[CT Birds] 196 species reported to date in CT for 2008

[David Provencher]

196 species have been reported in CT so far in 2008. New species added since
last I posted include the following;

Least Bittern. Early by a solid month. Over-winterer?

Tricolored Heron. Just reported thanks to Bill Banks. A personal favorite of
mine in the Heron/Egret realm. The heron I mean, not Bill. I did not mean
Bill was a heron. Or an Egret either.

Snowy Egret

Glossy Ibis (Start checking for White-faced).

American Golden-Plover. Not so much early as pretty uncommon in CT in Spring
at all. Early birds (or out of season birds) of this species should be
checked for European Golden-Plover (a mega rarity for United States) or even
possibly Pacific Golden-Plover.

Dowitcher species. Either a very early Short-billed or an over-wintering
Long-billed. Listed as Dowitcher species, this designation will be replaced
by whichever Dowitcher species is first positively ID'd in CT for 2008.

White-winged Dove. What to say about this? No question about ID but why
still around after so long? More discussion in Records Committee to follow
no doubt.

White-eyed Vireo. Truly Summer approacheth.

Barn Swallow

And finally Bullock's Oriole. I still haven't had time to study photos
(spent all day I court today, somebody shoot me please) and I still haven't
heard an argument out there for definite hybrid. Good job raising the
question Mark. So still a Bullock's at the moment.

 

Speaking of American Golden-Plover, where does the name "Plover," come from
anyway? The Dictionary of American Bird Names says it is probably from the
Latin, pluvarius, pluvialis, "rainy," or pluvial, "rain." The same book goes
on to state that there seems to be no real good argument for the connection
however. So a Plover by any other name is still a Plover I guess. Can anyone
add more?

 

Good Birding!

 

Dave

 

The current list:

 

Greater White-fronted Goose, Snow Goose, Brant, Canada Goose, Cackling
Goose, Mute Swan, Tundra Swan, Wood Duck, Gadwall, Eurasian Wigeon, American
Wigeon, American Black Duck, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Blue-winged Teal,
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, Barrow's 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, Least Bittern, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret,
Tricolored Heron, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Glossy Ibis

 

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

 

Clapper Rail, Virginia Rail, American Coot, Sandhill Crane

 

Black-bellied Plover, American Golden-Plover, Piping Plover, Killdeer,
American Oystercatcher, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Ruddy
Turnstone, Dunlin, Purple Sandpiper, Sanderling, Western Sandpiper,
Dowitcher species, Wilson's Snipe, American Woodcock

 

Little Gull, Black-headed Gull, 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, White-winged Dove, 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, White-eyed Vireo

 

Blue Jay, American Crow, Fish Crow, Common Raven

 

Horned Lark

 

Tree Swallow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Barn Swallow

 

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

 

Carolina Wren, House Wren, Winter Wren, Marsh Wren

 

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

 

Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, Brown Thrasher

 

European Starling, American Pipit

 

Cedar Waxwing, Bohemian Waxwing

 

Orange-crowned Warbler, 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,
Bullock's Oriole, 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