Sharing the Love

This week is all about giving back -- actually last week too. It started with a bird walk that I assisted with a Quonnie, then Maria and I did a Zoom talk about birding at Quonnie for the Salt Ponds Coalition. This week I am leading a "Communing with the Flock" beach sit at Quonnie with the Ocean State Bird Club and Thursday (if the weather cooperates) a Bird walk at Quonnie with the Salt Ponds Coalition. Whew -- I'm tired just thinking about it -- but I'm sure it will be fun and always like sharing bird knowledge and viewing with others!

Monday was a nice calm morning, but no where near the numbers I had over the weekend. Still I had 613 birds in my four locations and 61 species at Quonnie, 90 everywhere -- that's a good day. We are expecting good weather until Thursday -- then... we'll see.

Just a few photos from today...

Quonnie Breachway

Willet

White-rumped Sandpiper

Glossy Ibis flyover

Common Eider -- these guys should be breeding (making Eider down) in the Arctic by now. Odd to still have them here.

Canochet Road

Mountain Laurel

Red-spotted Purple Butterfly

Tuesday I stayed fairly local -- Quonnie to start, then Atlantic Avenue to see if I could find a Clapper Rail (I could and I think it is nesting.) and the Town Kayak Ramp for the International Shore Bird Survey Blitz -- looking for Red Knots & Ruddy Turnstones. Before the Blitz started there were 14 Turnstones there -- today the only shore bird was a Willet. It goes until Saturday, so hopefully it will yield something at some point this week.

Oh yeah and the Horseshoe Crabs are back -- two pairs on the beach this morning. In their torpor until the tide came in.

Quonnie Breachway

Female Horseshoe Crab

Male Horseshoe Crab wagging it's tail (on a different female)

The tide is coming in

She's in the water -- and the male is behind her

You can see his tail -- but his shell is covered with detritus.

Getting ready to attach and that White-rumped Sandpiper has no clue...

The other couple is in float...

Again -- a White-rumped Sandpiper is clueless perched on the mating female crab.

Now on to the birds...

Willet

Piping Plover

Common Grackle

Atlantic Avenue

Willet

Clapper Rail (maybe in a nest)

Watch Hill Lighthouse

Taylor Swift's House

Northern Mockingbird

Showing it's dance moves

Auditioning to be a backup singer for Taylor

Wednesday I did a "Communing with the Flock" beach sit at Quonnie this morning for Ocean State Bird Club. Seven of us sat through not a lot of birds and some fog to be rewarded with a nice long look at a Boat-tailed Grackle. Grateful to Sue Talbot for coming along and hearing it to make the ID. Lots of Horseshoe Crabs moving around too. A good sit and we all learned something! We did not see the American Flamingo but did manage an American Oystercatcher at the end.

Great Egret

Willet

Semipalmated Sandpiper

Piping Plover

The fog rolls in on the Great Egret

Boat-tailed Grackle - RI State bird for me

Horseshoe Crabs were active too...

A neighbor took me to a Great Blue Heron Rookery on Wednesday afternoon -- he is trying to stop the town from destroying a dam on the Pawcatuck River which would dry out this little wetland. I'm looking forward to exploring it in better light but he wanted some photos of the 30 some odd Herons in resident, so I complied, despite the difficult light. They came out better than I thought they would.

Narragansett Way

Great Blue Heron

Thursday was rainy and foggy -- just a quick bird in the morning and a visit to the Rookery in the afternoon.

Quonnie Breachway

Great Egret

Herring Gull - immature

Laughing Gull waiting for his Chinese delivery

Rookery

Barred Owl

Beaver Dam

Great Blue Heron

The Duplex

Daddy's home...

Friday was a lovely quiet morning and Quonnie -- that started out with a Deer going for a dip.

The Deer adventure

Willet

Semipalmated Plover

Piping Plover

Horseshoe Crabs mating

Great Egret

White-rumped Sandpiper

Common Tern

Short-billed Dowitcher

White-rumped Sandpiper

Common Tern

Saturday I had a celebration of life to attend in Maine. Sunday I was at Quonnie shortly after 5am. Had a single lovely very cooperative Red Knot -- took a ton of photos in the changing light.

Quonnie Breachway

Green Heron

Surf Scoter (very late)

My old friend JV3 - Piping Plover

White-rumped Sandpiper

Short-billed Dowitcher

Red Knot

Red Knot food source

Red Knot Food Source

Odd Gull that's been a Q since Wednesday -- Young Herring Gull (too small)? Young Ring-billed Gull (Too pink legs)? Hybrid? I have yet to get a definitive answer. Oh yeah -- Gimpy foot.

Rained early, but the sun is out @4pm -- looking forward to new challenges next week!