Yesterday was 62 degrees and so warm and a perfect day to get my bike out for that first bike ride of the year. Wow! It’s February! I love riding down to the Eastham side of Rock Harbor.
It’s very cool that we always do have a few warm days in the middle of winter on Cape Cod where you think you can sneak in that coveted “winter” bike ride!
If you look quickly, you might think this is a Canada Goose. But if you look closely, you will see the partial white ring around its short neck and its totally small, black head thus identifying it as a Brant. (Click on blog link for other photos.)
There were 6 Brants by the water’s edge at Rock Harbor Beach the other day. They feed as a flock mostly on eel grass found in the tidal flats at low tide.
The last photo shows one of them resting in the grass. Beautiful bird, don’t you think? Have you ever seen a Brant?
Phil and I decided to go for an early hike the other day and then do a little bird watching. Rock Harbor is one of our favorite places as it seems to attract a lot of shore birds and diving birds. (Click blog link for photo of female.)
There, swimming around the harbor, were a male and a female Red-breasted Merganser. They were just beautiful. I love their long, thin red bill and and red eyes. Have you ever seen one?
The first photograph is of the male and the 2nd of the female. They look so different in their coloring. We always joke that the male looks like he’s having a “bad hair day.”
