Weekend Birds

This past weekend has produced some nice sightings, made even better now that I have the ability to snap away and get awesome results.  Having a DSLR makes such a difference, though I am still trying to digiscope when it seems fit.  Here are some photos of the weekends birds…

Earthplace in Westport has a resident flock of Black Vultures that hang around the raptor cages and are very tame.  This is definitely the most reliable spot in Connecticut to see Black Vultures, in my experience.

One of the very tame Black vultures

At Sherwood Island there has been a Snow Goose hanging out within the main rotary circle, allowing beautiful looks.

Snow Goose

Konold’s Pond in Woodbridge has been home to a pair of Trumpeter Swans for the past month or so.  These birds are most likely from the introduced midwest population, which isn’t countable by the CT records committee, but nonetheless they are still fully wild and very unusual in the northeast.  When we first arrived the birds were hidden behind foliage, but a very nice lady let us onto her lawn which gave us a clear view of the pair.

One of the 2 Trumpeter Swans

A Mute Swan investigates

Look at the size difference between the 2 species!

Overall a really nice few birds, and I had a lot of fun photographing them!

- BM

A New Camera and an Iceland Gull

The photography on this blog will be a great deal better from now, thanks to Keith Mueller.  He was kind enough to donate to me a DSLR camera, something I have wanted for a long time.  Not only that, the camera, which he had no need for and which is in ideal condition, has a 300mm lens attached- making the bird photography I am used to a whole lot different.  Again, Keith, thank you so much.

So, today I met him at Circle Beach in Madison to pick up the Camera.  The beach has recently been home to a beautiful, adult Iceland Gull which is very cooperative and lets birders get close.  There were a ton of Gulls on the beach today, but we found the bird and spent some time clicking away at the Iceland Gull.  The beach was also not bad for raptors- a Red-shouldered Hawk flew over at one point, causing the Gulls to go crazy, and on our way out an adult Bald Eagle flew over the road.

Feast your eyes on this Iceland Gull!

iceland Gull

Look at the pale Tertials and Primaries...

And overall a paler Gull among the Herrings and Ring-bills

Also notice the rounder head and softer expression

Look at the obvious absence of black on the wings....

... hence the term "White-winged" Gull

The Iceland

Bald Eagle... (sorry, I got some dirt on the lens)

Obviously my photos will be much better from now on!

Thanks again Keith!

- BM

Common Mergansers in Norwalk

A few weeks ago, Larry Flynn had tipped my dad and I off about a pair of Common Mergansers that hung out on Deering Pond, In my hometown of Norwalk.  Since I am doing a sort of mini Norwalk “Big Year”, this was good news for me and I tried a number of times to see them, but never could.  Common Mergansers are not that uncommon Inland, and I HAVE seen them on the coast before, but never in Norwalk, and they are really beautiful waterfowl!

But I finally managed to catch up with them last Saturday!  They were not  all that close but through a scope the views were really nice!  I hope they stay to breed in the town, that would be fantastic!

Some really bad photos…

Common Mergansers

 

 

2/4- A Day on the Sound

The LI Sound is not thought of as being a hangout for Alcids.  But, amazingly, this winter, that is what it has become.  Starting in December, the Sound began seeing large numbers of Razorbills (with a few murres mixed in) flying in from the Atlantic and feeding on fish, primarily herring.  The Orient Point ferry, running from New London, Ct, to Orient Point, NY, became a hangout for birders, and turned up some amazing birds from the Sound.  Even farther into the Sound they were being seen- I had one off Bridgeport, for example.

So, Phil Rusch, a CT birder, decided to organize a mini LI Sound “pelagic”.  Through UConn’s project Oceanology he managed to arrange for a boat to take out 40 CT birders to scour the eastern LI Sound for Alcids and unusual seabirds.  The original date was in January, when the Alcids were more numerous, but I couldn’t go.  BUT- the trip was cancelled due to a snowstorm (the first of the winter), and was rescheduled to February.  It was good for me- I could go- but not good for the birds.  The herring, which are one of the birds main food sources, move out into deeper Atlantic waters around this time and a lot of the birds go with them.  This meant the trip today was not very successful, but it was still an awesome day to be out on the water- warm (for February at least), sunny and calm (at least compared to the November trip out of Gallilee RI).  We sailed along from Groton to Stonington, the very corner of the sound and CT  waters, and though it was pretty dead, we managed to turn up 9 Razorbills and other assorted winter birds.  Besides birds a Gray Seal was a nice surprise- these large pinnipeds are rare in the Sound.

Highlights below-

Razorbill- 9      All off Mystic, around Rams and Enders Islands.

Northern Gannet- 5      Some nice individuals came right overhead.

White-winged Scoter- 2

Surf Scoter- 25 (rough estimate)    At one point off Mystic a large patchy flock flew right by.

Common Eider- 18   On the jetty off Stonington Point.

Besides these just a slew of other common sea ducks, Cormorants, and such.  Obviously not a great birding trip but a nice day anyway.  Thanks Phil for organizing this, I hope there are more to come!

CT birders waiting to board

Heading Out

Birders on the Lower Deck

And of course, a nice day to spend with the other birders who make the Connecticut birding community run.

- BM

1/14- EURASIAN WIGEON, Sherwood Island Mill Pond

This individual bird, found by Tina Green a few weeks ago, was a bird I should have already gone for. Eurasian Wigeons are regular rarities to CT, with one or two being reported every winter, but until today I had never been able to connect to one.  Today Dad and I finally went for it, and I spotted it within 2 minutes of scanning.  Luckily, this bird’s a male- females and juveniles are notoriously more difficult to pick out from American Wigeon.  The following photos do this gorgeous drake absoulutely no justice, but you can see the differences in overall color from the other wigeon- a much warmer shade altogether.

Eurasian Wigeon (Center Bird)

A great bird!

- BM

1/8- Yellow-throated Warbler

Today, while passing through Madison, Dad and I made a run for the Yellow-throated Warbler which has been frequenting the feeder of a house there.  The bird has apparently been seen there since October, and the feeder has obviously been a reliable food source for this bird to remain into the winter.

It was a really easy twitch- we arrived and the feeders were hopping, and a few other birders there said they had seen the bird a little while ago but it had not returned since.  Well, I turned around and there was the bird perched on a tree limb at the edge of the woods, with it’s throat literally glowing.  The gorgeous Yellow-throated Warbler  continued to fly down into a winterberry thicket a few yards away from us, providing awesome views, before flying to eat at the feeder, where it remained for a few minutes before flying back into the woods.  I managed two crummy photos-

Yellow-throated Warbler

 

Now I have to find time to go for the Pink-footed Goose….

- BM

The Tops of ’11

Another year of birding has come and gone.  It has been an awesome year, with great birds seen, great places visited, and great photos taken.  A few birds, places, and photos have left great memories this year, and here they are… the “Tops of ’11″

BIRDS

# 5

Short-eared Owl

March 17, 2011- Sherwood Island State Park, CT.

Looking into the eyes of a wild owl is quite an experience.  And a Short-eared Owl, that elusive marsh hunter, is no exception.

# 4

Upland Sandpiper

June 26, 2011- Rentchler Field, Hartford, CT

On a CYBC trip in June, one of our targets was Upland Sandpiper, and it was a target well scored.  Besides being one wacky looking shorebird, it was a fabulous look at a species that is declining as it’s grassland habitat diminishes.  An awesome bird!

# 3

Sooty Grouse

July 1, 2011- Hurricane Ridge, WA

One of the three goals I had set on the trip to the Olympic Peninsula, this elusive grouse was a great spot by my dad alongside the road.   It was a female with chicks- so double the sighting!  If one is ever in need of a good Sooty Grouse- Hurricane Ridge is the place to go.

# 2

Buff-breasted Sandpiper

September 10, 2011- Milford Pt., Milford, CT

A surprise find by me and an awesome bird! Besides Upland Sandpiper, this was another really wacky shorebird.  But it has a beauty that is really incredible.  It got so close I could barely fit the whole bird in a digiscoped photo.

# 1

Tufted Puffin

July 1, 2011- Cape Flattery, WA

This is one bird even nonbirders look at and go ” wow.  That’s one heck of an animal”  At Cape Flattery, these guys definitely stole the show.  Their breathtaking appearence and comical wackiness made this the star bird of 2011.

Places

# 5

Plum Island, MA

This is an awesome New England birding hotspot, and the place I got the last year bird of 2011- Snowy Owl, Dec. 30.  Even though it has nice marsh and beach scenery, the real stunner is the sunset.  This pic was taken just a few days ago.

# 4

Reed’s Beach, NJ

Not really a “beautiful” place, but being here at the horseshoe crab spawning and bird feeding spectacle in May was quite an experience.  It was a feeding frenzy with a cacophony of sound and a multitude of cool species.

# 3

Mt. St. Helens , WA

This was a real stunning place.  It really looked like Middle-earth or another fantasy world.  As life crept back into the barren world, you could see all the signs of the eruption and witness forests and meadows in their early stages.

# 2

Paradise, Mt. Rainier, WA

Whenever it’s June and you’re surrounded by 7 feet of snow you know you’re in an amazing place.  Standing up in the peaks, you really feel like the sky is sitting on your shoulders.

# 1

Ruby Beach, WA

I don’t really know what made Ruby Beach my favorite place I went this year.  Perhaps it was the seashore beauty.  Perhaps it was the Pacific air.  Perhaps it was the peacefulness and freedom you felt while walking among the seastacks or skipping stones on it’s quiet pools.  Perhaps maybe, It was the Black Oystercatchers and Red Crossbills.  All I can say is, this is one awesome beach.

 Bird Photos

# 5

Cooper's Hawk- Stamford, CT, in February.

# 4

Blue Grosbeak- Westport, CT, in September

#3

Laughing Gull- Cape May, NJ, September.

#2

Gray Jay- Mt. Rainier, WA, June

#1

Greater Yellowlegs- Hammonasset State Park, CT, September

Epilogue:

Let’s not forget about 2012 though!  I kicked off the year on Cape Ann, MA, where the star bird was Harlequin Duck.  This is the first bird photo of the year-

Drake Harlequin

Happy New Year everyone and have an exciting bird filled 2012!

- BM