rosy, aqua and purple

A rosy sunrise, no wind and only a few clouds on the horizon, with a beautiful aqua color on the creek and bay.

This morning's 'new' birds: a male and a female Purple Finch. A nice flock of 40-50 Pine Siskins came in with a few Goldfinches mixed in; they are feeding mostly on the Iva frutescens (Marsh Elder or High Tide Bush) which is in full seed and very widespread around the edges of the marsh. Both nuthatches and both kinglets are still here along with a quinfecta of woodpeckers (Downy, Hairy, Flicker, Red-bellied, and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker; only the rare Red-headed Woodpecker is missing).

A short visit to Dune Road as the weather was changing (winds came up and the skies were overcast) produced a fairly steady stream of falcons -- a dozen or so American Kestrels in less than 30" with one or two Merlin) -- and three or four Northern Harriers. Many Black Ducks feeding near Ponquogue Bridge and rafts of Double-crested Cormorants were taking to the sky and forming goose-like migrating flocks.

A cold front is moving in tonight. Wonder what the morrow will bring?

Eric Salzman