Weston, Saugatuck Reservoir -- GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH in brush near dam on the south side of the reservoir off Valley Forge Road.
Milford, Milford Point -- 2 AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHERS, 4 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS on the bar. LINCOLN'S SPARROW on the parking lot side next to the platform.
Durham, Durham Fairgrounds -- GRASSHOPPER SPARROW in wet area with phrags very near a white and pink painted shack adjacent to the green agricultural barn with a sign that says it hosts goats and swine, among other things.
I had the plovers around 10 AM or so; they weren't there for long; they flew off towards the river while I was trying to ID them and conveniently showed their solid gray underwings. The tide was pretty high and there weren't many shorebirds about.
The sparrow was particularly pleasing, as I have only seen that species once before in CT on migration. The bird was feeding in the gravel next to the brightly colored shack and flushed into the phrags. I got a quick but excellent look at it teed up for about ten seconds, then it disappeared, not to be seen again. I never did find the Palm Warbler I was searching for there! I will take that kind of tradeoff anytime.
Jamie Meyers
Canton, CT
>From Jamie Meyers:
Weston, Saugatuck Reservoir -- GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH in brush near dam on the south side of the reservoir off Valley Forge Road.
Milford, Milford Point -- 2 AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHERS, 4 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS on the bar. LINCOLN'S SPARROW on the parking lot side next to the platform.
Durham, Durham Fairgrounds -- GRASSHOPPER SPARROW in wet area with phrags very near a white and pink painted shack adjacent to the green agricultural barn with a sign that says it hosts goats and swine, among other things.
I had the plovers around 10 AM or so; they weren't there for long; they flew off towards the river while I was trying to ID them and conveniently showed their solid gray underwings. The tide was pretty high and there weren't many shorebirds about.
The sparrow was particularly pleasing, as I have only seen that species once before in CT on migration. The bird was feeding in the gravel next to the brightly colored shack and flushed into the phrags. I got a quick but excellent look at it teed up for about ten seconds, then it disappeared, not to be seen again. I never did find the Palm Warbler I was searching for there! I will take that kind of tradeoff anytime.
Jamie Meyers
Canton, CT
