13 of us began to look Down at 17 species of healthful herbs and UP at 28 species of birds. The morning was cool but sunny. Highlights were: Double-crested Cormorants(FOx33) , Turkey and Black Vultures,Eastern Towhee and many Savannah Sparrows. The Longo Farm Preserve,off Hebron Rd. in Glastonbury is a beautiful open space.
Respectfully submitted,
Ernie Harris
Six hardy souls met around 8AM. I had said that the walk would be cancelled in the event of rain, but had failed to mention what would happen if there was snow. As we walked through all the trails of the preserve, the temperature hovered around 37°F and occasional snowflakes drifted down. Despite that, we did pretty well sighting a total of 23 species – not bad considering how late Spring seems to be in coming this year. As usual, Larry Lunden kindly recorded the species and sent them to e-bird. Here is his list.
Wood Duck 4
Mallard 3
Wild Turkey 1
Great Blue Heron 1
Turkey Vulture 1
Red-tailed Hawk 2
Mourning Dove 6
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 5
Eastern Phoebe 3
Blue Jay 10
American Crow 3
Tree Swallow 5
Black-capped Chickadee 4
Tufted Titmouse 3
Carolina Wren 2
American Robin 5
Northern Mockingbird 1
Song Sparrow 1
Northern Cardinal 7
Red-winged Blackbird 2
Brown-headed Cowbird 1
Common Grackle 3
Our next scheduled bird walk here will be Saturday, May 26 at 8AM, so mark your calendars. However, feel free to stop by any time and enjoy the sanctuary – it’s a delightful place to walk as well as look for birds. It’s on Ridge Blvd, left off of Rt 187N, about 1.8 miles north of Rt. 20 in East Granby center.
Respectfully submitted,
Chris Fisher
With the Hartford Audubon Society walk this morning we had some nice birds around Stratford.
A drake Blue-winged Teal off Stratford Point was a real treat, as I had not had one there before. There was also a flock of about 400 Long-tailed Ducks, fairly close to shore. Tree Swallows, a singing Field Sparrow and two Eastern Phoebes gave us a taste of Spring. A first or second Glaucous Gull flyby was another treat. We had about a dozen Great Cormorants flying by and at least one D.C.
Long Beach had thousands of gulls offshore and also both species of scaup. Mr Long Beach, the now adult Iceland Gull put in an appearance and an adult Northern Gannet flew by.
Birdseye had a drake Northern Shoveler. We also had a Snowy Owl at an undisclosed location.
Respectfully submitted,
Patrick Comins, Meriden
Five birders met at Sachuest Point N W R in Rhode Island for my annual trip. We started out along the trail that overlooks the ocean finding a small amount of the usual duck species but the best bird was one or two Northern Gannets. However, once we rounded the curve in the trail things picked up. We had good numbers of Surf and Black Scoters as well as two White Winged Scoters along with the usual Harlequin Ducks. In the distance were a number of Great Cormorants sitting on the rocks. Also seen here near the road was a cock Ring Necked Pheasant which I was assured by the refuge staff that it was NOT pen raised!
Our next stop was to Trustrom Pond N W R where we picked up a number of small birds at the feeders. We always get more passerine birds at the feeders than we see in the woods. Probably because they know the feeders are here! Downy Woodpecker, Black Capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, White Breasted Nuthatch, White Throated Sparrow and Northern Cardinal were new for the day. Along the trail on the way out to Osprey Point we found a Golden Crowned Kinglet and Eastern Bluebird. Upon arriving at the pond we picked up good on the ducks including American Wigeon, Gadwall, Blue Winged Teal, Green Winged Teal and best of all several Redheads to bring our duck total to 20. Also found was one more Eastern Bluebird.
Next we visited Moonstone Beach where we added Piping Plover.
Our final stop was a new stop for this trip called South Shore Wildlife Management Area. We did not see many birds here but later in the season it should prove productive. What was here though was a huge Snapping Turtle! At the beginning of the trip I commented I would like us to see 60 species. Total species for the trip-60!
Respectfully submitted,
Paul Desjardins, guide
The highlights of this years boat launch tour included Cackling and Snow Goose at Donald Barnes boat launch in Enfield, Common Raven, Merlin and Peregrine Falcon at King’s Island boat Launch in Enfield, great looks at a Bald Eagle nest at the Dexter Coffin Bridge launch in Windsor Locks, five Bald Eagles at Riverside Park in Hartford, another Bald Eagle nest at Charter Oak Landing in Hartford. We also visited the Rocky Hill Ferry, which had a lot of ducks, but nothing unusual. By the time we were done, we turned Super Bowl Sunday into Super Bird Sunday! Go Eagles! You know, the ones that wear white helmets!
Respectfully submitted,
Paul Cianfaglione
Nine HAS members and friends set out in hopes of moderately cold weather and lots of birds. On Saturday morning we explored the upper reaches of Cape Ann. The rewards included fabulous looks at Harlequin Ducks, Thick billed Murre, Barrows Goldeneye, Razorbill, Red throated Loon, Northern Gannet, and the scoter trifecta: Black, White winged, and Surf Scoter. A small flock of Purple Sandpipers were found on Bass Rocks in Gloucester. The best highlight was the sighting of two Peregrine Falcons. Sunday in Newburyport: The Government shut down, but Plum Island was open for birding. Sightings of Red tailed Hawk, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier (Gray Ghost), a close-up view of a Rough legged Hawk, and distant looks at Snowy Owl were the raptor delights. Salisbury Beach State Park offered closer looks at 2 more Snowy Owls. The day ended with 12 Sanderlings. Total species: 44
Respectfully submitted,
Fran D’Amico
We had 21 birders including: Adrian and Beth Nichols, a member of NH Bird Club and two young women from Glastonbury ( future members). 42 species, especially: surf&white-winged scoters, both loons, Bald eagle, N. Harrier, Coopers, Red tail hawk, purple sandpiper, SNOWY OWL, horned lark, hermit thrush, yellow-rumped warblers (many), swamp sparrow. Before: 4 of us had a red-shouldered hawk; After: 8 of us had many hooded mergansers on swan pond. And some good fish at the Tale.
Respectfully submitted,
Ernie Harris
For the last five years HAS has been collaborating with Krill Carson’s NECWA organization on pelagic trips going out of Plymouth and Gloucester MA for eight hours in and around Stellwagen Bank waters, for a 100-mile round trip offshore. This year we ran it on October 22nd and the weather was beautiful and calm, around 60F. About 80 people participated on the ship, half of them birders and half whale watchers.
We saw a wide variety of seabirds, including 2 Black-legged Kittiwakes, 10 Razorbills (1 very close to the ship for several minutes), 3 NorthernFulmars, four species of shearwaters, two species of jaegers (seen well as they chased Common Terns), but we saw no phalaropes or storm-petrels. We looked for three specific rarities but none of these were seen (Sabine’s Gull, Scopoli’s Shearwater, skuas). We enjoyed good views of about 1,000 Double-crested Cormorants flying in several formations over the ship, migrating south as we approached Gloucester in the afternoon. We also had good views of 10 Humpback Whales, 20 Common Dolphins and one sunfish. We did a 5-minute plankton tow, and we will be taking the preserved samples to UConn for lab analysis soon, hoping to learn more about the changing ocean ecosystem in these waters.
We ended up with 35 species of birds offshore, and a happy group of observers. The full trip report and some photos are available at trips33.blogspot.com.
Respectfully submitted,
Tom Robben
With poor weather forecast for September 30, we moved the walk to the following day. Our expectations for a sunny morning, however, were challenged with a rather foggy start. Barely able to see across the river, the 8-person group made do with the croak of a Great Blue and the distant rattle of a kingfisher while we walked the south end of Riverfront Park. After entering Glastonbury Meadows, we started our typical route along the marsh, picking up a Lincolns Sparrow and a first-of-fall White-throated Sparrow. In trees bordering a weed-covered tomato field, a small mixed species flock included several warblers and a Philadelphia Vireo. A flock of Am. Pipit flew over and disappeared into the corn stubble. Farther south, where a large pumpkin and squash field meets the marsh, we found greater sparrow activity and diversity, including a couple more Lincolns and a singing White-crowned, but highlighted by a Dickcissel that teed up and patiently perched for all the photographers in the group. Some of us spotted a Sora scooting across a dirt road in the marsh, and we subsequently heard both a Sora and Virginia Rail. Leaving the marsh and walking over the farm fields, we saw multiple Northern Harriers, a Bald Eagle, and other raptors.
We ended up with a respectable 63 species on our list.
Respectfully submitted,
Bill Asteriades and Andrew Dasinger
Six birders took the September 29, 2017 ferry at 3pm from Portland ME 212-miles across the GOM (Gulf Of Maine) to Yarmouth NS, stayed in a local hotel that night, and returned the next morning at 8am, with passports in-hand. The large ship (the 300-foot Alakai Cat Ferry) was super stable and nobody got seasick.
Our stated goal was to find at least one SKUA, preferably a unambiguously identifiable Great Skua, probably as an early arriving winter visitant from Iceland. We focused especially on that eastern 30% of the route where we had seen skuas several times in recent years, and we were not disappointed! During our six hour return trip on September 30th we had five sightings of skuas in that target zone! At least 3 and maybe 4 of those were different individuals, including one South Polar Skua and at least 2 different birds being identifiable as Great Skuas. The Great and South Polar Skuas were lifers for a few birders.
Although we had pretty good looks at these skuas, including one that passed in front of the ferry 150-200 feet away, most of our photos (three birders had big telephoto lens cameras) were out of focus, because their cameras auto-focused on the very distinct wavetops rather than the skua flying in the middle of the frame. Bill Asteriades dug through his thousand photos and was able to find some well-focused shots of our bird #5, a dark Great Skua, in molt, and showing diagnostic gold streaks on its mantle and scapulars, which was enough photographic evidence to corroborate our binocular descriptions of the birds.
The eBird regional coordinators for both the ME and NS sides of our route confirmed all our skua IDs.
In total, we saw 25 species with many birds passing close to the ferry, and we kept a timed log counting all species seen on our crossings. Other notable species included Leachs Storm-petrel and Sooty Shearwater, rare for this time of year, dark morph Pomarine Jaeger, Black-legged Kittiwake and Northern Fulmar. Marine mammals in deeper GOM waters included sightings of 8 Finback Whales, 32 Atlantic White-sided Dolphins and 4 Harbor Porpoises.
Trip details are available at this site: Trips33.blogspot.com
Note that this was the fourth year of our annual HAS Skua Search two-day trips across the GOM, looking for skuas, and finding them principally in Canadian waters. Three of those trips had good enough weather to sail, and all those 3 trips had skuas:
2017: two Great Skuas, one South Polar Skua, two Skua species.
2016: two Great Skuas.
2015: trip cancelled by extreme weather.
2014: one Great Skua, three Skua species.
Please join us next October on this exciting round-trip across the Gulf Of Maine.
Respectfully submitted,
Tom Robben & Bill Asteriades
Ten birders met on a cool, foggy morning for what everyone hoped would be a great day of birding. After bidding farewell to a noisy construction crew that was preparing to pave part of the parking lot (yes, at 7 a.m. Sunday morning), we first made a quick pass through Glastonburys Riverfront Park. Our most notable observations were two Northern Parulas chasing each other among the tree tops. A Great Egret and a few Great Blue Herons stalked the banks of the Connecticut River, while a lone Double-crested Cormorant flew quickly by. Unexpectedly, loudspeakers blared at a fundraising event farther up the river.
As we entered Glastonbury Meadows, mostly free of distracting sounds, the fog began to burn off, followed by sunshine and temperatures in the upper 70s; an ideal day for birding. We focused on the marsh area, which has expanded further due to a beaver dam on Hubbard Brook. Our patience was rewarded by vocalizing Soras and Virginia Rails, a few of which we ultimately glimpsed walking among the marsh vegetation close to the dirt road. Chattering Marsh Wrens were heard frequently, some of which perched out in the open to the delight of many birders. We detected 12 in all (heard or seen), suggesting a very successful breeding season at this site. The edge of the overgrown horse pasture had some great birds, including Dickcissel, Grasshopper Sparrow and three Lincolns Sparrows. A Pied-billed Grebe, quite rare for the Meadows, was spotted swimming and diving in a flooded swale in the pasture. We will be sure to check for evidence of nesting next spring, given what seems to be prime habitat for this species.
On our way out, an adult Bald Eagle flew over the Connecticut River, a large flock of Bobolinks passed overhead and a Wilsons Warbler made a momentary appearance in a dense thicket by the river. In all, we saw 60 species.
Respectfully submitted,
Bill Asteriades and Andrew Dasinger
The day was cloudy and cool. Recent rains created some muddy and water logged spots. The leaves were out, so we practiced birding by ear. Only occasionally did we get to see the birds. Seven of us gathered for the Greenstone trip.The roadside started us off with a variety of birds. A Green Heron flew over. Several Yellow Warblers were calling. One Blue-gray Gnatcatcher was sighted. Fully a third of our count was seen before starting down the trail.In the shrubby field we found a scattering of Blue-winged Warblers. This is one of their favored habitats, and one we are trying to maintain. Single Common Yellowthroats and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks were heard.In the marsh we heard an Adler or Willow Flycatcher. Not sure which. Back out at the road we got a pair of Wood Ducks flying over. We got some looks at an American Redstart in a tree, and a small flock of Cedar Waxwings. We had a total of 34 species, including 4 warblers.
Respectfully submitted,
Larry Lunden
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