Very rainy on Monday and I spent most of my morning at Succotash Marsh. I heard the sizzle of either a Seaside Sparrow or Nelson's Sparrow early on - once. I spent the next hour trying to get a photo of one or the other. I ended up with lots of photos of Saltmarsh Sparrows - not bad, but not new.
Wet Great Blue Heron
Glossy Ibis flyover
Saltmarsh Sparrow
In the afternoon my Doctor found a Brown Dog Tick on my arm -- it had been there a few days. He put me on Doxycycline and ordered a Tick borne illness test. Which takes 5-7 days to get full results. I don't have Lyme, but the verdict is still out on the other two.
Tuesday morning I was all set to do the Ninigret Mudflats with Linda, but the water was high and I wasn't feeling the best, so I bailed -- my loss they saw a gorgeous adult Ruff in the white variant. Bummer for me.
Had a nice morning at Quonnie -- but nothing new.
Semipalmated Plover
Lesser Yellowlegs
Short-billed Dowitchers
Piping Plover
Least Tern
Common Tern (the one in front is preening and looks like it has a Laughing Gull bill instead)
Forster's Tern
Forster's Tern, Common Tern, Laughing Gull -- Size comparison
Wednesday Quonnie yielded a Whimbrel flyover & 2 Caspian Terns, a large contingent of Egrets and hundreds of Dragonflies.
American Oystercatcher
Egret Brigade
Whimbrel Flyover
Spotted Sandpiper (spotted by Linda Gardrel)
Dragonfly
Common Tern
Caspian Terns
Common Tern
Wednesday Evening I got the word Linda was at Quonnie and had two Royal Terns. So I joined her to get some photos. A very high tide gave them only a small area to rest.
Royal Terns amidst Laughing Gulls & Short-billed Dowitchers
On my way home from Quonnie I got a text from a neighbor telling me he had two Great Horned Owls in a tree in his back yard. Since I was already out and birding I stopped by. They have been there regularly for five days and remain as of today.
Great Horned Owl
Thursday was an excellent day at Quonnie -- both a Royal Tern & a Whimbrel gave us good looks. Then I got to look my nestling Osprey at Succotash Marsh in the eye.
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Willet
Halloween Dragonet
Killdeer
Least Tern
Royal Tern
Green Heron
Piping Plover
Halloween Dragonet
Whimbrel
Osprey Nestling at Cap'n Jacks Restaurant sign, Succotash Marsh
I did not expect to be birding on Friday, but the weather was on and off ok, so I got out for a few hours. A decent day for one so gloomy. The best news was after 11 hours of birding at Quonnie my friend Nick finally got his Rhode Island Royal Tern with an assist from Sue.
Here's what I saw in the morning at Quonnie
Green Heron supervising the activity from the boat dock
Snowy Egret
American Oystercatcher
Short-billed Dowitchers
Common Tern
Least Sandpiper
Herring Gull with breakfast
Saturday, again brought iffy weather, but good enough for a session on the point at Quonnie -- first close up Semipalmated Plover of the season and lots of visits from Piping Plovers and Least Sandpipers. Otherwise just lots of birders and not so much to look at -- since it is the weekend the dogs started arriving about 8am -- my cue to leave.
Semipalmated Plover
Least Sandpiper
Piping Plover
Snowy Egret
The week ends the same way it started -- dodging rain drops and photographing Saltmarsh Sparrows from afar. Had another Royal visit at Quonnie and got my best EVER photo of a Willow Flycatcher on The Galilee Escape Road. I'm home now with a Tornado watch and rain coming down -- at least I got my nature fix for the day already.
Royal Tern preening on the Sandbar at Quonnie
Finally a good view of that Carroty bill
Joined by some friends (Piping Plover & Willet) for a size comparison
Common Tern at Succotash Marsh
Saltmarsh Sparrows at Succotash Marsh
Green Heron flew in and perched on a Telephone Wire (never see that before)
Willow Flycatcher composed this itself -- my favorite photo of one! Galilee Escape Road.
Flora on the Galilee Escape Road
Stay dry and safe -- until next time!
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