Slow Wet Week...

Barbara Seith
Aug 20, 2023
3 min read

Monday started out dry and I had company at Quonnie. Linda, Maria and Tommy. Tommy was visiting from Oregon where he works for a Bird Observatory. He was happy to see a Willow Flycatcher, Both Yellowlegs and a Pectoral Sandpiper -- old hat for the locals. It was mid-tide rising, so it was kind of quiet time. We had a decent session (although nothing new) but the weather was fine and the 3:40 session passed quickly.

Least Sandpiper

Pectoral Sandpiper

Lesser Yellowlegs

Greater Yellowlegs

Snowy Egret

Juvenile Least Tern

Tuesday was stormy & foggy early, so I started out late and went to Succotash Marsh. There has been a large gathering of Egrets & Herons there lately and I love photographing the shapes they make as the engage with each other.

Snowy & Great Egret, Great Blue Heron

Black-bellied Plover

After Succotash I went to Misquamicut State Beach Parking lot, it was pretty empty and they kept blasting an announcement to get out of the water because there was lightening in the area. What are people thinking -- get out of the water!

Pectoral Sandpiper

Semipalmated Sandpiper acrobatics

Wednesday was just down right annoying -- there was no rain predicted until later. It started heavy misting/raining when I arrived at Quonnie at 5:45. I suited up and went out anyway because I was not birding tomorrow. (it rained tomorrow too)! I had an appointment in Middletown, so I went to Newport too.

Green Heron, Quonnie

Semipalmated Sandpiper, Quonnie

Canada Geese in field with long grasses, Card's Pond Road -- Periscope up!

Mute Swans (Juvenile in the front), Easton Pond

American Oystercatcher, Gooseberry Cove

American Black Duck, Sachuest Salt Marsh NWR

Thursday was a trip to Wappinger Falls, NY to see my Step-dad and best friend from High School. I stopped in at the lake for a quick bird -- was surprised by two Double-crested Cormorants and a Carolina Wren, not surprised by at LOT of Mute Swans. No photos -- I was hauling people around and did not take my camera.

Was hoping for a decent day on Friday -- but my hopes were dashed. I started at Succotash -- nothing special. When I went to Quonnie it was not raining and fairly calm, but I was already planning the rest of my day. I also expected it to rain at any moment, and it did about 20 minutes later. I birded from the parking lot. Lots of Green Heron and a good number of Laughing Gulls on the point. Stopped in Weekapaug and Misquamicut on the way home.

Green Heron

Green Heron #2

Green Heron #3

Laughing Gull

Semipalmated Sandpiper, Weekpaug

Ruddy Turnstone (Semipalmated Sandpiper in back), Weekapaug

Juvenile Laughing Gull, Misquamicut

Lesser Yellowlegs, Misquamicut

American Black Duck, Misquamicut

The sun rose Saturday on a chilly, windy morning! Birds were quiet, but still saw a few at Quonnie. Left when I saw a brigade of Adventure travelers arrive with Rubber boats -- I knew it wouldn't be long before they were disrupting the birds on the sandbar -- exit stage right!

American Black Duck -- there were 13 of them this morning.

I thought the gull on the left might be a Franklin's Gull -- it looked smaller and definitely has a smaller bill. Then it looked bigger... Wishful birding!

Ruddy Turnstone

Short-billed Dowitcher

This is what descended on the point...

Thank goodness I was already at my car.

I went on to the Turf fields to no avail, except for this lovely Lone Sunflower amidst a field of tiny white flowers. I actually turned around and drove back to get this image.

I was scheduled to go on a Whale Watch Saturday afternoon, but it was cancelled due to High Seas. May be done for the season, it ends on 9/2 and the way the weather has been lately -- who knows.

Sunday was again cool and windy. Really limited activity on the point at Dead Low Tide -- there was some stuff on the sandbar, but on the whole pretty quiet. I did take a few series of photos, my favorite being the Least Sandpiper with the branch.

Morning raft of Cormorants -- love the Least Tern photobombing them and the brave little fish on the left side in the middle.