A Bird Sanctuary In Killingworth, CT Pt. II

The sanctuary for birds over time has continued to evolve and entertain.

The Northern Cardinal with Blue Jay above (image 1) was photographed at Casa Almeida in February 2017.

It was fairly quickly learned that the feeders used to attract wildlife didn't entice just the birds. In mid-winter as the squirrels appeared to become more numerous, they became destructive and a disturbance to the winged creatures.

The Carolina Wren above (image 2) was photographed at Casa Almeida in February 2017.

The Gray Squirrel above (image 3) was photographed at Casa Almeida in February 2017.

The Common Grackle above (image 4) was photographed at Casa Almeida in April 2017.

Eastern Bluebirds briefly investigated a pair of bird houses that had been hung for them but the squirrels were even more so interested in what was inside. The chewing on the holes of the homes by the squirrels made the boxes of no interest to the birds.

The Song Sparrow above (image 5) was photographed at Casa Almeida in April 2017.

The Northern Flicker above (image 6) was photographed at Casa Almeida in April 2017.

The Northern Flicker above (image 7) was photographed at Casa Almeida in April 2017.

The squirrels were often observed through a window which on one occasion allowed the photography of a Carolina Wren seen in the Killingworth sanctuary over only a few day's time. A few of the birds appeared angry due to being harassed by the squirrels though it is merely their particular nature. The Brown Creeper was observed only in the Winter.

The House Finch above (image 8) was photographed at Casa Almeida in April 2017.

The Downy Woodpecker above (image 9) was photographed at Casa Almeida in April 2017.

The Eastern Bluebird above (image 10) was photographed at Casa Almeida in April 2017.

In addition to the squirrels destroying all the plastic feeders despite my best effort to keep the feeders available using parts from one and another with duct tape, they were eating the buds of the rhododendrons thought to be ravaged only by White-tailed deer. The Chipmunks appear attracted to digging in disturbed ground while doing even more damage to the plants and other vegetation.

The Chipmunk above (image 11) was photographed at Casa Almeida in April 2017.

The Turkey Vulture above (image 12) was photographed at Casa Almeida in April 2017.

The Red-shouldered Hawk with prey above (image 13) was photographed at Casa Almeida in April 2017.

The extremely effective design and effectiveness of traps made for the capturing and relocation of small mammals by the Havahart company cannot be understated. Numbers mentioned in this blog might not be believed.

The copulating Red-bellied Woodpecker above (image 14) was photographed at Casa Almeida in April 2017.

The American Robin above (image 15) was photographed at Casa Almeida in April 2017.

The Northern Cardinal above (image 16) was photographed at Casa Almeida in April 2017.

It has been extraordinary to capture a pair of Chipmunks in the same Havahart trap on two different occasions. Photos will be available to view in the last of this series of blog articles with emphasis on backyard birding.

The Red-shouldered Hawk above (image 17) was photographed at Casa Almeida in April 2017.

The European Starling above (image 18) was photographed at Casa Almeida in April 2017.

The Wild Turkey above (image 19) was photographed at Casa Almeida in April 2017.

Travel was made to the Jersey Shore in April offering an encounter with the White-throated Sparrow which was a life bird for me. All of the other bird species seen in Jersey have been at the feeders in Killingworth. A Red-shouldered Hawk nest had been re-constructed in the 2017 season with a fledgling off the nest a mere two days ago from this publication making emphasis of success with prey obviously found just a little bit further away.

The Pine Warbler above (image 20) was photographed at Casa Almeida in April 2017.

The Red-shouldered Hawk above (image 21) was photographed at Casa Almeida in April 2017.

The Brown-headed Cowbird above (image 22) was photographed at Casa Almeida in April 2017.

A Gypsy moth outbreak in Connecticut in the 2017 Spring season might be considered a plague after a couple of years of drier conditions favorable for the decades long invasion. The National Audubon Society has taken the ridiculous position of advocating for the extremely destructive pest which will be mentioned again in the last post of this series.

The Turkey Vulture above (image 23) was photographed at Casa Almeida in April 2017.

The Chipping Sparrow above (image 24) was photographed at Casa Almeida in April 2017.

The White-throated Sparrow above (image 25) was photographed at Casa Kuzminski in April 2017.

Please be sure to be reminded about this Wildlife Blog with the email gadget located at the top of the page.

The Red-shouldered Hawk above (image 26) was photographed at Casa Almeida in April 2017.

The Pileated Woodpecker above (image 27) was photographed at Casa Almeida in April 2017.

Please also see A Bird Sanctuary In Killingworth, CT Pt. I
Please also see A Bird Sanctuary In Killingworth, CT Pt. III
Please also see A Bird Sanctuary In Killingworth, CT Pt. IV

Rare American Flamingo Lingers At New Pass

Now is a good time to again be reminded that it is not a good idea to ever look directly at the sun.

The Laughing Gull above (image 1) was photographed at New Pass in July 2015.

With luck, for good or bad, a Laughing Gull's trajectory had it pass directly in front of the rising sun. One should certainly prefer to have a subject like this pass in front of the 400,000 times dimmer full moon.

The Brown Pelican with American Oystercatcher above (image 2) was photographed at New Pass in July 2015.

The Tricolored Heron with American Oystercatcher above (image 3) was photographed at New Pass in July 2015.

Our eyes certainly tell us of the danger if we look at the sun. It's also particularly not a good idea to look at the sun through the viewfinder of a camera where you may be observing the extremely bright orb magnified. Such was the case on my 17 July effort to observe a very uncommon American Flamingo that had settled down at the southern end of Lovers Key State Park at New Pass.

The Great White Heron above (image 4) was photographed at New Pass in July 2015.

The American Oystercatcher above (image 5) was photographed at New Pass in July 2015.

Photography while looking in the general direction of the sun is rarely preferred. Through experimentation you may find that the sun at your back is ideal. Note the value of the Golden Hour, Blue Hour, and Twilights. Although the birds were initially mere silhouettes, it was unmistakably clear that four of them were American Oystercatcher as indicated by their display calls.

The American Oystercatcher above (image 6) was photographed at New Pass in July 2015.

The Great Blue Heron above (image 7) was photographed at New Pass in July 2015.

After about an hour with no luck in finding the flamingo, I set out for National Audubon's Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary where Ghost Orchids live and bloom in early summer. The orchid species at the Swamp had been reported in the local news a couple of weeks earlier. That passage of time unfortunately led to blooms that looked long since peaked.

The Osprey above (image 8) was photographed at New Pass in July 2015.

The Seashore mallow above (image 9) was photographed at National Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in July 2015.

It was relatively quiet for bird activity along the boardwalk. The first species seen/ heard was a Northern Cardinal. Prolific as well were Red-bellied Woodpecker and Carolina Wren. A pair of Pileated Woodpecker were heard distant from one another. The wrens were ridiculously melodious above me while one captured a large spider and consumed it hastily before I was able to focus the camera on it.

The Ghost Orchid above (image 10) was photographed at National Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in July 2015.

The Carolina Wren above (image 11) was photographed at National Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in July 2015.

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck was personally observed at the Sanctuary for the first time after many visits there. When water levels are at their lowest (early to late Spring) is when wading birds are most prolific. See Hemant Kishan's reports for additional reasons to visit this remarkable place.

The Limpkin above (image 12) was photographed at National Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in July 2015.

The Black-bellied Whistling-Duck above (image 13) was photographed at National Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in July 2015.

My thanks to Tom Obrock for bringing the flamingo to my attention. Though the species was not seen on my 17 July visit to New Pass, a follow-up kayak trip on 23 July was well rewarded. The dolphins were excessively exhilarating at close range.

The American Flamingo above (image 14) was photographed at New Pass in July 2015.

Ed Weislo's website was helpful in identifying the flora this week.

Natural Habitat Loss Near Harns Marsh Preserve

A mid October visit was made to the Red-headed Woodpecker colony east of Harns Marsh Preserve with hopes to learn more about the behavior of the species.

The Northern Flicker above was photographed near Harns Marsh Preserve (Joel) in October 2014.

Bird song was my immediate enjoyment upon arriving at the site. However, bird movement was difficult to discern in the predawn light while I was setting up my gear.

The American Kestrel above was photographed near Harns Marsh Preserve (Joel) in October 2014.

The American Kestrel above was photographed near Harns Marsh Preserve (Joel) in October 2014.

The Blue Jay above was photographed near Harns Marsh Preserve (Joel) in October 2014.

Another near immediate observation was the unfortunate realization that the Red-headed Woodpeckers chose not to remain present as long as I would have hoped.

The Common Grackle with prey above was photographed near Harns Marsh Preserve (Joel) in October 2014.

The Common Grackle with prey above was photographed near Harns Marsh Preserve (Joel) in October 2014.

The Common Grackle with prey above was photographed near Harns Marsh Preserve (Joel) in October 2014.

Although I don't know when the woodpeckers had established themselves on the Joel area property, they were likely not there for a very extended period of time.

The Common Grackle with prey above was photographed near Harns Marsh Preserve (Joel) in October 2014.

The Pileated Woodpecker above was photographed near Harns Marsh Preserve (Joel) in October 2014.

The Pileated Woodpecker above was photographed near Harns Marsh Preserve (Joel) in October 2014.

The creation of such a favored habitat would seem to be a much longer process than the destruction of it observed at the time of my visit.

The Prairie Warbler above was photographed near Harns Marsh Preserve (Joel) in October 2014.

The Pine Warbler above was photographed near Harns Marsh Preserve (Joel) in October 2014.

The Northern Mockingbird above was photographed near Harns Marsh Preserve (Joel) in October 2014.

On a previous visit here I had noted the Red-headed Woodpeckers to take up residence in no less than two cavities in the trees long deprived of greenery.

The White-winged Dove above was photographed near Harns Marsh Preserve (Joel) in October 2014.

The Gray Catbird above was photographed near Harns Marsh Preserve (Joel) in October 2014.

The Pileated Woodpecker above was photographed near Harns Marsh Preserve (Joel) in October 2014.

Each visit to the woodpecker site has led to personal observation of bird species not previously seen there. The highlight of the day was an infrequently seen American Kestrel.

The scene above was photographed near Harns Marsh Preserve (Joel) in October 2014.

The scene above was photographed near Harns Marsh Preserve (Joel) in October 2014.

The Northern Cardinal above was photographed near Harns Marsh Preserve (Joel) in October 2014.

Destruction of the Red-headed Woodpecker habitat appeared to be conducted by a few Pileated Woodpecker in search of a meal. The RHWO had previously been observed with the same behavior.

The Palm Warbler above was photographed near Harns Marsh Preserve (Joel) in October 2014.

The Carolina Wren above was photographed near Harns Marsh Preserve (Joel) in October 2014.

The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher above was photographed near Harns Marsh Preserve (Joel) in October 2014.

After what seemed like an overly extended period of silence a wave of warblers arrived from the north. Most remained high above me while a few dropped much nearer the ground.

The Northern Parula above was photographed near Harns Marsh Preserve (Joel) in October 2014.

The Halloween Pennant dragonfly above was photographed near Harns Marsh Preserve (Joel) in October 2014.

The Halloween Pennant dragonfly above was photographed near Harns Marsh Preserve (Joel) in October 2014.

Future trips to this venue are in order to see if the Red-headed Woodpeckers return.

The dragonfly above was photographed near Harns Marsh Preserve (Joel) in October 2014.