New England Coastal BIrds

New England Coastal BIrds

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

A few new species for the fall season

     Monday (Oct 31) Day 2-  The Nor'easter now being only slightly erased from our minds (thanks to the continued power outage), day two began at the Sandy Point parking lot under a brilliant sunrise.



   
     A male Harrier crosses the marsh along the beach.......




                                           A Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow



Long Wharf- the Brant show continues......


                  a few of the approx. 500 Brant feeding on the tidal flats of Long Wharf



                                               Arriving Brant backlit from sunrise



                                               Startled by a back-firing truck


                                          another flock flying into the inner harbor


The inner Harbor by the Amistad Pier- the rich black plumage of this Fish Crow is softened by the warm colors of dawn. Being an artist, this interplay between natural surroundings and feathers is exciting! These images clearly show this. If any of my students are reading this blog, I hope this inspires your creativity!!











East Shore Park-
                                                                  Palm Warbler



                                                            Vesper Sparrow


                                                   Ruby-crowned Kinglets











           A stunning Gadwall drake in full plumge ( early for late Oct.) (digi-scoped)



one of the many Mallard x Black Duck hybrids common in New Haven Harbor (digi-scoped)



                                                          Golden-crowned Kinglets

Off to Hammonasset Park-

                                          Male Kestrel at the first traffic circle 



Swan Pond-


                                                          hen Common Goldeneye



           Drake Hooded Merganser (above) and with a immature drake Bufflehead (below)





   Two immature drake Buffleheads. Field notes: large size (compare to Hooded Merganser above), larger light colored bill, white spot beginning to extend to back of their larger heads, white feathers developing in upper side pockets and lateral scapulars. Side pockets also have developing dark edging along the upper margin. Also- (not visble in the images) when the birds rolled over in the water to preen their breasts, the feathering was pure white, with larger "purplish" tarsus and feet (developing color on immy drakes) between the hens Gray color and the drakes Pink color. When their full wings were exposed, the white shoulder coverts were clearly visible.




The western end of the Park- Black-bellied Plovers and Dunlins arrive at puddle #1




     When I was leaving the westen end of the Park, I noticed this "fork-horned" buck along the cedar trees near the back of the Swan Pond by the rotary. The deer was focused on a photographer by the pond, and didn't notice me near the guardrail taking his picture.




Nature Center parking lot- When I drove into the parking lot, there were three flocks of birds in the field: twelve Black-bellied Plover, eighteen Dunlin and seven Snow Buntings, my favorite Passerine!






Another flock of Dunlins arrived with two additional Snow Buntings.




A few Snow Bunting images:












Tuesday, Day 3 (Nov. 1) continues........click on "Older Posts" below right