The tide was low and there was more rocky shore than we're used to but were happy to start off with some Common Eiders (#17), an easy sight for the spot.
You know, even if it was over freezing, there was still a 25-30 MPH wind and it was cold!!! These Red-breasted Merganser boys (#19) were keeping their bills warm from the wind.
This Black Duck (#21) had a lovely spot in the spillway, enjoying the clams uncovered by low tide.
We hadn't seen Brandts (#23) in a long time, not since we stopped doing the Cape Cod turtle patrols a couple of years ago. I love these guys. Cute honking was heard.
Some of nature's interesting artwork.
Do I count pigeons in my Bird Count? Why the hell wouldn't I? #24, the glorious Rock Dove, lining up nicely, looking like an ellipsis...
So, yeah... we froze but regretted nothing. We celebrated the rest of the day with good food and cake. A successful birthday experience.
For Valentine's Day, Saturday the 14th, we decided to take a walk closer to home, at the ol' park that is a filled in dump. Unfortunately, the walkway hadn't been plowed and it was slippery. We didn't see a ton of new birds (I added a Hairy Woodpecker that we got to watch a lot but my picture isn't worth sharing) but enjoyed watching some White-tailed Deer foraging not too far away. I think there were six of them.
While on the slippery path, I heard some Canada Geese honking and looked up as three birds were coming, flying directly overheard. It was two Canada Geese and a Bald Eagle. I couldn't get a picture but it was an amazing sight. Lined up in flight next to each other, like the above pigeons. We suspect the Eagle was trying to get one of the Geese alone and tired.
Slippery yes. She lay there like a slug. It was her only defense.
Not the most fruitful of hikes but we had fun anyway.
The next day, Sunday the 15th, we decided to head back to the Harbor. A friend had photographed some sea ducks at a different spot and that ignited our interest. Oddly enough, when we got there, there weren't many birds out on the water, not even the Eiders. But we persisted and hit a couple of different spots. We saw a flock of foraging Snow Buntings (#26), a favorite of ours.
On the previous trip, I'd gotten a decent shot of a Purple Sandpiper (in at #22) but I got an even better one this trip. They (and some Dunlins) alerted me to inspect the rocks with their adorable tweeting.
This female Goldeneye (#28) shot won't win any awards but it was one of the birds we'd hoped to see.
As we were pretty much done, I went to visit a porta-toidy while Andrea went back to the car. When I was done, she was still outside the car, saying there was a bird of prey who had been chasing Rock Doves and finally had one separated that it was trying to tire out. Unlike the Eagle from the day before, the predator needed a rest as well. The pigeon hid under a car, I think. But the predator, a young Peregrine Falcon, sat right over our car and I got a bunch of nice photos.
#29, Peregrine Falcon
That was pretty exciting. We hadn't seen one in a few years.
The nature didn't end when we got home. There was a Gray Squirrel on our dumpster enjoying the remnants in a peanut butter jar. Isn't nature grand?
So, at least we're getting out a little now, getting ready for the weather to change so we can see some cold-blooded critters. Next month, I expect things to warm up enough for Wood Frogs and salamander migration. Of course, this year, who knows? But I'm ready, Andrea is ready and I'm sure the critters will be hungry!
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