We had a nice break in the dismal weather and I managed to get out on a particularly sunny morning. It was great to have some blue sky in the background of my photos. My first encounter was a flock consisting mostly of American Goldfinches getting seeds from pine cones with a few other species mixed in. The Goldfinches were in their less colorful winter plumage.
Also foraging in the pines were Crossbills and Common Redpolls.
I really should put my backup camera with a shorter focal length lens on my harness. This is just half of a flock of Snow Buntings that was resting and preening in one tree. My long lens could not fit the whole scene in the frame. There were around 120-130 Buntings in the flock.
I guess they got tired of posing for the group of birdwatchers and photographers and decided to move to another part of the park.
There was a really high tide while I was out, with the water right up to the road in a few places. There were few birds on the river or shore as they seemed to have dispersed into the flooded marshes or to other feeding grounds. This is a Sandering standing in the bright morning sun on a little strip of sand still open on the river bank. It flew off right after this photo and returned a few seconds later with about 30 friends. They flew back and forth for a short time and then headed downriver to the ocean.
There was one lone Common Loon close by in the river. A few ducks, gulls and other loons were scattered around and too far away for a good picture.
The coming week is supposed to be dry. More opportunities for enjoying nature.
Birds in My Viewfinder 
Nice…right down to the red eye of the Common Loon! Winter birding at its best!
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