A Beautiful Day in Provincetown, but another dip.

As I mentioned in the previous post, there's another dip to report... for the last two weeks everyone has been trying to get the Ivory Gull. First seen in Hampton, New Hampshire on Monday January 11th, at 2 p.m, it gradually made its way southward to Massachusetts, and was reported Thursday the 14th from Provincetown, at Race Point.

Race Point Light, Provincetown, Massachusetts

The bird stayed until Sunday, and observers noticed this routine: early in the morning the gull would fly to the south end of the Race Point parking area and walk north all day, to Race Point. Along the way it was seen to feed on amphipods and carrion. Many people posted great photos of this beautiful bird, and reported that the gull seemed undisturbed by the flocks of humans following it.

Calidris alba, Sanderling, Race Point, Cape Cod National Seashore, MA

We didn't read about the Ivory Gull until late in the day Saturday (having spent the day at Bluff Point in Groton), and Jorge had to work Sunday, though he was tempted to go for the bird instead. Monday a storm blew in, and the bird was not seen again. Thursday January 21st Jorge took a required furlough day and decided to head to Cape Cod, on the chance he could find the Ivory Gull still at Race Point.

empty beach at Race Point, early morning, very low tide

Leaving home at 5am, he was geared up and on the beach at 7:55, under a beautiful blue sky. The ocean was fairly calm as he walked the beach all the way to the lighthouse at Race Point, scanning the gull flocks for the Ivory, enjoying views of Red-breasted Mergansers and at least two species of whale! The continental shelf is narrow along Cape Cod, allowing Humpbacks, Fin Whales and other large species to swim in deep water, yet be observed easily from the shore.

There was an active flock of Sanderling, Snow Buntings in the dunes, a few alcids seen in the distance, a few Northern Gannets,

To keep this story from rambling too much, by 12:30pm Jorge was back at the car, having walked up and down the beach, encountering just one other birder, and no Ivory Gull. The story continues... Saturday afternoon January 23rd, an Ivory Gull was reported from Westport, Massachusetts, just a stone's throw from the Rhode Island border. By now any Connecticut birder who did NOT get up to see the bird in Provincetown was on full alert. If this gull keeps on a westward trajectory it will be a new state record.There were birders on both sides of the state line all day Sunday watching for the Ivory Gull, with one possible sighting. Today, Monday January 25th, a big storm blew in, with south winds, torrential rain and temperatures in the fifties.

After leaving Race Point, Jorge drove into Provincetown to see what was in the protected harbor there, and found the ducks in close, and easy to photograph on the calm water.

Somateria mollissima, Common Eider, male

Mergus serrator, Red-breasted Merganser, female

Bucephala clangula, Common Goldeneye, male in sunset light

Sunset at Indian Point, Wellfleet, Massachusetts.