Coastal birds on a Friday morning

We started the morning at New Haven harbor to see the Ruddy Ducks, and happily found them not far from shore. Mixed with a flock of Scaup, they bunched and broke apart, bunched and broke apart again, finally separating by species.

Ruddy Duck, Oxyura jamaicensis, foreground; Greater Scaup, Aythya marila, background; mixed flock of both at right in middle ground.

Male and female Ruddy Ducks. The males show a distinct white cheek patch, the females a dark and light line through the eye.

Ruddy Ducks, the movie - click the play button - it will appear.

Greater Scaup, males and females

Mute Swan, Cygnus olor, dabbling in shallow water in the harbor

Birds in New Haven harbor included:

Ruddy Duck, Oxyura jamaicensis

Greater Scaup, Aythya marila

Gadwall, Anas strepera

Black Duck, Anas rubripes

Mallard, Anas brachyrhynchos

Canada Goose, Branta canadensis

Herring Gull, Larus argentatus

Ring-billed Gull, Larus delawarensis

Mute Swan, Cygnus olor

American Crow, Corvus brachyrhynchos

Rock Pigeon, Columba livia

Jorge dropped me at work in West Haven, then continued driving the coast to a new favorite spot: Silver Sands in Milford.

A small flock of Monk Parakeet was sunning in the White Pines.

Monk Parakeet, Myopsitta monachus

Monk Parakeet, Myopsitta monachus

Staying inside the car it was easy to observe a small group of watchful White-tailed Deer.

White-tailed Deer, Odocoileus virginianus

White-tailed Deer, Odocoileus virginianus

Although he tried hard at Silver Sands for Short- and Long-eared Owls, none were to be found and Jorge drove on to Sherwood Island State Park in Westport. Several good winter species had been recently found here - but only one turned up this morning.

The Red-breasted Nuthatch was foraging in bare deciduous trees, searching bark crevices - a bird that even a serious birder might have to call cute!

Red-breasted Nuthatch, Sitta canadensis

Red-breasted Nuthatch, Sitta canadensis

Red-breasted Nuthatch, Sitta canadensis

Red-breasted Nuthatch, Sitta canadensis

Other birds for the morning:

American Robin, Turdus migratorius

Black-capped Chickadee, Poecile atricapillus

Tufted Titmouse, Baeolophus bicolor

Mourning Dove, Zenaida macroura

Northern Flicker, Colaptes auratus

Downy Woodpecker, Picoides pubescens

American Wigeon, Anas americana

Song Sparrow, Melospiza melodia

House Sparrow, Passer domesticus

With the addition of Ruddy Duck, Monk Parakeet and Red-breasted Nuthatch, Jorge's Connecticut list is up to 80 species for 2010.

Saturday Birding

Laurel Marsh section of Manchester's Hockanum River Linear Park

This morning we were up and out early to try to find the Rough-legged and Red-shouldered Hawks reported from the Manchester Landfill two days ago. We discovered, as we have several times already this year, a wonderful little wildlife preserve which we never would have known about if we hadn't been out chasing birds! Our directions indicated the hawks could be seen from the powerline cut behind Ocean State Job Lot, near the landfill (via Spencer Street, off I-384).

Immediately upon entering the powerline clearing, we encountered a vigorously singing Carolina Wren. Circling the landfill itself were the three common gulls, Herring, Ring-billed and Great Black-backed, and many many American Crows. We let our feet follow a well-trodden trail through a lightly wooded area, finding Black-capped Chickadee and Downy Woodpecker as we walked.

Before long the woods ended and a huge Phragmites marsh spread out in front of us - a clearly marked trail headed right into the marsh. Via a system of boardwalks with trestles where needed, the trail followed the course of the Hockanum River, with an occasional observation tower and fishing platform. Here on the river we saw a pair of Common Mergansers, a few Mallard ducks and the Red-shouldered Hawk winging over the marsh in the distance.

Boardwalks through river-bottom woodland

Remains of a hawk's meal? a big pile of feathers and part of a beak.

On our walk back to the car, we again paused in the power line cut, to look for the Rough-legged Hawk. No luck, but we found three Red-tails, one immature, one adult, and a second adult which was partially albino. The tail was red, the wings were 75% white, the back was flecked with white, and the head was partially white as well. No chance to get the camera on it!

American Crows, Corvus brachyrhynchos, sharing a branch

Saturday, part II

Sebastian joined us after our early morning outing, then after a quick stop to browse the Mansfield Library Book Sale, we continued birding around Mansfield. We checked for Black Vultures behind the Windham Walmart - no luck there, but explored a portion of the Airline State Park Trail running through the nearby woods.

Next stop was Eagleville Lake, to see what we could see - the river was completely frozen, but there was quite a bit of birdy activity in the brush along the railroad track.

a small flock of American Robins by the Eagleville Dam

a surprise Common Grackle along a feeder stream into the river

a pale eye and dark brow give the Common Grackle quite a ferocious expression!

Next stop was Spring Manor Farm. We stopped along the driveway to watch sparrows, and as soon as we opened the car window heard the call of a Great Horned Owl!

Illustration from the National Geographic Society's Field Guide to the Birds of North America, 2nd edition, voice recording from the Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs, Eastern Region.

It responded a few times to playback, but then went silent, it's presence only revealed by the squawking Blue Jays, and continuous twittering of White-breasted Nuthatches and other small birds at the edge of the dark pine forest.

"Owl forest", Spring Manor Farm, Mansfield

We never saw the owl, but were treated to the sight of Pileated Woodpecker flying into the woods. This patch of pine woods is quite dense and area-wise pretty small, so if that's his territory, the owl should be easy to find again. (If you followed the highlighted Spring Manor Farm link above, the Owl's forest is obvious, right in the middle of the map.)

Back home at our own feeders, the little flock of juncos (25 to 30 birds) was actively feeding, a few White-throated Sparrows scratched for seeds, and three Downy Woodpeckers were busy at the suet cakes.

Downy Woodpecker, Picoides pubescens, at the suet at home

Manchester, Hockanum River trail: HR

Mansfield, Bone Mill Road: BM

Windham, Walmart and Airline Trail: AT

Mansfield, Eagleville Dam: ED

Mansfield, Spring Manor Farm: SM

Today's birders: Jorge, Sue and Sebastian

Today's birds:

1. Common Merganser, Mergus merganser - HR

2. Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos - HR

3. Herring Gull, Larus argentatus - HR

4. Ring-billed Gull, Larus delawarensis -HR, AT, SM

5. Great Black-backed Gull, Larus marinus - HR

6. Red-tailed Hawk, Buteo jamaicensis - HR, ED, SM

7. Red-shouldered Hawk, Buteo lineatus - HR

8. Rock Pigeon, Columba livia - HR, AT, SM

9. Mourning Dove, Zenaida macroura - HR, BM, AT, SM

10. Great Horned Owl, Bubo virginianus - SM

11. Downy Woodpecker, Picoides pubescens - HR, AT, ED, SM

12. Hairy Woodpecker, Picoides villosus - BM

13. Pileated Woodpecker, Dryocopus pileatus - SM

14. American Crow, Corvus brachyrhynchos - HR, SM, AT, ED, SM

15. Blue Jay, Cyanocitta cristata - HR, ED, SM

16. American Robin, Turdus migratorius - BM, ED

17. Eastern Bluebird, Sialia sialis - BM

18. Carolina Wren, Thryothorus ludovicianus - HR, ED

19. Tufted Titmouse, Baeolophus bicolor - BM, ED, SM

20. Black-capped Chickadee, Poecile atricapillus - HR, AT, ED, SM

21. White-breasted Nuthatch, Sitta carolinensis - ED, SM

22. European Starling, Sturnus vulgaris - HR, AT, SM

23. Cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis - ED, SM

24. House Finch, Carpodacus mexicanus - BM

25. American Goldfinch, Carduelis tristis - ED

26. Song Sparrow, Melospiza melodia - HR, SM

27. White-throated Sparrow, Zonotrichia albicollis - HR, ED, SM

28. Tree Sparrow, Spizella arborea - SM

29. Savannah Sparrow, Passerculus sandwichensis - SM

30. Dark-eyed Junco, Junco hyemalis - HR, BM, ED, SM

31. Common Grackle, Quiscalus quiscula - ED

32. Red-winged Blackbird, Agelaius phoeniceus - HR

33. House Sparrow, Passer domesticus - HR, SM

For a post-birding treat, Sebastian and I made popcorn - mmm!!!

With the addition of Red-shouldered Hawk, Great Horned Owl, Common Grackle and House Finch, Jorge's 2010 Connecticut List is up to 75 species.
That's all for now, good birding, Connecticut!
Sue

A few new highway birds

Since my Tuesday post, I've had four new highway birds. On Thursday there were four Mourning Doves perched on roadside wires, and a big flock of Brant in the West River estuary. This morning I saw a Blue Jay flying through treetops and a Cooper's Hawk perched on a highway light pole.


M.D., C.H, R.P. - birds with similar body size and very different tails; and at the top of the sketch my interpretation of the Blue Jay's flight pattern (Mourning Dove, Cooper's Hawk, Rock Pigeon)

The doves were sitting quietly, all with their backs to the sun. The Brant have a diagnostic posture as they swim, with long black necks angled forward. The Blue Jay had a recognizable flight pattern, with a - - - _ _ _ - - - kind of flight (three quick wingbeats, three longer ones, followed by quick ones again, as it was preparing to perch in the tree. Also, the very separated primaries help me recognize a Blue Jay in flight. The Cooper's Hawk was on a light pole right after several Pigeons-on-lights. The body size was very similar, the reddish banding on pale belly of an adult, and the long tail pointed to Accipiter cooperii.

Mourning Dove, Zenaida macroura
Brant, Branta bernicla
Blue Jay, Cyanocitta cristata
Cooper's Hawk, Accipiter cooperii

happy AND SAFE roadside birding!
Sue

Highway birding.

Just for fun, on my commute this morning, I kept track of birds seen along the way.
7:02 - 6 Rock Pigeons, crazy-flapping and wheeling across the pink sky
7:05 - 1 American Crow, steady, strong strokes, directly across hwy.
7:07 - Red-tailed Hawk on light pole before exit 63, 10 Pigeons on light pole after exit 63
7:10 - Red-tailed Hawk up on high tension tower - very high!
7:11 - 6 European Starlings on light pole, 4 Common Mergansers heading south after exit 59
7:12 - 4 Crows flying, 4 Pigeons on a wire

7:15 - 4 Pigeons on a light, 20 on another pole, 5 starlings on another pole, 5 to 10 Pigeons on many poles, single crows flying and in trees
7:16 - Great Black-backed Gull sitting (not standing) on light pole on Charter Oak Bridge

Red-tailed Hawk, Buteo jamaicensis, photo by Maximiliano de Leon Aubrey, taken Saturday January 30th, around Rocky Hill, Connecticut

7:19 - Red-tailed Hawk near exit 25, occasional Starlings and Crows
7:21 - Red-tailed Hawk high in a tree after exit 24, shortly after was another one
 7:25 - Red-tailed Hawk, treetop in median before exit 21, also 2 Crows
7:29 - 3 Crows flying over
7:30 - 1 Northern Flicker fly-over at Metacomet Ridge
7:31 - 2 Red-winged Blackbirds following highway
 7:32 - 2 Ring-billed Gulls, flying singly, also Red-tailed Hawk in tree
7:33 - 4 American Robins flying W to E, several crows and gulls
7:35 - 1 Herring Gull, also 2 R-b Gulls flying S to N
7:40 - Red-tailed Hawk in tree, Ring-billed Gulls flying S to N
 7:42 - 2 Crows, Starlings, Ring-billed Gull, Herring Gull
7:46 - 40 to 50 gulls at dump near Little River in Quinnipiac Marsh
7:47 - Herring Gull, Crow, 25 Pigeons on a wire
7:49 - 3 Starlings
7:50 - 15 Pigeons on lights, 2 Crows in tree
7:52 - 2 Herring Gulls on light poles
7:54 - Herring Gull on light pole, Ring-billed Gull on light pole, many gulls, a few pigeons, crows
7:58 - 6 Common Goldeneye in estuary of the West River
7:59 - Red-tailed Hawk in tree
8:00 - many Starlings
8:02 - 2 Mute Swans flying W to E, one Crow
8:04 - 15 Canada Geese, 20 Starlings on wire
8:06 - 1 Can. Goose flying overhead, two more sitting beside road

Roadside Red-tail, another photo by Max

So - crazy, but fun - I knew there were a lot of roadside Red-tailed Hawks, but never counted before - my total was eight, and I imagine I missed a few.

Birds in order seen:
Rock Pigeon, Columba livia
American Crow, Corvus brachyrhynchos
Red-tailed Hawk, Buteo jamaicensis
European Starling, Sturnus vulgaris
Common Merganser, Mergus merganser
Great Black-backed Gull, Larus marinus
Northern Flicker, Colaptes auratus
Red-winged Blackbird, Agelaius phoeniceus
Ring-billed Gull, Larus delawarensis
American Robin, Turdus migratorius
Herring Gull, Larus argentatus
Common Goldeneye, Bucephala clangula
Mute Swan, Cygnus olor
Canada Goose, Branta canadensis

Northwest Park

After work on Sunday, we went back to Windsor's Northwest Park, to try for the Red-headed Woodpecker again. It's a young male, seen regularly in a pretty restricted patch of woods. The afternoon was sunny and bright, but very cold, and as we walked into the park it was clear that there had been a big winter festival the day before. There were still signs up for various activities at the Cabin Fever Festival, dog-sledding this way, ice carving that way.

Howling wolf carved in crystal-clear ice


Detail of the head. It's okay to leave your Ice-Wolf outside if it's only 15 degrees F.


Jorge looking for woodpeckers in the treetops


Red-headed Woodpecker, Melanerpes erythrocephalus, young male

According to Cornell University's All About Birds, this woodpecker is one of only four known to cache food. It is the only one known to then cover the food, such as insects and seeds, with bits of bark. Grasshoppers are regularly cached alive!, but wedged so tightly that they cannot escape.

Today's birders: Jorge and Sue
Today's birds:
Red-headed Woodpecker, Melanerpes erythrocephalus
Downy Woodpecker, Picoides pubescens
Pileated Woodpecker, Dryocopus pileatus
American Robin, Turdus migratorius
Black-capped Chickadee, Poecile atricapillus
Brown Creeper, Certhia americana
White-throated Sparrow, Zonotrichia albicollis
House Sparrow, Passer domesticus

River Birding

Max's view:
Bald Eagles and Harlequin Duck
Last Saturday Jorge, Sebastian, and I were watching a documentary about bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) from PBS Nature. We were very interested in Bald Eagles and then we decided that it would be good to see one for real. We heard about a couple of birds in the meadows of the Conneticut river in Rocky Hill.

Ice on the Connecticut River at Rocky Hill Meadows

After driving for 1/2 an hour we got extremely lucky and found not one but two birds sitting in their nest. They were pretty far away from us and even through our telescope we coudn't see them very well. Then we drove to the Farmington river in Farmington in search of a Harlequin duck. We found the Harlequin duck close to shore and we saw two more bald eagles perched together in a tree across the river.

Harlequin Duck, Histrionicus histrionicus, male
A Brief history on bald eagles
In 1782 the bald eagle was picked to be our national bird over the turkey. They hunt from their trees and will then grab a fish and then return to their perch to eat. They are very fierce looking birds with completly white heads and tails when they reach maturity. The juveniles are often mistaken for golden eagles since they are brown in color.

Bald Eagles, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, in Sycamore tree beside Farmington River in Farmington
Max 2/1/10

Photo of ice (above) by Maximiliano de Leon Aubrey, bird photos by Jorge de Leon.

Great Blue Heron, Ardea herodias, Great Meadows at Rocky Hill

Saturday's outing for Bald Eagles took us through the Meadows at Rocky Hill, where a pair is nesting. While there, we also saw three Red-tailed Hawks, a Great Blue Heron and a huge flock of blackbirds - one of those airborne rivers of birds!

River of Blackbirds, Rocky Hill

I saw it! I saw the heron!

Next we drove to Farmington to photograph the Harlequin Duck below the dam at the Grist Mill on the Farmington River.

Harlequin Duck, Histrionicus histrionicus, male, actively feeding in the turbulent water below the dam.

Sharing this patch of turbulent water were several barnyard geese, Mallards, American Black Duck, a Red-breasted Merganser and many Canada Geese. Here also was another pair of Bald Eagles, directly across the river from us.

White barnyard Geese, Anser cygnoides hybrid

Gray Barnyard Goose, Anser anser or Anser cygnoides hybrid

Today's birders: Max, Sebastian, Monica and Jorge

Today's birds:

Canada Goose, Branta canadensis

Harlequin Duck, Histrionicus histrionicus

Red-breasted Merganser, Mergus serrator

Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos

Black Duck, Anas rubripes

Bald Eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Red-tailed Hawk, Buteo jamaicensis

Great Blue Heron, Ardea herodias

European Starling, Sturnus vulgaris

Red-winged Blackbird, Agelaius phoeniceus

No new birds for the 2010 State list.

Rhode Island and West Haven

Thursday January 27, 2010
Rhode Island, Newport and Middletown

Eastons Pond, Easton Beach, Purgatory Road to Purgatory Chasm, Norman Bird Sanctuary
Common Loon, Gavia immer - Easton Beach (EB)
Great Cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo - Eastons Pond (EP)
Canada Goose, Branta canadensis - EP
Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos - EB & EP
American Black Duck, Anas rubripes - EB & EP
Greater Scaup, Aythya marila - EB
Common Eider, Somaterial mollissima - EB
Surf Scoter, Melanitta perspicillata - EB
Bufflehead, Bucephala albeola - EB
Hooded Merganser, Lophodytes cucullatus - EP
Common Merganser, Mergus merganser -
Ruddy Duck, Oxyura jamaicensis - EP
Ring-billed Gull, Larus delawarensis - EP & EB
Herring Gull, Larus argentatus -
Mourning Dove, Zenaida macroura - Norman Bird Sanctuary (NBS)
Rock Pigeon, Columba livia -
Downy Woodpecker, Picoides pubescens - NBS
American Crow, Corvus brachyrhynchos - NBS & EB
Black-capped Chickadee, Poecile atricapillus - NBS
American Robin, Turdus migratorius - NBS
European Starling, Sturnus vulgaris -
Northern Cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis - NBS
Song Sparrow, Melospiza melodia - EP
House Sparrow, Passer domesticus - NBS feeders

Friday January 29, 2010
Connecticut, New Haven to West Haven

Flying over Quinnipiac River at I-91:
Bald Eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, immature

West Haven Boat Launch, 7:30am
Brant, Branta bernicla
Mute Swan, Cygnus olor (counted 200)
Lesser Scaup, Aythya affinis
Greater Scaup, Aythya marila
American Wigeon, Anas americana
Gadwall, Anas strepera
Rock Pigeon, Columba livia
Ring-billed Gull, Larus delawarensis

West Haven, South Beach:
Herring Gull, Larus argentatus
Great Black-backed Gull, Larus marinus
Horned Grebe, Podiceps auritus
Mourning Dove, Zenaida macroura

shoreline map with Oyster River at lower end (see words 'Ocean Avenue') and South Beach at upper edge (see words 'West Shore')

West Haven, beach at Oyster River:
Red-tailed Hawk, Buteo jamaicensis
American Crow, Corvus brachyrhynchos
Fish Crow, Corvus ossifragus

Milford, Silver Sands State Park
Northern Harrier, Circus cyaneus
Red-throated Loon, Gavia stellata

Eight new birds for Jorge's 2010 Connecticut list, bringing the year total to 68 birds.