Today at Hop Brook Lake in Naugatuck, a consistent nesting place for Cooper's Hawks, two adults had begun the early stage of courtship. A couple of single resonant clucking notes caught my attention, and after thinking about it for a moment I realized Cooper's were in the woods near a large turf field. I slowly walked in their direction when what I assumed was the male flew across the opening displaying its flared under tail coverts and moving with very slow stylized wingbeats. When in full display this can be an extended bout of circling and agitated calling, but in this case the displaying bird went straight across and disappeared in the trees. Then the female (based on large size), assumed an exposed perch in a tall deciduous tree and continued calling, while the presumed male called less frequently from the opposite side of the field. Greg Hanisek Waterbury

Reading Greg's note this morning about courting Coops reminded me that in yesterday's warm temps the Red-winged Blackbirds that have been frequenting our feeder this winter were all in full song. Even though we are still in the first half of February things are moving in the avian world. A couple of days ago I was speaking with a friend who moved to Florida (many or you will remember Jayne, a superb CT rehabber) and she now has returning Purple Martins back in her martin houses down there. The reality is many migratory birds are on the move already and many more will be very shortly. Some species, such as Veery, may not really ever stop moving except for very brief periods... and nesting of course. Warm spells such as the current one we are experiencing, combined with the increasing length of daylight, can suddenly shake up our bird landscape. Migration is triggered more by increasing hours of daylight than by rising temperatures but a sudden warm spell can spur wintering birds to change addresses. So we should not now expect what we have been finding in the field to necessarily be the same. Yes in late February there is a period when it seems like birds are leaving and no new one are arriving, however this is a sign that things are moving not just away from us but also towards us. Soon Woodcock will seemingly be "peenting" everywhere, rafts of ducks such as Goldeneyes will have all the drakes tossing their heads back trying to impress the girls, Phoebes will appear out of nowhere setting up shop, and many more raptors such as Red-shoulders will be courting. Indeed, a few years ago around this time I was fortunate enough to find courting American Goshawks in North Stonington. Yes, it's February in New England and the landscape is still mainly just shades of gray and brown, but migration has begun and the birds are coming. I'm ready for them and I'm sure so are you. Dave Dave Provencher Preston On Fri, Feb 9, 2024, 5:57 PM Gregory Hanisek via CTBirds < ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> wrote: > Today at Hop Brook Lake in Naugatuck, a consistent nesting place for > Cooper's Hawks, two adults had begun the early stage of courtship. A > couple of single resonant clucking notes caught my attention, and after > thinking about it for a moment I realized Cooper's were in the woods near a > large turf field. I slowly walked in their direction when what I assumed > was the male flew across the opening displaying its flared under tail > coverts and moving with very slow stylized wingbeats. When in full display > this can be an extended bout of circling and agitated calling, but in this > case the displaying bird went straight across and disappeared in the trees. > Then the female (based on large size), assumed an exposed perch in a tall > deciduous tree and continued calling, while the presumed male called less > frequently from the opposite side of the field. > > Greg Hanisek > Waterbury > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via email, send an email with just "join" or > "leave" in the subject or body to: ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org > > CTBirds, a service of Connecticut Ornithological Association - Bringing > birders together statewide. Please support COA: > https://www.ctbirding.org/join-us/ > > CTBirds is for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For > list rules and subscription information visit: > https://www.ctbirding.org/birds-birding/ct-birds-email-list/ >