New Life(r)!

Barbara Seith
Oct 15, 2023
4 min read

Started the week at Succotash Marsh walking in the back Marsh itself. Usually I bird here mostly from the car. I was joined by Maria & the other Barbara S. It was chilly & very windy, but it was a beautiful day and it was a nice walk.

Black-bellied Plover in East Matunuck State Beach Parking lot

Song Sparrow

Female Mallard

Tree Swallows by the 100s

Female Belted Kingfisher

Snowy Egret

Swamp Sparrow

Male Belted Kingfisher

Great Blue Heron

Male Belted Kingfisher

Bald Eagle (from the Marsh)

Song Sparrow

Lighthouse on Dog Beach

Rain cut Tuesday's session short and there were no good photos.

Wednesday started in Galilee and ended in Misquamicut -- the Sand Sculpture show finally over, but still blocking the east side of the parking lot.

Many many Gulls repositioning over Galilee Bird Sanctuary

Great Egret & Reflection, Succotash Marsh

American Robin, South Farm Preserve

Laughing Gull - Misquamicut State Beach Parking lot

Killdeer

Tiny Ring-billed Gull

Thursday brought lots of Sparrows (and some other birds) at South Kingstown Beach.

Savannah Sparrow

American Goldfinch

Carolina Wren

House Finch

Northern Cardinal

Thursday afternoon/evening was spent at the Beach House in Misquamicut that my friend Cindy (and her three dogs) rented for the week. It was a lovely afternoon

Friday started out slow -- Usually the best birding days are surprising. Today was one of those days. I started at Beavertail just before sunrise on a day that was supposed to be very birdy -- it was fairly quiet. Not so bad because my plan had been to go to Marsh Point to see Nelson's Sparrows. I arrived at there at @high tide and there was no way to get on the point to where I would expect the sparrows to be .

Just then I got a message that Al Schenck had spotted what he thought was a Say's Phoebe (typically a western bird) at Snake Den Farm -- that is @1 hour from my home, but only 30 minutes from Marsh Point -- I was on a schedule and had to be home by 10, so I figured I would have @25 minutes to find the bird once I arrived at Snake Den.

I didn't need all that time -- I arrived and Al pointed it out right away flying to perch on a piece of Farm Equipment in the field near the road. Although horribly backlit, I got some photos that ID the bird. Then it flew to the back of the barn -- I got there just in time to see the bird flush from the ideal shot -- but I got great look at the bird. Then it perched on the roof with a bee it had caught -- those are my favorite shots.

This is a life bird for me -- totally unexpected and wonderful! Got to share it with other birders (Barbara & Bill G, Al, Alex Lin-Moore, John MacGill) -- more arrived as I was leaving that told me what a special bird this is. Life bird: 363, RI bird: 317, RI year Bird: 275

Say's Phoebe

Stopped by Tri-pond Nature Center this afternoon looking for a Common Gallinule. No luck with that, but lots of ducks & geese.

Wood Ducks

Green-winged Teal

Mallards

Wood Duck

Wood Duck, Turtles & Canada Geese

Turns out Saturday was eBird's Global Big Day -- so you are supposed to find as many birds as you can. I already had an event to attend in Massachusetts right by the border from 12-2, so I started out early in Foster -- I had a total of 9 checklists with 70 birds. I wasn't counting as I went along, but did note some unexpected birds. It was a big day for Woodpeckers -- saw multiple Downys, Hairys, Red-bellied, Northern Flickers & Pileated. Was hoping for a Red-headed, but no luck.

Went to Marsh Point in Warwick after my event and was able to find a Nelson's & a Salt Marsh Sparrow, but was surprised by 5 Semipalmated Plovers, a Spotted Sandpiper (with its bobbing tail) and a Common Loon. Finished up at Misquamicut State Beach Parking lot with 2 Killdeer and some Laughing Gulls for an even 70.

Foster scenery was spectacular fall colors -- so much further ahead than the coast.

Red-shouldered Hawk (was still kind of dark out)

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

One of many Blue Jays today

Sheep

End of the morning at Swan Point Cemetery - a small pond in the middle of the cemetery

Had an Audubon event at Caratunk (and preserve that belongs to RI Audubon but which is actually in Massachusetts) for Volunteers and they brought in a Barred Owl for a educational demo. He was a beautiful bird who is an ambassador because he has a deformed wing structure due to a birth defect.

Semipalmated Plover, Marsh Point

Savannah Sparrow

Juvenile Spotted Sandpiper

Common Loon

Just a quick bird on Sunday (so much to do) at Succotash this morning. Had a lovely Forster's Tern thanks to Tim Metcalf. A sizable flock of Great Blue Herons flew over and Tons of Yellow Rumps!

The Marsh