[CT Birds] Hammonasset Beach SP 4/30/08 + Gull musings

[Clay Taylor]

Hi all - 

Debbie and I grabbed take-out at Lenny & Joe's and headed over to Hammo.  Eating by the kayak launch parking at Meigs Pt Bath House, one of the Herring Gulls has a fishhook imbedded in its left leg.   The les was still functioning, but the bird wasn't putting a lot of weight in it.   Yuk.

Only two Black-bellied Plovers in the Meigs Parking Lot, no boat-tailed Grackles hanging around the blind or the picnic pavilion.   However, we did have a male Boat-tailed calling in the trees at the traffic circle, between the road and the big marsh.    Since the pair is evidently nest-building at Willard's Island, this would appear to be a second male.    

No peep shorebirds at all.

No Lesser Black-backed Gulls at all.   I am guessing that the nasty weather and E / NE winds of Monday and into Tuesday had a lot to do with bringing the birds in to roost and feed at the park.    It looks like we need to circle the calendar next year and look for migrating LBBGs during nasty weather.     Do Lesser Black-backs feed in with the gull flocks along Long Island Sound?    I don't remember seeing any notes in Dennis' and other birder's reports, but honestly I didn't pay close attention.

Clay Taylor
Moodus, CT
ctaylor at att.net