The sandbar off of Coast Guard Beach, part of the National Seashore in Eastham, was filled with Arctic Terns. They would stand there for a bit and then all fly off and then all fly back again. I’d never seen so many congregate in one space like that. It was pretty cool. Maybe they were migrating from the Arctic on their way to points further south.
Arctic Terns are grey and white with a black head and a red bill and short red legs and feet. They are very distinct looking.
As I was walking along Coast Guard Beach the other day, I saw something black swimming on the water, diving in amongst the waves. I thought maybe it was a Black Duck. I got my camera out and clicked away and only got a couple of photos as this bird was floating through the tall waves and diving into the ocean and very hard to see.
When I got home and looked on my computer, I noticed the white “comma” under his eye and knew it was not a Black Duck. To my surprise, it was a White-Winged Scoter which I had never seen before. What a treat!
The White-Winged Scoter is a medium sized duck that is mostly black except for a white eye patch shaped like a comma. It has an orange bill with a black knob and red-orange legs and feet. It dives up to 40 down and feeds primarily on shellfish.
Have you ever seen a White-Winged Scoter?
I was taking a walk out on the flats at low tide near Boat Meadow when I saw something out of the corner of my eye. There were two birds scurrying around the mud, looking for food.
I clicked away and realized when I got home that they were Semipalmated Plovers. They blend in pretty well on the mud flats and the water, don’t you think?
Friday was one of the “10 best days at Coast Guard Beach, part of he National Seashore, on Cape Cod!” It was absolutely spectacular with sunny skies and temperatures in the low 70s. We couldn’t believe we were walking on the beach without even a jacket on. Unbelievable for November.
The tide was going out so we walked down to Nauset Spit, where Coast Guard Beach is separated from Nauset Beach by an ever-moving channel which leads into Nauset Marsh. It is one of my favorite beach walks. We saw so many different species of birds and lots of seals. With the bird migration in progress, there is so much to look forward to…
