January 6, 2013

Well, My Big Year is over and as soon as I get time, I will give a summary of what I saw, when and where for Woodbury.

But it is a new year and I am thinking of a new theme to blog about.  And for now, I have come up with:

http://birdingwithmarty.blogspot.com/

So I hope you will check this blog out as you did My Big Year one.

Thanks.

December 15, 2012 - Day 350

Today was the Woodbury-Roxbury Audubon Christmas Bird Count.  Steven Ferrari and I covered Area 'N' of the count which covers Route 6 to Quassapaug Road and Middle Road turnpike to Route 64.  So the Area covers parts of Woodbury and Middlebury.

We had a full day of birding (10 hours) and here's what we saw:

Canada Goose (295), Mute Swan (2), Mallard (16), Ring-Necked Duck (14), Great Blue Heron (2), Red-Shouldered Hawk (1), Red-Tailed Hawk (1), Herring Gull (1), Mourning Dove (75), Belted Kingfisher (2), Red-Bellied Woodpecker (2), Yellow-Bellied Woodpecker (2), Downy Woodpecker (8), Hairy Woodpecker (2), Blue Jay (1), Crow (124), Black-Capped Chickadee (26), Titmouse (18), White-Breasted Nuthatch (7), Carolina Wren (1), Golden-Crowned Kinglet (1), Bluebird (1), Robin (2), Mockingbird (1), Starling (60), Song Sparrow (5), White-Throated Sparrow (7), Junco (59), Cardinal (7), Red-Winged Blackbird (12), Common Grackle (22), House Finch (5), Goldfinch (5), House Sparrow (14), Bufflehead (4), and Canvasback (1)

DATA:  6:00 am - 4:00 pm; 34F/41F; Clear; Calm

97)  Bufflehead

Novemeber 18, 2012 - Day 322 (PART 1)

Red-Breasted Nuthatch

Owl Pellet

Decided to bird Whittemore with the hopes of finding a Red-Breasted Nuthatch and /or Crossbills that I have seen so many reports of.

I decided to start on the WHITE TRAIL clockwise then go to the YELLOW to BLUE to an UNNAMED and finally back onto the WHITE TRAIL.

Pellet Closeup

Second Pellet

It was very quiet at first which was strange to me.  I have been told that the best time to go birding is between 7 and 11 am when the birds are out singing and feeding.  But then I realized that those times are for the warmer summer months when the air heats up quicker due to the sun rising earlier and being higher in the sky.  But being mid-November, it took awhile for the sun to warm things up.  But it did so finally.

Feather

Other Side of Feather

Once the air did warm up, I began to hear birds and was soon looking at a few Red-Breasted Nuthatches!  I accomplished half of my goal for the day!

Chickadee

Red-Breasted Nuthatch (on ground)

Species Seen:  Red-Breasted Nuthatch (4), Downy Woodpecker (male), Common Merganser (2 female, 3 immature), Chickadee (heard 1, saw 2), Crow (heard), Titmouse, and White-Breasted Nuthatch.

DATA:  9:35 am-12:48pm; 34/54F; Clear/Partly Cloudy; Slight Breeze

White-Breasted Nuthatch

96)  Red-Breasted Nuthatch

November 18, 2012 - Day 322 (PART 2)

Bird Nest

Red-Tailed Hawk

After birding Whittemore, I went again to the old Corey's spot determined to get sparrows.  Oh well - win some and lose some.

Species Seen:  Bluebird (male), Junco (2), Red-Tailed Hawk, Hermit Thrush, Blue Jay, Crows (heard), House Finch (6)


DATA:  1:28-2:02 pm; 50F; cloudy

October 22, 2012 - Day 295

Went to one of my favorite places - the pond on Trolley Bed Road, and once again I was not disappointed.  But I know time is running out.

I was still trying to use the information I learned from the COA Sparrow workshop but those little things move so fast that it is hard to keep up with them. 

However, I was able to ID a Fox Sparrow but the other sparrows I saw had to stay unidentified. 

I also saw a yellowish green bird with a white eye ring with black and white on wings which I IDed as a Yellow-Bellied Flycatcher.

DATA:  3:10-3:25pm; 68F; clear; calm

94)  Fox Sparrow
95)  Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

October 21, 2012 - Day 294

After attending the COA Sparrow Workshop, I was hoping to try my luck at the old Corey's/Golf Driving Range.   Although the area has had two structures built on it, it is still mostly disturbed and weedy - good habitat for sparrows with places to hide and seeds!

However, my hopes of finding any new species for my Big Year went unfulfilled.  But I was outside and walking so it was a good day.

Species:  Canada Goose (65 in one fly-over), House Finch, Mockingbird, Song Sparrow, Junco, Hairy Woodpecker, Turkey Vulture, Crow, Blue Jay, and Chickadee.

DATA:  9:45-10:44pm; 49/58F; clear; breezy gusts

October 20, 2012 - Day 293

Went on a COA (Connecticut Ornithological Association) workshop to Allen's Meadow in Wilton, CT.  Even the workshop stressed sparrows, other birds were seen as well.

Since the birds seen today were seen in Wilton, they will not count towards my Big Year.

Species Seen:  Sparrows - Song, Savannah, Vesper, Clay-Colored, Swamp, White- Crowned (juv); Pileated Woodpecker (male & female), Cedar Waxwing (20), Ruby-Crowned Kinglet, Winter Wren (2), Blue Jay, Pine Siskin, Crow, Starling (5), Great Blue Heron, Bluebird (5), Junco, Purple Finch, Meadowlark, Turkey Vulture (5), Broad-Winged Hawk, and Palm Warbler.



DATA:  8:00-11:00am; 68F; foggy/sunny; calm