This week in Rhode Island

I wouldn't want y'all to think I'm just sitting at home processing photos -- I'm still out there almost every morning. Here is some stuff from last week. Then I will start posting the South Africa stuff.

Almost every day in the winter I end my morning session with a visit to Misquamicut State Beach. There are typically a ton of gulls (not this year so far) and various Horned Lark & Snow Bunting. Last week there was a Lapland Longspur that we hadn't seen since early 2022.

Here is the Longspur

Misquamicut State Beach

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

Ruddy Duck, Mud Pond

On Tuesday I visited Succotash Marsh -- some nice surprises.

One surprise -- a late Greater Yellowlegs

House Finch

Another Surprise -- Northern Pintail

Belted Kingfisher

Bit of a rainy Wednesday, but Misquamicut State Beach Parking Lot does not disappoint

Dunlin

Greater Yellowlegs

Horned Lark

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Didn't take any photos on Thanksgiving. Friday I went to Middletown & Newport hoping to see a Tufted Duck. After I got home and took my kicks off, I got a message that there were Tundra Swans in Coventry. Knowing it was likely the 300th bird for my friend Sue, I decided to go back out and drive the 35 minutes to Coventry. I'm glad I did as it wasn't there the next day.

Easton Pond, Middletown

Ring-necked Duck

Common Eider, Breton Point, Newport

Tundra Swan, Tiogue Lake, Coventry

Bald Eagle, Tiogue Lake, Coventry

A Moonstone trip on Saturday yielded this aerial set-tee between a Northern Harrier & a blasé Red-tailed Hawk.

Red-tailed Hawk - minding its own business

Northern Harrier

Harrier decided to poke the Hawk

Even Closer

Abort -- abort!

Hawk puffed itself up!

One more pass by the Harrier

Buh-bye

A lone Rusty Blackbird at the corner of Moonstone Beach & Matunuck Schoolhouse Road

Just one photo from Sunday -- a peaceful scene of Great Blue Herons lazing at Sunrise in Succotash Marsh.

On to South Africa...