slides: James Clayton Sattel’s RI Summer: Birds of Aquidneck

Red Tail Hawk

You’ll most likely see Red-Tailed Hawks soaring in wide circles high over a field. When flapping, their wingbeats are heavy. In high winds they may face into the wind and hover without flapping, eyes fixed on the ground. They attack in a slow, controlled dive with legs outstretched – much different from a falcon’s stoop.

Places to spot them: A great place to go in Newport is Sachuest Bird Sanctuary, or Beavertail on Cananicut Island (Jamestown).

Swan

Most people admire the majestic white swans that glide along the surfaces of Rhode Island's coastal ponds, but the swans have their critics, too. Some local wildlife managers consider these large, territorial birds a nuisance, pointing out that swans chase ducks and geese, eat voraciously, sometimes attack people, and are not even native to Rhode Island.

Rhode Island's swans belong to the species Cygnus olor, the mute swan. Mute swans are indigenous to Europe and Asia, where for centuries they have been celebrated in art and legend and prized by the wealthy as status symbols. In 1910, mute swans were imported to the United States to grace ornamental ponds on New York estates. Eventually some of these swans escaped and established a wild population.

In spite of their name, mute swans are not completely silent: They can hiss, grunt, and make snoring sounds. But they are quiet compared to some of their noisy relatives, such as the whooper swan, the whistler swan, and especially the trumpeter swan whose bellowing can be heard for up to two miles.

Places to spot them: Swans are common in all of our salt marshes and ponds. I enjoy photographing them at 3rd Beach, and the Portsmouth and Bristol estuaries.

Plover

Snowy Plovers love the beaches in Newport County. It's fun to watch them "dodge" the waves. They like small crustations, and material in the sea wrack along the edge of the upper beach.

Places to spot them: They are easy to spot at Sachuest and Easton's Beach in Newport.

Kildeer

You sometimes see an adult Killdeer in gravel, such as along a rocky railroad easement, or on a dirt road. As you approach, the bird may suddenly develop a broken wing. It struggles in front of you, as if it can barely walk, let alone fly. One or both wings drag pitifully on the ground.

If your instinct to rescue the Killdeer overcomes you, and you try to catch the bird, it almost lets you reach out and pick it up. But somehow, while struggling to keep its balance, the bird manages to stay one step ahead of you. As you pursue it, the Killdeer leads you farther and farther away from its four downy babies crouching on the ground or half hidden under a tiny bush.

When the Killdeer feels that the young are safe from you, its broken wing heals suddenly, and the bird flies away, calling a loud "KILL-DEE" that sounds like a jeer.

Places to spot them: In Newport County many Killdeer nest on the gravel paths that surround our many estuaries. Oddly, they build thir nests on the edge of paths where people tend to take hikes around salt marshes...I almost tripped over this one!

Red-Breasted Merganser

Red Breasted Mergansers are more active and more easily seen in the colder months of the year. As you can see, they have distinctive hair-cuts that make them easy to identify. Sometimes you can see them paddle along in lines, working together to round up schools of small fish.

Places to spot them: They like to swim in or near by salt marsh outlet currents. A great place to see them is along the Bristol Harbor and Poppasquash Road.

Hooded Merganser

Hooded Mergansers live along our salt marshes. They never come within 30-40 feet of the marsh, and they are very quick to glide away once you get within eye-sight of them. You can see them fly in small groups in the dawn and dusk of the day. They love to eat frogs, and small bugs.

Places to spot them: Again, you will have very good luck observing these birds along Poppasquash Road in Bristol.

White-Rumped Sandpiper

The White-Rumped Sandpiper is a rarity in most of the US and seen primarily along the North Atlantic Coast. They are very tame and easy for the photographer to get close to. It's funny to watch their deliberate actions, walking slowly to spot prey, then sticking its entire head into the water to grab the fish.

Places to spot them: Its favorite haunts are muddy shores of our salt marshes.

Canadian Geese

There is no better sight than watching the Canadian Geese in chevron flight. But to many, they are considered pests on the land. I do enjoy watching their behavior patterns before and after lift-off... Also, it's fun to watch them in mid-May with their little ones--but keep some distance, because the male is very aggressive.

Places to spot them: The Norman Bird Sanctuary is a great place to observe this species.

Great Blue Heron

The Great Blue Heron makes its home in the shallow weeds around our salt marshes and feeds on tiny fish. They are not active in the day, and best photographed about 1 hr before sunrise or 1 hour before sunset.

Snowy Egret

The Snowy Egret can be differentiated from the Great White Egret via its orange mask and orange feet.

Snowy Egret II

The word "egret" comes from the French word "aigrette" that means both "silver heron" and "brush," referring to the long filamentous feathers that seem to cascade down an egret's back during the breeding season.

Great Egret

The Great Egret, also known as the Great White Egret, is a large heron with all-white plumage and differentiates from other egrets by its green mask and black feet. Here, one scuba-dives for small fish. 

Great Egret II

Great Egrets are generally cautious birds, but if you don't make any quick motions you can get within 25 yards of them. Usually you can get a nice shot of them "fishing". Their hunting and pre-flight behaviors are very predictable!

Osprey

The Osprey is also known as the sea hawk, fish eagle or fish hawk. It travels south during the winter months and returns north in late March--April is nest-building time as seen here in this photograph.

Places to spot them: In Newport County, you can see their nests on the many platforms built especially for them. Many platforms are located along Burma Road, up on the light tower next to the Portsmouth Ramada Inn, and the salt marshes in Bristol. If you are patient, you will see them jumping in feet-first to grab a fish.

Osprey II

A pair of ospreys. They usually mate for life!