Stratford Point just off I-95 above the Long Island Sound became host to a Short-eared Owl on 2 January according to
eBird data.
The American Black Duck above (image 1) was photographed at Stratford Point in January 2018.
I closely followed reports of the Short-eared Owl on eBird as I had not observed the species in the wild before. As the owl was seen with regularity I began to study weather forecasts to find a day with minimal wind which was 10 January.
The Greater Scaup above (image 2) was photographed at Stratford Point in January 2018.
The American Tree Sparrow above (image 3) was photographed at Stratford Point in January 2018.
The Song Sparrow above (image 4) was photographed at Stratford Point in January 2018.
The Common Loon with prey above (image 5) was photographed at Stratford Point in January 2018.
The Short-eared Owl above (image 6) was photographed at Stratford Point in January 2018.
One of the first species seen upon my sunrise arrival that morning was American Tree Sparrow which was a life bird for me. The Short-eared Owl was observed flying from the Stratford Light about an hour after sunrise.
The Short-eared Owl above (image 7) was photographed at Stratford Point in January 2018.
The Short-eared Owl above (image 8) was photographed at Stratford Point in January 2018.
The Short-eared Owl above (image 9) was photographed at Stratford Point in January 2018.
The Short-eared Owl above (image 10) was photographed at Stratford Point in January 2018.
The Short-eared Owl above (image 11) was photographed at Stratford Point in January 2018.
The Short-eared Owl was more active in the morning than in the afternoon while favoring a branch of a tree adjacent to the Stratford Light when perched. A fellow birder informed me that the owl was feeding on Voles.
The Red-breasted Merganser above (image 12) was photographed at Stratford Point in January 2018.
The American Black Duck above (image 13) was photographed at Stratford Point in January 2018.
The Common Goldeneye above (image 14) was photographed at Stratford Point in January 2018.
The Red-breasted Merganser above (image 15) was photographed at Stratford Point in January 2018.
The Herring Gull above (image 16) was photographed at Stratford Point in January 2018.
In addition to the excitement of the Short-eared Owl there was another species of bird attracting attention as a rare bird for this time of year and location. A Grasshopper Sparrow had been reported in preceding days.
The Brant above (image 17) was photographed at Stratford Point in January 2018.
The Bufflehead above (image 18) was photographed at Stratford Point in January 2018.
The European Starling above (image 19) was photographed at Stratford Point in January 2018.
The Brant above (image 20) was photographed at Stratford Point in January 2018.
The Bufflehead above (image 21) was photographed at Stratford Point in January 2018.
The Grasshopper Sparrow should be overwintering in the southern United States or in Central America. There were many birders at Stratford Point looking for the sparrow throughout the morning, but were unsuccessful in finding it.
The Common Goldeneye above (image 22) was photographed at Stratford Point in January 2018.
The Red-breasted Merganser above (image 23) was photographed at Stratford Point in January 2018.
The Mute Swan above (image 24) was photographed at Stratford Point in January 2018.
The Great Black-backed Gull above (image 25) was photographed at Stratford Point in January 2018.
The Ring-billed Gull pursued by Herring Gull above (image 26) was photographed at Stratford Point in January 2018.
While on my third walk around the point I had the great fortune of inadvertently flushing the Grasshopper Sparrow close to where it was being seen. The rare presence of the sparrow was also first reported to eBird on 2 January.
The Gadwall above (image 27) was photographed at Stratford Point in January 2018.
The Black-bellied Plover above (image 28) was photographed at Stratford Point in January 2018.
The Herring Gull above (image 29) was photographed at Stratford Point in January 2018.
The Savannah Sparrow above (image 30) was photographed at Stratford Point in January 2018.
The Savannah Sparrow above (image 31) was photographed at Stratford Point in January 2018.
The Short-eared Owl continued to be seen at the point through 15 January although the Grasshopper Sparrow was last reported on 11 January. The variety and numbers of birds seen on the day of my visit were extremely rewarding.
The Song Sparrow above (image 32) was photographed at Stratford Point in January 2018.
The Grasshopper Sparrow above (image 33) was photographed at Stratford Point in January 2018.
The Grasshopper Sparrow above (image 34) was photographed at Stratford Point in January 2018.
The Grasshopper Sparrow above (image 35) was photographed at Stratford Point in January 2018.
The Grasshopper Sparrow above (image 36) was photographed at Stratford Point in January 2018.
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The American Wigeon above (image 37) was photographed at Stratford Point in January 2018.
