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Writer's pictureBarbara Seith

Sooooooo Gloomy, then it wasn't

The whole week has seemed rather gloomy -- I even bought tulips in the grocery store to try and brighten things up... it sort of worked.


Monday I did a bit of a Coastal loop -- starting at East Beach Parking Lot, Quonnie (the water was too high) Succotash Marsh, South Kingstown Town Beach & Card's Pond. Enough of the usual suspects, but since that influx of Bonaparte's (and the Little Gull) a few weeks ago, there has been a dearth of Gulls and way too many surfers clogging up the parking lots that are open. Many are still unusable due to the Sand that came in with the last few storms.

Succotash Marsh

Greater Yellowlegs

Deep Hole, Matunuck

Bonaparte's Gull

Ring-billed Gull

Herring Gull

South Kingstown Town Beach

Northern Harrier

Card's Pond

Canada Geese

Common Goldeneye -- my first one here!

Great Blue Heron

Perry Pond

Redheads

Misquamicut State Beach

Killdeer


Tuesday was gloomy again, but the surfers were out nonetheless. I had a short session near the Ocean Mist & Scarborough Beach (to see the regular rarity - Black-headed Gull). The best part of the morning was the time I spent a Wesquage Pond in Narragansett. For the first time in my memory I had all three Mergansers in the same pond -- and some American Wigeons. That was my bird moment of the day.

Ocean Mist

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Ring-billed Gull

Scarborough Beach

Black-headed Gull

Wesquage Pond

American Wigeon

Male Common Merganser

Female Common Merganser

Hooded Merganser

Male Red-breasted Merganser

Both Red-Mergansers & Male Common Merganser


Took a spin on the Block Island Ferry on Wednesday -- out at 7:30am back at 9:15 -- so only 45 minutes to kill on the Island. There was good company -- Claudia Cooper and I had planned to meet and were pleasantly surprise to have Bill Thompson to join us, spotting and shooting photos both ways. Some former colleagues of Bill's from US Fish & Wildlife joined us for the journey out. They were checking on some MOTUS (bird tracking) towers on the Island that haven't been sending consistent signals. We had a few spots with tremendous activity and lots of none -- only saw the usual suspects, but it was well worth the trip.

Bonaparte's Gull

The new Wind Farm being built Near Block Island

Common Dolphin (we saw them both ways)

Razorbills galore...

Razorbills & Black Scoters

Common Eider

More Razorbills

White-winged Scoter

Long-tailed Duck

Razorbill

Red-breasted Merganser (I think she looks like a Superhero here)

Razorbill

Razorbill


Happy February -- Thursday started at Deep Hole -- no surfers today, but a nice session with Gulls & Ducks. Than off to the Road to the Great Swamp -- lots of activity, but no Pine Siskins which is what I was hoping to see. On the way home I stopped at Heaton Orchard, one of my Goose spots.


My multiple bird moments happened that Heaton Orchard. @500 Canada Geese were flying in to land in a field and that process took @7 minutes. Almost immediately after landing they ALL took off. I have been well taught by experienced birders for moments like these -- and started scanning the sky for a predator and bingo -- an Adult Bald Eagle (photos aren't great, but included for drama )


Deep Hole

Bonaparte's Gull

Long-tailed Duck

White-winged Scoter

Road to the Great Swamp

Hairy Woodpecker

Tufted Titmouse

White-breasted Nuthatch

Heaton Orchard

Canada Geese coming in for a landing

They all landed but flushed almost immediately because this Bald Eagle was flying toward them...


Friday started at Beavertail State Park where I walked the loop looking for the Iceland Gull that had been spotted there a few days ago -- very few gulls were there. Then off to Fort Wetherill where I had some Razorbills right off shore and on to Godena Farm to look for the Clay-colored Sparrow. No luck with the Sparrow, but saw lots of Eastern Bluebirds & Yellow-rumped Warblers plus Marge & Dick Bradley and Catherine Boisseau (who I hadn't seen for ages). It was nice to catch up.


Beavertail State Park

Common Eider & Herring Gull

Harlequin Duck

Surf Scoter

Fort Wetherill

Razorbill



Greater Scaup

Godena Farm

Yellow-rumped Warbler

White-throated Sparrow

Field Sparrow

Eastern Bluebird

Carolina Wren


No photos on Saturday but did have a great bird moment. Spend most of the morning in Kent just driving around a looking at pine trees & fields, but on the way back stopped at the road to the Eppley Refuge. When I was stopped looking at the back edge of a field next to the Refuge, I saw a small brown bird bobbing its tail -- it was an Eastern Phoebe -- not usually here this time of year. I grabbed my camera but it flew just as I was focusing on it. When I looked to see why I saw a Cooper's Hawk chasing it into the woods. So Cool!


After being MIA yesterday, the Clay-colored Sparrow showed up again today, but I am home cooking, working on Planning/scheduling my South East Arizona trip & creating the Powerpoint for my Ocean State Bird Club talk about my South Africa trip. I will try to see the bird again tomorrow, My current bird attitude is, if I am meant to see the bird I will.


I really had to work at leaving this house Sunday morning -- it was cold & I have a cold coming on (hoping it is NOT Covid, but tested and was negative) so I was NOT motivated to chase a bird. I started at Quonnie, thinking it was low tide, it was not. Went to Charlestown Breachway and saw a Gull that might be an Iceland (consulting birders who know more than me), then bit the bullet and went to Jamestown to see if I could find the Clay-colored Sparrow. Long story short, I did not. I did however see a birder, Scott M, who I haven't seen in ages and he reminded me that he was in Southeast Arizona last April/May too. We had a long catch up and he gave me some good suggestions -- so I'm glad I was there, even though the birding was pretty miserable when I was walking (and sniffling). I birded from the car for a while, which I enjoyed, before I saw Scott.


Quonnie Breachway

Northern Flicker

Hooded Merganser

Charlestown Breachway

Long-tailed Duck

Possible Iceland Gull

Great Black-backed Gull on right

Jamestown

Great Blue Heron

Godena Farm

Northern Cardinal

Not entirely sure but I think its an oddly plumed Northern Mockingbird

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Hoping the weather is better in the coming week!




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