Deb didn’t have to work yesterday, so we drove back down to the Sandy Point Bird Sanctuary early in the morning. The gates weren’t even open yet when we arrived, so we had to park down the road a bit, and our reward for being so early was finding this osprey enjoying its breakfast on a light post right over that parking lot. Sweet.
There were several oystercatchers out on the mudflats again, and this time I noticed that they don’t all have bright orange eyes. It turns out that juvies have dark brown eyes, instead. “Well, hello there, Sweetie!”
The biggest sight of the morning, however, was this short-billed dowitcher. I’ve been able to show you one before, but that was from Caye Caulker, so this is my first one in the US. Woo hoo!
Then it was time to get back to Cheshire and family activities, but as crazy good luck would have it, my other sister, Sue, cooked up a scheme for all of us to pile into the car and drive out to Mystic to visit Enders Island and see the dahlias. Once we got there, to an island in Long Island sound, I’m sure you will be stunned to learn that there were birds to be seen. I inadvertently spooked this one from the weeds behind the seawall, a spotted sandpiper, but it was so young or hungry that it only hopped up onto the wall so I could get a better picture. “Thanks, Kiddo, but please, don’t stop foraging for me.”
Finally, there were several terns fishing out over the water, and I got all excited when I thought some were roseate turns, but I was mistaken, and they were just good ol’ common terns, instead. Oh well, but still a pretty bird.
We took the scenic route home, so by the time we got there, everyone was exhausted, and I let this post slide until this morning. Sorry about that.
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 