No “tropical rarities” – just enjoying the usual seasonal visitors..with a few surprises
Irene left its mark on CT., with widespread damage and extensive power outages. But on the positive side the hurricane carried with it many feathered tropical treasures considered very rare and some never recorded in our state. These birds included Sooty and Bridled Terns, Leach’s and Band-rumped Storm-Petrels, and even a first record White-tailed Tropicbird. Some tenacious birders were able to reach the coastline and observe many of these unusually rare tropical species through the heavy weather. Many compelling reports were written about their experiences with these misplaced species; some carried hundreds of miles from their last roost.
Unfortunately, many of us were stranded during the storm due to downed trees and a network of downed power lines. Jen and I lost our power late Saturday night just as the storms fury reached our area. Between the fallen trees along our street in both directions, and having to start the generator every few hours to keep the sump-pump going…….any hopes of “storm birding” was vanquished. In fact it was four days (ten days until the power was restored) before our street was made passable because of good neighbors with chain saws clearing many of the fallen trees. It wasn’t until then that I was able to get out for an hour or two (between pumping intervals) for a bit of coastal shorebirding. Since many of my favorite coastal birding areas are within twenty minutes from my house, I could sneak in a little birding each morning. Unfortunately, all of the rarities had long since departed, my post-post storm birding did yield many seasonal visitors with a few less common species. With the combination of good numbers of birds, interesting species and gorgeous weather, the coastal birding was very enjoyable.
Instead of a lengthily detailed report, I decided to feature images from my birding from both last week and this past week highlighting the species. The locations I birded were in Clinton , Westbrook, Guilford , Madison , West Haven , Woodmont and Milford Grove Beach , Clinton Point, Clinton Harbor , Hammonasset State Park , Fence Creek, East and West Wharf , Middle Beach , Weaver Beach , Circle Beach , East River and Marsh, Neck Beach , Grass Island , Guilford Harbor , West Woods Creek, Great Harbor , Great Harbor Marsh, Shell Beach , West Haven Beaches , Oyster River Beach , Milford Point, Knells Island and Stratford
The species noted: Great Blue Heron, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored heron, Green Heron, Black –crowned and Yellow-crowned Night Herons, Great and Snowy Egrets, Glossy Ibis, Herring/, Greater black-Backed/ Ring-billed/ Laughing and Bonapartes Gulls, Common/Forster’s/Caspian Terns, Brown Pelican, Black Skimmers, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Willet, Golden/Black-bellied/Semi-palmated Plovers, Kildeer, Least/Semi-palmated/Pectoral/Buff-breasted/ White-rumped Sandpipers, Short-billed Dowitchers, Long-billed Dowitcher (1), Red Knots, Avocet, Black-necked Stilt, Whimbrel, American Oystercatchers, Sanderlings, Dunlins, Ruddy Turnstones, Snipe, Double-crested Cormorant, Black Ducks, Green-winged/Blue-winged Teal, Common/King Eiders, Common Loons, Pied-billed Grebe, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Sharp-shinned and Coopers Hawks. Kestrel, Osprey, Harrier and Redtail Hawk.
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Caspian Tern (first of two) - Milford Point- (second one at Oyster River
The Milford Tern appeared from the river and flew over the “low stones” heading due south for Long Island . On my way back home I made my usual stop at Oyster River
Forster’s Tern - Meigs Point Jetty, Hammonasset. There were approx. fifty Common Terns feeding on baitfish driven to the top by bluefish in the “rip” at the end of the jetty at Meigs. There was one Forster’s Tern mixed in with the Commons.
Two Harbor Seals (D C Cormorants in foreground) - east end Moraine Trail, Hammonasset.
Harbor Seal (digiscoped) east end Moraine Trail, Hammonasset
Drake King Eider (digiscoped) east end Moraine Trail. This bird has been a summer resident and is often seen in the rocks at the extreme end of the Trail. I first noticed the bird preening on one of the “outermost” rocks. It preened for a while and then swam and fed inside the same exposed rocks only coming out into the open a few times. I managed a few long range digiscoped shots.
Drake King Eider with Herring Gulls (digiscoped)
Black-crowned Night-Heron with Laughing Gulls, Snowy Egrets, Greater Yellowlegs and Double-crested Cormorants- Great Harbor Marsh (Lost Lake outpouring) (digiscoped). I was watching the interaction of the feeding Egrets, Yellowlegs and Cormorants at the mouth of this small feeder creek on an incoming tide. A school of small baitfish was trapped in the basin and the birds were frantically feeding, the Heron suddenly appeared.
Lesser Yellowlegs (digiscoped) - Shell Beach
Bonapartes Gull- Milford Point. I was watching feeding Terns in the small ponds in front of the Beach platform, and this single juvenile Bonapartes Gull appeared and flew around the pond a few times (often very close) and then flew over my head to the marsh.
Least Sandpiper- Hammonasset. This bird was accompanying a single Pectoral Sandpiper in the puddle at the west end of the Park.
Semi-palmated Sandpiper- Circle Beach , Madison
Great Blue Heron- Great Harbor dike, Guilford
Snowy Egret- Great Harbor (Lost Lake
Greater Yellowlegs- Great Harbor
Buff-breasted and Pectoral Sandpipers-Hammonasset. These two pairs of birds (also accompanied by a pair of Least Sandpipers) would land in the large puddle at the west end of the Park, only to be flushed by a hunting Merlin. The birds would evade the Merlin and then settle back into the puddle only to be chased by the Merlin again five minutes later. This would be repeated for the hour while I was there.
The Merlin….
Resting Buff-breasted Sandpiper- Hammonasset. These two birds were quite cooperative…they would approach very closely, often too close for my lens.
Feeding Buff-breasted Sandpiper- Hammonasset
Scratching Buff-breasted Sandpiper
Walking Buff-breasted Sandpiper
Preening Buff-breasted Sandpiper
Striding Whimbrel- Hammonasset. This Whimbrel was present at the same time as the pair of Buff-breasted, Pectoral and Least Sandpipers. While the Sandpipers occupied the large puddle, the Whimbrel hunted for grasshoppers along the edge of the western field (near the bat-box).
Whimbrel with grasshopper
Whimbrel swallowing a large grasshopper
The Whimbrel was often flushed by joggers and dog walkers….but it would only fly a short distance (twenty-five feet at the most).
Laughing Gull (with nearly developed hood) - Guilford Harbor
Yawning Laughing Gull- Great Harbor
Adult and juvenile Laughing Gulls- Great Harbor
Little Blue Heron- Fence Creek, Madison
Tricolored Heron- Moraine Trail marsh, Hammonasset
Golden Plover- Meigs Point jetty, Hammonasset. There were a pair of Plovers at the end of the jetty sitting with a small group of Terns and a few Least Sandpipers.
Same pair Short-billed Dowitchers moving to outer mudflat.
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Lesser Yellowlegs- Great Harbor
Willet (with yellow/green legs) - Great Harbor
Flying Forster’s Tern- seen from the observation platform (marsh side) Milford Audubon Coastal Center
Approaching flock of Black Skimmers, Common Terns and assorted Shorebirds Milford
Landing juvenile Black Skimmer
Beautiful flying portrait of a juvenile Black Skimmer
Landing juvenile and adult Black Skimmers (one of two adults present)
Pair settled in
Second adult Black Skimmer
Portrait of a spectacular juvenile Black Skimmer
Another Forster’s Tern (with a Common Tern and a pair of sleeping Black Skimmers)
Red Knot and a Black-bellied Plover- Milford Point
Juvenile Common Tern portrait- Milford Point
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron- behind the Coastal Center , Milford
American Avocet- The bird was present in the marsh side in front of the observation platform at the Coastal Center in Milford
Osprey with herring prey- Oyster River
“Up from a dive” D C Cormorant- West Haven boat ramp
Another dive
Semi-palmated Sandpiper- Hammonasset, in the puddle at the west end of the Park
Pectoral Sandpiper- Hammonasset, puddle west end of the Park (one of two birds with the two Buff-breasted Sandpipers)
Northern Harrier- Hammonasset
Semi-palmated Plover- Middle Beach , Madison
Ruddy Turnstones- Grassy Island, Madison/Guilford (at the mouth of the East River ). This is part of a small flock of Turnstones that was present with a few Semi-palmated Plovers and Sandpipers, and a few Least Sandpipers and Black-bellied Plovers.
Interesting Semi-palmated Sandpiper- Weaver Beach , Madison
The Pelican began fishing in the area across the harbor just offshore from East Shore Park East Shore Park
(Note) In speaking with a mate from the R/V Quinnipiak, I was told that the Pelican had been spending time in the inner harbor since Irene. It would often roost on the barge where it was reported and fish the harbor. UI has a daily warm water release which keeps the fish in the area….the same area where the Pelican was always fishing; between the UI outpouring and the Coast Guard docks.
Great Blue Heron- Amistad Pier, Long Wharf , New Haven
Spotted Sandpiper- East Shore Park , New Haven East Shore Park for (hopefully) better views of the diving Pelican which then landed on Sandy Point
Pied-billed Grebe- West Haven
Red Knots, Black-bellied Plovers and a Semi-palmated Sandpiper- Milford Point
Red Knot- Milford flats. Time for a little stretch. (digiscoped)
Red Knot- Milford flats. (digiscoped)
Dunlin- Milford flats (digiscoped)
Shorebird flock and Harrier- Milford flats. A Harrier flew across the flats sending all the shorebirds into a panicked flight only to settle back in after the Harrier flew by. This happened twice with a Harrier and three times with a Peregrine while I was there. There were 450+ Shorebirds present this morning. The species I noted were: Black-bellied Plover, Golden Plover (1), Sanderling, Red Knot, Semi-palmated Sandpiper and Plover, Least Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper (1), Oystercatcher (5), Pectoral Sandpiper (11), Dunlin (5), Ruddy Turnstone (9) and (1) Whimbrel. Also Black Skimmer (1 juv.), Forster’s Tern (3) and many Laughing Gulls.
(Closer look) at the Harrier
The single Whimbrel was scared off by the Harrier. It flew along the beach, and then over the houses into Knell’s Island .
Pectoral Sandpiper- Milford Point.
Golden Plover- Milford Point. Single Golden Plover with a small flock of
Black-bellied Plovers which originated from the outer sand bars.
Mixed flock of feeding Shorebirds- Stratford. The part of the flock that I could see contained 37 Greater Yellowlegs, 5 Lesser Yellowlegs, 5 Semi-palmated Sandpipers, 13 Short-billed Dowitchers and a single Long-billed Dowitcher.
Keith Mueller Killingworth, CT
