Warm day. Fifties (F), seems like (though I forgot to check for sure). Rained early, and I had a dentist appointment, so dog and I didn’t hit the hill until early afternoon. Nothing much up there then, so we also hiked the breakwater.
Plenty of seabirds out. Guillemots, grebe, scoter, eiders, gulls, long-tailed ducks, etc. Spotted a couple sunning seals also.
Odd, perhaps, but winter is my favorite season to hike the breakwater in.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 1:15 a.m., I hiked the open trail.
Another bright, nippy morning, but without a lot of wind. Had only two species on the hill first thing—but one showed up in a flock. Spent a good while getting cold fingers while photographing Common Redpolls.
About midday, I couldn’t resist taking a quick trip to the breakwater, knowing it was low(ish) tide and hoping for Purple Sandpipers. No sandpipers, but a bunch of typical winter birds—along with the half-dozen American wigeons that’ve been hanging out there for at least three weeks or so.
A bit sore tonight; still, two hikes are better than one.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8:45 a.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. American Crow* 2. Common Redpoll
Common Eider (male).
Rockland Breakwater List Beginning at 12:15 p.m., I hiked to the light and back.
3. American Black Duck 4. Mallard* 5. Common Eider 6. Herring Gull* 7. Great Black-backed Gull 8. Long-tailed Duck 9. Red-breasted Merganser 10. American Wigeon 11. Common Goldeneye 12. Canada Goose 13. Black Guillemot 14. Horned Grebe
Some rain early, so dog and I waited until it’d passed to do our daily hike. Windy, but temps up in the 40s. The birds on the hill were shy, however, and since I had my designs on a photo, we took a second hike out to the end of the Rockland Breakwater—where it seems a bunch of other folks had the same idea.
Low tide this time, with a brisk wind and plenty of waves. Was hoping for Purple Sandpipers, saw none, and settled for a few diving ducks—including a good-looking young Surf Scoter.
Supposed to get a lot colder now.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 9:30 a.m., I hiked the open trail.
