Day 4 - 4th January 2015 - Hooded Mergansers, Loon, Common Goldeneye and Sandy Point Lighthouse

Got up this morning expecting no power (flashlight on my nightstand last night just in case), but am surprised, things are still good. Temperature is -4, wind is blowing and still seems to be a fine snow coming down. Once it changes over we are expecting to get a lot of rain. Sounds like a day to curl up and read, maybe do a little computer work.  Lexi and I will only be out on quick jaunts today, no long roaming for us.
Saturday was busy or at least we seemed to accomplish a lot. It was a pretty cold so I had a quick and brisk walk first thing in the morning, then I tackled a few household chores while Larry went to town for a few hours. After he got home brewed up some hot chocolate for the road and headed out in search of birds. Neither of us felt like going too far so headed in the direction of Sandy Point. Made a quick stop in town in search of Red-bellied Woodpecker I had heard about but no luck, will keep my eye open next time I'm there. Almost low tide so we stopped at the Sandy Point Lighthouse.  Shelburne County has 17 (I think) Lighthouses, my mission this year will be to photograph them all.  Mostly gulls  on the sand bar, made a stop at the lower breakwater - my first loon of the season in winter plumage and more gulls.  Drove out to Locke's Island, a pair of Hooded Mergansers, lots of gulls and looked like Common Goldeneyes in the distance. We thought we might have better luck at the Jordan Bay Wharf, but no better. Stopped for coffee at friends in the area, then headed home. In the river we saw a Male Common Goldeneye with 2 females.

One of Lois' feeders had this fellow as well as...

Chickadees.

I had lots of Blue Jays.

The Sandy Point Lighthouse. Tide was going out.

Loon in winter plumage. They really do look different.

Rather disappointed that I didn't get decent shots of this pair of  Hooded Mergansers but I was shooting into the light.

There were lots of gulls everywhere we went. I didn't see any unusual ones though.

Chickadee at Wanda's feeder.

Common Goldeneye pair in the river.






Enjoy your day!