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!
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