|
|
 |
TRIP REPORTS
Route 44 Power Lines
West Hartford , May 29, 2010 Walk
|
||||||
|
|
We started out with a wonderful day. It was just warm enough. The sun was shining. We had five enthusiastic birders. The only thing wrong is we were missing the birds. Although we had some nice species to hear, the woods were very thinly populated with individuals. Many times we only had a handful of individuals of each species. Due to an early warm spell, the trees were almost fully leafed out. We could only hear most of the birds, with few opportunities to see any of them. There were some sections of woods where we could not hear any birds at all.
The parking lot and Ferry Park were scanned to make sure we got many of the usual suspects. A Great Blue Heron flew over us, one of only a few we saw.
We climbed to the upper level trail in the park before hearing our first Black-and-white Warbler. It called to us from the trees, and try as we might it would not come out for a look. As we walked it followed us, teasing us with its call. Also on the trail we heard an Eastern Towhee. After a few calls it gave us a good look, perching on a tree in easy view. Two Chimney Swifts flew over us, and flew away.
On the lower level trail we heard the call of the Wood Thrush. Alas no sightings of this attractive bird. We did get to see a Palm Warbler in a cedar tree. Overhead we saw a circling Broad-winged Hawk on its northward migration. This is the first time one of them was seen on this trip in the last 10 years.
On the way back to the parking lot, the warblers started to come out. In quick succession we had a Black-throated Green Warbler and a Blue-winged Warbler. Both came out for a brief view. Then we plainly heard a Carolina Wren as we got back to the cars.
Four of us then continued out into the Rocky Hill Meadows. We saw a pair of Wood Duck in a flooded area by the road, and a White-breasted Nuthatch flew in for a look. We stopped at a puddle in a farm field to check out the birds there. The teetering of a Solitary Sandpiper clinched its ID, and a Killdeer was keeping it company.
We took a walk to see the Eagle nest, but there was no activity there. We also stopped at another puddle in the field, but could not ID the brownish gray colored bird in the brownish gray turned over soil.
Our total species of 34, with 4 warblers,
was the lowest count in 10 years. Several common species were not seen,
not even a Downy, Flicker, Catbird, or Oriole.
Respectfully submitted, Larry Lunden
Western Connecticut Shoreline – Saturday April 3, 2010
Fifteen people met us at the Long Wharf Information building in New Haven. It was a beautiful clear sunny day and close to low tide. We easily added 15 species to our list before we left the parking lot and then headed to Leon’s restaurant to check for ducks. Here we added Lesser Scaup, Ruddy Duck and we had a chance to study both species of cormorants as they were both side-by-side on the dock pilings.
We consolidated the cars at the IKEA parking lot and decided it would be best to go to the Oyster River first because of the early low tide which would be better finding gulls. We located several Bonaparte Gulls amongst the other common gulls. Off shore several Long-tailed Ducks were spotted along with the Horned Grebes.
Next we headed to Sherwood Island State Park in Westport. Here we added Common and Red-throated Loon, Long-tailed Duck, and Red-tailed Hawk. Most impressive was the number of Long-tailed Ducks, they were everywhere we looked and at one point we could hear them calling as well. We stopped near the entrance to check out the pine grove for land birds. Paul Desjardin heard a kinglet, which lead us up the hill until we found the little sprite, a Golden-crowned Kinglet. We also found Red-breasted Nuthatch amongst the pines as well, two good species to add to our list.
Heading eastward we stopped at several places on the shoreline giving them a quick look-over. The tide was well out by now and most birds with it as well it seemed, but we did find several Greater Yellowlegs to add to our list. At the Great Meadows Marsh area in Stratford we stopped for lunch and then went in search for the Boat-tailed Grackles we had hoped would be there. We found several perched along the trail which provided us with a view in the scope. At Long Beach to our surprise we had two Piping Plovers on the rocks! Something I think no one could recall ever seeing before. At Frash Pond we had a lone female Hooded Merganser. A quick stop at the Birdseye Street Boat Launch gave us American Coot for the day.
Milford Point was our next stop heading eastward to New Haven. The tide had come full circle and was now flooding the marsh in front of the building. Several Green-winged Teal were spotted and a few Bufflehead and Gadwall as well. Don Lukaszek spotted several small birds near the Osprey platform (which by the way had two Osprey on it). They turned out to be several Black-bellied Plover and numerous Dunlin sitting on partially submerged reeds. Good spotting on Don’s part as they were almost invisible with their winter plumage. Our only Savannah Sparrow was spotted here as well on the leg of the Osprey platform. On the beach we saw at least two pair of American Oystercatchers, another good bird for the day. Returning to the parking lot an Eastern Phoebe was found.
Heading east we made two final stops to Caswell Cove and Mondo Pond in Milford. We discovered nothing new at either place, but the stops did provide a new location to check in the future. We ended the day with a total of 64 species.
Respectfully submitted, Adrian & Beth Nichols
Sachuest Point Rhode Island – Saturday March 27, 2010
Fourteen people showed up for the Rhode Island trip Saturday March 27th at Sachuest Point Refuge. The day was a bit windy, but we did have the sun all day which helped. We began our walk by seeing many Common Goldeneyes, Common Eiders, several Horned Grebes, but hardly any Common Loons, which was unusual. Rounding the corner we picked up several Black Scoters and the usual Harlequin Ducks and some of us had Purple Sandpipers. Land birds were scarce, perhaps because of the wind or maybe lack of food.
Our next stop at the reservoir down the road netted Ruddy Ducks, a Common Merganser, both Scaups and an Iceland Gull. A quick drive through Newport to the ocean shore produced nothing, so we made our next stop at Trustom Pond Refuge. Here we picked up White-throated Sparrow, Junco, Downy Woodpecker, White-breasted Nuthatch and a pair of Purple Finches in the land bird department. An adult Cooper ’s Hawk posed nicely for us near the feeders perhaps waiting for his lunch. We had nice views of Great Cormorant down the trail as well as an Osprey.
We next went to an AT&T tower where we had a nice view of a Raven nest with the bird on the nest. This just goes to show how much this species is spreading in the Northeast.
Our final stop was Ninigret refuge where we added our old friend the Lesser Black-backed Gull but not much else save a Killdeer. Total species seen was 56.
Respectfully submitted, Paul Desjardins
Hammonasset Beginner’s Bird Walk III – Sunday March 21, 2010
Twenty-four people met us at the Meigs Point Nature Center on this rather cool March day. It stayed in the mid-40’s for most of the day, and with the cooler temperatures and breeze on the shoreline we still needed gloves for most of the day. In the parking lot area we had Red-winged Blackbirds, Common Grackle, American Robin, Northern Mocking Bird, Northern Cardinal, Great Egret, House Finch, Fish Crow and the usual Cowbirds of spring.
We decided to try Willard’s Island first in the hopes of catching the morning rush hour. We found Yellow-rumped Warbler, Song Sparrow, American Goldfinch, White-throated Sparrow, Killdeer, and Carolina Wren. It was rather quite this morning, perhaps a bit early in the year still, so we headed back to the parking lot and across the street towards the beach.
At Meigs Point we had the usual gulls, but no shorebirds on the beach. Added to our list were Red-breasted Merganser, Red-throated Loon, Common Loon, American Wigeon, Mallard, Double-crested and Great Cormorant, Great Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Ring-billed Gull, and Black Duck. The quick march out to the Morine Trail provided us with a good stretch of the legs, but not much else except more mergansers and a Northern Flicker.
After returning to the cars we next headed to the campground area. An Osprey was seen by some perched on a platform on the way. At the campground the Monk Parakeets were making their usual ruckus as they went about rebuilding their nests. We were able to get quite close to them as they brought sticks to fortify their huge nests in the pines. A close flying Cooper’s Hawk had all the parakeets squawking in alarm, but the hawk continued on not interested. Perhaps the hawk wanted a quieter snack for brunch or maybe they just don’t like green! We had lots of yellow-rumps on the way out to the beach, and once there we added Horned Grebe to our list, some just starting to come into breeding plumage. As noon approached we headed back at the cars and then it was off to the Fish Tale for the traditional after trip lunch. We ended with a total of 42 species.
Respectfully submitted, Adrian & Beth Nichols
| Subject: | Station 43 Bird Walk III - Saturday, March 6, 2010 |
Hammonasset Beginner’s Bird Walk II – Saturday January 30, 2010
Without a doubt this was coldest Beginner’s Walk in recent memory. The temperature was below 10° F, which is cold enough on its own, but with the wind blowing it was well below zero. We met at the Meigs Point Nature Center inside the park along with the New Haven Bird Club, who also had a trip the same day. We donned our hats, mittens, scarf, face protection, broke out the hand warmers, and whatever else we could find to keep us warm and then hit the trail. A good size group of Horned Larks were in the parking lot and we quickly scanned them for longspurs and buntings, but none could be found. On the grounds around the Nature Center we spotted American Robin, Junco, Northern Cardinal, Northern Mockingbird and White-throated Sparrow. We followed behind the NHBC for most of the day and didn’t join them until later in the day.
We walked to Meigs Point to check for loons, ducks and shorebirds, and then out on the Morine Trail before the high tide. The jetty as usual had plenty of gulls, but only a few Sanderlings on the beach. At the end of the Morine Trail, the only new bird was a very distant look at a Ruddy Turnstone on the rocks. Checking the jetty on the way back we had a much closer look at a small group of Ruddy Turnstones. Added to our list were Red-breasted Merganser, Red-throated Loon, Great Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Black Duck, and Ring-billed Gull.
Back to the Nature Center and the warm bathrooms, and then a quick walk out to Willard’s Island. Two large crows were making their way over the marsh, and when we heard their hoarse call, we knew they weren’t crows but Ravens instead. A Fish Crow was also heard, and a Northern Harrier was spotted patrolling the marsh. In the back parking lot a small group of American Pipits were found much to the delight of the Big January crowd, and the trails were full of Yellow-rumped Warblers eating juniper berries. As we neared the end of the trail, Chris Loscalzo of the NHBC spotted a small owl flying, which he thought was a Barred Owl. We were too far back to see it with all the trees in the way. At the platform nothing could be found, so we quickly returned in the hopes of finding the owl that Chris spotted. We met Larry Nichols, who informed us that he had just seen an owl at the trail head, so we all but ran in that direction. As we neared the spot we did see it flying across the marsh and land in a tree on the Cedar Trail. Scopes were quickly set-up and someone taking a quick look in the scope, exclaimed “it’s got ears”! So it seems there are two owls in the area; a Barred and a Great Horned Owl.
The west parking lot had plenty of Juncos, but no crossbills or nuthatches. So, not wasting any time we headed to the campground area near the park entrance. We had a very nice long walk around the area, and found plenty of Dark-eyed Juncos, Yellow-rumps, and one Sharp-shinned Hawk. It was getting late so we headed back at the cars, where we found Marcia, so we quickly joined her. She was watching the many sparrows under the nearby trees, and this is when Chris spots a Fox Sparrow among the numerous White-throated Sparrows, and soon another two Fox Sparrows were found. A final Big January bird for some, and a great way to finish the day. We ended with a total of 39 species, and then it was off to the Fish Tale for the traditional after trip lunch.
Respectfully submitted, Adrian & Beth Nichols
Lower Connecticut River Valley - January 10th, 2010
Another cold January it seems, as we started the day with the temperature around 8° F, clear skies and a gusting wind with the high of only 29° F. We started the trip with 29 members and left the commuter parking lot in Chester with around 11 cars. We want to take this moment to thank everyone for carpooling on this trip, it was a big help. A visiting couple from New York state joined us on the trip as well; it seems that their local bird club shuts down for the winter, so their main objective was to see ducks. I hope they were very happy by the end of the day with the 15 species of ducks, geese, and loons that we found.
Our first bird for the trip was a Red-tailed Hawk warming up in the morning sun next to the exit ramp. The first stop on this all day trip was the Chester Ferry landing. Here we found our local Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and a Yellow-rumped Warbler. The yellow-rump seemed to be following the sapsucker around, maybe hoping for a quick nip of sap from one of his wells. Parkers Point boat launch produced Eastern Bluebird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Tufted Titmouse, Blue Jay, Great Blue Heron, Golden-crowned Kinglet and American Crow. Moving on to Haddam Meadows we found our first Bald Eagle of the day, as well as Northern Flicker, Great Cormorant, Song Sparrow, Northern Mockingbird and Tree Sparrow.
We made a quick stop at the Goodspeed Opera House parking lot in the hopes of spotting another eagle or perhaps the resident Red-shouldered Hawk. Neither could be found, but it wasn’t without a new bird for the trip, as a Carolina Wren was heard. Next stop was the nice warm bathrooms at Gillette Castle. The juniper berries were a big hit this year as we watched many bluebirds and one sapsucker trying to do his best. After a short break it was off to Sterling City Preserve in Hamburg. Not much was found at this site except for a House Finch and more Bluebirds.
At the DEP a Peregrine Falcon on the bridge once again had everyone squinting through the scope to confirm the identification, only to have it flyby us chasing a pigeon on our way out to the Great Island platform a few minutes later. I think some of the members are beginning to suspect that I have it trained. Common Mergansers were very close to the pier and afforded some very good looks. A game of “how many Great Blue Herons can you find” was played until everyone found all 5 of them sheltered on the shoreline under the bridge.
Great Island Boat Launch turned up a Northern Harrier, Bufflehead, and another eagle. We tried White Sands Beach (Griswold Point) in the hopes of finding the eiders that have been reported in the area. There were plenty of Black Ducks around and several Common Loons, but the eiders, if they were eiders, were well out in the Sound and it was a guess at best. Heading back towards Old Saybrook, we stopped and checked out the Black Hall River. Here we found Hooded Merganser, Red-shouldered Hawk, Canada Goose, and Green-winged Teal.
We had our lunch break at Saybrook Point as usual and checked the river for loons, and ducks. Here we had our first Common Goldeneye and Red-breasted Merganser for the day. The Harbor One Marina area once again produced Monk Parakeet for our list. An unscheduled stop at Cornfield Point paid off, as we found many Surf Scoters and one White-winged Scoter in amongst them. At the Connecticut River Museum in Essex, seen were several adult and immature Bald Eagles. With daylight fading fast, we made a last minute decision to try Deep River Landing. Our species list at this point was very low, due to the frozen river, cold temperatures and wind; we were desperate for just one more. And somehow we did manage to get one more at the last and final stop. The river appeared to be frozen solid in Deep River and our hopes fell. However, way out in the channel there was a section of unfrozen water about 20 ft long and no more than 3 or 4 wide. And in this tiny little space of open water was a small group of Ring-necked Ducks. You would have thought we had won the lottery, as everyone was jumping and shouting. We can now hold our heads high and know we did our best. What luck and what an end of a very long and cold day.
The final tally came to 55 species for the day.
Respectfully submitted, Adrian and Beth Nichols
| Station 43 Beginners Bird Walk II - January 2, 2010 |
