Steve's Birds: February 2018

Sunday, February 25, 2018

late Feb 2018 local birds, Glaucous GU, Harlequin DU, Snowy Owl, Iceland GullI

Snowy Owl, Milford Point, 2/23/18

Snowy Owl, Milford Point, 2/23/1

Glaucous Gull, 2/25/18, Holcomb St, W. Haven (Oyster River mouth)

Glaucous or Iceland? 2/25/18, Holcomb St, W. Haven (Oyster River mouth)

Glaucous. GU, 2/25/18, Holcomb St, W. Haven (Oyster River mouth)

Harlequin drake continues, Holcomb St, 2/25/17, in light rain

Harlequin drake continues, Holcomb St, 2/25/17, in light rain, w/ C Goldeneye

Harlequin drake continues, Holcomb St, 2/25/17, in light rain, w/ Herring GU

Harlequin drake continues, Holcomb St, 2/25/17, in light rain, w/ drake A. Wigeon

American Wigeon pair, Holcomb ST 2/35/18

Common Goldeneye pair, Holcomb ST 2/35/18

Hairy Woodpecker, Walker's Pond, 2/24/18

Iceland Gull w/ 2nd and 3rd yr Herring Gulls, Birdseye Boat Ramp, 2/28/17

Iceland Gull, Birdseye Boat Ramp, 2/28/17

Friday, February 16, 2018

February 2018 CT birds, LTDU, RTHA, ICGU, HADU, BAGO

February 2018 CT birds

Long-tailed Duck, Hammonasset SSP, 2/11/18

Red-tailed Hawk, Hammonasset SP

Iceland Gull, 2/13/18 Oyster River

Greater Scaup, 2/13/18 Merwin Point

Harlequin Duck, Oyster River, 2/13/18

Harlequin Duck and Common Goldeneye, Oyster River, 2/13/18

Iceland Gull, 2/13/18, Oyster River

Barrow's Goldeneye (center), Tuxis Island, Madison CT 2/15/18

Barrow's Goldeneye right), Tuxis Island, Madison CT 2/15/18

Thursday, February 8, 2018

Lake Hemet Red-breasted Sapsucker, Steller's Jay, Pine Siskin, Cassin's Finch, Lewis's WO 2/6/18

Lake Hemet Red-breasted Sapsucker, Steller's Jay, Pine Siskin, Cassin's Finch, Lewis's WO 2/6/18. Went back to Lake Hemet (around 4200 feet elev) to escape heat and find higher elevation birds. Of note, the Christmas Count here tallied 45 Lewis's Woodpeckers.

Steller's Jay, Lake Hemet campground, 2/6/18

Lewis's Woodpecker, Lake Hemet, 2/6/18

Cassin'sFinch, female

Pine Siskins, Lake Hemet, campground,
2/6/18

Red-breasted Sapsucker, Lake Hemet, 2/6/17

Williamson's Sapsucker, Mt Chickadee, Pygmy Nut, PS Aerial Tram 2/7/18

Williamson's Sapsucker, Mt Chickadee, Pygmy Nut, PS Aerial Tram 2/7/18. The third, and rarest, of the 3 sapsuckers in the Palm Springs area is Williamson's, a high elevation specialist. We took the tram up Mt San Jacinto to find it and Clark's Nutcracker. While we heard and saw Clark's, we could not photograph it. We found at least two Williamson's near the Mountain Station and the Adventure Station. Nearby we heard the incessant calling of Clark's Nutcracker, and we also saw them. We first saw and heard Clark's from the highest observation station on the upper level of the Mountain Station. Also in abundance were Western Bluebirds, Pygmy Nuthatches, and Mountain Chickadees.