Spotted these Brandts today at the mouth of Neguntatogue Creek. Several large flocks actually. These birds breed in the Arctic and winter in the Carolinas. So we see them every spring and fall here on Long Island during their migration.

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Our boat is still in the water at its slip even though the marina has the green light to haul. I spent about an hour aboard today, ran the engine for a while to charge the batteries. The seawater is so cold, the engine never got up to its normal 160F thermostat temperature.

The mouth of Neguntatogue Creek this afternoon. Some boat traffic could be seen. Most all the aids to navigation in Great South Bay have been removed for winter.