Snow snow snow

That is all people talk about so far in 2011 - snow. It is all we have time to discuss as we wrap up one system, such as today's small to moderate event depending on your location in Connecticut, and move on to the next, a potential major storm around next Tuesday or Wednesday. There are countless variables to be worked out before then, but the birds and most of the people hope that one swings inland and lets us see some more rain. Until then, while we try to get through bitter and possibly record-breaking cold, here are some photos I have taken during the past month concerning that subject while at home or out surveying. Stay warm! And keep feeding your yard birds since they really need it right now.

Quiet wooded wetlands - no Winter Wren, American Woodcock, or Hermit Thrush this winter

Lots of Red-winged Blackbird with a few Brown-headed Cowbird and Common Grackle

Plenty of Dark-eyed Junco, White-throated Sparrow, and more

Photos © Scott Kruitbosch

January at Stratford Point

January has been a quiet month in terms of birds for much of Connecticut as the state remains locked in a colder and snowier than usual pattern. This is not the year to find Gray Catbirds in warm wet spots or Eastern Meadowlarks hanging around in places like Stratford Point. However, we have had plenty of ducks, some of which Twan mentioned and photographed here in a recent post. The male Eurasian Wigeon is still here with us. I saw it around 11AM today as it slept among a group of 57 American Wigeon relatively close to shore. Find it resting in the photo below - it is the ninth bird from the right, and near the center of the photo, if you cannot pick it out.


Moments before I found a female Redhead swimming and diving in the same area. I got some wonderful looks before she flushed and flew back towards the lighthouse. Speaking of that area, it seems as if the thousands of sea ducks have left us. Whether it is the date as we near the end of January, exhaustion of the food supply there, frequent passes by hunters, or something else, there were only handfuls of scoter and scaup around today. Long-tailed Ducks have been more scarce recently though plenty of Common Goldeneye and Red-breasted Merganser continue. The most impressive numbers remain the American Wigeon along with Gadwall and American Black Duck, together numbering 300 to 400 birds at times between Stratford Point and Short Beach.

Upland areas have been predictably slower than usual, but there are some nice highlights on most days. Northern Harriers and the occasional Rough-legged Hawk can be spotted hunting the grasslands. Passerines of the open country have been enjoying grasses exposed by the strong winds of the point as well as the plowed driveway and edges. Below is a Savannah Sparrow taking advantage of that.


One very nice somewhat scarce winter species we have seen a lot of is this Field Sparrow. It has been associating with the Savannah and Song Sparrows. Look how well it blends in to the grass.



Plenty of Snow Buntings (below) have also enjoyed the exposed grasses. They have been a constant presence, sometimes with Horned Larks and American Pipits, because of the sizable snow depth.


Amazingly, spring is already on the way. Twan heard a male cardinal singing away yesterday morning during the brief warm-up after the mixed bag system. That guy is going to quiet down for a couple of weeks, but it is only a month until that is commonplace.


Photos © Scott Kruitbosch

Membership gift - James Prosek's "Eels"

You may have seen this post here on our Facebook page but this is another great reason to become a Connecticut Audubon Society member.

James Prosek, noted author and painter who resides in Connecticut signed copies of his most recent book, "Eels" for Connecticut Audubon Society's Membership Drive. "Eels" recently received a great review in the New York Times by Paul Greenberg. You can receive a copy of "Eels" through your membership in the Society. ... Your membership will help us actively manage 2600 acres of wildlife habitat holding 19 sanctuaries statewide. In addition we care for over 50 injured wildlife who then serve as education ambassadors to help teach science in local schools. Our staff at five centers and two museums across the state work daily within their respective communities to spark an appreciation for the environment and conservation. To learn how to become a member or renew your membership and recieve a copy of James Prosek's book, visit us at www.ctaudubon.org or call 203-259-6305, Ext. 102.

Mixed bag

The latest storm to impact the northeast is bringing a mixed bag of precipitation to Connecticut. While we started as snow, all of the state transitioned to sleet, freezing rain, and then plain rain after anywhere from one to several inches of snow and a few tenths of an inch of ice in some spots. Upper layers warmed quickly while surface temperatures, especially in the Connecticut River valley, held to below freezing for quite some time longer. That is how you get freezing rain. And again Friday looks like it could be another big all-snow event...

Today reminded me of this video I shot back in 2009 of birds coming to my yard and feeders during a storm that gave us even more freezing rain. Be safe out there!

Ice Storm Birds from Connecticut Audubon Society.

Snow cover

I wanted to share this impressive image of snow cover in New England after the storm of 1/12-1/13 (which still needs a good name). This satellite photo comes courtesy of NASA/GSFC, MODIS Rapid Response System. The photo is very large so be aware it may take some time to load on some networks or computers and will likely be beyond your screen size.



Besides some amazing cloud features, especially where they interact with the mountains to our north, you can see Connecticut and the region are buried in the white stuff. Nantucket is just about the only place you can find the brown earth. Yes, it is magnificent...but why I am showing you this? To make the obvious point of how hard it must be to be a bird that depends on the ground right now. Sparrows cannot scratch at the leaf litter, raptors cannot easily strike at small mammals scurrying around, woodcock cannot pull up earthworms, etc. There are numerous species that are in mortal danger in situations like this, where entire regions have at least 16 or 18 inches of snow cover. Many birds have likely succumb to the conditions or lack of food. Feeding the birds in your yard is a good first step, but using eBird allows us to track species populations over time and will help us learn what kind of an impact these events have.

Photo © NASA/GSFC, MODIS Rapid Response System

Raptor identification answer

The other day I posted the below image with the question of - what is this raptor?


Your first clue came in where I said it was photographed, the coastal grasslands of Stratford Point. Habitat is often a large clue in determining the species of many birds, and though sometimes you can see an individual outside of their typical haunts, this isn't the case here. Another clue is the size of the bird sitting on an American Kestrel box. Does it look like it could be squeezing through that hole? I do not think so. It is obviously quite a bit larger than a kestrel. So now, we have a large raptor that prefers grasslands or at least open areas.

That large size dismisses all falcons. It is the winter in Connecticut, so something like a Broad-winged Hawk can be disregarded for now, too. The accipiter family also looks too small and narrow, and they do not display quite the degree of white on the head and especially the face. How about a Northern Harrier? It is in the right habitat at the right time of year, but their wings and bodies are much more slender. This is a bulky bird.

It is the daytime, so our owl options are limited. Clearly, this is not a Snowy Owl based on color alone. The face and head are too small and lack the facial discs and distinctive eyes of a Short-eared Owl, apart from the fact the wings would be even longer. We seem to be getting down to it, as this raptor must be a member of the buteo family. Red-shouldered Hawks prefer woods and wetlands, and the upperparts would have much more white in them. It would be a bit small for this bird, though it's getting closer. The two best candidates appear to be Red-tailed Hawk and Rough-legged Hawk. The common former species utilizes a variety of habitats year-round in Connecticut. An adult Red-tailed Hawk would show the red tail, even if it were tough to see, in this photo. It is possible it could be a juvenile, though the extensive white on the face and the fact it is sitting in the middle of the coastal grasslands right on the mouth of the Housatonic would have to lead one to believe they are watching a Rough-legged Hawk in prime hunting grounds.

In fact, this light morph Rough-legged Hawk was at Stratford Point on December 28 and 29. The still distant but full-sized photo is below.


The Rough-legged Hawk hovers while hunting, making it strikingly reminiscent of the White-tailed Kite. If you were watching it, there would be no doubt as to the identification of the species from this behavior and the distinctive undersides. We often get this rare raptor at Stratford Point in the winter. While this bird moved on, come visit us to see if we pick up another soon.


Photos © Scott Kruitbosch

Historic storm birds

The snowstorm of 1/11-1/12 was truly historic across all of Connecticut and much of New England...the birds? Not so much. First of all, here are snowfall totals for various towns and cities in Connecticut courtesy of the National Weather Service:

...LITCHFIELD COUNTY...
 CORNWALL              28.0   450 PM  1/12  MOHAWK MTN SKI AREA
 WOODBURY              28.0   500 PM  1/12  WOODBURY SKI AREA
 CANAAN                27.0   506 PM  1/12  WEATHERNET6
 SHARON                24.8   443 PM  1/12  WEATHERNET6
 2 N SOUTH CANAAN      24.5   500 PM  1/12  CT DOT NORTH CANAAN
 1 SE WINSTED          24.0  1200 PM  1/12  COCORAHS
 BAKERSVILLE           22.2   645 AM  1/13  CO-OP OBSERVER
 NORFOLK               21.7   800 AM  1/13  CO-OP OBSERVER
 NEW PRESTON           21.0   230 PM  1/12  TRAINED SPOTTER
 LITCHFIELD            20.0   500 PM  1/12  CT DOT
 3 NNW WINSTED         20.0   200 PM  1/12  COCORAHS
 THOMASTON             18.0   500 PM  1/12  CT DOT
 TORRINGTON            17.0   324 PM  1/12  TRAINED SPOTTER
 WINCHESTER CENTER     17.0   500 PM  1/12  CT DOT

...HARTFORD COUNTY...
MANCHESTER            27.0   554 PM  1/12  HAM RADIO
GLASTONBURY           25.5   540 PM  1/12  HAM RADIO
NEW BRITAIN           24.3   545 PM  1/12  HAM RADIO
ELLINGTON             24.0   236 PM  1/12  HAM RADIO
SIMSBURY              24.0   123 PM  1/12  HAM RADIO
WINDSOR LOCKS         24.0   936 PM  1/12  BRADLEY AIRPORT
BRISTOL               23.0  1120 AM  1/12  SPOTTER
SOUTH WINDSOR         22.1   420 PM  1/12  NWS EMPLOYEE
WEST HARTFORD         22.0   244 PM  1/12  HAM RADIO
WETHERSFIELD          22.0   240 PM  1/12  HAM RADIO
VERNON                21.6  1149 AM  1/12  HAM RADIO
SUFFIELD              21.0   551 PM  1/12  HAM RADIO
BURLINGTON            21.0   138 PM  1/12
ENFIELD               21.0  1148 AM  1/12  HAM RADIO
FARMINGTON            20.3   100 PM  1/12
EAST HARTFORD         20.0  1158 AM  1/12  HAM RADIO
BERLIN                18.0   159 PM  1/12
EAST GRANBY           18.0   100 PM  1/12
GRANBY                17.5  1150 AM  1/12  HAM RADIO
SOUTHINGTON           17.0  1252 PM  1/12  HAM RADIO
UNIONVILLE            16.2   139 PM  1/12
GRANBY (2MI SW)       16.0  1245 PM  1/12  NWS EMPLOYEE
NORTH GRANBY          14.8   730 PM  1/12
AVON                  14.0   100 PM  1/12

...TOLLAND COUNTY...
STAFFORDVILLE         29.0   726 PM  1/12
TOLLAND               25.5   649 AM  1/13
ELLINGTON             24.0   539 PM  1/12  HAM RADIO
SOMERS                23.5   745 PM  1/12
STAFFORD SPRINGS      23.3   755 PM  1/12
VERNON                23.0   538 PM  1/12  HAM RADIO
UNION                 19.0   300 PM  1/12
STORRS                17.5   425 PM  1/12  SPOTTER
MANSFIELD             17.0   100 PM  1/12

...WINDHAM COUNTY...
POMFRET               22.0   825 PM  1/12  HAM RADIO
EAST KILLINGLY        21.0   639 PM  1/12
MOOSUP                21.0   620 PM  1/12  GENERAL PUBLIC
ASHFORD               19.0   328 PM  1/12
PUTNAM                17.0   300 PM  1/12
DANIELSON             16.0   826 PM  1/12  HAM RADIO
STERLING              15.7  1237 PM  1/12  HAM RADIO
SCOTLAND              13.5   352 PM  1/12

...FAIRFIELD COUNTY...
NEW FAIRFIELD         28.0  1050 AM  1/12  PUBLIC
NEWTOWN               27.0   840 AM  1/12  SKYWARN SPOTTER
WESTON                24.5   800 AM  1/12  SKYWARN SPOTTER
DANBURY               24.1   300 PM  1/12  SKYWARN SPOTTER
RIDGEFIELD            22.0   645 AM  1/12  PUBLIC
3 SSE BROOKFIELD      22.0   730 AM  1/12  COCORAHS
DANBURY               21.8  1000 AM  1/12  NWS COOP
WILTON                18.7   830 AM  1/12  PUBLIC
NEW CANAAN            18.0   915 AM  1/12  SKYWARN SPOTTER
DARIEN                17.5  1100 AM  1/12  CT DOT
WESTPORT              17.4   815 AM  1/12  SKYWARN SPOTTER
SHELTON               17.3   950 AM  1/12  PUBLIC
BRIDGEPORT            16.0   100 PM  1/12  NWS COOP
NORWALK               16.0   934 AM  1/12  PUBLIC
GREENWICH             15.5   250 PM  1/12  PUBLIC
STRATFORD             14.0   930 AM  1/12  PUBLIC
STAMFORD              14.0   800 AM  1/12  SKYWARN SPOTTER

...MIDDLESEX COUNTY...
HADDAM                22.0   214 PM  1/12  PUBLIC
PORTLAND              22.0   800 AM  1/13  COCORAHS
EAST HADDAM           21.5   335 PM  1/12  PUBLIC
CLINTON               21.0  1200 PM  1/12  PUBLIC
WESTBROOK             20.5   915 PM  1/12  PUBLIC
DEEP RIVER            20.0  1100 AM  1/12  PUBLIC
OLD SAYBROOK          17.5   300 PM  1/12  CT DOT

...NEW HAVEN COUNTY...
NORTH HAVEN           30.5   630 PM  1/12  PUBLIC
MERIDEN               29.0   120 PM  1/12  SKYWARN SPOTTER
SOUTHBURY             28.0  1120 AM  1/12  PUBLIC
CHESHIRE              25.5   300 PM  1/12  PUBLIC
GUILFORD              24.5   300 PM  1/12  PUBLIC
NORTH BRANFORD        24.0  1240 PM  1/12  PUBLIC
BETHANY               21.0  1220 PM  1/12  SKYWARN SPOTTER
SEYMOUR               20.0  1100 AM  1/12  PUBLIC
WATERBURY             20.0   100 PM  1/12  CT DOT
OXFORD                20.0   745 AM  1/12  PUBLIC
BRANFORD              19.8  1230 PM  1/12  PUBLIC
NEW HAVEN             19.0  1100 AM  1/12  CT DOT
MILFORD               18.0  1100 AM  1/12  CT DOT
BEACON FALLS          17.3  1100 AM  1/12  CT DOT

...NEW LONDON COUNTY...
OLD LYME              24.0   800 AM  1/13  PUBLIC
COLCHESTER            20.0   500 PM  1/12  CT DOT
NORWICH               17.0   100 PM  1/12  CT DOT
LISBON                16.9   300 PM  1/12  SKYWARN SPOTTER
QUAKER HILL           15.8   630 PM  1/12  COCORAHS
NORTH FRANKLIN        15.5   715 PM  1/12  PUBLIC
LEDYARD CENTER        15.0   300 PM  1/12  SKYWARN SPOTTER
GROTON                14.8   300 PM  1/12  CT DOT
GALES FERRY           14.0   110 PM  1/12  SKYWARN SPOTTER
WATERFORD             13.0  1000 AM  1/12  SKYWARN SPOTTER
STONINGTON            10.5   300 PM  1/12  SKYWARN SPOTTER

To be fair, some of those totals are suspect. Often enough one sees inflated totals when there have been repeated storms as people measure the total depth of snow (usually unintentionally) rather than what fell during the storm. Or they may have measured in a drift. Nevertheless, a few inches here or there still means much of the state saw over 20 inches, which is amazing. The North American short-range model (called the NAM) handled the system the best once it was within its 84 hour window. If your meteorologist was right about the high totals they likely trusted it and disregarded some other models.

Birders expected numerous unusual visitors to their feeders among masses of the typical species during and after the storm. When the earth is that buried ground-feeding species will obviously be unable to access it anywhere. So what happened? Very little, actually. I have read only a few reports of Rusty Blackbirds and Eastern Bluebird coming to yards. I heard about a couple Fox Sparrows and a few Pine Siskins. There were very few Common Redpolls and not a single Purple Finch reported. Only a couple Red-breasted Nuthatches showed up, and those were visiting their respective feeders all winter. There were no mega-rarities, and not even notable birds despite that snow! I do keep hearing stories of Red-tailed Hawks feeding in yards and Red-shouldered Hawks eating handouts of meat. Their primary prey - mammals - are tough to find in or get to through all that snow. Even more Sharp-shinned and Cooper's Hawks came to feeders for the birds, too.

I think many half-hardy or rare feeder birds had already moved on south to better feeding territory after the Boxing Day Blizzard or subsequent inverted trough snowfall. It is very likely many had already succumb to the cold and snow, sadly. This storm may have taken the lives of more. Winter is a hard season - this is the natural (though sad) way of things. This year in particular has made things hard for the little ones. I was eagerly awaiting the Fox Sparrow and Rusty Blackbirds that had visited me only a couple weeks before during and after the Boxing Day Blizzard. They never came! In fact, while I had 28 species and more of a few than usual, none were that notable. Here's my list:

Wild Turkey 2
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Herring Gull (American) 2
Mourning Dove 10
Monk Parakeet 29
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Downy Woodpecker 4
Hairy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 2
Blue Jay 4
American Crow 7
Black-capped Chickadee 3
Tufted Titmouse 4
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
American Robin 2
Northern Mockingbird 1
European Starling 80
Song Sparrow 2
White-throated Sparrow 24
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) 53
Northern Cardinal 9
Red-winged Blackbird 110
Common Grackle 3
Brown-headed Cowbird 1
House Finch 6
American Goldfinch 13
House Sparrow 7

Did you have a sighting you wish to share? Leave us a comment!