Birding Connecticut: Catching up

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Catching up

Another week and another weekend have gone by. We got out for some Thursday afternoon birding on Horsebarn Hill, with great views of a hunting Cooper's Hawk on a silo near the sheep barns. We still didn't have Horned Lark on our year list, so we searched the hill for the local flock, and finally found it.

left, Cooper's Hawk, Accipiter cooperii

Sue watching the Horned Lark flock on Horsebarn Hill

Horned Lark, Eremophila alpestris

Part of the flock of about 60 Horned Larks swirling around Horsebarn Hill

Friday morning Jorge was out around the West River in New Haven harbor, no new species for the morning, but getting back there at sundown a couple of Boat-tailed Grackles were new for the list.

Saturday was a beautiful early spring day. The snow is completely gone. The Turkey Vultures were back on the roof of our barn. What will they do when that barn collapses to the ground?

Turkey Vulture, Cathartes aura, sunning on the barn roof

Turkey Vulture, Cathartes aura

Song Sparrow, Melospiza melodia, in the yard at home

Later Saturday afternoon in Rocky Hill, Jorge saw a big mixed flock which included both common and boat-tailed grackles, red-winged blackbirds and... Rusty Blackbirds. So, they are around finally, eventually we'll have a photo!

Sunday afternoon we headed for Mansfield Hollow and stopped along the way to check out the new bird blind in Mansfield Center.

Eagle Scout project - the bird blind in Mansfield Center

A Red-tailed Hawk was hunting the nearby fields, and a pair of Hooded Mergansers swam away out of sight in the back of the pond - where there was still ice.

Along Mansfield Hollow Road, a pair of Killdeer was feeding quite close to the road, in a freshly manured field.

Killdeer, Charadrius vociferus

The winds were howling across Mansfield Hollow Lake. Way in the distance in the only open water were several Common Mergansers and Gulls, probably Herring and Ring-billed. We were hoping to see the pair of Bald Eagles reported by Don Morgan earlier in the week, but had no luck. In the southern section of the lake we found one Bufflehead - keeping a wary eye on a pair of fishermen in a canoe.

Bufflehead, Bucephala albeola

White Pine cones, Pinus strobus, littering the ground near the reservoir

Monday morning leaving for work at 7am, not too cold out, good to hear birdsong! The cardinal is the most prominent morning vocalist. These days the temperature is nearing 50 degrees mid-day!

Jorge's 2010 Connecticut total now up to 89:

86. Horned Lark, Eremophila alpestris
87. Boat-tailed Grackle, Quiscalus major
88. Rusty Blackbird, Euphagus carolinus
89. Killdeer, Charadrius vociferus

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Blogged Birds - since October 2009

112. Killdeer, Charadrius vocifierus (CT)
111. Rusty Blackbird, Euphagus carolinus (CT)
110. Boat-tailed Grackle, Quiscalus major (CT)
109. American Coot, Fulica americana (CT)
108. Long-tailed Duck, Clangula hyemalis (CT)
107. Black Vulture, Coragyps atratus (CT)
106, Barred Owl, Strix varia (CT)
105. Red-breasted Nuthatch, Sitta canadensis (CT)
104. Monk Parakeet, Myopsitta monachus (CT)
103. Snowy Owl, Bubo scandiacus (MA)
102. Great Horned Owl, Bubo virginianus (CT)
101. Common Grackle, Quiscalus quiscula (CT)
100. Red-shouldered Hawk, Buteo lineatus (CT)
99. Ruddy Duck, Oxyura jamaicensis (RI, CT)
98. Snow bunting, Plectrophenax nivalis (CT)
97. Lesser Scaup, Aythya affinis (CT)
96. Greater Scaup, Aythya marila (CT)
95. Fish Crow, Corvus ossifragus (CT)
94. Red-headed Woodpecker, Melanerpes erythrocephalus (CT)
93. American Wigeon, Anas americana (CT)
92. Sandhill Crane, Grus canadensis (CT)
91. Sanderling, Calidris alba (CT)
90. Purple Sandpiper, Calidris maritima (CT)
89. Ruddy Turnstone, Arenaria interpres (CT)
88. Black-bellied Plover, Pluvialis squatarola (CT)
87. Harlequin Duck, Histrionicus histrionicus (CT)
86. King Eider, Somateria spectabilis (CT)
85. Wood Duck, Aix sponsa (CT)
84. House Finch, Carpodacus mexicanus (CT); (MA)
83. American Goldfinch, Carduelis tristis (CT); (MA)
82. House Sparrow, Passer domesticus (CT); (MA)
81. Brown-headed Cowbird, Molothrus ater (CT)
80. Red-winged Blackbird, Agelaius phoeniceus (CT);(MA)
79. Baltimore Oriole, Icterus galbula (CT)
78. Dark-eyed Junco, Junco hyemalis (CT); (MA)
77. White-throated Sparrow, Zonotrichia albicollis (CT); (MA)
76. White-crowned Sparrow, Zonotrichia leucophrys (MA)
75. Song Sparrow, Melospiza melodia (CT); (MA)
74. Savannah Sparrow, Passerculus sandwichensis (CT)
73. American Tree Sparrow, Spizella arborea (CT)
72. Field Sparrow, Spizella pusilla (CT)
71. Eastern Towhee, Pipilo erythrophthalmus (CT)
70. Northern Cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis (CT); (MA)
69. Painted Bunting, Passerina ciris (MA)
68. Yellow-rumped Warbler, Dendroica coronata (MA, CT)
67. Black-throated Blue Warbler, Dendroica caerulescens CT)
66. European Starling, Sturnus vulgaris (CT); (MA)
65. Cedar Waxwing, Bombycilla cedrorum (CT); (MA)
64. American Pipit, Anthus rubescens (CT)
63. Northern Mockingbird, Mimus polyglottos (CT)
62. American Robin, Turdus migratorius (CT); (MA)
61. Hermit Thrush, Catharus guttatus (CT)
60. Eastern Bluebird, Sialia sialis (CT); (MA)
59. Golden-crowned Kinglet, Regulus satrapa (CT); (MA)
58. Carolina Wren, Thryothorus ludovicianus (CT); (MA)
57. White-breasted Nuthatch, Sitta carolinensis (CT); (MA)
56. Tufted Titmouse, Baeolophus bicolor (CT); (MA)
55. Brown Creeper, Certhia americana (CT)
54. Black-capped Chickadee, Poecile atricapilla (CT);(MA)
53. Horned Lark, Eremophila alpestris (CT)
52. American Crow, Corvus brachyrhynchos (CT);(MA)
51. Blue Jay, Cyanocitta cristata (CT); (MA)
50. Blue-headed Vireo, Vireo solitarius (CT)
49. Pileated Woodpecker, Dryocopus pileatus (CT)
48. Northern Flicker, Colaptes auratus (CT); (MA)
47. Hairy Woodpecker, Picoides villosus (CT); (MA)
46. Downy Woodpecker, Picoides pubescens (CT); (MA)
45. Red-bellied Woodpecker, Melanerpes carolinus (CT); (MA)
44. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Sphyrapicus varius (CT)
43. Belted Kingfisher, Ceryle alcyon (CT); (MA)
42. Mourning Dove, Zenaida macroura (CT); (MA)
41. Rock Dove, Columba livia (CT) (MA)
40. Black Guillemot, Cepphus grylle (MA)
39. Dovekie, Alle alle (MA)
38.Common Murre, Uria aalge (MA)
37. Razorbill, Alca torda (MA)
36. Great Black-backed Gull, Larus marinus (MA, CT)
35. Lesser Black-backed Gull, Larus fuscus (MA)
34. Iceland Gull, Larus glaucoides (MA)
33. Herring Gull, Larus argentatus (CT);(MA)
32. Ring-billed Gull, Larus delawarensis (CT);(MA)
31. Black-legged Kittiwake, Rissa tridactyla (MA)
30. Dunlin, Calidris alpina (MA, CT)
29. Wild Turkey, Meleagris gallopavo (CT)
28. Merlin, Falco columbarius (MA)
27. Bald Eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus (CT)
26. Red-tailed Hawk, Buteo jamaicensis (CT); (MA)
25. Northern Harrier, Circus cyaneus (CT); (MA)
24. Cooper's Hawk, Accipiter cooperii (CT); (MA)
23. Sharp-shinned Hawk, Accipiter striatus (CT); (MA)
22. Turkey Vulture, Cathartes aura (CT)
21. Common Merganser, Mergus merganser (MA, CT)
20. Red-breasted Merganser, Mergus serrator (MA, CT)
19. Hooded Merganser, Lophodytes cucullatus (MA, CT)
18. Bufflehead, Bucephala albeola (MA, CT)
17. Common Goldeneye, Bucephala clangula (MA)
16. White-winged Scoter, Melanitta fusca (MA)
15. Common Eider, Somateria mollissima (MA, CT)
14. Ring-necked Duck, Aythya collaris (MA)
13. Green-winged Teal, Anas crecca (MA)
12. Gadwall, Anas strepera (MA, CT)
11. American Black Duck, Anas rubripes (CT);(MA)
10. Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos (CT);(MA)
9. Brant, Branta bernicla (MA, CT)
8. Canada Goose, Branta canadensis (CT);(MA)
7. Mute Swan, Cygnus olor (CT);(MA)
6. Great Blue Heron, Ardea herodias (CT);(MA)
5. Great Cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo (MA) (RI)
4. Northern Gannet, Morus bassanus (MA)
3. Horned Grebe, Podiceps auritus (MA, CT)
2. Common Loon, Gavia immer (MA, CT))
1. Red-throated Loon, Gavia stellata, (MA) (CT)

Birding Connecticut

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Catching up

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Blogged Birds - since October 2009