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Posted by Marcello Gomes on 23:16:39 12/13/13
Let me begin with the end. NO, there haven't been a Razorbill that I have seen in the past few days at the inlet. However, some birds are migrating through and some are calling Boynton Beach Inlet as home for awhile (i.e Common Eider, Common Loons, & Red-breasted Mergansers, etc). Last season, I saw the first Razorbill on 12/09/12. It's been over a year...
Here's the past few days in a nutshell:
About 10 Red-breasted Merganser were flying south (I almost always see immatures and females and don't usually see males with their beautiful colors but a couple of days ago, I did). It was in the middle of the flock flying in line very low over the ocean and heading southbound.
1 Jaeger sp.
A few Common Loons flying up and down the beach at a distance. One was floating in the intracoastal area to the north of the inlet.
A few Great Black-backed Gulls have arrived (watch out Puffins:)) One ID shot you can see a seemingly its crossed bill.
Several Lesser Black-backed Gulls chasing fishing boats and patrolling the seas.
Dozen or so immature and non-breeding Ruddy Turnstones on the pier.
Some Sandpiper.
A few Forster's Terns were flying about yesterday.
A few Sandwich Terns were there too (right over the pier).
Royal Terns and Laughing Gulls...too many to count.
Dozens of immature and adult Brown Pelicans begging for food from the fishermen.
Some Ring-billed Gull.
One Double-crested Cormorant has been hanging and diving at the inlet.
One gorgeous American Kestrel (male) that sits atop a tall type of pine tree. It flew down right in front of me to catch some lizard at the beach and flew back to its perch.
Dozen Northern Gannets (10 adults + 2 immatures)
Do I need to say that the Common Eider took up residency at the Boynton Inlet? YES INDEED! Seen every time I went there (towards sunset - by the pier, by the sea walls, and Intracoastal hunting for crabs.
1 adult male Magnificent Frigatebird way in the distance flying over a fishing boat.
Black Scoters were back in full swing two days ago ( 4 large groups seen - about 80 in each group. They were heading North and South. One group that was going south, make a U-turn and landed in the middle of the ocean. I could only spot them with binoculars. They hung out there for over an hour. I had to leave since the light sucks after 5:15. Some were diving and some just bobbing. Male, female, Immature. Now, I had never observed one that was most all brown. I am guessing it's a male that is going to be molting into adulthood (black colors and orange bill) when Spring arrives.That is what I think. Today, I saw a small flock of about 25 going north.
Well, folks the chapters will continue at a later opportunity (unless I have some major breaking news with Razorbills, Dovekies, and the like:).
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