[CT Birds] "Holiday" Birds

[Jan Collins]

2/15  Westport Area:

Decided to retrace some of Luke Tiller's Sat stops in Westport since I 
couldn't make that walk as I was volunteering as a DEP Master Wildlife 
Conservationist on the Essex Steam Train Eagle Flyer.  We tallied up 20 
species (2/13) on the train route between Essex and Goodspeed including 4 
Eagles near Eagle Landing Park in Haddam, one adult in a tree which I was 
able to scope for the group, many who had never seen an eagle before.

2/15 Compo Beach:  ICELAND GULL, 2 Horned Grebe, lots of other waterfowl 
including nice raft of Scaup, Long-tailed Ducks, Red breasted-mergs and all 
the other usual suspects.  Also may have had a Red-necked Grebe but water 
was pretty choppy so not positive.

Sherwood Island:  1 RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, immature Bald Eagle on the ice 
near the viewing platform who scattered 40+ Mallards and Black Ducks when he 
took off over me and the marsh, plenty more waterfowl including 2 more 
Horned Grebe, and I believe 4 American Pipits on the rocky beach.

Burying Hill Beach:  60+ Ruddy Turnstones and 2 BB Plovers on the pilings at 
high tide trying to "hide" from the many little kids running around, 1 Great 
Cormorant, 7 Common Loons, and the other usual waterfowl including 2 Hooded 
Mergs in the stream. No sign of the Lesser Black-backed but tide was high 
and the gulls were scattered about in the water.

Woodbridge RT 69 marsh near West Rock tunnel:
heard 2 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS along with Red-wings and Crows, also 2 Turkeys in 
someone's backyard along the Wilbur Cross.

Somers:  1 SNOW GOOSE   in with 1200+ Canada Geese in farm pond field near 
Hutton Rd.

Nice day for a holiday to be out birding.
Jan in Somers