Another nearby venue that holds good species especially during migration season. The weather was lovely & the sea was blue & clear, & looked very tempting, almost too nice to continue birding, however we walked the lengthy path to the end of the 'island', looped round & came back.
Double-Crested Cormorant - many on the rocky shoreline.
Tree Swallow - as previously there were many of these on migration, constantly passing overhead. It may have been that a couple of bank swallows were also in some of the small flocks I observed but it was very difficult to pick one out because they were so fast moving.
CEDAR WAXWING - a couple birds alighted on a tall shrub along the path & with the sun behind them I had to get quite close before I could make the ID. I later confirmed it from photos I took, an unexpected life-tick because I associate waxwings (the bohemian species) birds with winter in Europe!
Northern Harrier - a lone ring-tail was quartering over the southern tip of the island & was visible throughout our walk in that section. One of my favourites & fortunately apparently much easier to see in the US than is its persecuted UK counterpart.
Osprey - overhead with a sizeable fish in its claws.
Barn Swallow - I endeavoured to concentrate on any swallows that continued to flow over the island & was rewarded with a different species amongst the majority of tree swallows, one that is familar from the UK.
Herring Gull, Ring-Billed Gull, Great Black-Backed Gull
RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD - as we neared the carpark I noticed what looked like an oversize insect buzzing around, but quickly realised that it was a hummingbird. Too large & fast for an insect but too small to be any other bird. Unfortunately it was soon good & I didn't get a clear look but unmistakably a hummingbird, my first, & ruby-throated is the only species around in the area at this time of year.
10 species, 2 new.
Later on Smith Neck Road: Peregrine - flew up the road towards Apponagansett.
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