Cape Cod Canal

Enjoying a beautiful March day

We had visited down to Cape Cod Canal.  Hopefully to get out to Scuesset Beach, however, the road, pass the headquarters building was closed because of the snow.  The path that ran from the Sagamore Bridge down to Scuesset Beach was plowed, and there were a number of people walking and jogging on it.  For all the winters I have been coming down to the canal, this day was the first one that I saw the canal with a large amount ice flowing from Buzzards Bay out to the ocean.  There was more ice on the Scuesset side than on the Sagamore side.  There was a large ice flow stranded up on the rock side of the canal.  There were waterfowl coming and going, including greater scaup, common goldeneye and of course, common eiders.  There were a number of gulls flying overhead.  I am sure as the weather warms up the ice will clear from the canal and we will see more waterfowl in the canal.

Great black-backed gull

greatest scaup flying from the ice on the canal

large ice flow

common eiders flying in

common goldeneye

Video of the ice flowing in the Cape Cod Canal

Tuesday's Photos from Birding

Pair of Mute Swans

After spending most of the week processing my pictures from my trip to Alberta, Canada, I went out for a morning of birding with my compadre Doug.

Our first stop was Jenney Pond to see if any of the winter ducks had arrived.  The Gadwall's were in and at the far end of the pond was a Hooded Merganser.  The ubiquitous Mute Swans, where there and did give some nice photo opportunities.

Mute Swan Flapping Wing after Preening

Male Gadwall

Kinglets were flitting around the trees.  They seem never to stay still for more than a second or two, which makes them hard to photograph.  The trick is not to use autofocus since there are usually too many leaves that get in the way, but to use manual focus, and burst mode.  I was able to come up with some decent pictures, by using this methodology.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

 We visited other locations in Plymouth, including Nelsons Beach, the harbor, Plymouth Beach.  There were many gulls in all locations along with a large number of Brandt.  There was one Black-bellied Plover at Nelsons Beach.

Black-bellied Plover

Off of Manomet Point, the Harlequin's were back, the males in gorgeous color.

Harlequin Ducks

Harlequin Ducks

We finished off the trip at Scuesset Beach, where we found our first Horned Larks of the season.  I photographed the Horned Lark right for my car window.

Horned Lark

Horned Lark

King Eider at Scuesset Beach

Male King Eider taking off along with two female common eiders

It is now Tuesday, birding with Doug day.  First, we decided to check out a new area, West Island in Fairhaven.  There was a brisk wind blowing, and not a huge amount the birds were present.  Through the scope we got great look at a number of common goldeneyes, who were too far out for any pictures.

Because Doug has not had a great view of a King Eider, his only view was one flying away from us at Provincetown harbor, we traveled down to Scuesset beach state reservation, where there has been a King Eider present.  I had been previously down to Scuesset beach on the weekend and did have great views of the King Eider.  At Scuesset beach, we met a friend Linda, who had sighted the King Eider earlier.  We search through the hundreds of common eiders and finally found the King Eider.  All the eiders slowly swam toward us, giving us some good close-up views.  For me, the best photographs that I obtained today was when the majority of the flock of eiders, including the King Eider suddenly took to the air and flew down the Cape Cod canal to the ocean, and I captured the King Eider taking off.

Male King Eider taking off along with two female common eiders

King Eider