6/28/14 Shore Birding Today!

Today I went to Napatree Point in Watch Hill, Rhode Island. Right now it is good for shorebirds and terns.

SPECIES SEEN:
Double-crested Cormorant
Osprey
American Oystercatcher (NEMESIS!!!!!!)
Black-bellied Plover (yearbird)
Semipalmated Plover (yearbird)
Piping Plover
Spotted Sandpiper (yearbird)
Willet
Semipalmated Sandpiper (yearbird)
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Least Tern
Roseate Tern (lifer)
Common Tern
BLACK SKIMMER (rarity and yearbird)
Tree Swallow
Bank Swallow (yearbird)
Barn Swallow
European Starling
Song Sparrow
House Finch
House Sparow


So we are driving through Watch Hill and there is no parking so we have to pay $25.00 for parking....nevermind you don't have to hear about that crap. Let's get to the birds. When we start walking on the beach all there are is Herring Gulls. When we finally have the Lagoon, which is good for the birds, in view we see our first Common Tern. Right at the start of the lagoon we see two American Oystercatchers digging for clams and shellfish.

American Oystercatcher

Once we get closer we start seeing a lot of Common Terns, and even one Least Tern.

Common Terns

As we got closer we noticed a BLACK SKIMMER, a continuing rarity.

Black Skimmer

As I was watching some shorebirds flew in and I saw Semipalmated Plovers and Sandpipers, and a Black-bellied Plover.

Semipalmated Plover (left) Semipalmated Sandpiper (right)

Black-bellied Plover

And of course a teenage couple just had to scare away the skimmer.

Black Skimmer (flying)

I was walking some more and saw more oystercatchers and a couple Willets.

Willets

Walking back to the lagoon a Black-bellied Plover showed itself.

Black-bellied Plover

Black-bellied Plover

A Piping Plover also showed itself.

Piping Plover

The Black Skimmer also came back.

Black Skimmer

He also got a little tired.

Black Skimmer

When I went to look at the recently landed tern flock I found two Roseate Terns in it.

Roseate Tern (left)

After that we walked back to the car, but on the way a Spotted Sandpiper flew up and landed on a sign.

Spotted Sandpiper

And that ended a good day of birding.

Any comments or thoughts wanted