I found myself with plenty of extra time on Sunday to go watch and photograph the birds. Parker River (Plum Island) is about 40 miles north of Boston along the coast. It was cold (upper 30s), with a stiff breeze, but not cold enough to freeze over the water. Late enough in the fall for plenty of migratory ducks to be coming through, and still have a few raptors around.

I often feel that if I can come away with at least one "good" picture, the day is a success. On this trip success came early. This immature red tailed hawk was hovering in the wind right over the road, and I was able to pull within 25 to 50 feet of the bird, which seemed to be anchored like a kite without flapping. Eventually the wind carried him north, while I was pointed south along the road, but i have the chance to get this and several other nice shots.

Among the ducks, I saw significant numbers of American wigeon, pintails, black ducks, mallard, bufflehead, red breasted mergansers, and common eider, possibly also gadwall. Of particular interest was the following male, a hybrid between a mallard and a black duck. Note the green along the back of his head. 

Mallards and black ducks are closely related, and hybrids are quite frequent at areas where their breeding range intersects. The black duck is the more northerly of the two. 

Also fun to watch the gulls and the sandpipers of various sorts along the ocean front. Flocks of sandpipers moving in and out with each wave, essentially all moving in the same direction at the same time.

The gulls were feeding on mollusks: picking up a large shell, flying up in the air, dropping it onto the rocks or sand, and repeating this maneuver over and over until the shell cracked.

Other photos from this trip http://michaelross.zenfolio.com/p907024106