Birding By Boat in November
We’ve taken our last boat rides out on the Chesapeake Bay the past couple weeks as our cooler autumn temps arrive. Too cold to go fast, so let’s go putter around and look for arriving migrating water birds! 🙂
The Common Loons have arrived; those I’m seeing hail from eastern Canada as they filter down the Atlantic Coast.
Common Loon
Common Loon
Common Loons
Common Loons
I was excited to see the Scoters are here too by the hundreds! There are three species: Black Scoter, Surf Scoter, and White-winged Scoter (we don’t see many of these). I saw two but there’s reports all three are here.
Surf Scoters (males)
Black Scoters
And then there’s the cute Ruddy Ducks who always arrive early.
Ruddy Ducks
We boated past a Great Blue Heron who was soaking up the sun’s warmth to beat the chill I was feeling….
Great Blue Heron
And finally, two lone birds, both a little behind on their migration south that I spotted on some riprap rocks.
Least Sandpiper
Ruddy Turnstone
Other waterfowl have begun to arrive as well, including Canada Geese (thousands!), Tundra Swans, Buffleheads, Northern Shovelers, Gadwalls, Ring-necked Ducks, Teals, and Northern Pintails, with more species to come. It’ll have to be searching by foot to find them now! 🙂
Cool sightings! How exciting to see 2 of 3 of the surf scooters. I’ve only seen one. I read a report yesterday that one Surf Scooter was up in the Reno Area, and the Buffleheads are starting to arrive down here where I live. Winter migration is here! 😀
Thank you, Deborah! Yes, winter migration has begun its arrival! 🙂
Awesome.
Thank you, Michael!
You’re welcome, Donna.
Today looks like waterbirds day🙂. Lovely specimens, Donna
Thank you, Indira!
So pleasing to see these birds so uninhibited and free. Thank you for letting me enjoy them.
You’re quite welcome, Sandy, happy to share my joy!
Beautiful photography Dona ❤️🤝
Thank you!
Great Captures Donna !
Thank you, Ashley!
You have never ending changes in the bird scenery up there, Donna! The sandpiper looks like he could slip right off that rock. The ruddy ducks are so adorable. And that’s a very nice shot of the loon.
Thank you, Barbara! How do birds not slip off rocks covered with algae? I have so many times!! 😉
A good way to see the birds.
It is! When I can get my hubby to slow down! 🤣
I’m rather envious you get to see all these wonderful birds! Have the snow geese arrived yet?
I have not seen my first Snow Goose yet this fall but reports of single ones are being seen in large flocks of Canada Geese around me. The Tundra Swans are also showing up here and there (I saw three from a distance). It’s only a matter of time!
Gorgeous. 😊
Thank you, Pepper!
I hope you’ve had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family. 😊
Thank you, Pepper! We tried, and made the best of it! My family dinner went from 14 to 7 night before. Baby grandson went to ER and diagnosed with RSV so they all couldn’t come, and neither could my in-laws because I was exposed with him all day before without knowing. I’m still symptom-free so far. Grandson is doing much better now thankfully, and that is all that mattered. 🙂
So glad that your grandson is doing better and that you are symptom free. Praying for your entire family. 😊
Thank you much, Pepper! He’s better still and so am I.
A great vantage point in birding by boat. The surf scooters in flight is terrific, as are all your photos!
Thank you, Belinda!
Fall has definitely fell!
We even had a cool couple of mornings last week. The migrants are arriving and it’s fun being outside.
Great series of photographs!
Thank you, Wally!
Oh, you both are gonna see some spectacular sightings throughout the next few months, let the excitement begin! 🙂
So jealous you get so many Scoters, we only get a few here in there – not really supposed to be here, but one or two of each variety seem to show up every year here – stay for a few days and then never seen again.
The Chesapeake Bay is a definite haven for winter waterfowl. And so it is for hunting too. 🙁