I had the day off today 9/26, so birded the Stratford coast in hopes of finding some storm-related birds. No luck but here is a summary of the highlights. Overcast, 61-65 degrees F, ENE winds @ 20mph, steady rain, till a lull at 12:15 -1:30; visibility decent (2-8 miles); high tide 9:15am. Stratford, Sikorsky Airport 10:15 - 2 flocks of Black-bellied Plovers totaling 47 birds, on runways, chased by a PEREGRINE FALCON. One big rain pool at the east end held only a few mallards. Short Beach Park - 18 Killdeer, chased up by a MERLIN. On the beach were a few of the usual shorebirds. 14 snowy egrets and 1 BC night heron along saltpond. Lordship Seawall - nothing! (Charlie Barnard found the same earlier in the morning). Park Blvd. dune - 100 Tree Swallows. Stratford Point, seawatch 11:30 -12:30 (former gun club gate locked, but I walked around the perimeter beach where fishermen go to get to the point) - Only a trickle of 65 Laughing gulls (mostly juveniles) migrating west, a handful of herring and great black-backed gulls, 6 FORSTER'S TERNS flew past point & upriver, 1 migrant PEREGRINE FALCON. Then when walking back to car, 2 AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVERS, 20 peep, 10 semipalmated plovers, 1 spotted sandpiper all along cove beach. Also 2 palm warbler, 1 com. yellowthroat. Sniffen's Lane, Knapp's Landing Restaurant, scope sand bars of Milford Point - 1 juv. BLACK SKIMMER. Stratford home/garden 9am - one Ruby-throated Hummingbird still coming to potted flowering plants. Bridgeport, Seaside Park 12:50-1:40 - I drove the entire park, which had several rainpools on the many grassy ballfields. Nothing of note. 18 Killdeer, 85 Laughing Gulls (mostly adult), 300+ Ring-billed gulls. Frank Mantlik Stratford