[CT Birds] Western Tanager Hammo

[greg hanisek]

>From Greg Hanisek, Neil Currie, Randy Domina
   
  1/21 Madison, Hammonasset State Park - WESTERN TANAGER along with 3 Pine Warblers, a Fox Sparrow, a Red-breasted Nuthatch, a Brown Creeper, several Yellow-rumped Warblers and lots of robins, white-throats and juncos. American Bittern at Meigs Point blind.
   
       We found the bird between 1:30 and 2 p.m. along the eastern edge of the campground, adjacent to the park entrance road. We'd stopped along the road to look for the Pine Warbler that has been seen about half way between the toll booths and the main rotary. Most of the bird activity was on the campground side of the trees lining the west side of the entrance road, because that was the sunny side. We walked into the campground and saw the tanager among the birds listed above.
       Over about a five-minute period we saw it three times as it alternately dropped to the ground and flew into red-cedar trees. My initial impression was female but it's possible someone getting a closer look will determine it to be a first-winter male. I don't think the back was dark enough to be an adult male. The bird was very brightly lit by afternoon light, so we probably got an exaggerated impression of its brightness, but it appeared very yellow on the head, breast, undertail coverts and rump; the back was dingier contrasting with the head and rump; the wings appeared quite dark with white covert bars and tertial edges. However, I'm not sure I saw the upper bar well enough to say in didn't have any yellow tones. The bill was stout and rather short and was pale. In the strong light it took on an almost pinkish cast.
      We lost the bird but found other birders in the park and got out the information. When we left at 3 p.m., at least 2 people believed they had gotten a brief look.
       There was a report from about a week ago of a bird believed to be a female Western Tanager at Hammo that was not circulated on the list. This apparently is that bird. Perhaps some other information on that sighting will eventually be posted. I only have that second- hand at the moment. I was aware of the report but had actually forgotten about it until this bird popped up in front of us. Often better to be lucky than good!
   
  Greg Hanisek
  Waterbury