Just Some Walks in This Beautiful Fall Weather!

I think that the Boat-tailed Grackle males are really pretty with all the iridescent hues. It was a cloudy day so you could really see them.

My daughters were both here last week and here is Aunt Lisa with my granddaughter Amelia who is getting bigger and bigger.  Luckily we had some great weather for most of the time she was here so she got to swim in the ocean (yes, the water temp is still about 70 here in the Wilmington area) and go fishing with her granddad.  We also had her other grandparents here for a couple of days!

A Snowy Egret was fishing right next to the pier.

A couple of Ruddy Turnstones down at the pier at Ft. Fisher.  First I have seen this season.  They really are prettier in the summer with their more distinct coloring which can be said for a lot of the birds.  Luckily a lot of the ducks look better in winter!  Starlings are another bird that is much pretty in the winter time.
  

There were also several Royal Terns and this one was banded but I couldn't see a number of letter on it.

The common Forster's Terns were also down there.

In among all the Ring-billed Gulls and Laughing Gulls, there were a few Herring Gulls and I am sure I will see Black-backed Gulls soon as well.

As I headed to the Museum grounds at Ft. Fisher, I saw several Eastern Phoebes so they must be migrating through.  They and the Yellow-rumped Warblers are the last to go through.

There were lots and lots of Yellow-rumped Warblers skittering around through the trees and on the ground.  I didn't see any Palm or Pine Warblers though.

My biggest surprise was a small flock of White-throated Sparrows that were foraging right in front of the parking space I had in the lot!!  I hadn't seen one before either here or up north so new life bird for me!

Just a closer look at his very distinctive markings.