[CT Birds] Birds Then and Now

[htg1523 at att.net]

A  very good source to see what bird species numbers are on the way up or 
down locally  is  a Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History publication, 'The 
Birds of Guilford Connecticut".  It was published in 1961 and is "An 
Annotated list by Locke Mackenzie". foreward by Roger Tory Peterson.
    I don't know where any might be available. I found a copy at the Book 
Barn in Niantic a couple of weeks ago.    It isn't just a lot of numbers but 
filled with many individuals comments and locations of where and when some 
of the  species were found.
  For instance, "Short-eared Owl-It is rare in Guilford, Bishop relates 
seeing a flock of 16-20 on Oct 17, 1890" and then it goes on to state 
present (1960) status and lists  sightings during the 40s and 50s.
  A well worth read.
Hank Golet
Old Lyme
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Carrier Graphics" <carriergraphics at sbcglobal.net>
To: <ctbirds at lists.ctbirding.org>
Sent: Wednesday, April 02, 2008 10:36 PM
Subject: [CT Birds] Birds Then and Now


> Birds Then and Now
>
>    While observing two adult Great Black-backed Gulls at the Bristol 
> Reservoir #7 today, I got to thinking. . .
>    A mere 50 years ago, this large Gull was not often seen inland in 
> Connecticut, and for that mater, was not a common bird at the shoreline 
> either .
>
>    This thought brought me to a question; What other birds have changed 
> their numbers, plus or minus, during the past 50 years here in 
> Connecticut?
>
> My first recolection was seeing my lifer Northern Cardinal back in 1954 in 
> a vacant lot in West Hartford while walking to school. (Yes, back then we 
> actually did walk to school.) Cardinals had just started to be seen here 
> in CT back then. Likewise, the Titmouse I saw for the first time at my 
> feeder in 1956, was also a new resident bird for CT. Both these species 
> had just entered CT as breeders from the south.
> And how about this one. On a 1955 winter school science field trip to 
> someones bird feeders in Rocky Hill, we encountered over 200 Evening 
> Grosbeaks! The owner said she had been getting this many Grosbeaks at her 
> feeders regularly for many years! They sure arn’t regular here anymore.
>
> Amazing how quickly certain bird species can increase or decrease within 
> such a short time span.
> Be it from natural or man made causes, our fauna and flora is always in a 
> constent state of change. Do any other examples of bird changes for you in 
> Connecticut come to mind?
>
> Paul Carrier
>
>
>
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