[CT Birds] 169 species reported to date in CT

[David Provencher]

The addition of Black Guillemot (thanks for making me look good after my
prediction Patrick!), Vesper Sparrow, Western Tanager, and Yellow-headed
Blackbird bring the total number of species reported for CT in 2008 to 169.
For those who care about such things, January 2008 produced 167 species
reported in CT. It's possible that not all species seen have been reported
yet. Sometimes folks are very protective of good January birds (such as
Common Yellowthroat) due to the friendly listing competition.

 

The month of February can be a quiet time for bird reports but there is
still the opportunity to find good stuff out there. Just look at Mark's
Yellow-headed Blackbird or Patrick's Guillemot. Nick Bonomo has pointed out
the cool rarities around us in neighboring states. The Red-shouldered Hawks
I saw today were acting territorial again, so Spring can't be far off. By
the way, it's pretty warm today and if any Woodcock are still in CT, they
might be displaying this evening.

 

Remember, luck favors the prepared, so expect the unexpected! With Western
Tanagers in CT and MA, and Scott's Oriole in NY City, there is a very good
chance of something else from the west in our backyard. Good birding
everyone.

 

Dave

 

Some of the species currently possible 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, Thick-billed Murre,
Snowy Owl, House Wren, Common Yellowthroat, 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, Black Guillemot

 

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

 

Western Tanager

 

Eastern Towhee, American Tree Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Field Sparrow,
Vesper 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, Yellow-headed Blackbird, 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