FOS Harrier

Birded the refuge from about 0930-1330 today. Hardly a memorable birding day, but a few highlights:

Single Wood Duck and Merlin flying over East River Pool/Stony Bayou 1.

Two Red Knots on Willet Pond (east side of Lighthouse Rd opposite SW boat ramp entrance).

The American Flamingo was briefly and distantly seen from the observation deck behind the lighthouse, flying above the salt marsh from south to north. It landed out of sight somewhat north of east from the deck.

My FOS Northern Harrier (juv) also seen from the observation deck.

Six Spoonbills perched NE of the “dead forest” and south of the eagle’s nest north of HQ pond and east of Lighthouse Rd.

Despite the tide remaining high enough to cover almost all the bars in the Bay, very few shorebirds were on Tower Pond – a few Bl-b Plovers, Lesser Yellowlegs, and a handful of extremely heat distorted peeps in the far SW corner. Two young Reddish Egrets.

We missed the good bird of the day.