Sep 18, 20236 min read

Manatees, Whimbrels & Waves, oh my!

Gloomy again this Monday morning, but not as foggy and no dogs (yay!). Nice birds but not a ton of them. Manomet, the organization that runs the International Shore Survey says yesterday was the last day of Peak Shorebird migration (although it continues for another month) and it seemed like all of a sudden today, there were less birds. The Whimbrels were gone (from Quonnie) and they have been there in force for the last week or so. The good news is that is typically when the less usual birds show up.

The Whimbrels are still in Succotash...

Last week my friend Peter asked me if I had heard about the Manatee that was reported at Quonnie. I had not. Apparently some guy had come up to him a few days before when he was walking around with his camera. Who knew -- this would greet me this morning.

I never saw it, but Peter did. There were photos -- WOW! Moving on...

Piping Plover -- first in about a week. Might be the last one this season.

Western Willet

Lesser Yellowlegs

Black-bellied Plover

Great Egret with breakfast

Semipalmated Sandpipers

Pectoral Sandpiper

Black-bellied Plover

Short-billed Dowitcher

Double-crested Cormorant

Pectoral Sandpiper

Short-billed Dowitcher

Semipalmated Sandpiper with bum leg

Semipalmated Sandpipers

Northern Mockingbird

Tree Swallows, Succotash Marsh

Whimbrel, Succotash Marsh

Lesser Yellowlegs, Succotash Marsh

Great Egret, Succotash Marsh

Tuesday was less gloomy, but the tide was higher. I had Sue & lots of avian company -- as she said -- like watching Bird TV. The Whimbrel were back -- took a drive afterward (needed to return something to the UPS store) and got a few shots -- also had a quick session with the birds following a fishing boat at Camp Cronin. Had some interesting shots that Merlin indicates are Jaegers (which I have never seen). They aren't great photos, but I'm wondering what my human birder friends think.

Semipalmated Plover

Whimbrel on the wing

Western Willet

Eastern Willet

Whimbrel

Great Egret with Breakfast

Greater Yellowlegs

Whimbrel

Pectoral Sandpipers

Short-billed Dowitchers, Succotash Marsh

Belted Kingfisher, Galilee Escape Road

Possible Jaeger in blue, Camp Cronin

Another Mystery bird, Camp Cronin

Yesterday I was having lots of FOMO watching all the reports of my birder friends finding great birds up at Snake Den Farm (in Johnston, RI about an hour away). On Monday I woke up with something going on in my hip (those of a certain age know that non-specific but painful feeling in a body part). The last few days it has been all I can do to walk out to Quonnie. I chose not to chase a Baird's Sandpiper at Scarborough beach on Monday & to forgo the Snake Den Bonanza yesterday.

Last night my hip was feeling better (not perfect, but better) and I decided I would get up early and be there at sunrise because rain was expected later. Well there was fog and humidity and NO SUN! The best bird was seen on a trail I was unaware of until yesterday -- so I decided to check it out. It is nice visibility (with no fog and some light) but even in the poor conditions I could see lots of bird activity -- lots of Chickadees and then I saw the Golden-winged Warbler in a naked bush (lots of sticks, no leaves) -- it has a bright yellow slash on its wing -- so cool.

Once I saw it I raised my camera and could not get it to focus on the bird. Down went the camera and up went the bins... I actually enjoyed watching this bird for another minute or so. A lovely dark yellow cap with some striking white & gray markings around the eye -- so pretty and it was the less vivid female. This time of year it is not so often you see a bird with bright yellow. It flew down toward the trailhead and I slowly (had to a hill and I need to take care going downhill) looking for the bird on the way. It was very quiet -- I wonder if I missed a predator flying by.

This was the bush it was in... lots of sticks!

I made my way out to the field and took the photo below -- really foggy! I ran into the birder who found the Golden-winged Warbler yesterday. He was looking for the Lark Sparrow that had been spotted there yesterday (turns out he was looking in the wrong place) I went further down the field road -- again very quiet.

Then I got a notice that a Philadelphia Vireo was back on the trail. I headed back to the trail and arrived just in time to miss a Black-billed Cuckoo. The birder population had soared since I left -- 10 people. They saw a Tennessee Warbler which I also missed, lots of birds but the visibility was killing me -- plus I was really wet - not just sweat (although there was some of that) but the fog was so think it was dropping moisture. My hip was doing ok, but I didn't want to push it and I was not enjoying birding in these conditions, so I left.

I'm sure as the reports come in through out the day I will experience some more FOMO -- I would love to get my year's Dickcissel & Blue Grosbeak. I imagine with that many eyes they will find something else before it rains.

Today I can't be disappointed -- it was great bird and I found a new trail (that is not long) and I am told is great in the fall.

This tractor was only about 50 feet away...

No fog Thursday morning at Quonnie but it is a little nippy with a brisk wind. I have my down vest on. It may be time to start packing the fleece!

A plover kind of day at the point -- but My bird moment of the day was on the way out -- two Ravens in a pine tree got into a squawking match with a Red-shouldered Hawk. It went on for 10 minutes -- fun!

Black-bellied Plover

Mostly Laughing Gulls in a row

Black-bellied Plover

Common Raven

Two Ravens up top, One Red-shouldered Hawk on the bottom

Red-shouldered Hawk

Red-shouldered Hawk & Common Raven

Red-shouldered Hawk

European Starling -- annoying but beautiful!

Was meeting a friend in Jamestown Friday morning, so I decided to wake early (4:15am) in order to get to Beavertail for first light. The wind out of the NNE should have been perfect for a good morning flight (birds migrating over and turning around to stop because of the big wide ocean in front of them. Maybe it was just too much wind (15-25mph), lots of waves, not many birds.

Went around Newport with a similar result except for an early (sign of winter) Ring-necked Duck. Again wonderful waves and a chance to get more practice with my iPhone Gimbal. Its getting a little easier, but I need to try to practice everyday -- not my forte.

Jamestown Bunny

An early (so currently Rare) Ring-necked Duck in Newport. One of those birds that is not well named. It does have a ring around its neck, but it is dark-ish purple -- but look at the ring around it's bill -- I often call it a Ring-billed Duck -- grrrrrr!

Waves, Brenton Point, Newport

Waves, Ledge Drive, Newport

Waves, Brenton Point, Newport

Friday night at The View -- I love where I live!

Saturday was kind of a gloomy day - just a quick trip to Succotash, just the usual and Heaton Orchard -- where this Cooper's Hawk was sitting in a field. Not a Cooper's Hawk eats smaller birds, so you'd like the Killdeer would avoid it like the plague and it could clear a field just by flying over. Yet it was just sitting there for 10 minutes while I was there -- Killdeer nearby.

On Sunday I scheduled an impromptu Ferry Ride and Claudia was able to join me. The ferry doesn't leave until 9am this time of year, so I was able to Land-bird before boarding the boat.

Some birders I don't know had reported a Philadelphia Vireo at a location I did not know about -- so I was hoping to kill two birds (that doesn't sound good) with one stone. I did not find the Vireo, but I did really enjoy birding in and around Pasquiset Pond Preserve. The road was very quiet and it was easy to stop and take photos.

The weather was wonderful for the ferry ride and although it was generally quiet for birds -- there were moments when it was chaotic.

Laughing Gull