Oh, you slacker: duckin' from the car.

Ok - I'm not a slacker, I've been a little under the weather most of the week and I'm battling it the best that I can. Ugh. I woke up yesterday morning determine to get out of the house though, so I packed up my binocs, camera, snuggies and a pad of paper. I was going to start adding to my birding list with oceanic birds from the car. I know, it's kinda like watching TV from the armchair, but at least I was getting out of the house. Besides, it was below zero when I left and I wasn't going to freeze for some birds.

I started with the Eastern Trail in Scarborough, wrapped myself up tight enough to barely be able to move and I ambled along to the bridge to see if anyone was in the tidal water. Sure enough, there were three Goldeneyes on either side of the bridge. The wind was wicked, so I hurried right back to the warmth of the tin can.

From there I worked my way down to the Lobster co-op parking lot that overlooks the outflow to Western Cove. From there, you're looking directly across to Ferry Beach in Scarborough. There I saw a plethera of Black Ducks, Buffleheads and even a couple of Long-Tails (formerly known as Oldsquaws). A few Black Backed, Herring and Ring Billed gulls later, I mosied along.

I have no more pictures from this point - call it user malfunction, but I wasn't feeling at my best when I got home. I'm not sure where went, but there weren't many.

I drove over to Ferry Beach so I could see what things looked like from the other side. That beach had Black Ducks, Buffleheads and some Common Eiders mixed in with some Back Backed and Herring Gulls. My favorite find there was a Brant barely in the water just off the beach, which I could have gotten a picture of it someone's stupid Lab hadn't chased it off. I was so angry! Well, with whatever I did with the pictures I probably would have lost it anyway.

From there I snuck over to Kettle Cove and was disappointed - only a handful of Buffleheads. I wasn't about to walk Crescent so I left there to see what Dyer Point was looking like. I had heard reports of a King Eider there, but only found a Common curled up on the rocks with a gull of some sort. I could see some Goldeneyes and Long-Tailed in the water, then realized a Red-Tailed hawk was being harassed over the lighthouse by some crows. Ahhh - that explains it.

So that was my armchair birding experience - not thrilling to say the least. I can tell you though that I was some exhausted when I got home and my fever had returned. Alas, my birding is reduced to looking out the back window again. Even at that, all I see is a gray squirrel.