April 30, 2013 - Jamaica Bay, New York

Butterfly House

Empire State Building

Since I was going to pick up my grand daughter at JFK Airport, I figured I would also do some birding at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. 



My only other time there was on April 7, 1979 on a field trip for my Bird Identification course I was taking at the University of Bridgeport.

Mute Swan

Canada Goose

I walked the trail around the West Pond going as far as teh brreach made by Hurricane Sandy, turned around, back tracked, and then went through the North and South Garden areas back to the Visitor's Center.  Also, because of the breach, the West Pond has become brackish.

Forester's Tern (white body)

Prickly Pear Cactus

 I had forgotten that you can see the New York City skyline from Jamaica Bay and even saw the new WTC Tower going up as well as the Empire State Building.

Tree Swallow

Snowy Egret (note yellow feet)

 I had also forgotten how Jamaica Bay is better known for shore birds than passerines (perching birds) which would explain the numbers that I saw of some species

.

 SPECIES:

Tree Swallow

New World Trade Center Tower

 Brant (295), Canada Goose (14), Mute Swan (5), Mallard (3), Shoveler (6), Great Egret (4), Snowy Egret (5), Glossy Ibis (3), Osprey (2), Herring Gull (8), Great Black-Backed Gull, Forster's Tern (3), Mourning Dove, Crow, Tree Swallow (30), Robin (7), Mockingbird (2), Brown Thrasher (2), Yellow Warbler (2), Red-Winged Blackbird (4), Common Grackle (3)



 
 DATA:

Glossy Ibis

Northern Shoveler

   64F; Sunny; Partly Cloudy, Light Breezes; 12:23 - 3:04 pm

Mute Swan

Yellow Warbler (male)

Yellow Warbler (male)

April 27, 2013 - Birding with the Western Connecticut Bird Club

Great-Horned Owl

Osprey

Ten members of the Western Connecticut Bird Club went birding around Southbury.  With April coming to an end, it was hopeful that we would see arriving migrants such as warblers, for example.  However, the places we went to were very quiet and not much action was seen.  Oh well - that's birding.

The highlights of the day had to be a nesting Great Horned Owl, a Winter Wren, a Broad-Winged Hawk for birds and Trout Lily, Trillium, and Ramp for plants.

Woodpecker Holes

Ramps

STOP #1:  River Road
SPECIES: Great Horned Owl chick, Fish crow, and Belted Kingfisher.
DATA:      8:25-8:45 am; 41F; Clear; Calm


STOP #2:  Janie Pierce Park (the Blue Trail)

Trillium

SPECIES: Titmouse (4), Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher (2), Belted Kingfisher, Red-Winged Blackbirds,                   Canada Goose (2), Downy Woodpecker, Mute Swan, Black Duck, Wood Duck (4 - 2 pairs), Chickadees, Osprey,

Fern Fiddle-heads

Yellow-Rumped Warbler (2), Robin (2), Red-Shouldered
Hawk (2), White-Breasted Nuthatch.
DATA:       9:00-11:00am; 45-60F; clear; little breeze now and then

Trout Lily

Trillium Closeup

STOP #3:  Platt Farm/Park (up to the pond and back)
SPECIES: Red-Shouldered Hawk, Tree Swallows (4), Cardinal, Winter Wren (heard), Yellow-Rumped Warbler, Phoebe, Canada Goose (2), Broad-Winged Hawk
DATA:       11:19-12:10pm; 67F; clear; breeze now and then

Mute Swan

Tree

Saturday April 20 , 2013 - Where Did The Water Go?

Being Saturday, it is usually the day I take recycles and trash to the Transfer Station here in Woodbury.  Last year (see April 7, 2012 of my Hometown Big Year blog) I found out that in the wetlands behind the Transfer Station was a Great Blue Heron rookery (saw 11 herons on April 7) which can be seen best from the upper level area where leaves and discarded trees are placed.  So, today I decided to take a look.

Knowing that Sandy probably did some damage to the area I wanted to see the extent of any damage.

When I got there, not only was there tree damage but also the water level was down!  Whether the change in water level was due to the possible breaking up of the beaver dam that is there or activity by O & G, I do not know.  However, I will send an email to the Town and see if they know anything.

So, here is a comparison from April 7, 2012 to today, April 20, 2013.

April 20, 2013

April 7, 2013

April 7, 2013

April 20, 2013

April 7, 2013

April 20, 2013

Sunday April 14, 2013

Robins

 Decided to go over to Nonnewaug today to see what I can find now that it's April, spring, and vacation week - and I have not been there in a few weeks.  So off I went with my new app on phone - BirdLog NA, to help record and upload what I see to eBird.

Hard to see Palm Warbler

Female Hooded Merganser

I did not know what to expect being a cloudy breezy day but, again, any day birding is a good day.  I decided to go down to the field by taking the road right down to the field.  Instead of going directly onto the field, I took the path through the trees on the left and as I started to get to the end of that area, I saw a male Palm Warbler!  I then realized I might have the chance of seeing more early arrivals.

Male/Female Wood Duck

Female "Hoodie" Again

 So I started to walk the perimeter of the field along the river to the foot bridge then the perimeter of the field near the garden back to the baseball diamond up the stairs towards the tennis courts over to the garage then finally up near Minortown Road and out.

Ruby-Crowned Kinglet

Eastern Phoebe

 Species Seen:  2 Canada Geese (overhead); 2 Wood Ducks (male & female); Hooded Merganser (female); 4 Turkey Vultures (overhead); Downy Woodpecker; 3 Northern Flickers; Eastern Phoebe; American Crow; Black-Capped Chickadee; Ruby-Crowned Kinglet (male with that distinct eye ring); Tufted Titmouse; Hermit Thrush; 7 Robins; Palm Warbler; 6 Chipping Sparrows; 1 Savannah Sparrow (green lores on what looks like a song sparrow); 2 Song Sparrows; 2 Slate-Colored Juncos; and Northern Cardinal.

Robins

Chipping Sparrow

Data:  11:10am-1:07pm; 45F; mostly cloudy (95%+) ; breezy

Ruby Crowned Kinglet

Cardinal

Wren Nest in Bluebird Box

Chipping Sparrow

Turkey Vulture

Saturday March 30, 2013

Owl Pellet

Pellet with Lens Cap

If you read my Big Year blog, you would have read that I stated on many occasions that one never knows what one will find when birding.  And so it happened again today.

I went over to Nonnewaug High School to see what might be there.  Nonnewaug has become one of my favorite birding places due to its sports fields, the River that runs behind the school, the many trees, the open field on the other side of the foot bridge, and the garden that is there.

Unknown Fruit

NHS Now (wait until summer)

Species Seen:  Turkey Vulture, Red-Tailed Hawk, Blue Jay, American Crow (2), Eastern Bluebird (2 - m/f), American Robin (12), Cardinal (2 - m/f), and Song Sparrow (2).

Data:  12:55-2:16pm; 48F; mostly sunny; breezy

Barred Owl

But my day was not over!  When I got home, I started to watch "The Big Year", for the who-knows-the-nth-time, and looked up out the window to see a large bird fly by.  At first I thought it was a hawk trying to make a meal out of a bird at the feeder.  I went to the window to scan for the bird but saw nothing so I sat back down and continued to watch the movie.

Barred Owl

But while watching the movie, I continued to hear the birds give out warning calls which made me think the hawk was still around.  So again I scanned the trees and this time I saw the bird - a Barred Owl!  Second time I have seen one (maybe same one) in my yard within the last 6 months!

To see more pictures of the owl, click on this link:
 
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.559711157393459.1073741826.100000637397869&type=1&l=b88c5e2895

Female Bluebird

Male Bluebird

In addition to the owl, I also saw a male and female bluebird going in and out and back and forth between two bird houses I have here.

Data:  4:00 pm; 52F; mostly sunny; slight breeze

Sunday March 10, 2013 - Southport & Westport

Hooded Mergansers

Brants

Between school work, things to do around the house work, and snow, I had not been down to Southport Beach (F airfield) and Sherwood Island State Park in Westport.  So today was the day to go down!

My first stop was Southport Beach - the Beach, the water across the street, and then the house with the pond in front of it. 

Herring Gulls

DATA:  9:45-10:12 am; 42F; clear; sunny; breezy
BIRDS:  Brants 100 ; Herring Gulls 50; male Mallard; Black Duck 2; Hooded Merganser 3 male/5 female; Red-winged Blackbird heard; Mourning Dove; Crow 4





My next stop was Burying Hill Beach which is across from Green Farms Academy School. 
DATA:  10:19-10:45am; 43F; clear; sunny; breezy
BIRDS:  Black Ducks 8; Red-Breasted Mergansers 11; American Goldeneye 2; Herring Gull 10; Long-Tailed Duck 2

On the way out of the gate, I saw birds in the wetlands near Green Farms Academy and decided to pull the car over for a look.
DATA:  10:47 am; clear; sunny; breezy
BIRDS:  Black Ducks 8; Canada Goose 30; Mute Swans 2

Before heading to Sherwood Island, I decided to try the Longshore Country Club and see what might be on the golf course, in the ponds, and on the river near by.  I drove up and parked behind the restaurant.  I did not expect to see much so I did not take my camera with me - bad choice.
DATA:  11:00-11:15am; 44F; clear; sunny; breezy
BIRDS:  Canada Goose 80; American Widgeon 8; Bufflehead 2; Red-Tailed Hawk 1; Hooded Merganser 1m/6f

Mockingbird

I then drove on Hills Point Road to get over to Sherwood Island.  However, just past a beach area, I noticed a gray bird on the ground.  I pulled over onto the side of the road, got out of the car - this time with camera - and started to move slowly towards the bird.  It looked like a mockingbird but it did not have the long tail of a mocker but when it flew off into a shrub, I saw the white wing bars of a mocker.


DATA:  11:20am; 44F; ; clear; sunny; breezy

BIRDS:  Mockingbird, Black Ducks 12

Sanderling

Robin

Finally, I got to Sherwood Island.  I birded the right side from the pavilion to the evergreens at the entrance then over to the viewing stand by the river.



DATA:  11:33-12:25 pm; 43F; clear; sunny; breezy

Sanderling

 

Spot the Sanderling?

BIRDS:  Canada Goose 100+; Starling 100+; Killdeer 2; Red-Winged Blackbird 10; Robin 2; Blue Jay; Titmouse; Chickadee; Grackle; White-Throated Sparrow; Junco 2; Red-Tailed Hawk; Red-Shouldered Hawk; Bufflehead 2 male; Sanderling 2; Mute Swan 2; Black Duck 60; Ring-Billed Gull 3; Herring Gull 100+; Brant 6

Am. Tree Sparrow (digiscoped)

After a water and granola bar break, I went over to the Nature Center area with scope to see what was there.  There had been reports during the week of an immature white-crowned sparrow by the feeder but I did not see it.
DATA:  1:11-2:05 pm; 46F; clear; sunny; breezy
BIRDS: Chickadee; Red-Winged Blackbirds 8; Mourning Dove; American Tree Sparrow 9