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Showing posts from February, 2019

Wintering Piping Plovers in Florida - where are they from?

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I spent a few days visiting a good friend in North Fort Myers back in late January. While shorebirding on Bunche Beach in Lee County (Gulf Coast near Fort Myers), I noticed several flagged/banded Piping Plovers. I tried to record as many as I could, which ended up being seven birds. I was surprised to hear that all three of the breeding populations were represented in that flock. Atlantic Coast - One from North Carolina, one from coastal Quebec, one from New Brunswick, and one from Prince Edward Island. Great Lakes - One from Michigan, one from Ontario. Northern Great Plains - One from Montana. Not what I was expecting...not that I knew what to expect! Not a Piping Plover. This is a Wilson's Plover that was cooperatively feeding in the wrack line at a nearby beach. There were several Wilson's at Bunche, too...but none were obviously banded.  - NB

Status of Wintering Golden Eagles in CT

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I've spent a bit of time looking for Golden Eagles in Connecticut this winter. Nothing crazy - a bit of scanning here and there along the lower Connecticut River and the "Northwest Corner" of the state. Golden Eagle is a scarce bird in Connecticut. You've automatically had a good day in the field if you've seen one. Most birders find this species during its somewhat narrow autumn migration window, Oct-Nov, when a handful are seen at each of CT's two headlining hawk watches. Quaker Ridge averages 8 per year, while Lighthouse Point averages four. So, if you pick the right weather during their migration peak, you have, at best, a decent chance of viewing one. Golden Eagles do winter in Connecticut in small numbers, though I get the feeling that not many folks are specifically seeking them out at that time. The two parts of the state I mentioned above, the lower CT River and the NW Corner, probably give you the best chance of finding one. I have seen a handful