[CT Birds] 1/23/08 Birds at Hammo - W. Tanager, Yes

[Clay Taylor]

All -

When I found the Western Tanager last year in East Haddam, it definitely was
hanging around with a mixed flock of wintering species - deedees, juncos,
etc.    The problem there was that they were always seen at the terminus of
the powerline which extended for about a mile to the east.   "The Flock" was
traveling up and down the powerline, and it was only when it hit the end of
the habitat an reversed direction that it could be seen by birders (BTW -
Phil Rusch saw it on the Monday after I found it).

Anyway, if you find the feeding flock, you have a better shot at finding the
bird.

Clay Taylor
Moodus, CT
ctaylor at att.net

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <james.bair at snet.net>
To: "CT Birding Listserv" <ctbirds at lists.ctbirding.org>
Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2008 5:12 PM
Subject: [CT Birds] 1/23/08 Birds at Hammo - W. Tanager, Yes


> >From Jim Bair
> 1/28/08 - Madison, Hammonassett Beach State Park -- 1 WESTERN TANAGER
>
> Bird seen by 5 of us from about 2:40 to 2:50 p.m. In the campground area
look for a flock of feeder birds in the vicinity of Camp site #1 or Camp
site #30 (they are not that far from each other). This flock seems to hang
around there and grows and diminishes in size as the day goes on. In the
hour and a half I was there I saw Chickadees, Juncoes, House Finches, and
White-Throats the whole time with visits from Goldfinches, Robins, a
Yellow-Rump, a Mockingbird, and a Northern Harrier in addition to the
Tanager. Another birder saw a Golden-Crowned Kinglet. If you are patient
staking this flock out, then hopefully the Tanager will appear.
>
> Bird list from Hammo:
> Horned Grebe  Canada Goose  N. Harrier  Herring Gull  Ring-Billed Gull
Rock Dove  N. Flicker  Am. Crow  Horned Lark  B-C Chickadee  Am. Robin  N.
Mockingbird  Starling  Yellow-Rumped Warbler  Western Tanager  N. Cardinal
D-E Junco  White-Throated Sparrow  House Finch  Am. Goldfinch
>
> Checked out as best I could the two flocks of Horned Lark, but did not
come up with anything other than Lark.
> _______________________________________________
> This list is provided by the Connecticut Ornithological Association (COA)
for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut.
> For subscription information visit
http://lists.ctbirding.org/mailman/listinfo/ctbirds_lists.ctbirding.org