Connecticut Young Birders Club at Birdcraft

Here is a message from our outstanding friend Alex Burdo, President of the Connecticut Young Birders Club:

Sunday, May 6, 2012
Birdcraft Sanctuary, Fairfield

The Birdcraft Sancuary in Fairfield is one of the premier migrant traps in all of Fairfield county. At just six acres, this spot is tiny compared to most, but packs a list of over 120 species in addition to being a haven for migrants. On the morning of May 6th, the members of the CTYBC are in for a special treat in which they will get to witness and participate in the banding of birds on the property of the sanctuary by the Birdcraft banding crew. In addition to being able to document and study migrants, banding allows very close views of wild birds and is a unique opportunity for study of plumages and molts. Furthermore, the experience of getting to hold and release a captive bird is something one soon won’t forget!

The sanctuary should be crawling with migrants and we should encounter many species in addition to the ones we’re able to catch in the nets. The trip begins at 7:00am in the banding room at Birdcraft with the first check of the nets scheduled for around 8. We’ll likely spend around three to four hours at the Birdcraft before either moving to another spot in the area (TBD).

Anyone interested in coming should contact Alex Burdo at aburdo10@gmail.com with your address, phone number, age and transportation plans.

Directions to the Birdcraft and some general information can be found at the Connecticut Audubon Society’s web site: http://www.ctaudubon.org/birdcraft-museum/
Also, check out Alex Burdo’s blog (http://floridascrubjay.wordpress.com) and the Connecticut Society Blog (http://ctaudubon.blogspot.com/) to see what previous trips to the Birdcraft have produced.

We hope you can join us!

=======================

Scott Kruitbosch
Conservation Technician

April Stratford Point bird walk postponed

Tomorrow's bird walk at Stratford Point from 12-2 is being postponed until next weekend, Saturday April 28. While we may be able to just avoid some showers or low chance of thunderstorms preceding a heavy rain event Sunday through Monday, there stands a good chance at some morning and early afternoon fog. At Stratford Point you can frequently have thick fog that does not burn off for a considerable time and at this point of the year I'd much rather have things bright, sunny, and singing everywhere. New information is as follows:

Connecticut Audubon Society Conservation Technician Scott Kruitbosch will lead a public bird walk at Stratford Point on Saturday, April 28 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. We will be welcoming in the first warblers, some new shorebirds, more long-legged waders, and migrant sparrows, vireos, and swallows. We will very likely see at least a couple of Purple Martins in our gourd tree as we have spotted a pair there already. It is a good month to see a Brown Thrasher, American Kestrel, Savannah Sparrow, all seen in the last week on site, and more of the well over 30 state-listed bird species Stratford Point has held in the last few years.

We will also discuss the conservation projects that Connecticut Audubon Society will be involved with in the coming spring and summer and the ongoing work at the site. The walk will be free and we suggest bringing binoculars and a spotting scope, if you have one. Make sure to dress for the season! It is usually safe to assume that this exposed coastal spot is windier and colder than much of the state even on warm days. Please meet in the visitor parking lot by the buildings. Stratford Point is located at 1207 Prospect Drive, Stratford. For more information, contact Scott Kruitbosch: skruitbosch@ctaudubon.org

With that said, it is a little early, but watch for potential mini fallouts with any fog and the southerly flow tonight ahead of tomorrow's cold front...here we go.



Scott Kruitbosch
Conservation Technician

Blue Jay migration

Migration is now entering prime time, and in Connecticut it seems like somewhere around April 20 through May 20 is the biggest month of movement we have. From Willet and Marsh Wren in the salt marshes to Eastern Towhee and House Wren in your yards, or Black-and-white Warbler and Warbling Vireo in more wooded areas, the new arrivals are piling up. We were thrilled to see a pair of Purple Martins arrive at our gourd tree at Stratford Point today and we hope these are the first of many. It seems likely that we will have at least one successful nest this year.

Millions of birds arrive each day to spend the summer in our state from the billions who will pass through. However, one diurnal migration event by a common species is only rarely noted in Connecticut yet happens frequently each spring at Stratford Point. Yep, it's the Blue Jay - no, really! Look at this photo of them flying over.

Most people do not think these birds move at all, as they are seen year-round in abundance. However, they often travel in very large groups quite far to the south, and while we may retain some birds all year, many may be replacements from the north for "our" birds that ventured south.

Blue Jays fly in to Stratford Point, and specifically the lighthouse and line of trees behind it, in groups of about 40-50. They keep to this numerical range with uncanny accuracy for whatever reason. They will often land in the few trees along the perimeter of the site to rest momentarily before continuing north. Other times they fly over Stratford Point, turning around a few times to reorient themselves, and keep moving on. More rarely the group will land and somewhat disperse to find a snack before presumably grouping up again together and heading out.

Here is another wider shot of one group from today with a few of the birds out of the frame.

This sort of thing is expected at Lighthouse Point in New Haven, an infamous highway for all sorts of birds, but Stratford Point is gaining a reputation as a lesser version, as least in terms of non-raptors. As we continue our habitat restoration and add in more native woody vegetation, we should only increase the number of birds who want to use it as a rest stop or trail marker.


Scott Kruitbosch
Conservation Technician


All photos © Scott Kruitbosch and not to be reproduced without explicit permission

Early birds keep on coming

The world is changing all around us, and while we are well aware of that by now (those of us not in denial at least), it can be interesting to view these changes from a smaller scope. In this case, that would be through the records of a superb and meticulous Connecticut birder, Paul Desjardins. As heat records have tumbled in the last two months a study like this one illustrated the difference a few degrees can make, let alone several or more as some of our days have been 20 or 30 degrees above average for prolonged periods.

This has meant that many of our birds are coming north earlier, not only because of an easy flight but because their food is accessible and ready to serve whether it is in plant or animal form. Paul has recorded his earliest arrival dates over the past several decades and has already broken 12 of them. Keeping in mind Paul lives in far inland Connecticut and focuses much of his birding there makes some of these even more impressive as coastal dates can be earlier or have birds winter over.

Species	New date	Location	Old date	Location
Osprey	3/11	Old Lyme	3/12	Old Lyme
Greater Yellowlegs	3/9	Hammonasset State Park	3/18	Hammonasset State Park
Lesser Yellowlegs	2/26	Durham	4/1	Rhode Island
American Woodcock	2/28	South Windsor	3/5	South Windsor
Warbling Vireo	4/17	West Hartford	4/21	East Rock
Ruby-crowned Kinglet	3/28	Windsor	3/31	South Windsor
House Wren	4/14	Wethersfield	4/18	South Windsor
Pine Warbler	3/18	Windsor	3/25	Litchfield
Palm Warbler	3/28	Windsor	4/4	Windsor
Northern Waterthrush	4/17	East Granby	4/21	East Rock
Louisiana Waterthrush	3/30	Bloomfield	4/6	West Hartford
Chipping Sparrow	3/19	Windsor Locks	4/4	Windsor Locks

That Lesser Yellowlegs in February was a nice record seen by many, and a Louisiana Waterthrush in March is crazy to me - that is a date when we could very easily have snow across Connecticut! While one could never draw global conclusions about climate or bird populations and movement, it is an interesting illustration of what millions of birders have been noting on their own, and why we should all be entering data into eBird. Here's betting Paul breaks about 25 or 30 records this spring before all is said and done...


Scott Kruitbosch
Conservation Technician

Golfing buddies

On the morning of April 15, I led a bird walk at the Shorehaven Golf Club for about 25 members. As I had mentioned in this post, we are working to development a management plan for the property for the conservation-minded club that does have some very valuable habitat. It is also located in a geographically important area, both in being on Long Island Sound and in the southwest corner of the state, near migration corridors for a wide-ranging selection of species. We were actually able to see 39 species while golfers teed off around us.

An Osprey platform in the tidal marsh on the site looked like it had the female on at least one egg. Several Great Egrets flew back and forth as they fed while Tree, Northern Rough-winged, and Barn Swallows kept to the skies over our heads. We had a great chance to listen to the trill of multiple Chipping Sparrows against that of Pine Warblers and understand how to differentiate between them. I even heard a Louisiana Waterthrush on a neighboring wooded property, an odd sound for the area but not entirely unexpected on a day of heavy migration.

This migration was most evident in the sparrows as dozens of Song, Swamp, Savannah, and Chipping had flooded Connecticut and every pocket of the property. Below is a Savannah Sparrow, a state-listed species that obviously utilizes much of this habitat in migration, which cooperated for us, providing great looks while even singing and calling a little.

This Swamp Sparrow was one of many mixed in with the cattails between a couple holes.

Overall it was an impressive day again at an unlikely (but actually likely!) location.


Scott Kruitbosch
Conservation Technician


All photos © Scott Kruitbosch and not to be reproduced without explicit permission

Severe drought

The vernal pools are indeed drying up and the risk of fire is quite high across much of Connecticut as we enter a severe drought. This time of year is usually marked by, well, "April showers" that bring "May flowers". Instead it was some warm March temperatures that brought the flowers, but we have yet to have much in the way of precipitation dating back all the way to the start of 2012.

Take a look at these maps courtesy of the National Weather Service, first the U.S. Drought Monitor and then the U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook:

At least we are forecasted to have some improvement over the next two and a half months, though it has not come yet and does not look to be in store for us in the next week. How about we take a closer look at our region and our state?

As you can see the drought increases as you near the Atlantic coastline for the most part. As of the last assessment 84% of Connecticut has severe drought conditions with the remaining 16% in moderate drought. This will very likely worsen in the next update. Apart from not receiving the normal amount of rain or snow we have had far less snow melt on our soil or north of us than usual, keeping the earth even more dry.

So how dry is it? As of today at Bridgeport's climate station we see the following concerning preciptation amounts (in inches): 

Month to date: 0.31, a -1.84 departure from normal

Since March 1: 1.35, a -4.85 departure from normal

Since January 1: 5.91, a -6.18 departure from normal

And for the Hartford area:

Month to date: 0.18, a -1.72 departure from normal

Since March 1: 1.70, a -3.82 departure from normal

Since January 1: 6.13, a -5.51 departure from normal

That is not good news for plants, amphibians, and possibly many different species birds that are filtering back into the state right now as they find reduced foraging opportunities during a stressful migration or have a more difficult time when nesting seasons begins.


Scott Kruitbosch
Conservation Technician

Images courtesy the National Weather Service

International Shorebird Surveys

Do you have an interest in shorebirds? Do you enjoy walking along the beaches of Long Island Sound or exploring inland wetlands? If so, consider participating in International Shorebird Surveys (ISS).

This summer, the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds is looking for volunteers to do International Shorebird Surveys, initiated by the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences in 1974, at various locations in CT.

The ISS is one of the most significant sources of monitoring information for shorebirds in North America. The data collected by volunteers is used to document major shorebird migration staging areas, monitor shorebird population changes, and evaluate the effects of drastic events (such as the Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill) on shorebirds. Conducting ISS is also great way to improve your shorebird identification skills.

Conducting surveys is easy and involves
1) Choosing a site (inland or on the coast, man-made or natural) and filling out a ISS habitat form (found here).
2) Conducting surveys 1-3 times a month in the spring and/or fall at your site. An ISS field dataform can be found here in PDF form and here in XLS form.
3) Entering your data into eBird.org through the ISS portal:
http://ebird.org/content/iss/
4) Via eBird.org, share your ISS data with AAFCW, ctwaterbirds@gmail.com


For more information check out the ISS guidelines and overview located here.

Happy birding, and please feel free to email us at ctwaterbirds@gmail.com for more information, to answer any questions, and tell us about where you want to conduct your ISS!


Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds, Audubon Connecticut and the Connecticut Audubon Society partnering to improve conditions for coastal waterbirds in Connecticut.


Scott Kruitbosch
Connecticut Audubon Society