Monday 14 May 2012

Stratford and Milford Point

A full days birding on the Connecticut coast! I won't dwell on the wasted first hour or so it involved a rather nasty tick / medical attention / the bill! plus a crash prophylactic dose of antibiotics! I didn't have camera with me retutning from the medical centre and missed an awesome chance of images courtesy of showy American Kestrel and Bobolink! Moving on.......

The Stratford area was the first destination and with Angela Dimmett my guide for the day this turned out to be a spectacular feast of birds, starting with a momentarily showy Green Heron at Stratford Warehouse Pond....


Plus this Least Tern......



Cedar Waxwing, Boat-tailed Grackle and Yellowthroat were also seen here.....

On the way to the airfield,  a distant Black-crowned Night Heron from the car!


And nearby roosting was this immature Yellow-crowned Night Heron....



 Airfields always seem to turn up good birds, Willet flying around plus this Killdeer...





 A fair few waders on show at Stratford Short beach including Semipalmated Plover, Black-bellied Plover, Common and Red-throated Loon offshore. These Sanderling were the only obliging waders!




Moving on to Milford Point, Monk Parakeet were doing their best to bring down power lines with their industrious nest building!


Near Milford Point, some productive pools with Snowy egret.....



And Great Egret....




Osprey bringing home nest material!


The beach was roped off with one little wader in mind, peering through the cage bars -Piping Plover!



Plenty more Least Sandpiper....


Nest boxes ensure there is a thriving Purple Martin colony here!


And finally, another Northern Mockingbird - posing at last...