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.

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

Two Winter Specialties At Stratford Point

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.