American Avocet, Milford Point 8/31/19

On August 30th, local birder Hugh Whelan reported TWO AMERICAN AVOCETS at Milford Point! But then somebody found THREE! So there I was at Milford Point today in search of the avocets.

Weather: Sunny. 81 F. High Tide.

Overview: 

We drove to Milford Point and got my scope and camera to go to the Wheeler Marsh platform,  a birder came out and told me they just flew out. We  went to the platform at the sandbars with many other birders. Then all of the birders left. A birder named Paul, went walking to the sandbars, where the Avocets were. There were many other birders including, Jason Rieger, Chris Wood, and William Batsford.  I set my scope up to look at the birds, and there they were, the 3 AMERICAN AVOCETS AND 3 WHIMBREL! Also, Black-bellied Plovers, American Oystercatcher, and Common Loon. We stayed for a while, then Paul had to leave, so I stayed with Jason and Chris. I got some good photos of the Avocets. Then we left. While walking back we heard a Clapper Rail. The avocets were very cool and also they were a lifer! But another cool thing is that this is the first time that 3 avocets have been recorded at the same time and place in Connecticut!

Photos:

Whimbrel 

Whimbrel

The Avocets!

Whimbrel 

Avocet #1

The Avocets agian!

Avocet #1

Whimbrel 

The Avocets

Avocets!

Avocet #2

Avocet

Avocet #1

Avocet #1

The Avocets

Avocets #1 and 2

Avocet

Black-bellied Plover

More BBPL

Avocet

Whimbrel

Avocets

Avocet #3

AMAV #3

Avocet 3

Avocet w/ BBPL

Avocet #1 and 2




Well I ended up with 1 lifer #232

- Tony

Hammo 8/27/19

Today I went to Hammo in search of the Baird's and Buff-breasted Sandpiper. 

Weather: Sunny with a slight overcast. 

Overview:
We arrived at 9:00, and quickly drove to the West End. Where the Baird's and Buff-breasted Sandpiper were yesterday. We quickly found the Baird's Sandpiper. Lifer #231! I grabbed some shots of the bird. Then we went to the West End Fields to look for the Buff-breasted Sandpiper. We searched for a while but no luck. We then went to Meigs Point. Where there was a bunch of Canadian Geese and Tree Swallows. A few Ring-billed, Herring, and Great black-backed Gull were in the flock, but no Buffy Sandpiper! I looked at the pond on the right of the Meigs Point parking lot and found a Little Blue Heron, a new county bird. We left Meig's Point to go back to see the Baird's Sandpiper and look again for the Buffy. No luck with the Buffy. So we left. UPDATE: AS I AM WRITING THIS POST SOMEBODY FOUND THE BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER!!!. 

Baird's Sandpiper

Baird's Sandpiper

Baird's Sandpiper

Least Sandpiper

Least Sandpiper

Herring Gull

Killdeer

Osprey

Mute Swan family

Double-crested Cormorant 

Great-black Backed Gull

Canada Goose honking

Milford Point and Sandy Point 8/18

Hey y'all,
Today I went to Sandy Point with Eli Holton and then to Milford Point. 

Weather: cloudy then sunny. Temperature: 90 F

Overview of Sandy Point:
We picked Eli up from the Eli Whitney Museum than drove to Sandy Point. When we arrived we quickly got out of the car. Once we entered on to the trail we were getting bit by mosquitoes. Right away we saw a Marsh Wren and a Bank Swallow! Both lifers for me! We moved on to the pond area where we saw a few Clapper Rails, Yellow-crowned Night Herons, Greater Yellowlegs, and a Lesser Yellowlegs, a lifer for me!   We ran into Sean Milnes. We then looked out into the LIS where we saw a few Common Terns, Black bellied plovers, Semipalmated Plovers, and the other usual suspects, including Fiddler Crabs! We left without seeing the previously reported Whimbrel. While we were walking back we ran into Greg Hanisek.
                                                            Sandy Point Photos:

Great Blue Heron

Fiddler Crab

Tagged American Oystercatcher

 Black-bellied Plover

Herring Gull

Molting male Black-bellied Plover

Black-bellied Plover

                                                                       Milford Point:

After Sandy Point we went to Milford Point. First we went to the Wheeler Marsh platform by the parking lot, and Eli found a Yellow-crowned Night Heron. Then we were joined at the platform by Jo Fasciolo, who found a Short-billed Dowitcher, a lifer for me, and then found a Spotted Sandpiper. We made our way to the sandbars. There were tons of Ruddy Turnstones, Semipalmated Plovers, and Semipalmated Sandpipers. We moved onto to another spot that had least  1,000 Semipalmated Sandpipers, 15 Sanderlings, 20 Semipalmated Plovers, and 1 Piping Plover. Further down the sand bar Jo found a Red Knot! A few passersby flushed the bird so I didn't see it, but Eli did. We moved on to the tern colony. There was the continuing Brant, Great black-backed Gulls, Laughing Gulls, American Oystercatchers, Common and Least Tern. Eli found himself a Roseate Tern! A lifer for him. I found another Roseate Tern, then shortly after Jo found a Solitary Sandpiper, lifer for Eli and year bird for me! We moved onto to another spot where there were a lot of Black-bellied Plovers, Semipalmated Plovers and Short-billed Dowitchers. Eli re-found the Red Knot! The flock flew off and finally I saw the Red Knot in flight! Lifer!!!
                                                                             Milford Point Photos:
                                                                                                

Me (left), Eli (right)

                                                                                   

Semipalmated Sandpiper

Semipalmated Sandpiper

Barn Swallow

Dead Horseshoe Crab tag

Semipalmated Plover

American Oystercatchers

Continuing Brant

Baby Least Tern

Mute Swan

Mute Swan

Black-bellied Plover

Well today was very successful! 2 lifers for Eli, 5 for me
- Tony