June ended with a long heat wave but I was able to find some bird activity, even with temperatures passing 90F (32C) before the morning was over.
We watched a Willet chase a Killdeer (top photo) on an access road to a kayak launch. I am not sure what the row was about.
Then the Willet flew into the edge of the marsh and gave us a piece of its mind. There was no nest nor any chicks around so I guess the bird must have considered the road to its property and was telling us to “get off the lawn”!
This is a Piping Plover standing on some ripple marks that were left in the sand as tide went out.
We have not seen any Least Tern chicks yet. Most of the nests were destroyed in a storm at beginning of the month but some terns like this one restarted their nests.
More terns as they leave the water after a missing a catch.
Female Red-winged Blackbirds look so different from the males. But they do have a bit of the red hidden away on their shoulders. It’s barely visible in the second photo.
A Black-crowned Night Heron was hidden in the reeds below us when it suddenly flew and headed out of sight. I managed a quick photo as it went.
A Saltmarsh Sparrow peeking out of the grass. Just enough of the head markings are visible to identify it.
July is starting with a complete reversal in the weather. It is rainy and the temperature is hovering around 55F (13C) today. But it will warm up quickly after the rainy weather and we’ll be dealing with the heat again on my next outing.
Birds in My Viewfinder 
I like the sequence of the Willet pursuing the Kildeer. The shot showing that it started as a pursuit on foot is especially unusual (at least compared with my experience of bird fights).
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Thanks Tom. The whole pursuit never went outside a small area at the end of the road to the launch ramp, an area of about 15 feet by 20 yards. All the flying was short hop. After all the running, short flights and more running, the birds all ended up staying in the same general area when it was over. There didn’t appear to be any particular reason for fracas. No chicks, no food, no nests. Maybe everyone was just cranky with the heat!
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Great photos of birds
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Saw your brother Dick tonight at the Country Club. Mentioned to him we might be related, which, of course, shocked him. It turns out my grandmother, Nellie Whittemore, is distantly related to Ralph………and, of course, that’s only a stone’s throw to the Densmores, so……! (Heehee)
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A nice collection of June birds…terns skimming across the water is typical of our hot days!
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