[CT Birds] #126 Southport Survey

[Dennis Varza]

Survey # 126

The Sky was cloudy with a wind out of the east. The sun was out  
earlier but soon clouded over and started raining by the end. Off  
shore the water started out as calm but became rough .

Most off shore birds were fly by’s. The Scaup and Scoters formed one  
flock. The shorebirds were fly by’s and was the Brant. The  
Bonaparte’s Gulls were bathing at the mouth of Sasco Creek.

The Ruddy Ducks were gone, and walkers were on the golf course  
chasing off any possible ducks. The gulls were difficult. Few birds  
were roosting on the beach. They were either flying about on the  
wind. or hunkered down in the creek out of the wind. Again no first  
winter Ring-biiled Gulls, and Im. Herring Gulls made up 8.6% of the  
birds.


Dennis Varza
Fairfield

Fairfield, Sunken Island, South Pine Creak Beach, Sasco Beach,  
Southport Harbor and Southport Beach 8:25-10:00

Dec/ Jan    	22	27	1	
Tide	        	H	L	H
Brant		0	0	1
Canada Goose	527	450	120
Mute Swan        	3	4	3
Gadwall             	0	6	O
American Black Duck	0	20	14
Mallard              	4	60	8
White-winged Scoter	0	3	2
Long-tailed Duck	1	3	5
Bufflehead         	22	4	5
Common Goldeneye	1	4	0
Hooded Merganser	35	8	2
Red-breasted Merganser	28	26	9
Ruddy Duck        	11	11	0
Red-throated Loon	3	3	0
Common Loon     	5	3	1
Horned Grebe     	0	1	0
Great Cormorant	4	1	4
Sandlering         	0	0	10
Dunlin                	0	0	4
Bonaparte’s Gul l	0	3	32
Ring-billed Gull    	47	29	105
Herring Gull        	46	50	127
Great Black-backed Gull	4	5	7