6:30-7:00am RISD Beach, Barrington, RI 9/11/11 Sunny 70'

A Semipalmated Sandpiper

Least Sandpipers on the mud

The day before yesterday we took an early morning bird walk with our mother and grandfather who was staying over at our house. It was a very successful walk! There were many Mallards dabbling at the surface of the marsh water. In between the ducks swam a smaller, stubby billed bird, which we identified as a Pied-billed Grebe, presumably the same grebe which was reported here by another birder on the 9th.

A dowitcher flew up from a grassy strip of mud calling. Scanning the mudflats I re-found the dowitcher further off. Looking at it more closely I realized that it wasn't the right shape for one of the common Short-billed Dowitchers. The most notable feature of this particular bird was the chunky back, suggesting that it had just eaten a grapefruit. Grapefruits are the 1# favorite food of the much less common Long-billed Dowitcher, no, I'm just kidding they generally don't eat grapefruits but prefer crustaceans, worms and insects (all of which can be found in great supply at this local). But despite their anti-citrus diet the chunky appearance is one of the main field marks of the LBD. LBD is so extremely similar to its sister species the SBD that it was long thought to be one species, known simply as the Dowitcher.

The main way to ID a dowitcher is the call. Luckily we had heard the call which was a quick high pitched "queek queek queek-queek queek". It sounded much more similar to LBD's call then the pleasant mellow "Que,e,e-que,e,e-que,e,e". I managed to get close enough to get some reasonable photos of it.

Notice the chunky shape of this Dowitcher.

If this IS a Long-billed Dowitcher it will be the first report of one in Rhode Island this year (though one was seen today at Quicksand Pond). Maybe it was the same bird.

The thick black bars on the tail is a good clue to this bird identity. The Short Billed Dowitcher has slimmer, more delicate black barring.

The only other highlight was a single Little Blue Heron and a fly-by falcon species. Looking through my photos afterwards I was surprised to find a second Little Blue Heron, which I had some how previously overlooked.

Later that morning we returned to RISD with the rest of my family. We found the dowitcher feeding where we had first seen it fly up from. This time it had been joined on its favorite strip of mud by both a Pectoral Sandpiper and a Semipalmated Sandpiper. I managed to get some better photographs of it along with some nice photos of Semipalmated and Least Sandpipers and the Green Heron.

Other highlights on this later walk at RISD included a male Belted Kingfisher and a male Red-winged Blackbird. It was the first blackbird I have seen in ages!

While looking through photos of the dowitcher at home, I discovered a picture containing a White-rumped Sandpiper, which I had previously identified as a Semipalmated Sandpiper. If I had had another peep next to it to compare sizes I would have noticed a WRS instantly.

LBD and WRS

I am still not 100% certain that the dowitcher was a LBD but am precisely 97% certain. If it is what I think it is, it will be a life bird! I would appreciate any input you may have on this dowitchers ID.

A Green Heron was in yesterdays photo quiz. Good job to any one who spotted and identified the heron who was hiding at the top of the tree right in the center of the photograph.

Here is your next photo quiz!

This photo was taken at RISD Beach today. I see 4 species here. What are they? Click on the photo to get a better look.

RISD Beach, September 8, 2011 cloudy 69' 2pm-3.15pm

A few days ago we visited RISD Beach in hopes of a life bird, year bird or rarity - we got all three!

A Marsh Wren was of the first birds discovered. I pished it into view for a minute or two before it slipped back into its marshy home (hence its name, Marsh Wren). It was the year bird.

Out on the marsh was a large flock of Mallards, all of them were molting making them look very weird. Standing by the Mallards were two immature Little Blue Herons which are uncommon birds for this area. As we watched them a third Little Blue Heron immature soared over. Unfortunately it did not land but kept flying Northwest.

We hadn't been on the beach for more than a minute when I spotted the lifer. A Stilt Sandpiper! It moved about the marsh with dainty steps while constantly picking insects and worms from the muck. They are scarce here at this time of the year and are far from common at any season in Rhode Island.

This is the juvenile Stilt Sandpiper. It was about the size of a Pectoral Sandpiper and a bit larger than its not too distant relatives the Semipalmated Sandpipers which he/she was foraging with.

Scanning the flock of Mallards I came up with an American Wigeon. After a minute I lost sight the wigeon. While trying to re-find the Wigeon. I came across a female Green-winged Teal (which I ID by the green secondaries), and a Mallard with a blue bill and a cinnamon tinge on the body-which were the main two field marks which I used to identify the Wigeon. I decided that the American Wigeon which I had seen was actually this Mallard (though I don't know what caused the Mallard to have a blue bill).

A female Green-winged Teal and a male Mallard

Mallards and a wigeon

A few minutes later I re-found the wigeon and thus re-changed my Mallard hypotheses! Wigeons are scarce in this area at this time of year.

A flyover Purple Martin added a nice finishing touch to the walk.

Here's a list:
Green Heron 2
Little Blue Heron 3
Green-winged Teal 1
American Black Duck 1-2
Mallards 40+
American Wigeon 1
Double-crested Cormorants
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs 1
Semipalmated Sandpipers
Stilt Sandpiper 1
Herring Gulls
laughing Gulls
Purple Martin 1
Tree Swallows
Barn Swallows
American Crows
Black-capped Chickadees
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
Carolina Wren 1-2
Marsh Wren 1
American Robins
Song Sparrow 1-2 and American Goldfinches 2.

On September 9th we went birding at Beavertail State Park and Mackerel Cove, both in Jamestown RI.

At Beavertail highlights included: 50+ Black Terns (very good birds for Rhode Island. They were constantly flying over the water in groups of threes or fours.), a single Semipalmated Sandpiper (who landed very briefly on the rocks) and a flyby falcon species which, due to the colors I saw on it, I ID it as American Kestrel.

At Mackerel Cove we had a single White-rumped Sandpiper, a year bird. Here is the list from the cove:
Double-crested Cormorants
Great Blue Heron 1
Mallards 5
Semipalmated Plovers
Greater Yellowlegs fly overs
Ruddy Turnstone 5
Semipalmated Sandpipers
Least Sandpipers
White-rumped Sandpiper 1
Herring Gulls
Ring-billed Gulls
Great Black-backed Gulls
Common Terns 2
Blue Jay 1
American Crows
House Sparrows.

White-rumped Sandpiper and a Semipalmated Plover

A Herring Gull at Beavertail

Huge waves at Beavertail, do you see the surfer? The waves were huge due to Hurricane Katia passing of the coast.

I am going to start adding photo quizzes to my blog. I will tell you the answers to each quiz in the next post. I would appreciate it if you gave me your answers by putting them in the comment box. I will put a quiz at the bottom of each post and give the location and date.

Hint: this is not what you are expecting to find in a tree!

This photo was taken yesterday at RISD Beach. Other highlights from yesterday included a Pectoral Sandpiper, some Little Blue Herons and a possible life bird and rarity Long-billed Dowitcher. I will do a post on yesterday hopefully in a few days. Photos of the dowitcher can be seen on my flickr page which can be reached from this blog.

Trustom Pond and other birding hotspots

Here is a post I did yesterday on RIBIRDS (the RI bird alert). Sorry but it's not very descriptive.

Birding yesterday (Aug 30) at Trustom Pond NWR on the "Otter Point Trail" from 10:30-11:30 am. Highlights included: Bobolinks 40+, Black Terns (many over the rocks in the middle of the pond), Wild Turkeys 2 and a possible Least Flycatcher.

At Mud Pond, Cards Pond and Moonstone Beach (from 11:30-12:00 am) we had:
Double-Crested Cormorants,
Canada Geese 4,
Semipalmated Plovers 2,
Sanderlings,
Semipalmated Sandpipers,
Ruddy Turnstones 2 (these two birds were seen flying past moonstone at about 11:45 am),
Red-necked Phalaropes 2 (these birds were seen resting in a hollow of a mud bank, they were very well hidden despite their silver plumage),
Green Heron 1,
Ring-billed Gulls,
Great Black-backed Gulls,
Herring Gulls,
Forster's Tern 1 (first seen over Cards Pond, we relocated it over Mud Pond just as we were leaving),
Tern Species 2,
Eastern Kingbirds,
American Crow 1,
Swallow Species (I think they were Tree Swallows, but I didn't get a good enough
look to tell),
Gray Catbirds,
Northern Mockingbird 1 and Song Sparrows.
We were unable to find the reported Little Blue Heron at Mud Pond.

The two Red Necked Phalaropes Did you know that phalarope means "Coot Footed" describing their lobed toes, which are similar in appearance to those of a coots. These birds were blown ashore by Irene 4 days ago. Some birders have noticed that one of them has an injured wing. They are generally pelagic species and are only found on land in the western states as they migrate north.

Searching the Jerusalem and Galilee area was uneventful with no birds more exciting than Laughing Gulls and Great Egrets. The Brown Pelican which has been seen here this week did not show.

Yesterday afternoon at low tide at Sabin Point Park in Riverside we had:
Double-crested Cormorants,
Semipalmated Plovers,
Spotted Sandpipers,
Semipalmated Sandpiper 1,
Laughing Gulls,
Ring-billed Gulls,
Herring Gulls,
Great Black-backed Gulls,
American Crows 2 and House Sparrows.

This juvenile Laughing Gull was found (inspecting a post) at Jerusalem.

Late afternoon at Turner Reservoir a small flock of Common Nighthawks was seen briefly feeding over the water.

The day before yesterday (August 30) we walked at RISD's Tillinghast Estate (RISD Beach) in Barrington. The immature Little Blue Heron which has been present here since the 18th continues to be seen. Also there were both species of yellowlegs and a few Semipalmated Sandpipers. The birding here should improve when the water level lowers. The water has been very high here after Irene.

The immature Little Blue Heron at RISD Beach.

On the 28th at Bold Point in East Providence, we had:
Double-crested Cormorants,
Turkey Vulture 1,
Peregrine Falcon 1,
Semipalmated Sandpipers,
Least Sandpipers,
Laughing Gulls,
Ring-billed Gulls,
Herring Gulls,
Great Black-backed Gulls,
Mourning Doves 11,
Common Grackles 2 and Brown-headed Cowbirds 3?

A Least Sandpiper at Bold Point, this bird was one of a few who decided to brave Hurricane Irene by hunkering down in the reeds.

I want also mention our sighting at Freetown State Forest. Here on the 29th we had: 2 Northern Bobwhites, 16 Wood Ducks, 1 Chimney Swift, Eastern Wood-Pewees, 1 Black-capped Chickadee and American Robins. The path was very overgrown with many streams and fallen trees crossing it. The Bobwhites erupted from the ground as we ran past them. They were about the size of Mourning Doves with a rufous color all over. Though I was unable to see the faces, my brother saw one of the faces and confirmed the identification by noting the buff coloring on the throat and brow.v

RISD Beach Aug 24, 2011

Here are some photos I took yesterday at RISD Beach. Despite the wind and the high water levels the birding was good, and we left pleased with our finds.

A Short-billed Dowitcher hunkering down from the wind.

The same dowitcher, NOT hunkering down from the wind and regretting it.

A Least Sandpiper shyly hangs out (from a distance) with its larger cousins the Semipalmated Sandpipers.

Can you spot the Pectoral Sandpiper?

A Pectoral Sandpiper and Semipalmated Sandpiper check out the mud.

A Ruddy Turnstone and some Semipalmated Plovers take flight while a Lesser Yellowlegs and some Semipalmated Plovers and Sandpipers watch. Can you find the yellowlegs?

A Lesser Yellowlegs studies the scene carefully.

A plover wings by.

How many bird species can you see in this picture? I can see five (Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Ruddy Turnstone, Semipalmated Sandpiper and Semipalmated Plover.)

The birding and photographing was great!

Charlestown Breachway and Mud Pond 10:08-12:40 am & 1:00-1:15 pm August 23, 2011

Yesterday we visited Charlestown Breachway to celebrate my brothers tenth birthday. Charlestown Breachway is one of the most heavily birded locations in fall and late summer. The tidal flats are swarming with shorebirds of all sizes. Carefully planning our walk to correspond with low tide (which was at 8:52am), we neatly arrived at 10:00. Only an hour off time. To our amazement the tide was still going out. Later an experienced birder told us to always expect low tide to be 3 hours later than anticipated at this location. Good to know (especially for those of us who can never arrive on time.)

The birding was fabulous; gulls, terns, egrets and shorebirds were everywhere. We quickly lost count of their numbers. There were many birders on the flats, a few of whom I recognized from earlier birding encounters.

Despite the numbers of birds and birders there weren't many unusual species. One interesting sighting though were pair of deer, a doe and a fawn, who wandered out onto the flats in the later half of our walk. They meandered about for a few minutes, before returning to the bushes from where they had come. I wonder what they were doing out there?

Deers on the flats

A little while after seeing the deer, three birders whom I have birded with before pointed out to us a Western Sandpiper - a very good bird for the area. It looked similar to the abundant Semipalmated Sandpipers which covered the flats, but it had a more curved bill (similar in shape to the bill of Dunlin.) Another field mark were the rufous upper scapulars which are found on the breeding Westerns and the juveniles. This bird was a juvenile.

Western Sandpiper

Western Sandpiper

Another species of bird we were hoping for was Yellow-crowned Night-Heron. There were supposedly two Yellow-crowns in the breachway, but we didn't have time to go see them (I say see them because they were only being seen at one place on the breachway.)

Birding at this location is very interesting because the tidal flats are separated by deep channels which you have wade across through waist to neck high water to see anything of interest.

Here is the list of birds we saw at Charlestown Breachway:
Great Black-backed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Blue Heron 1
Northern Mockingbird 2
Song Sparrow 4
Turkey Vulture 1
Gray Catbird 1
House Finch
Tree Swallow
Double-crested Cormorant 6
Great Egret 7
Common Yellowthroat 1
Common Tern 5
Barn Swallow 2
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Semipalmated Plover
Bank Swallow
Downy Woodpecker 1
Laughing Gull 2
Least Sandpiper 2
Greater Yellowlegs
Mute Swan 1
Canada Goose
American Goldfinch 3
Ring-billed Gull
Willet 3
Western Sandpiper 1
Piping Plover 1
Mourning Dove 1
Osprey 1
Green Heron 1
Carolina Wren 1 and Sanderling 1.

Sadly we missed a few other species we were hoping in the area mainly: Black Skimmer, Forsters Tern, Roseate Tern, Stilt Sandpiper, Seaside Sparrow and Red Knot. These have all been seen here recently. The skimmer, seaside, stilt and the roseate would have been lifers.

After that we went for a swim in the ocean to have our faces pounded into the sand by battering waves. Apparently this was when we none of us noticed a large earthquake that was felt all along the east coast. Then we got back in the car and drove to Mud Pond in Matunuck (which the birders that pointed out the Western Sandpiper to us recommended.)

Least Sandpipers, a Semipalmated Sandpiper and 2 Semipalmated Plover (the plover on the left has a broken wing)

Little Blue Heron

Here highlights included an adult Little Blue Heron resting on the far side of the pond, a Semipalmated Plover with a broken wing (I guess that doesn't count as a highlight it's more of a downlight). A Pectoral Sandpiper was hanging out with a Semipalmated Plover and Greater Yellowlegs. A Solitary Sandpiper rested 15 feet from us on the mud but we only ID it afterwards via photographic evidence; at the time we had thought it was just another plain old Lesser Yellowlegs.

Best of all was a Black Tern, one of two which were supposedly hanging about the muddy pond (the Black Tern was not actually black but was mostly white and gray because it was in nonbreeding plumage.) A birder came by who we later Identified as Jan St. Jean (she currently has the largest RI year list on the RIBird.org - she seems to always be seeing more than anyone). She told us that she had seen a Caspian Tern fly by (a very good bird for the area and one I have never seen before) disappointingly we didn't see the Caspian Tern or the Peregrine Falcon that she mentioned.

Black Tern (note terrible photograph)

Solitary Sandpiper

Here is the list of birds seen at Mud Pond:
Double-crested Cormorant
Little Blue Heron 1
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer 1
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Solitary Sandpiper 1
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper 1
Ring-billed Gull
Laughing Gull 2
Herring Gull
Black Tern 1
Tree Swallow
Yellow Warbler 1
Cedar Waxwing & American Goldfinch

It was a really great day with 2 year birds (Black Tern and Western Sandpiper) and 4 bird species which I have only seen once before (Black Tern, Western Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper and Solitary Sandpiper)!

Special thanks to all the birders who helped us find these lovely birds!

Aug 16, 2011 RISD Beach, Barrington RI 3:50-4:30pm

Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs

Liitle Blue Heron

RISD Beach saltmarsh

Sorry about not posting recently. I have been away camping for a fortnight in Gloucester, Massachusetts and Acadia National Park in Maine (which I would like to post about right now but I don't have the time, I am squeezing this in before we head out the door again.)

Yesterday we went for a quick walk at RISD Beach. It was high tide but none the less the birds were very active. By far the best bird of the walk was an immature Little Blue Heron, which despite it's name was pure white. This was not a surprise to us seeing that all Little Blue Heron immatures are white.

It was feeding with about five Snowy Egrets which are about the same size as the LBH. I noticed that it enjoyed flying, a fact that it made very clear by its many forays into the air - each one lasting about fifteen seconds.

This was my third LBH of the month and the fourth of the year. These averaged sized herons are quite uncommon in this area, the northern limit of its range (the most northerly report I have heard of recently was at Plum Island NWR.)

There were many common shorebirds in the marsh including Semipalmated Plover. Another interesting find was a pair of immature sparrows perching next to each other in a bush. Surprisingly they were not of the same species, on the left was a young Song Sparrow eight inches to the right of which was an immature Saltmarsh Sparrow.

Also on the marsh was a family flock of Mallards. In the flock were three teal sized birds about half the size of the Mallards, we decided that these were not teal but young Mallards presumably the same ones that were raised here earlier this year.

On the beach there were very large numbers of Laughing Gulls; pretty good birds for this area. There were actually more Laughers than all the Ring-billed, Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls combined!

Here is a full list of birds seen:
Mallard 8,
Double-crested Cormorant 25,
Great Egret 1 (Seen in the saltmarsh, standing alone in deeper water than the Snowy Egrets and the Little Blue Heron),
Snowy Egret 5,
Little Blue Heron 1,
Green Heron 3 (All three took of from around a shallow and muddy pool of saltmarsh water),
Osprey 1,
Semipalmated Plover 3 (Two were seen on the beach, the third was on the saltmarsh),
Spotted Sandpiper 1 (seen on the edge of the saltmarsh. This was the first time I have seen one here),
Greater Yellowlegs 4 (One was seen right next to the Lesser Yellowlegs giving a great size comparison),
Lesser Yellowlegs 1,
Ruddy Turnstone 1 (Seen flying north west up the beach presumably headed to the rockier section of the beach),
Semipalmated Sandpiper 30,
Least Sandpiper 15,
Laughing Gull 20 (None were in full breeding plumage),
Ring-billed Gull 10,
Herring Gull 2,
Great Black-backed Gull 1,
Common Tern 15,
Mourning Dove 3,
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1 (Female seen where the woods bordered the salt marsh. I saw another hummingbird flying over the saltmarsh but it may have been the same bird),
Downy Woodpecker 1,
Northern Flicker 1 (Could have heard a second one. Calling it's "Peah Peah" call),
Blue Jay 1,
Barn Swallow 15,
Black-capped Chickadee 1,
Carolina Wren 1,
Gray Catbird 3,
American Redstart 1,
Saltmarsh Sparrow 3,
Song Sparrow 3 and American Goldfinch 3,

April 18, 2011 cloudy Cape May, NJ

I would like to say that I have not had the time to write this blog post but I would be lying. I was in fact just being plain out lazy. Though I loath to admit it a lot of the trip I have forgotten details of and am sadly unable to write a good long blog post on the trip. I will, however, write about some of my most memorable walks.

The Meadows

Day number 1 The Meadows
We were taking a tour led by Pete Dunne who was going to guide us through The Meadows and hopefully point out some good birds. Instantly Pete and the other tour leaders started pointing out great birds. Brown Thrasher, year bird! American Coots, nice birds! Wilson's Snipe, nice bird! Swamp Sparrow, year bird! Blue-winged Teal, nice bird (Yesterday it was a life bird but last night we had visited this location and had seen these stunning ducks)! Green-winged Teal, nice bird! Northern Shoveler, nice bird! It went on and on.

Blue-winged and Green-winged Teal

"Cliff Swallow" called Pete Dunne. Over head flew a swallow, personally I couldn't see how he identified it but he told us that it had a "rubbery flight". I still haven't figured out how birds can have a "rubbery flight" but who cares it's a life bird either way.

Red-winged Blackbird, one of the commonest residents of The Meadows

On the beach we had Piping Plover, American Oystercatchers and Northern Gannets; all three species year birds. An immature gull flew by which Pete quickly identified as a Lesser Black-backed Gull which is a scarce gull in the area and a life bird. I couldn't figure out how he identified this one either. I think it had something to do with the wing length but I couldn't see that field mark.

Forsters Tern

As we walked back over the dunes watching agile Forsters Terns diving in the marsh, a handsome Bald Eagle soared over. We found a Prairie Warbler singing in the bushes being accompanied by a life bird Yellow-throated Vireo! (I spotted the vireo I was while looking through another birder's scope at the warbler and the vireo popped up into view).

After seeing the vireo we didn't see much else and a little while later the walk ended.

Later that day we went to another tour led by the same group of people. We arrived early and had enough time to bird the pine woods before the rest of group arrived. The woods had quite a few nice species highlighted by the discovery of a handsome Yellow-throated Warbler which was a year bird.

Around then the rest of the group arrived and we drove over to the other parking lot to meet them. Before going to the mudflats (which is the best bit to see birds at Heislerville) we went to check out the heron rookery, which is located on an island on a lake. across from the mud flats. On the island we had Black-crowned Night Heron (year bird), Snowy Egret, Great Egret and best of all a Cattle Egret! I spotted the Cattle Egret lazing about in the trees with the other herons. It was a small white egret with an orange bill and an salmon colored tufts of feathers on chest, back and head, They apparently came to the USA from Africa. Flying across the Atlantic to South America and from there they spread upwards to the States. This all happened in the late 1800s. But recently their numbers in New Jersey and most of the Northeast have greatly diminished and they are now very uncommon in Cape May.

All the egrets were in full breeding plumage their freshly grown fan of feathers (which are used in their displays) sticking gracefully out in every direction imaginable.

We moved on to the mudflats. There were thousands upon thousands of Dunlin, along with Short-billed Dowitcher, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Willet and Black-bellied Plovers. At one point while we were watching them a Peregrine Falcon flew by sending the Dunlin into a panic. They flew up into the air and started spinning in a ball-like formation to make it harder for the falcon to chose one as its target. The falcon flew around the area for a little while longer before departing still hungry.

We then got back into the car and drove to another nearby birding hotspot. There we had birds such as: Glossy Ibis, Northern Shoveler and Blue-winged Teal. Getting back into the car we drove down to a salt marsh (passing a very picturesque Osprey stationed on its nest) were we found all the usual shore birds. We heard a bird cackling out in the marsh which the tour leaders told us was a Clapper Rail! It was a life bird!

Osprey

It was a really good day!