Indian River Marshes, Clinton, CT And More

A nice pit stop for quick or significantly longer predominantly marsh and shorebird observations can be readily made in and around Indian River Marshes on the north shore of the Long Island Sound in the town of Clinton.

The Northern Harrier above (image 1) was photographed at Indian River Marshes in February 2018.

What you may experience as you might imagine at this venue is greatly going to be influenced by the tidal action. I have found ideally timed observations are close to low tide withn the Indian River marsh.

The Great Black-backed Gull above (image 2) was photographed at Indian River Marshes in February 2018.

The Great Black-backed Gull above (image 3) was photographed at Indian River Marshes in February 2018.

This has been a fun venue to investigate without plans. While merely driving by, be sure to stop in and see what the conditions of the waters are and determine whether more than a few minutes of your time are warranted including time in the adjacent properties while respecting the private ones.

The Hooded Merganser above (image 4) was photographed at Indian River Marshes in February 2018.

The Song Sparrow above (image 5) was photographed at Indian River Marshes in February 2018.

It has been a challenge to endure harsh cold conditions this winter. I mean harsh as the body shivers all over for the mere observation of something that is certainly more tolerable of the frigid conditions on a 24/7 basis than me.

The Mourning Dove above (image 6) was photographed at Indian River Marshes in March 2018.

The Hooded Merganser above (image 7) was photographed at Indian River Marshes in March 2018.

Birds in this post are documented from image #1 through #18 at Indian River Marshes. I consider it unfortunate that much of what I've seen at Indian River Marshes was not photographed due to unplanned stops without the camera with otherwise exciting observations.

The Northern Mockingbird above (image 8) was photographed at Indian River Marshes in March 2018.

The Canada Goose above (image 9) was photographed at Indian River Marshes in March 2018.

Within a mere handful of visits to IRM it has been fortuitous to see more than a third of the species that have been documented at the venue at eBird. This is not meant to be overstated as under a hundred species have been observed by others at this locale that I'm aware of at the time of this writing.

The Red-tailed Hawk above (image 10) was photographed at Indian River Marshes in March 2018.

The Canada Goose above (image 11) was photographed at Indian River Marshes in March 2018.

It's a beautiful place to visit nonetheless and should not be missed if travel opportunities allow. Try for that lower tide again if you are able.

The Common Grackle above (image 12) was photographed at Indian River Marshes in March 2018.

The European Starling above (image 13) was photographed at Indian River Marshes in March 2018.

Included in this post beyond its intended scope is a new yard species seen before mid-March. A pair of apparent breeding Wood Duck were seen in appropriate habitat for their plans with the male cropped from an image captured of the waterfowl.

The scene above (image 14) was photographed at Indian River Marshes in March 2018.

The Canada Goose above (image 15) was photographed at Indian River Marshes in March 2018.

Before the month of March was over there were reports of another excitedly rare Varied Thrush in New England this year at Great Pond State Forest in Simsbury, Connecticut. I failed to see the thrush, but made an enjoyable walk around the pond with the decades old rhododendrons towering over the trail a highlight.

The Mute Swan above (image 16) was photographed at Indian River Marshes in March 2018.

The Mute Swan above (image 17) was photographed at Indian River Marshes in March 2018.

A pair of Brown Creepers, a Golden-crowned Kinglet, and not to mention some interesting birders I spoke with were additional highlights during the chase for the thrush. At least one other birder had commented on seeing the expected variety (Hermit).

The Green-winged Teal above (image 18) was photographed at Indian River Marshes in March 2018.

The scene above (image 19) was photographed at Indian River Marshes in March 2018.

The yard birds continue to provide interest for daily observations foremost with a local stop an additional reward, and that occasional long distance road trip a reminder of the greater enjoyment of being a very diligent birder.

The Wood Duck above (image 20) was photographed at Casa Almeida in March 2018.

The Brown Creeper above (image 21) was photographed at Great Pond State Forest in March 2018.

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

The Canada Goose above (image 22) was photographed at Great Pond State Forest in March 2018.

A Bird Sanctuary In Killingworth, CT Pt. I

The creation of a sanctuary for birds with a few feeders offering a variety of food to sustain them in the winter months was actually an afterthought.

The Brown Creeper above (image 1) was photographed at Casa Almeida in January 2017.

This was when flowering plants and shrubs were planted in the late Fall at the Almeida residence among native Mountain Laurel in Killingworth, Connecticut, a town named in 1667. A few bird feeders were hung among the plants and trees, and dozens of birds responded.

The Dark-eyed Junco above (image 2) was photographed at Casa Almeida in January 2017.

The Eastern Bluebird above (image 3) was photographed at Casa Almeida in January 2017.

The Dark-eyed Junco above (image 4) was photographed at Casa Almeida in January 2017.

The Tufted Titmouse above (image 5) was photographed at Casa Almeida in February 2017.

In fact, hundreds of birds hung around through the Winter with their numbers increasing as more feeders were added. Upwards of 90 American Goldfinch were observed at one time at their peak presence primarily feeding on Nyjer seed made available to them.

The Downy Woodpecker above (image 6) was photographed at Casa Almeida in February 2017.

The American Goldfinch above (image 7) was photographed at Casa Almeida in February 2017.

The White-breasted Nuthatch above (image 8) was photographed at Casa Almeida in February 2017.

The Tufted Titmouse above (image 9) was photographed at Casa Almeida in February 2017.

Predation was an eventuality and it was observed a few times. There was one occasion when a bird was seen actually taken down. A Sharp-shinned Hawk engaged a Dark-eyed Junco in a spruce tree in the area of the feeders. An extraordinary sight it was to see the hawk in action.

The Brown Creeper above (image 10) was photographed at Casa Almeida in February 2017.

The House Finch above (image 11) was photographed at Casa Almeida in February 2017.

The Black-capped Chickadee above (image 11) was photographed at Casa Almeida in February 2017.

The American Goldfinch above (image 12) was photographed at Casa Almeida in February 2017.

A variety of sustenance provided in the feeders included the Nyjer seed, suet, an all purpose mix and dried mealworms with the Brown Creeper the only species seen with regularity not attracted to any of them. 400 pounds of Nyjer seed was consumed in a few months. For a bird attracted to it that weighs less than an ounce, the goldfinch (for the most part) went through it amazingly quickly.

The Mourning Dove above (image 13) was photographed at Casa Almeida in February 2017.

The White-breasted Nuthatch above (image 14) was photographed at Casa Almeida in February 2017.

The Downy Woodpecker above (image 15) was photographed at Casa Almeida in February 2017.

The Red-bellied Woodpecker above (image 16) was photographed at Casa Almeida in February 2017.

Problems began to arise shortly after Black Oil sunflower seed feeders were added with extremely effective countermeasures to be mentioned in the next post.

The Northern Flicker above (image 17) was photographed at Casa Almeida in February 2017.

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

The Eastern Bluebird above (image 18) was photographed at Casa Almeida in February 2017.

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

In Search Of Miami Parakeets

The lush tropical vegetation in the Miami area is very conducive for large numbers and a great variety of parakeets and parrots that can be readily observed visually and audibly.

The Mitred Parakeet above (image 1) was photographed at Baptist Hospital of Miami in March 2016.

On 12 March I made a trip to Miami with the company of Frank Constantin, Suzanne Lanthier and Réal Jauvin, all visiting from Quebec. Our first stop was the Baptist Hospital of Miami offering a pair of Egyptian Geese as the first bird species seen. Mitred Parakeets could be heard overhead. There were in excess of 70 in a single flock before breaking up into smaller groups.

The Egyptian Goose above (image 2) was photographed at Baptist Hospital of Miami in March 2016.

The Graylag Goose (domestic type) above (image 3) was photographed at Baptist Hospital of Miami in March 2016.

The Swan Goose (domestic type) above (image 4) was photographed at Baptist Hospital of Miami in March 2016.

The Egyptian Goose above (image 5) was photographed at Baptist Hospital of Miami in March 2016.

The Rock Dove above (image 6) was photographed at Baptist Hospital of Miami in March 2016.

After photographing other species of birds at hand we followed the call of the Mitred Parakeets to the west side of the property. The parakeets were obviously very wary of the presence of an American Kestrel. At one point the parakeets took refuge in a berry laden tree before once again taking flight to keep a distance from the kestrel's approach of them.

The Egyptian Goose above (image 7) was photographed at Baptist Hospital of Miami in March 2016.

Réal Jauvin, Francois Constantin and Suzanne Lanthier (l-r) above (image 8) were photographed at Baptist Hospital of Miami in March 2016.

The Fish Crow with nesting material above (image 9) was photographed at Baptist Hospital of Miami in March 2016.

The Eurasian Collared-Dove above (image 10) was photographed at Baptist Hospital of Miami in March 2016.

The Mitred Parakeet above (image 11) was photographed at Baptist Hospital of Miami in March 2016.

Our next stop was the University of Miami where we were asked to leave by campus security as we did not have authorization to visit. A call of parakeets could be heard where we had parked, but they were not seen thus remaining unidentified. We next visited A. D. Barnes Park which was nearly completely devoid of birds save a pair of Black Vultures, a Northern Mockingbird, a Mourning Dove and a Blue Jay.

The Mitred Parakeet above (image 12) was photographed at Baptist Hospital of Miami in March 2016.

The American Kestrel above (image 13) was photographed at Baptist Hospital of Miami in March 2016.

The Mitred Parakeet above (image 14) was photographed at Baptist Hospital of Miami in March 2016.

The Mitred Parakeet above (image 15) was photographed at Baptist Hospital of Miami in March 2016.

The Mitred Parakeet above (image 16) was photographed at Baptist Hospital of Miami in March 2016.

Castellow Hammock Park was our next stop with hopes of photographing the Buff-bellied Hummingbird that was discovered by Colorado birder Connie Kogler. Word quickly got out about the rare to Florida hummingbird with eBird reports first appearing on 2 January. This was my second attempt to photograph the Buff-bellied Hummingbird, and was only fortunate enough to definitively see and hear it on this trip.

The Mitred Parakeet above (image 17) was photographed at Baptist Hospital of Miami in March 2016.

The Mitred Parakeet above (image 18) was photographed at Baptist Hospital of Miami in March 2016.

The Mitred Parakeet above (image 19) was photographed at Baptist Hospital of Miami in March 2016.

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird above (image 20) was photographed at Castellow Hammock Park in March 2016.

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird above (image 21) was photographed at Castellow Hammock Park in March 2016.

In the company of the Buff-bellied Hummingbird were no less than four Ruby-throated Hummingbirds which favored the depths of an approximately 15 foot tall by 35 foot wide Chinese hat plant. Again a parakeet was heard, but not seen. A White-winged Dove was a pleasure to find as I had not photographed this species in quite some time.

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird above (image 22) was photographed at Castellow Hammock Park in March 2016.

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird above (image 23) was photographed at Castellow Hammock Park in March 2016.

The White-winged Dove above (image 24) was photographed at Castellow Hammock Park in March 2016.

The Palm Warbler above (image 25) was photographed at Castellow Hammock Park in March 2016.

The Northern Cardinal above (image 26) was photographed at Castellow Hammock Park in March 2016.

Onward in the direction of home we made a brief stop at the Shark Valley Visitor Center where the water level was very high in the canals due to January's rainfall. The expected wading birds were absent as a result.

The Mourning Dove above (image 27) was photographed at Castellow Hammock Park in March 2016.

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

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird above (image 28) was photographed at Castellow Hammock Park in March 2016.