A Couple of Weeks of Bird Sightings

I have missed quite a few days of blogs as I managed to break the cord on my laptop and it is a pain to do blogs from my netbook or tablet.  I have taken a lot of bird pictures though.  the weather has been, for the most part, gorgeous and there have been several days of wonderful sunsets.  This is one of the evenings looking through the Live Oaks at Ft. Fisher.

A couple of one of my favorites -- the Oystercatchers.  They have finally returned and I see several of them at low tide.  I have far too many pictures of them!!

Another bird that returned around Thanksgiving was the Marbled Godwit.  One day there were a dozen of them down at the basin at Ft. Fisher.  I love their long pink and brown beaks.

Here they are on a different day.

A Tri-colored heron has been down there frequently.

This is a Ruddy Turnstone which has been frequenting the dock for some reason.  Usually you see them digging in the coquina shell beach.

This is a Horned Grebe and they have returned and I am seeing two or three when there are no boats at the dock.

This is the first Red-breasted Merganser I have seen down there.

I also headed over to the Basin pond to see if the Hooded Mergansers have returned.  There are still mosquitoes biting away but the Hooded Mergansers are back and in quite a group!

I was surprised to see this Northern Pintail there as well as I have never seen one there before.  I also have since seen a Ring-Necked Duck which was a new one at this location as well.  They are joined by an occasional Pied Grebe and Bufflehead.

I have very recently been down to my walk along the Ft. Fisher path to the gazebo which is a prime viewing area for water diving ducks.  In the past I have seen all sorts of birds down here.  So far this year I have only seen the Black Scoters.

This is a female Black Scoter.

These are two male Black Scoters.  Hopefully I will see some Surf Scoters or White-winged Scoters or Loons before too long.

I continue to see lots of deer down at the recreation area.  

I haven't seen Dunlins down at the beach but certainly have seen lots of them in the recreation field!!

Surprisingly I have also seen a huge number of the Semi-palmated Plovers -- 60 the other day.  I am able to get within about 20 feet of them to take pictures.  They are not a big bird.

I close this blog with another sunset picture.

I have been doing some sewing but keep forgetting to take down the camera to my sewing room.  I have finished the quilting on the Great Egret and have quilted another top that I brought from Rochester.  Next I have to get some sewing done for Christmas and I am starting to panic on that front!!