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.

Return To Hammonasset Beach State Park

A second visit to Hammonasset Beach State Park was made a couple of days after my first on New Year's Day when it was warmer with the park surprisingly crowded with visitors.

The Mallard above (image 1) was photographed at Hammonasset Beach State Park in January 2017.

I again made a motor birding tour as the ankle heals. I gravitated to the pond northwest of the traffic circle which I consider a hotspot within the eBird hotspot devoting the two hours before sunset for observations.

The American Black Duck above (image 2) was photographed at Hammonasset Beach State Park in January 2017.

The Northern Harrier above (image 3) was photographed at Hammonasset Beach State Park in January 2017.

The Northern Harrier above (image 4) was photographed at Hammonasset Beach State Park in January 2017.

The Northern Harrier above (image 5) was photographed at Hammonasset Beach State Park in January 2017.

It was an enjoyable afternoon with comparatively balmy conditions. There was apparently not as great a need for the wildlife to take refuge in the pond this day as many flocks of birds flew past.

The Mallard above (image 6) was photographed at Hammonasset Beach State Park in January 2017.

The Great Blue Heron above (image 7) was photographed at Hammonasset Beach State Park in January 2017.

The Northern Harrier above (image 8) was photographed at Hammonasset Beach State Park in January 2017.

The Northern Harrier above (image 9) was photographed at Hammonasset Beach State Park in January 2017.

Hammonasset Beach State Park has shown great potential for interesting wildlife observations even with minimal exploration. The full tour of miles often noted in eBird reports for this venue seems prudent for the ultimate experience.

The Northern Harrier above (image 10) was photographed at Hammonasset Beach State Park in January 2017.

The Mallard above (image 11) was photographed at Hammonasset Beach State Park in January 2017.

The Green-winged Teal above (image 12) was photographed at Hammonasset Beach State Park in January 2017.

The Mallard above (image 13) was photographed at Hammonasset Beach State Park in January 2017.

eBirders Tina Green and Frank Mantlick reported Hammonasset Beach State Park's 305th bird species (Barrow's Goldeneye) 15 February 2017.

The immature Sharp-shinned Hawk above (image 14) was photographed at Hammonasset Beach State Park in January 2017.

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The Mallard above (image 15) was photographed at Hammonasset Beach State Park in January 2017.

Pacific Golden-Plover At Everglades Agricultural Area

Corey Callaghan was birding the sod fields at Six Mile Bend in Palm Beach County during the afternoon of 9 April 2016 and found a Pacific Golden-Plover which became the first Florida record for the species.

The sunrise above (image 1) was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in April 2016.

Tom Obrock and I made the trip to Belle Glade on 17 April with hopes of finding the Pacific Golden-Plover as it had been reported the day before. When we arrived at the sod field where the extreme rarity for Florida had been reported numerous times, there was a near complete absence of birds. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology notes that the Pacific Golden-Plover is uncommon in North America.

The Common Yellowthroat above (image 2) was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in April 2016.

The Pacific Golden Plover above (image 3) was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in April 2016.

The Tree Swallow above (image 4) was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in April 2016.

After scanning the field unsuccessfully we walked beyond where Corey had observed the Pacific Golden-Plover on the 10th. We could see birds at a great distance further which I thought were Red-winged Blackbirds. Somewhat daunted we walked back toward the car where we found the Pacific Golden-Plover feeding with several Black-bellied Plover, a Killdeer and Ruddy Turnstone.

The Yellow-headed Blackbird above (image 5) was photographed at the Sem-Chi Rice Mill in April 2016.

The Yellow-headed Blackbird above (image 6) was photographed at the Sem-Chi Rice Mill in April 2016.

The Yellow-headed Blackbird above (image 7) was photographed at the Sem-Chi Rice Mill in April 2016.

The birds were moving quickly along the ground toward the east making observation of them challenging after a short period of time. Ft. Myers Commandos Stan Damon, Vince McGrath and Dr. Jose Padilla arrived to get good views of the Pacific Golden-Plover with their scopes.

The Yellow-headed Blackbird above (image 8) was photographed at the Sem-Chi Rice Mill in April 2016.

The Yellow-headed Blackbird above (image 9) was photographed at the Sem-Chi Rice Mill in April 2016.

The Peregrine Falcon above (image 10) was photographed at the Sem-Chi Rice Mill in April 2016.

Observations of Pacific Golden-Plover on the Eastern Coast of North America have occurred at Plymouth Beach in Massachusetts on 20 July 2013 (for about five minutes) and at Cape Saint Mary's Ecological Reserve on 16 July 2015 according to eBird data. Based on comments by Marshall Iliff, one among the Plymouth Beach team, the Pacific Golden-Plover at the Everglades Agricultural Area sod fields might be the 7th record for the species on the East Coast. The comments of Timothy Spahr are very interesting as well. Well beyond its normal range, Pacific Golden-Plover has also been observed at the Cayman Islands and Laguna de Tisma Natural Reserve in Nicaragua.

The Peregrine Falcon above (image 11) was photographed at the Sem-Chi Rice Mill in April 2016.

The Peregrine Falcon above (image 12) was photographed at the Sem-Chi Rice Mill in April 2016.

The Peregrine Falcon above (image 13) was photographed at the Sem-Chi Rice Mill in April 2016.

We made our way to the Sem-Chi Rice Mill with hopes of seeing my second life bird of the morning. Yellow-headed Blackbirds had been reported at the location in preceding days. The excitement over one Yellow-headed Blackbird turned toward as many as 40.

The crop duster above (image 14) was photographed at the Sem-Chi Rice Mill in April 2016.

The Boat-tailed Grackle above (image 15) was photographed near Stormwater Treatment Area 1 in April 2016.

The Northern Harrier above (image 16) was photographed at the Everglades Agricultural Area in April 2016.

Stan led the way toward a sheltered observation point immediately north of Stormwater Treatment Area 1 where Dr. Jose spotted several Purple Gallinule as a highlight of the venue. We next returned to get another look at the Pacific Golden-Plover. It was at its greatest distance at that point.

The Indigo Bunting above (image 17) was photographed at the White's feeders in April 2016.

The Northern Parula above (image 18) was photographed at the White's feeders in April 2016.

The Indigo Bunting above (image 19) was photographed at the White's feeders in April 2016.

Parting ways with the Commandos, Tom and I headed toward Alva to check the White's feeders. It's always a rewarding stop at this time of year especially. A final thought on the Pacific Golden-Plover is that it was last seen at the Everglades Agricultural Area sod fields on 25 April as reported to eBird.

The Red-bellied Woodpecker above (image 20) was photographed at the White's feeders in April 2016.

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The Northern Mockingbird above (image 21) was photographed at the White's feeders in April 2016.