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Showing posts from March, 2016

Ross's Goose and California Gull

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Hey, Stefan Martin just had a really nice few days of birding. On the 19th he and Danny Williams found a ROSS'S GOOSE at Seaside Park in Bridgeport. On the 21st he found a CALIFORNIA GULL at Hammonasset Beach SP in Madison. I saw both of these birds this afternoon...one somewhat expectedly, the other not. The Ross's Goose continues at Seaside Park, today on the triangular field at the far west end before it flew across the harbor to Black Rock. Ross's Goose This evening I stumbled across the California Gull, but not anywhere near Hammonasset. I relocated the bird at the West Haven boat ramp, a good 20 miles straight-line to the west from where it was last seen the evening before. Photos confirm this to be the same individual. first cycle California Gull  - NB

CALIFORNIA GULL in CT

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Here are some photos of the state's first CALIFORNIA GULL found by Stefan Martin at Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison, the current gull hotspot of Connecticut! Huuuge thanks to Stefan for what was simply an awesome find.  - NB

Two Gulls One Flock ("Short-billed" AND "Common" MEW GULLS)

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The annual spring plankton bloom (apparently mostly barnacle larvae) began here in Connecticut a couple weeks ago. This event, which takes place during March through mid-April with varying degrees of intensity, is a magnet for gulls and sometimes waterfowl. Along the rocky central and western CT coast of Long Island Sound the birds sit on the water’s surface and actively pick at the abundant larvae that surround them. I have yet to observe the larvae from a boat, but I have heard from others that the bloom can be impressively thick at times. Sometimes the birds are concentrated in tight flocks, while other times they are rather spread out. These flocks are very mobile and can move west-east or onshore-offshore in the blink of an eye. It is a very hit or miss type of birding. And if you do find the flocks, they may be too far offshore to study closely. But when you do “hit,” the gull show can be spectacular. With the recent closure of the last bulk-waste landfill in Connecticut, thi