For the Birds: Turnstones and plovers add excitement to fishing trip

Photo by Chris Bosak
A ruddy turnstone looks for food at Milford Point, Connecticut, summer 2026.

My son Andrew and I moved quickly along the beach to the fishing spot several hundred yards away. He lugged the heavy bag with a cooler, fishing supplies, and snacks. I carried the rods and chairs.

We passed dozens of shorebirds on the way to our spot at the mouth of a river that feeds into Long Island Sound. I noted mostly piping plovers, but there were also ruddy turnstones and a few American oystercatchers.

Normally, I would drop everything and obsess over trying to get photos of the birds, but we had this day planned for a while, and I didn’t want my hobby to take over the father-son time. Maybe I’ll stop for a few photos on the way back, I thought.

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Birds to brighten your day: Part VII

Photo by Chris Bosak
A white-winged scoter rests on the beach as a ruddy turnstone shares the area at Coastal Center at Milford Point on Monday, May 12, 2014.

The shore is a great place to find commingling bird species as shorebirds often congregate near the water. In this case, I got a ruddy turnstone and white-winged scoter together. White-winged scoters are usually found in large rafts off the coast. I’m not sure why this one sitting on the shore, but the shorebirds didn’t seem to mind its presence.

(Repeat text from yesterday:) With many of us working from home or otherwise “physical distancing” as we combat COVID-19, I figured I’d start a daily series of photos showing different bird species together. Why not? Maybe it will brighten somebody’s day to see commingling bird species each morning as we’re all stuck inside.