December 1, 2011-
I had to make a trip to Port Jefferson, Long Island to deliver a few carvings to my best friend and Collector who lives in Port Jeff. The trip across on the Bpt/PJ Ferry yielded a few birds on the crossing both ways. I took the 7:30 am ferry over and returned on the 1:00 pm. The wind was from the Northwest and fairly strong at 20 knots.
Red-throated Loons were very numerous on both sides of the Sound, with smaller numbers in the mid-Sound.....
Is that a bird on the peak of the roof on Middle Ground Light?
There were a few small groups of White-winged Scoters in the Sound (all heading west)
and I also noted over a dozen Gannets.....
When Jimmy picked me up at the PJ Ferry slip, we took a ride locally to some of my favorite Long Island Waterfowl spots.....
Poquoutt Harbor......
When we drove to the southeast corner of Poquott Harbor there were over three hundred Wigeon and a handful of Gadwall present, but could not locate the two Eurasian Wigeon that were reported there. The birds were spread out all over the Harbor, with many surrounding the point to the North where I couldn't see.
This Great Blue Heron decided that it wanted to land right in the middle of the Wigeon.....
In the Harbor there was also a huge flock of nearly one thousand Brant. A single Bonaparte's Gull flew over the flock looking for a possible stirred up fish, or tomaybe steal a meal from a Brant......
Next stop was a little west; Setauket. This little Cove is always a very dependable location to find wintering Shovelers, Gadwall and Ring-necked Ducks. It's slow moving water keeps the cove open for most of the winter. There was a Black-headed Gull reported there a few days earlier, but I couldn't locate it. But I wasn't disappointed, there were a few Shovelers and Gadwall present......
From Setauket, we drove back to Jimmy's House in Port Jeff. Many have asked about some of my Collectors "collections", and with Jimmy's permission, here are a few images of some of his collection of my carvings and decoys. He has over five hundred of my carvings in his collection. The decoys are carved in many styles: from realistic, contemporary, sculpted and "classic" decoy styles. They include waterfowl, seabirds, waders and shorebirds.
On the trip back across the Sound, a few Red-throated Loons and Gannets were flying down the Sound. I saw this single Sanderling in mid-Sound flying to CT.
When the ferry was about a mile out of Bridgeport Harbor, small groups of Oldsquaw flew out in front heading in both directions; east and west.......
In Port, I made a few quick stops on the way home......
Stratford-
This Red-tailed Hawk was being harassed by several Crows over the airport.
Birdseye Street boat ramp-
This Black-crowned Night-Heron flew in from the pier and landed in the marsh just below the parking lot.
December 3, 2011-
Hammonasset-
Red-throated Loon at Meig's.......
Dunlins, Sanderlings, Ruddy Turnstones and a Purple Sandpiper or two at Meigs.....
Hooded Mergansers in the Swan Pond......
An immature Cooper's Hawk at the rotary......
part of a flock of Monk Parakeets at the Madison Stop & Shop
December 7, 2011-
Hammonasset-
In the Moraine marsh was this single Great Blue Heron and Black Duck softly backlit from the morning sun....
In the parking lot at the western end of the Park, I found this banded Ring-billed Gull in the large Gull roost. I have reported the leg marker number and information to the Montreal Gull Project; I haven't received the banding data and report yet.....
Meigs Point-
Sanderlings, Dunlins and Ruddy Turnstones.....
Sanderling and Ruddy Turnstones feeding on Slipper Shells. Notice the plumage variations in the Ruddy Turnstones in the following images.....
Stratford-
I stopped by my wifes office later that morning to bring her a cup of coffee. As I got out of my truck, I noticed a few Gulls flying over her building towards the landfill which is behind her building. In the Gulls was this one adult Iceland Gull. I quickly reached for my camera and was able to take this shot. This is probably the same bird found by Frank Mantlik on the beach at the end of 5th Avenue and Shoreline Drive.
A few minutes later, I was at the beach looking for the Gull, but I didn't find it. There were a few Herring and Ring-billed Gulls there, so I decided to toss a bit of suet into the water to entice the Gulls into a mini feeding frenzy hopefully to attract the Iceland Gull if it was in the area. Within a few minutes, The Iceland Gull appeared from behind and over the cottages and zeroed in to the floating suet.
After the Gull fed on a few morsals of suet, it lifted off the water and then flew to its favorite piling perch.....
.....where it was chased off by a Herring Gull.....
Bond's Dock-
From the parking lot at Bond's Dock. I spotted the two continuing Long-billed Dowitchers and a handful of Greater Yellowlegs on a float in the small harbor. The birds were spooked when a dock workboat motored out to the float.
The birds flew across to "X" dock at the Stratford Marina, where I took these images.....
December 13, 2011
Hammonasset-
Razorbills at Meigs Point-
When the Razorbills showed up at Meigs, I was on the Gale Frances on Coxes Ledge. I went for a few days later in the afternoons, but only once saw a few of them at a great distance from the jetty. These excellent images were taken by Jack Faller and I am posting them here....
(Razorbill photos courtesy of Jack Faller)
December 15, 2011-
Hammonasset-
The banded/leg marked Ring-billed Gull continued at the Gull roost at the parking lot at the western end of the Park.
December 20, 2011-
I picked up another collector and friend of mine from Long Island, Al Schultz at the Bridgeport Ferry slip. We were going to spend the day together photographing birds, something that we do often. Here are a few of the birds that I made for Al's collecton:
At the Stratford Boat Ramp:
Great Egret and Little Blue Heron
Long Wharf, New Haven-
Gadwalls......
Behind Leon's-
There were several Great Cormorants on the pilings, and......
.......and a flock of nearly fifty Gadwall, a dozen Black Ducks and three Ruddies.
Hammonasset-
Meig's Beach-
there were three Purple Sandpipers feeding on the rocks just off the beach, east of the jetty.
Al and I had a great day photographing birds, and after I dropped him off at the ferry, I made a few quick stops home. When I stopped back at the West Haven boat ramp, the large concentration of over a thousand Brant had moved all over the inner harbor, as well as the five hundred plus Scaup. This Fish Crow landed on the guardrail next to my truck, obviously trained and looking for a handout!
Many of the Brant were feeding along the low tide areas near the boat ramp. I took one picture, and my camera malfunctioned......
After spending a few minutes trying to (unsuccessfully) fix my camera, I noticed that many of the Brant now flying and swimming towards Long Wharf. When I arrived at the parking lot at the southern end of the road, I switched cameras to my Rebel back-up. I took a few images of the large concentration of Brant as the sun was setting. After researching my camera problem, the repair would be quite expensive, so off to Best Buy last night in North Haven. I met Jen for dinner at Red Lobster, and I am now the owner of a new Canon 60D!! I hope this one lasts longer!!
Keith Mueller Killingworth CT
