[CT Birds] NW Hills, Dec. 23

[Scott Baron]

Hello, birders.

I'm trying to squeeze in some birding while visiting
family.  I've been following w/ interest the great
birds being seen in Conn. so far this season.

On Sunday I braved the drizzle and fog to look for
northern goodies in the NW Hills, from Litchfield to
North Canaan.  The highlights:

RING-NECKED PHEASANT, 1 male
RUFFED GROUSE, 1
These 2 birds were seen w/in a minute of each other in
Canaan along Barnes Rd. 1/2 mile E of Rte. 63, or
about 1 mile W of Under Mountain Rd.  This spot is
just E of the "dangerous curve" sign.  I wonder if the
pheasant is truly wild or a recent introduction?  It
was walking parallel to the road just a few feet off
the S side of the road.  The grouse flushed from the
woods on the other side of the road.

YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, 1 imm. near the intersection
of routes 43 and 63 in Cornwall.

FOX SPARROW, 1 under feeders near the bird blind w/
other sparrows.

COMMON REDPOLL
2 at office feeders at White Memorial Foundation in
Litchfield.  They were mixed w/ House Finches and
Goldfinches.  There may have been more than 2
initially.

I stopped at Hageman Shean Rd. in Goshen in dense fog.
 At the first stop, I heard at least 3 redpolls just
into the woods on the N side of the road.  I could not
find these birds despite the fact that they were not
far into the woods.  This was at the second telephone
pole on the right side as you drive W from East Street
North.

Merry Christmas!

Scott Baron
Fairfax, Va.


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