Smith's Point

Josh and I hiked out to Smith's Point on March 27, and I headed out there today,  September 12.   When we hiked in that early spring,  we saw 2 dead seals and more winter-killed birds.  Today,  just one sea gull was on the dead list.  I saw 3 different species of terns,  hundreds of sanderlings,  some late black-bellied plovers and some early eiders.  And of course,  herring gulls and greater black-backed gulls, double crested cormorants and crows. A merlin delighted me,  and two oyster-catchers always do.  It was crisp,  at 62 degrees and winds from the ENE at 15 mph.  But that did not deter folks from sunbathing on the Madaket beach!

Back in late March,  all three scoters, long-tailed ducks and brant joined the eiders.  I am looking forward to those winter ducks that keep the oceans so busy!  We did see piping plovers then, too.

This time I hiked out on the ocean side and back via the "interior"  and the harbor side.

There was dusty miller, and late  beach pea and,  in the interior,  a host of seaside goldenrod getting ready to burst open.  

Black-bellied plover

Oystercatcher on the Madaket mud flats

Common terns

Eiders right off Smith Point

Least tern near the point

Forster's tern

Beach pea

Seaside Goldenrod