Birding Connecticut: May 2010

Saturday, May 8, 2010

A Very Birdy Week

A major fallout of warblers in Connecticut began last Saturday, May 1st. Coming as it did on a weekend, the timing was perfect for all of us who were just chomping at the bit to get out and see some spring migrants. The day was bright and sunny, and was followed by a similarly beautiful Sunday May 2nd, maybe not quite as gorgeous, but fabulously birdy none-the-less.

We basically birded around the yard on Saturday then Jorge picked up a few good birds around campus on Sunday.

This past weekend had still more surprises flitting in the treetops and lurking in the understory of our nearby woodlands. Saturday morning May 8th started out with very light but steady rain, giving way to partly cloudy but bright skies by afternoon. We birded around the yard a bit, then headed for Heron Cove Park, just a few miles down the Willimantic River.

Sunday May 9th was bright, but very cold and windy, and in the afternoon we tried to beat the Graduation crowds on the streets of Storrs by heading into the woods between Horsebarn Hill and the Fenton River. After several enjoyable hours birding the woodlands and wetlands, we came out on Gurleyville Road, then cut across UConn's horse pastures and cornfields to get back to our car.

The week's birders:
Jorge, Sue, Sebastian and Max

The week's birds:
blue species indicate first of the year!

Canada Goose
Mallard
Wood Duck 5/9
Red-tailed Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk 5/8
Cooper's Hawk
Turkey Vulture
Great Blue Heron 5/9
Spotted Sandpiper 5/8
Mourning Dove

Yellow-billed Cuckoo 5/8
Great Horned Owl 5/2
Chimney Swift 5/2
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 5/2, 5/9
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker 5/9
Red-bellied Woodpecker 5/8
Eastern Phoebe
Eastern Kingbird 5/1
Warbling Vireo 5/8

Blue Jay
American Crow
Tree Swallow 5/8
Barn Swallow 5/2
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse (nesting at home)
White-breasted Nuthatch
House Wren 5/1
Carolina Wren
Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher 5/1

American Robin
Veery 5/8-9
Wood Thrush 5/1, 5/8 (heard only)
Gray Catbird 5/2
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Pine Warbler 5/1
Yellow Warbler 5/2
Blue-winged Warbler 5/1
Magnolia Warbler 5/8 -new for our yard list

Common Yellowthroat 5/8 -new for our yard list
American Redstart 5/8
Black-and-white Warbler (5/1-5/8 heard only)
Scarlet Tanager 5/9
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 5/7-9
Song Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow 5/2
Chipping Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow 5/1

Eastern Towhee 5/9
Eastern Meadowlark 5/2, 9th
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Baltimore Oriole 5/1
Bobolink 5/2
Common Grackle
American Goldfinch
House Finch
House Sparrow

Wow, sixty birds, almost half of which (27) were first of the year migrants.

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

Saturday, May 8, 2010

A Very Birdy Week

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Blogged Birds - since October 2009