Ibises And Egrets Break Prior To Warbler Rush

 There are a ton of birds to be seen over the next month as birders
try to figure out the most effective use of their time before warbler migration reaches its peak in May. This weekend I switched back to the shoreline to search for big birds that I haven't seen yet this year. There was about 200 Ibis hanging around the Clinton area.

 We made several stops along the shoreline between Clinton and Old Saybrook including the Stewart B. Mckinney Wildlife Refuge Salt Meadow Unit in Westbrook.

 I remember when I first started birding I was told some of the things to look for when identifying Snowy Egrets included: black bill with yellow lores, black legs, and yellow feet. I used to get confused before I realized that yellow feet aren't always yellow if the Snowy Egrets feet are covered with mud. This was my first snowy of the year.

The number of Osprey along the shoreline is amazing. You can see them at almost every turn. 

Despite the drizzly day we were able to see a number of new year birds before the arrival of the great warbler rush in May.