[CT Daily] 03/22/2008

[Roy Harvey]

Note 1:  I mentioned a couple of days ago that we have a new email
address for rare bird reports, ctbirdreport at ftml.net.  Unfortunately
the problems with the old address are getting worse.  Reports to the
old address might be lost, so please use the new address.  Thanks!

Note 2: Frank Mantlik posted a timely reminder over on the CTBirds
list that I think is worth repeating here.

"Just a reminder that March 23 marks the one year anniversary that
Larry Flynn photographed a SMITH'S LONGSPUR at Sherwood Is. S.P. (a
great rarity in CT).  It may not be a bad idea to check some grassy
fields, coastal or inland, this weekend, given all the big west winds
of the past 2 days."

Note 3: When I visited Long Beach in Stratford today there weren't any
of the No Trespassing signs  at the end of the parking area reported
about ten days ago, and there were people taking the long walk west.


 From Karen Fiske:
3/22 - South Windsor, Station 43 -- pair of NORTHERN SHOVELER, 3 pairs
of NORTHERN PINTAIL, 9:00 - 10:00am.

 From Paul Cianfaglione and Tom Sayers:
3/22 - Farmington, Farmington Meadows -- 1 SNOW BUNTING, 2 EASTERN
MEADOWLARK, 1 imm. WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW.
3/22 - Canton, Canton feeder -- 32 COMMON REDPOLL. 

 From Paul Cianfaglione:
3/22 - South Windsor, Station 43 -- 8 BLUE-WINGED TEAL (4 male, 4
female), 9 NORTHERN SHOVELER (7 male, 2 female), 1 female LESSER
SCAUP.

 From Bruce Finnan:
3/22 - Bridgeport, Seaside Park -- Drake Eurasian Wigeon in the duck
pond.
Stratford, Long Beach -- Tundra Swan in the marsh behind Long
Beach.  The Tundra Swan was not initially visible when I arrived at
Long Beach.  I noticed it an hour or so later when I was leaving at
approx 2:30.  Also at Long Beach were 12 Boat-tailed Grackles, and a
large flock of Bonaparte's Gulls too far out to discern anything mixed
in with them other than a few large gulls.

 From Rick Macsuga:
3/22 - Madison, Hammonassett State Park -- Megs Point, Iceland Gull;
Nature center Field, Eastern MeadowLark; 
Old Saybrook, North Cove -- Rough-Legged Hawk.

 From Olive Wysocki:
3/22 - Milford,  Audbon Centre -- Common Redpolls.
Stratford, Marshes (from Long Beach Car Park) -- Boat Tailed Grackles
(close to Sand Dunes), Tundra Swan

 From Frank Mantlik:
3/22 - Westport, Hillspoint Rd., Sherwood Millpond from town Canoe
Launch (old Allen's), 4:20 pm -- at least 7 NORTHERN SHOVELERS (5
male).
3/22 - Stratford, foot of Cove Pl. (Park Blvd.) 5-6 pm -- 1000's of
gulls (3000?): 1000 BONAPARTE'S, 2000 Ring-billed, 1000 Herring -
swimming/feeding on ?plankton, as well as larger gulls using bills to
scape food (barnacle spat?) off recently-exposed rocks. Several
thousand more gulls resting on low-tide bars off Short Beach.  Despite
looking through all this larid biomass, I could not find any unusual
species.  But still quite a sight.

 From Paul Nyhan:
3/22 - Orange, Club Rd -- 3 FOX SPARROW under my feeder. First
appeared about ten days ago.

 From Paul Carrier:
3/21 - ?????, Nepaug reservoir -- 4 BLACK SCOTERS.

 From Ted Gilman (for Brian Bielfelt):
3/20 - Greenwich, Audubon Center -- COMMON RAVEN  2 flying over
Kimberlin Nature Center building.