From Greg Hanisek, Randy Domina, Roy Harvey
3/30 Bridgeport, Seaside Park - dark morph ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK hunting over capped landfill; 9 Ospreys migrating E along beach during about a 30-minute period; 8 Great Egrets. Gulllsss (see below)
Stratford, Long Beach - 1st cycle GLAUCOUS GULL, 2 PIPING PLOVERS, 6 Great Egrets, plus 5 male BOAT-TAILED GRACKLES near entrance to Sikorsky Airport
Stratford, seawall - c. 3 ad N. GANNETS
Stratford, Short Beach - 1 AMERICAN KESTREL, one SNOWY EGRET; one ad N. GANNET. Gulllsss (see below)
Milford, Merwin Point - 2 N. SHOVELERS (2 male, 1 female); one American Oystercatcher
Milford Point - 2 pairs of Am. Oystercatchers; one female N. Pintail on gravel bars with Black Ducks; 3 Great Egrets, 1 AM. PIPIT on Piping Plover bar
GULLS - very large numbers off Seaside Park, Bridgeport, along with about 3,000 Greater Scaup and 500+ Brant. There were 4,000-5,000 gulls (at least 75 percent Ring-billed and very few Great Black-blacked ) visible off the promenade but many more farther out to the SW. At times the air was full of very distant gulls at a point where you couldn't see what was on the water.
Short Beach, Stratford - a fairly good estimate of 8,000 gulls (again at least 75 percent Ring-billed and few Great Black-backed) on the beach and bars toward Milford Point at low tide. We found one 1st cycle GLAUCOUS GULL in the masses.
Milford Point - We went there later when the tide was higher. On the bars immediately in front of the Sound-side viewing platform were c 2,000 gulls (same percentages) including 2 first-cycle ICELAND GULLS.
We hit all the Milford-W. Haven spots - Bradley Point, Oyster River, American Legion beach, Pond Point beach, Gulf Pond. Did not see one Bonaparte's Gull.
Did I mention it was WINDY!!!