[CT Birds] 165 species reportedin CT to date during 2008

[David Provencher]

The addition of Cackling Goose, King Eider, and notably Broad-winged Hawk
brings the total to 165 species reported in CT in 2008. Broad-winged Hawks
in the northeast during winter are very rare indeed, and for many years
reports of them were considered erroneous.

 

We are officially in the doldrums of mid-winter. Reports of new species for
the year are going to be thin until at least March. Still there are
possibilities out there. I remain certain that both House Wren and Common
Yellowthroat are probably somewhere in the state. Other species that will
likely be found at some point include Barrow's Goldeneye and Golden Eagle.
Depending on weather conditions, there are some good birds still around that
we could pick up. Black Guillemots have been reported off Long Island and as
far south as the Carolinas. This is a coastal alcid and while Long Island
Sound does not offer prime alcid habitat (to be sure) this is one that will
show up in CT waters again at some point in the future. Common Murre reports
have been occurring in RI with some regularity and this species, though one
of the more pelagic Atlantic alcids, could be added to the CT list some time
soon. Good birding everyone.

 

Dave

 

Species currently probably/possibly in CT but not yet reported include:
Tundra Swan, Blue-winged Teal, Barrow's Goldeneye, Golden Eagle, American
Woodcock, Black-headed Gull, Black-legged Kittiwake, Snowy Owl, House Wren,
Common Yellowthroat, Vesper Sparrow, Sharp-tailed Sparrows, Seaside Sparrow,
and Dickcissel. Any species in a sensitive location, such as the Rufous
Hummingbird that is listed below, can be reported to me directly.

 

The current list:

 

Greater White-fronted Goose, Snow Goose, Brant, Canada Goose, Cackling
Goose, Mute Swan, Wood Duck, Gadwall, Eurasian Wigeon, American Wigeon,
American Black Duck, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler,
Green-winged Teal, Canvasback, Redhead, Ring-necked Duck, Greater Scaup,
Lesser Scaup, King Eider, Common Eider, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter,
Black Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Hooded
Merganser, Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Ruddy Duck

 

Ring-necked Pheasant, Ruffed Grouse, Wild Turkey

 

Red-throated Loon, Common Loon, Pied-billed Grebe, Horned Grebe, Red-necked
Grebe

 

Northern Gannet, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Cormorant, American
Bittern, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Black-crowned Hight-Heron

 

Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, Sharp-shinned
Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Northern Goshawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Broad-winged
Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Rough-legged Hawk, American Kestrel, Merlin,
Peregrine Falcon

 

Clapper Rail, Virginia Rail, American Coot, Black-bellied Plover, Killdeer,
Greater Yellowlegs, Ruddy Turnstone, Dunlin, Purple Sandpiper, Sanderling,
Wilson's Snipe

 

Bonaparte's Gull, Ring-billed Gull, Herring Gull, Iceland Gull, Lesser
Black-backed Gull, Glaucous Gull, Great Black-backed Gull

 

Razorbill

 

Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Monk Parakeet

 

Barn Owl*, Eastern Screech-Owl, Great Horned Owl, Barred Owl, Long-eared
Owl, Short-eared Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl

 

Rufous Hummingbird *, Belted Kingfisher

 

Red-headed Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker,
Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker

 

Eastern Phoebe

 

Northern Shrike

 

Blue Jay, American Crow, Fish Crow, Common Raven

 

Horned Lark

 

Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Sheez!)

 

Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Red-breasted Nuthatch,
White-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper

 

Carolina Wren, Winter Wren, Marsh Wren

 

Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Eastern Bluebird, Hermit
Thrush, American Robin

 

Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, Brown Thrasher

 

European Starling, American Pipit

 

Cedar Waxwing, Bohemian Waxwing

 

Nashville Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Pine Warbler, Palm Warbler,
Yellow-breasted Chat

 

Eastern Towhee, American Tree Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Field Sparrow,
Savannah Sparrow (including "Ipswich Sparrow"), Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow,
Lincoln's Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, 

White-throated Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco (including
Oregon Junco), Lapland Longspur, Snow Bunting

 

Northern Cardinal

 

Red-winged Blackbird, Eastern Meadowlark, Rusty Blackbird, Common Grackle,
Boat-tailed Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird, Baltimore Oriole

 

Pine Grosbeak, Purple Finch, House Finch, Red Crossbill, White-winged
Crossbill, Common Redpoll, Hoary Redpoll, Pine Siskin, American Goldfinch,
Evening Grosbeak

 

House Sparrow

 

* At undisclosed sensitive location