Yesterday I took a cod boat out to do some pelagic birding. I went with Carlos Pedro. While the cod fishermen were tending to their baits, Carlos and I looked for pelagic birds. I ended up with two lifers, Black Legged Kittiwake and Common Murre. Most of the birds were very far away so getting an ID was hard but getting any photos worth posting was impossible.
After I got in, Jan StJean, who had been birding on the Block Island Ferry, texted me that she was looking for the Glaucous Gull. It had been seen at the fishing docks in Galilee, which I was parked merely one hundred yards from. I joined her and we ended up finding the gull that had been photographed but it turned out to be an Iceland Gull. Also at the docks were a variety of birds and a seal only a couple yards from my feet.
Today I got up late and slowly made my way down the coast birding. I stopped in Jamestown and got a first of the year Great Egret. Then I went down Route 1A stopping at Narragansett Beach but it was dead. Then I stopped at Scarborough and saw the Black Headed Gull I'd seen a month back. It is starting to get its black hood and shedding out of its winter garb. On my way out of town I saw some turkeys.
I worked my way down to Trustom Pond. There I scanned through a thousand ducks but found a Pied Billed Grebe. This was a target bird I was pumped to get. I also saw a Brown Headed Cowbird at Carpenter's Farm.
Lastly I went to Great Swamp and walked the loop around the pond. If I found one bird I'd move into a tie for second in the state. By the end of next week many early migrants will show up. They include Tree Swallows, Osprey, Wilson's Snipe, Kestrel, and Blue Wing Teal. I just needed one (or two) to be a few days early. I was banking on Kestrels being the most likely. I didn't find any in the fields. Surprisingly, I did see about 8 tree swallows over the swamp. They were pretty high up. My camera wouldn't focus on a tiny bird in a smoke gray sky. So I manually took a few pictures. One came out better than I would have expected as a proof shot.
Along the way over the last two days, I came across a Great Horned Owl in a nest, but for the safety of the owl, the location will not be disclosed.
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| Razorbills |
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| The giant windmills off of Block Island |
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| Point Judith |
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This photo and the two below are of the Iceland Gull.
Notice the white wings |
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| Non-breeding Common Eider male |
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Grey Seal. This is uncropped. It was right next to
the docks |
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| Male Red Breasted Merganser |
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| Black Headed Gull, Scarborough Beach parking lot |
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| Wild Turkey |
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The first documented Tree Swallow of the year in my
bird group |
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Great Horned Owl
Heavily cropped |
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