Shorebirder

A now-annual event is currently in full swing in Connecticut: the early spring gull concentration caused by a large plankton bloom in Long Island Sound. To check out the posts from last year, click the label below. Each year around this time, there is a bloom of some type(s) of plankton along the coast of Fairfield and New Haven Counties, mainly between Norwalk and West Haven. A fantastic concentration of gulls and waterfowl feeds on these minuscule creatures. The gulls, in particular, are impressive. Numbers at single locations have peaked at 10,000 birds! Last year this event began around March 10 and lasted into April with a peak in the second half of March. This year it began earlier and is already peaking (one would assume, as it is hard to imagine a concentration much larger than the current one). Yesterday afternoon I went to check things out. I made it down to Short Beach around 2:40pm, not long after low tide. The raw east winds probably contributed to the tide not being very ...

I had some unexpected free time today and was able to spend late morning in the woods for the first time this spring, rewarded with many Palm and Pine Warblers, a lone Yellow-rump, drumming Sapsuckers and a backyard Pileated WP. Pine Siskins were also scattered about, many in pairs chasing each other around. While I didn't witness any copulation or stronger signs of nesting, I would imagine that some of these birds will be breeding locally. I then spent some time at Milford Pt, where attention was switched back to gulls and waterfowl. No Brant were to be seen, but several hundred gulls were there including a second-winter Iceland. I'm not used to gulling this late into spring (with the exception of the Boney flocks that are typically around into April). Every time I feel a warm breeze or hear a FOY spring migrant singing in the distance, I get sucked back into winter by gulls, geese, etc. Don't get me wrong...this is a very good thing. This year we have had more gulls and ...

My plan for the day was to sort through the large gull congregations that had been present along the Fairfield County coastline. Upon arriving in Milford late this morning, it quickly became evident that the gull numbers were quite low. Recalling Frank Mantlik's report of a Little Gull in Southport yesterday evening, I headed down to Sasco Creek and relocated what was presumably the same bird among 1000+ Bonaparte's Gulls. The flock was very tame, allowing prolonged close views. This bird had a strong salmon-pink wash on its underparts. - NB

Over the past couple of weeks, thousands of gulls have concentrated along the CT coast between West Haven and Norwalk, most reliably centered around Stratford. They have spent much of their time feeding on some sort(s) of plankton/larvae that are currently 'blooming' out there. Whatever the food (the experts are working on it), it's making for quite a show. Among the flocks have been several Iceland, Glaucous, and Lesser Black-backed Gulls. The stars have included a Mew(Common) Gull, Little Gulls, Black-headed Gulls, a probable Thayer's Gull and a possible "Old World" Herring Gull. If you want to count the probable Thayer's, eleven species of gull have been seen along this small stretch of coastline over the past two weeks. Let's see if we can add to this tally before the fun ends, which could happen any day. - Nick

UPDATE 4/2/09: I've received quite a bit of input on this bird from gull-watchers with experience with both European Herring and Vega Gulls. Most feel that this bird would fit in with a flock of "Old World" Herring Gulls if it were seen on the other side of either ocean. However since we aren't sure what smithsonianus is capable of, no one (including myself) is willing to put a name on this bird. Maybe time will tell, but for now it remains unidentified. In the photos below I have illustrated some of the pro-"Old World" features of this bird: ORIGINAL POST: While birding Milford Pt a few days ago, this bird was among the several thousand gulls present. More photos, and their original sizes, click HERE . If anybody has thoughts on it, please let me know. - NB

While at Milford Pt today John Oshlick and I had brief looks at an unidentified, faded first-cycle gull showing many characteristics of Thayer's Gull. I first spotted the bird slowly flying along the shore into the stiff breeze and immediately thought we had a Thayer's Gull. Easily visible were underwings like that of a white-winged gull, a perfect 'venitian blind' pattern on the primaries, a dark secondary bar, and a solid brown tail band except for pale bases to the outer rectrices. Absolutely classic-looking for Thayer's. The bird then landed on the water with a few young Herrings. The folded primaries were chocolate-brown with neat pale finges, tertials were a bit paler and solid-centered, and the bill was black. Still looked great for Thayer's at this point. But a couple things appeared a bit off. First, the bird was the same size as the adjacent Herrings, not discernably smaller (or larger) anyway. Structurally, it had a very "rangey" feel for a ...

A brief tour of the West Haven/Woodmont shoreline in search of gulls was extended for several hours after finding this adult "Common" Mew Gull ( L. c. canus , the European form) at Bradley Point in West Haven, CT. I was primarily in search of Little Gull today, planning on getting home for the start of the 12:30 NCAA basketball games. A stop at the beach/flats at Bradley Point didn't reveal any Boneys, but there were plenty of Ring-bills. Five minutes into the scan I was lucky enough to encounter this bird while it had its bill out. At times it was very cooperative, while preening and showing its bill. For extended periods, though, it would tuck away to sleep, at which time it was nearly impossible to pick out among the Ringers if you didn't know it was there. The bird's mantle was a touch darker than RBGU, but not by much, so it could easily be overlooked while at rest.     Dark iris, slim bill with a faint subterminal markings on a rounded head, slightly darke...