Yup, it rained from Sunday through Wednesday, and there was even one shower yesterday (Thursday) morning, but by the afternoon the sun finally returned. I celebrated by walking down to Gooseneck Cove to see who was hanging out, and ended up out at Brenton Point as well, before making my way back to Ballard Park.
There wasn't anything interesting off Hazard Rd. on the Cove, but down on the Ocean Drive end at the Green Bridge it was feeding frenzy time - about 2 dozen Double-Crested Cormorants, a dozen Great Egrets, a dozen Snowy Egrets, 2 Great Blue Herons, and about 10 Common Terns. It was near high tide and the Cormorants were corralling the fish while the rest of the birds waded (the Egrets and Herons) or dove (the Terns) into the fray. Unfortunately most of this happened well outside camera range for me, although it was fun to watch in the binoculars. But I did manage to get a shot of an immature Bonaparte's Gull across the road on the ocean side.
There wasn't anything interesting off Hazard Rd. on the Cove, but down on the Ocean Drive end at the Green Bridge it was feeding frenzy time - about 2 dozen Double-Crested Cormorants, a dozen Great Egrets, a dozen Snowy Egrets, 2 Great Blue Herons, and about 10 Common Terns. It was near high tide and the Cormorants were corralling the fish while the rest of the birds waded (the Egrets and Herons) or dove (the Terns) into the fray. Unfortunately most of this happened well outside camera range for me, although it was fun to watch in the binoculars. But I did manage to get a shot of an immature Bonaparte's Gull across the road on the ocean side.
On the way to Brenton Point I stopped at King's Beach, a state-designated fishing area on a rocky point into the ocean (not to be confused with King Park on the south end of Newport Harbor). This pair of Herring Gulls were taking their ease in the sunlight.
On Brenton Point the small shore birds were all over the place. I estimate that there were at least 3 dozen Ruddy Turnstones (top photo), including several immature birds (middle photo), and another 3 dozen or so Semipalmated Plovers (bottom photo).
Eventually I wandered back to Ballard Park, where I found not a bird, but this Whitetail Deer fawn crashing around in the underbrush in the (seasonally) dry end of the vernal pond on the Quarry floor.
That was yesterday. Today was even sunnier, and much drier and cooler, and I went ambling down on the Cliff Walk. Unfortunately there were too many people there for me to enjoy the walk, but I did manage to get a shot of this male American Goldfinch having a feast on the Bull Thistle he was perched on. Goldfinches just loooooove Thistle!
Yes indeed, it's so nice when the sun comes back after a long rainy stretch!
Photos & text © 2010 by A. Roy Hilbinger
Photos & text © 2010 by A. Roy Hilbinger
what a lovely lovely post!
ReplyDeleteexcellent shots, and fabulous video.
Gorgeous bird photos....they leave me breathless.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
Too many people for you to enjoy the walk?
ReplyDeletea very similar pattern here in Northern England this week.Lots of rainy days with the odd sunshine-day sandwitched inbetween. It almost feels like Magic when the sun reappears!But yes, slightly colder & fresher too.
ReplyDeleteHave A Sunny Weekend Roy.
Loved every bit of this...the pictures are breathtaking (and The Beatles go well with everything, in my opinion!).
ReplyDeleteCongrats on post of the week!
-C
Fabulous photography, Roy! What a treat :-)
ReplyDeletei always enjoy your bird pics...about the only birds i see are the goldfinches...and we've gotten maybe .87 inches of rain for the entire month. Your views are gorgeous
ReplyDelete