Plum Island, Gloucester and Rockport and one request for Help too

OK I've been out birding for the last two weeks and never posted.  So I guess I'll be posting alot the week.  Today I am posting a few pics from my trip up to the north shore of Massachusetts.  I rarely make it up there, but I took a day just prior to the Christmas holiday in hopes of scoring big or at least having a great birding day.  I've been to Plum Island several times, but never to Gloucester and the Cape Ann loop.  The birding was so so, but the scenery did not disappoint.

I arrived at Plum Island at 0730 and it was mighty chilly.  I love walking the beach in the cold as long as there is no wind.  I'm in my element around the sound of waves.  Can't imagine joining the L-Street Brownies for their annual New Year's swim.  That's crazy talk.   

It was a calm day at Plum Island with some pretty decent sized waves.  The birds weren't real active and neither were the people.  I saw 5 people max.  I was hoping for a snow bunting, but it just wasn't meant to be.  No lifers either, but a few good pics anyway.  While I was leaving Plum Island I stopped in a Joppa Flats Audubon and they were real helpful and suggested several different great birding locations.    

Common Eider (seem to be have a huge spike of Eider this year.)

Bufflehead

Cooper's Hawk

Gloucester Harbor (scene of the movie The Perfect Storm)

I had never visited Rockport before and it was a really nice old fishing village.  I was pleasantly surprised.  My understanding is that they got hit pretty hard during the recent Northeaster that hit the Massachusetts coast.  Hopefully the Christmas decorations on this building made it through. 

Rockport Harbor (this is a perfect Christmas Card)

Wondering if anyone has a suggestion on this bird.  I initially thought it was a Purple Sandpiper, but the color of the bill almost looks bright orange versus the typical muted yellow. 

Thanks in advance. 

So later on this week, I'll post a few from Southeastern Massachusetts and a few from Rhode Island.  I was one of the lucky ones to get a fairly decent photo of the Green tailed Towhee.  A lifer, but that is for another day.

Have a great week and hope you visit again soon.