Sunday, January 17, 2010

Hammonasset State Park, in search of a King Eider

We both had Friday afternoon free, and a King Eider had just been reported from Hammonasset Beach State Park, so we headed to the coast for a look around.  As soon as we entered the park, a female Northern Harrier came into view, cruising the saltmarsh - always a beautiful bird to watch.
We flushed a few Black Ducks from one of the drainage canals near the entrance road, then continued out to Meig's Point.  Leaving the parking area and walking the Moraine Trail out to the point, we immediately heard the cries of small shorebirds. 

Sanderling, Calidris alba, and Ruddy Turnstone, Arenaria interpres

A mixed flock of Sanderling, Ruddy Turnstones and Purple Sandpipers was feeding among the seaweed-covered beach cobbles.  Several Ring-billed Gulls stood watch over the little guys - waiting for scraps to be stirred up?  Not much farther along, and quite close to shore, a female Common Goldeneye was sunning on a seaweed-covered rock.

Common Goldeneye, Bucephala clangula, female

In the scrubby trees along the Moraine Trail, several Yellow-rumped Warblers chipped from time to time, but only one showed itself, flashing white tail spots as it flew across the path in front of me.  Quite a ways out in Long Island Sound were several Common Loons, with a high count of three.  In close to the rocky coast were Red-breasted Mergansers, fishing alongside the Harbor Seals.

Jorge at the end of Meigs Point, Hammonasset State Park

Emerging from the sheltered trail onto the exposed point, we had several treats... the King Eider was indeed bobbing way out at the end of the rocks, diving and feeding with a small group of R-b Mergs.  We privately admired those birders before us who had made the careful identification, since a fellow on the trail just a few minutes ago had scoffed and said 'save yourselves the hike, it's just a Common in wierd plumage'.  The best field marks, with our little spotting scope, were the short pale beak and the complete lack of white on the back.  Then, to help us out, a first-winter Common Eider paddled in close to the breakwater near our observation point.

Ebbing tide with rockweed and periwinkles

Way out on the far mud flats a large group of shorebirds was busily feeding, among the 80+ Dunlin were four Black-bellied Plovers!  Then right in front of us the earlier mixed flock landed (Ruddy Turnstones, four Sanderling and two Purple Sandpipers) and with the late afternoon sun highlighting feather details they were a bunch of gorgeous chicks.

Today's birders: Jorge and Sue
Today's birds:
species in boldface are new for our Connecticut Year List

Northern Harrier, Circus cyaneus
Cooper's Hawk, Accipiter cooperii
Common Loon, Gavia immer
Mute Swan, Cygnus olor
Black Duck, Anas rubripes
Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos
Common Goldeneye, Bucephala clangula
Red-breasted Merganser, Mergus serrator
King Eider, Somateria spectabilis
Common Eider, Somateria mollissima
Herring Gull, Larus argentatus
Ring-billed Gull, Larus delawarensis
Ruddy Turnstone, Arenaria interpres
Sanderling, Calidris alba
Purple Sandpiper, Calidris maritima
Dunlin, Calidris alpina
Black-bellied Plover, Pluvialis squatarola
Mourning Dove, Zenaida macroura
Northern Flicker, Colaptes auratus
Yellow-rumped Warbler, Dendroica coronata
Song Sparrow, Melospiza melodia

Our year species total from today, January 15th, comes to 51.

Happy Birding!

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