Year End approaches

Here in the bird world the end of the year means a reset... this year I am going birding on January 1st, but I leave for California early on the 2nd, so by the time I get back, I expect to be waaaaay behind everyone else -- which is good. I don't want to be in the mix next year. I want to bird like I've got nothing at stake -- I prefer that, but sometimes just get sucked up in the Competition. Wish me luck!

Still be a little lazy about posting and that will likely continue into the new year. Just some local birding at first...

Watch Hill Lighthouse

My Mascot

Ashaway

Black Vulture

Misquamicut State Beach

Snow Bunting

Lapland Longspur

Snow Bunting

Atlantic Avenue

Red-throated Loon

Christmas Bird Counts started over the weekend and so did my streak of new year birds.

Mud Pond

Ruddy Duck

Snowy Succotash Marsh

Juvenile Great Black-backed Gull

Long-billed Dowitcher (can you spot it?)

Easier to see now...

Thanks to Sue Palmer who discovered this beauty (and new year bird) during her Christmas Bird Count duties!

The next day I was doing the Christmas Bird Count with Maria at Quonnie. Just before I was about to head over one of my compatriots reported a Female Painted Bunting at Avondale Farm which is right down the road -- at the risk of being a few minutes late, I headed over and saw it pretty quickly -- a pretty green bird!

Avondale Farm Rd

Female Painted Bunting

Quonnie CBC - nothing so exciting!

Northern Flicker

Hermit Thrush

Female House Sparrow

This morning's bird moment was my favorite kind - a surprise! I was driving from one birding place to another and a Rough-legged Hawk flew overhead. I was able to pull over and get some photos. This is only my second Rough-legged Hawk ever but I knew what it was right away (growth!). We don't get a lot of these in Rhode Island and they don't tend to hang around -- so it's really a matter of right place, right time - some might say luck.

Newport Country Club

Rough-legged Hawk

Misquamicut State Beach

Snow Bunting

Northern Harrier (that kept scattering the Bunting, Larks & Larkspur)

Lapland Longspur

Today I saw an Eared Grebe (also reported in Sunday's CBC) off of Quonnie Beach. Way to far of a photo of such a small bird, I mention it because it was my 4th day getting a new year bird -- IN DECEMBER???? Really lucky!