Peregrine Falcon
Misquamicut State Beach Parking lot
Hudsonian Godwit
Thursday was a bit chilly and it was almost painful to set at Quonnie -- so I did not stay very long. Fleece, Down Vest on the legs and gloves -- still chilly (and windy). The I did the rounds at the other marsh areas in the vicinity.
Quonnie Breachway
Juvenile Ring-billed Gull
Common Loon
Semipalmated Plover
Least Sandpiper
Succotash Marsh
Snowy Egret
Double-crested Coromorant -- with some kind of wound on its head
Galilee Escape Road
Clapper Rail
Belted Kingfisher
Spotted Sandpiper
Double-crested Cormorant with breakfast
On Friday I turned it around and went exploring first visited Buckeye Brook Road & Burlingame North, Moonstone Beach Road & then Quonnie. Not much to photograph on the first stop, but some nice stuff at Moonstone Beach Road - Lots of swallows, at Quonnie also. Checked in at Misquamicut just to see it the Hudsonian Godwit was still there -- was!
Mud Pond/Moonstone Beach Road
So many Tree Swallows!
Trail's Flycatcher -- wishful thinking makes it an Alder, but I will never know since it wasn't vocalizing.
Quonnie Breachway
MORE Tree Swallows
One of these things is not like the other -- Purple Martin
Whimbrel on the Sandbar
Black-bellied Plover
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Black-bellied Plover
Misquamicut State Beach Parking Lot
Hudsonian Godwit
Before Dawn on Saturday I went up to York Pond in Blackstone Park, Providence. I went up early because I wanted to see the Yellow-bellied Flycatcher that was in residence on Friday. I arrived early and caught the sunrise over the Seekonk River, if you look closely you will see a Great Blue Heron in the River.
I definitely saw the Yellow-bellied Flycatcher twice and maybe three times, none of which I was able to capture on my camera. I did grab some photos a few random photos. Went to the turf fields on the way home, but my favorite is still being occupied by two Peregrine Falcons -- and hardly a bird to be seen. Godwit check -- surprisingly positive -- there is basically no puddle left and the area the bird is habituating is crazy busy with people parking on the grass. No explanation.
York Pond, Blackstone Park, Providence
Seekonk River
I thought this tree looks beautiful and interesting in the sunrise.
Eastern Wood-Pewee (that was pretty aggressive chasing the Yellow-bellied Flycatcher away)
Black-crowned Night Heron
Bee
Heaton Orchard
Peregrine Falcon #1
Peregrine Falcon #2
Atlantic Avenue
Great Blue Heron
Misquamicut State Beach Parking Lot
Hudsonian Godwit
A quiet, yet productive session on Sunday at Quonnie. It was dead low tide at mid-session so most of the activity was on the Sandbar. Lots of birders, Sue, Chris V, Devin and his parents & Dan Berard and his parents. I spotted an American Golden Plover on the sandbar and got Chris on it -- he noted another one nearby and even got a look at the armpits (the AGPL has neutral armpits, Black-bellied Plover has black armpits). Another new RI year bird for the list. Fun birding with Dan who is basically calling out flyover birds, as well as the Western Willet on the Sandbar. Not enough Terns for my taste and I'm still on the hunt for a Western Sandpiper & a Black Tern.
Quonnie Breachway
Sunrise
American Golden Plover
Sue's Pond, Watch Hill
 It's going to be low-ish tide most of the next week. Wish me luck!
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