Great Salt Marsh Island hike 8/16

I led a shorebird walk at Great Salt Marsh Island at Ash Creek for the Aspetuck Land Trust yesterday afternoon and evening. This spot, on the border of Bridgeport and Fairfield, is a wonderful area to watch for long-legged waders and shorebirds feeding at low tide on the mudflats. We had tremendous views of birds like Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Black-bellied Plover, Semipalmated Plover, and more. We also saw the Osprey family hanging out and had some cool views of a Belted Kingfisher. All of the species seen or heard and approximate totals are listed below.

American Black Duck  11
Green-winged Teal  5
Double-crested Cormorant  14
Great Blue Heron  1
Great Egret  9
Snowy Egret  7
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron  5
Osprey  6
Clapper Rail  1
Black-bellied Plover  8
Semipalmated Plover  6
Killdeer  2
Spotted Sandpiper  2
Semipalmated Sandpiper  35
Least Sandpiper  90
Laughing Gull  4
Ring-billed Gull  16
Herring Gull (American)  31
Great Black-backed Gull  2
Rock Pigeon  3
Mourning Dove  6
Ruby-throated Hummingbird  1
Belted Kingfisher  1
Tree Swallow  3
Barn Swallow  10
Carolina Wren  1
American Robin  2
European Starling  45
Cedar Waxwing  7
Song Sparrow  3
Northern Cardinal  1
Red-winged Blackbird  2
Common Grackle  3
House Finch  1
American Goldfinch  1
House Sparrow  12

Thank you to everyone who attended! I hope to see you soon at more Connecticut Audubon Society events and walks and the upcoming Aspetuck Land Trust hawk walks at the Trout Brook Valley Orchard.


Scott Kruitbosch
Conservation Technician