[CT Birds] Make that SIX LBBGs!

[Clay Taylor]

Monday, April 28, 2008
Hammonasset Beach SP
5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
Boat-tailed Grackle
White-rumped Sandpiper


Hi All -

A soggy but fun day at Hammonasset Beach S.P. today - I stopped in on my way back from running an errand to Guilford.    As I drove up to the West Beach Parking lot, I immediately spotted a medium-dark backed gull in with the usual Herring and Ring-billed Gulls.   It was no bigger than any of the Herrings, and as I pulled up to it I saw the light eye, yellowish legs (not really bright, though), some streaking still on the neck - definitely a Lesser Black-backed Gull.   Cool!   Only my third one ever at Hammo.    I noticed that its bill was a combination of yellow and a lot of black markings, and that the bird's primary coverts were still old feathers, although most of the mantle feathers were fresh looking.   I took a bunch of photos until a car drove by and it flew down to the west and landed in the grassy area over near where Gerry Connolly was finding all the sparrows last fall.   I didn't pursue it, but I did call the Fat Robin and told Carol about the bird.

I drove the grassy area between the Swan Pond (aka Chase Pond) and the campground, and then crossed the main road into the Mud Lot (where everybody parked this winter to see the crossbills).   There were 40 -50 gulls walking the grasses, feeding on whatever was there, and lo and behold, another LBBG!   This one was MUCH nicer, with a complete wing molt, and much yellower bill.   More pictures, and another call to Carol.

Onward to Meig's Point, where there were 18 Black-bellied Plovers in the parking lot, and on to my intended quarry - the Boat-tailed Grackle.   I immediately found it feeding in the grasses right next to where the road takes a 90-degree turn into the picnic pavilion parking lot (also called Clock Tower by the park personnel - it's a long story)    The bird was feeding right next to a male Common Grackle, but by the time I got the camera stuck out the window, it got shy and flew past me to the edge of the East Marsh.   There was a female Boat-tailed on the grasses, too, and I could swear that a second one flew by, but after that I only saw one female.   Anybody else seen two?

The domed head of the male Boat-tail was pretty hard to miss, and his flight call was totally unlike the squawks of the Common Grackles.   I subsequently heard the male doing that unmistakable call (reminds me of Florida....) a few times, and he and the female would alternately feed on the ground and fly off past the outhouse.

Back on the other side of the Photo Blind Marsh, and the BB Plover flock was now 20, and as I drove up to the top of the parking lot to position the car so the rain didn't give my camera a bath, there was ANOTHER LBBG!    This one had about 30% of its adult back feathers, the majority of the wing coverts were immature, the bill was a sooty mess, and the head was still pretty heavily streaked.    Amazing.

After a few dozen more photos (I actually had to back the car up to get the entire bird into the frame!) I went looking for the BB Plovers, and now found 23.    Hmmm....mitosis?    They covered the plumage range from immature basic to various stages of breeding (alternate) plumages, with none being full alt.

OK, one last cruise back to the West Pavilion before leaving, and HOLY COW, there are FIVE LBBGs standing together!!!   I photographed them in sequence, and then moved closer to get individual photos.  By now, my head was spinning.   The bird from Meig's Point was not there, so that made SIX for the day.    Wow.

Even on a rainy day, there is always traffic at Hammo, but why do those non-birders delight so in deliberately driving through the standing gull flocks?    It's a good thing I didn't have an RPG with me....

A last swing to the west, and there were six peeps and a slightly larger sandpiper in the flooded grasses - there's TA's White-rumped Sandpiper!   Way cool!    I got some really neat photos of it as it fed in the pouring rain, its back covered in glistening raindrops.

That was enough excitement for one day, and more than enough birds with hyphens in their names.

Clay Taylor
Moodus, CT
ctaylor at att.net