Rhode Island Coast Trip Report
On Saturday, February 22, 2025, about 25 members of the club went to our neighboring state to the east for a full day of birding. We started out at Beavertail State Park in Jamestown, it was a bit windy and cold, but the skies were clear, and visibility was good. We saw many nice birds there, including Great Cormorants (in full breeding plumage with their gray manes and bright white flank patches), Common Eider, Harlequin Duck, Black Scoter and Horned Grebe. We all got great looks at a Red-necked Grebe off the west shore and some of us got to see Razorbills before they disappeared under the water. Our next stop was at Scarborough Beach in Narragansett. We saw Black-headed and Bonaparte’s Gulls there, mostly as they fed at the nearby water treatment plant. We then headed over to Moonstone Beach where we had the biggest surprise of the day: an American Bittern feeding along the edge of the frozen over Mud Pond by the entrance to the beach. We all got good looks at this bird as it walked slowly amongst the reeds, blending in well with them. We went to Trustom Pond next, taking the long hike from the parking area to the viewing platform at Osprey Point. We saw a nice variety of waterfowl there, including Tundra Swans, Redhead, Ruddy Duck and American Coots. There were also large numbers of scaup and wigeon there and we were pleased to see a Hermit Thrush along the trail. Our next stop was at Perry’s Mill Pond where there was an excellent variety of freshwater waterfowl, including a handsome male Canvasback, several Northern Pintail, Ring-necked Ducks, and Black Ducks. Double-crested Cormorants and Great Blue Herons were there, too. Our last stop was at the Weekapaug Breachway where we saw Common Loons and Common Eider up close as well as a pair of Killdeer, looking a bit cold as they stood on the ice. All in all, we had a fine day of birding along the scenic Rhode Island coast.
Chris Loscalzo