Big January Total Up To 88 And A Few Surpirses

On Saturday I met up with a couple of birding friends for a carpool trip to the Western Connecticut Shoreline. It was cloudy and damp for the entire day but the birding was good. Joining forces with experienced birders made a big difference. I was able to add 33 species to my list for a total of 87 this month. We had a few surprises too like these Snow Geese we found at Lighthouse Point Park.

Finding a Great Horned Owl during the middle of the day was a thrill! Other great sightings included: Peregrine Falcon, American Kestrel, Merlin, Common Redpoll (Sherwood Island feeders), Palm Warbler, and  Eurasian Wigeon (Mondo Pond). The western shoreline seems to be the most productive birding area of the state this time of the year.

We stayed out from dawn till dusk on Saturday but didn't get out to do any birding Sunday. I'll have 3 more opportunities to get out this month to try to push my total past 90. Only 2 more species seems easy enough but the last few are the toughest to come by.

click here for updated Big January update

On A Wild Snow Goose Chase

I work in the Bloomfield area and have been seeing what appeared to be 3 Snow Geese mixed in with a flock of Canada Geese at various locations in town. Unfortunately, chasing birds isn't part of my job description so I had to wait until the weekend before I could get a closer look at them. Bloomfield has a number of large corporate businesses that own property with huge grass lawns and man-made ponds where I found a Snow Goose and a Greater White-fronted Goose over the past couple of years. There has also a recent report of a Barnacle Goose in the area but I was unable to relocate it. This morning, I found the 3 juvenile Snow Geese hanging out at a soccer field at the Bloomfield High School. The white form of the juvenile Snow Goose has a grayish bill and a bit of dingy gray on the upper side. Snow Geese breed on the arctic tundra during the summer and pairs remain together for life.

Maybe it's time I think about getting some knee protection for those times when I decide to crawl across fields on my knees with a camera. My wife always says she likes surprises so she should be surprised when she finds these pants in the hamper! (Just kidding Joan-I already took care of them :)

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Snowbound

The Christmas count that I was to participate in this past weekend was postponed due to a snowstorm. I took a break from usual birding routine and watched the birds at my feeder for a change. I enjoyed watching birds that I don't always pay attention to like this Mourning Dove which appeared to be taking a bow.

The most common birds under my feeders this weekend were White-throated Sparrows. Watching them interact with each other and scratch the snow for food helped liven up a cloudy, grey day.

The male Northern Cardinal ate seed while hiding in the middle of my brushpile but the female visited the feeder several times.

I kept busy catching up on yard chores before the holidays and before I knew it the sun was already setting.

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I was recently listening to Bob Dylan's Desire CD and was surprised to learn that Emmy Lou Harris sang background vocals on it. Harmonizing with Bob Dylan and still sounding great couldn't have been an easy task. I found a Christmas CD by Emmylou at our local library titled "Light Of The Stable". If you click on the link you can listen to samples. She has subtle but unique tone to her voice. It should be the perfect CD to play on Christmas Eve while sipping a glass of eggnog by the fire.

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Just a reminder-I will be counting all the species of birds that I see in Connecticut during the month of January. I invite you to do the same in your home state or area.

This will be my last post until next week so I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Osprey Mate-feeding Ritual, and A Lifer!

I spent some time at Rocky Neck State Park in East Lyme on Saturday. This park is not as popular as Hammonasset amongst birders because it has less habitat and probably fewer species on an average. There are a couple of nice viewing platforms overlooking the marsh. It turned out to be a great spot to see both Snowy and Great Egrets. I saw at least a dozen of each. I like watching egrets lift their feet out of the water. You can see the blackish legs and feet on the Great Egret in the above photo. I seem to get better results taking photos of white birds on overcast days when my camera is in auto-mode. (Click on the photos for more detail).

Excuse me- Mr. Great Egret, Can you tell me where I can find a Snowy Egret? Over there? Okay, thanks you.

This adult snowy is showing off its yellow feet which really contrast with the black legs. They also acquire lacy plumes on their head neck and back during breeding season. The plume feathers are noticeable on the back of this bird. In the late 1800's the plume feathers of the Snowy Egrets were popular decorations for women's hats with the feathers being were worth twice as much as gold at the time. Snowy Egrets were nearly hunted to extinction before laws were passed to protect them.

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Here's a short video of the Snowy Egret gracefully making its way through the marsh.

I saw this flock of birds fly overhead. Identifying birds in flight is not one of my strong points but the bills on these birds give them away so I have a pretty good idea of what they are.

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-Care to venture a guess before clicking the link?

I was driving to work on my way home from work last week when I saw a large white bird mixed in with some Canada Geese. It was grazing on the front lawn of the Bizhub corporation. At first, I thought it might turn out to be a Greater-White-fronted Goose which I had seen at the same location last fall. Upon closer inspection, I decided it was probably a Snow Goose based on its size, color, and black feathers on its wing tips. The problem was , that I had never seen one before and didn't have my binoculars with me. I came back two days later with binoculars and a camera. Luckily, the goose was still there. I was able to use the gigantic Bizhub sign as a bird hide to help me capture a photo and now it's officially a lifer.

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This video was taken at the Four Mile River State Boat Launch in Old Lyme. There are a lot more platforms at Great Island Boat Launch but this one gives you the best view. I stayed in my vehicle so as not to disturb them.

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I noticed on more than one occasion Saturday that one Osprey would bring a fish to the other that was waiting on the platform. After the one Osprey would deliver a fish, the other would take it to a different location to eat it. It just so happens that this is exactly the behavior that is described on New York Wild website which states the following:

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- Soon after the female arrives, the male begins to bring food to her. The female may take the food to a perch to eat, returning after her meal with material to line the nest.

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I was glad that I took the time to read that because there seemed to be a pattern to what I observed the Osprey doing in terms of catching fish and collecting nesting material but I wasn't sure what the pattern was. Little discoveries like that make bird watching more interesting-wouldn't you agree?