10/23 DEP Headquarters in Old Lyme  -- On my way home today from  the NHBC
Hammo walk I stopped into the pond behind the DEP Headquarters  (4:30 PM).
There was a flock of 30-40 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS sometimes perched  together in
one tree sometimes foraging in the mudflats putting on a good  show turning
over the leaves.  Boy,against the dark mudflats are they  camouflaged!

Other birds of note:

green-winged teal in quite an array of plumages
Am. wigeon
swamp sparrow
yellow-rumped warbler
white-throated sparrow
great blue heron

Thanks, Hank G, for your report a few days ago about this spot. It
reminded me to start going back there.  Any sign of the nearby Baldwin  Bridge
peregrines yet?

A bit late but here is my report from a quick jaunt at Harkness SP in
Waterford yesterday 10/22 (the brush dump portion only).  Nothing particularly
unusual but a nice mix of sparrows:

Lincoln's, white-crowned (imm.), white-throated, field, swamp, song,  house
(unfortunately house sparrows were the most numerous)

also: 2 red-shouldered hawks, 1 sharpie,  phoebes, red-winged  blackbirds
f, common yellowthroat, and only 2 yellow-rumped warblers :) (as  opposed to
the 100s we saw today at Hammo)

Home feeders: White-throated sparrows and juncos both arrived on 10/21,
although I did see a junco in a neighbor's yard last week.

Carolyn Cimino
Waterford

My husband and I went by this spot this afternoon (10/24).  We positively
ID'd one Rusty Blackbird and there were likely more but between mediocre
light and distance we could not positively ID the ones in the trees.  This
was a lifer for us!  Also, I have never seen so many butterbutts (aka
yellow-rumped warbler) in one place!  They were everywhere.  Among other
common birds, we also saw Swamp Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Song
Sparrow, Eastern Phoebe, Cedar Waxwings, Green-winged Teal, Coot, Belted
Kingfisher, and Ruby-crowned Kinglet.  It was a great spot to bird, we had
no idea it was there.  There were other ducks but they were too far away to
ID, next time we will bring our scope.

Julie Keefer

-----Original Message-----
From: ctbirds-bounces@lists.ctbirding.org
[mailto:ctbirds-bounces@lists.ctbirding.org] On Behalf Of Sailcarm@aol.com
Sent: Saturday, October 23, 2010 8:35 PM
To: ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org
Subject: [CT Birds] RUSTY BLACKBIRDS- DEP headquarters in Old Lyme 10/23;
Harkness SP 10/22

10/23 DEP Headquarters in Old Lyme  -- On my way home today from  the NHBC
Hammo walk I stopped into the pond behind the DEP Headquarters  (4:30 PM).
There was a flock of 30-40 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS sometimes perched  together in
one tree sometimes foraging in the mudflats putting on a good  show turning
over the leaves.  Boy,against the dark mudflats are they  camouflaged!

Other birds of note:

green-winged teal in quite an array of plumages
Am. wigeon
swamp sparrow
yellow-rumped warbler
white-throated sparrow
great blue heron

Thanks, Hank G, for your report a few days ago about this spot. It
reminded me to start going back there.  Any sign of the nearby Baldwin
Bridge
peregrines yet?