Summary of Bird Activity at White Memorial and Bantam Lake, November 2011

Purple Finch photo by Bob Stanowski

Bonaparte's Gull photo from

www.pugetsound.edu

Long-tailed Duck photo by Paul Fusco from

www.paulfuscowildlifephotography.com

Black Scoter photo by Paul Lewis from

www.carolinabirdclub.orgLesser Scaup photo from www.utdallas.edu

Greater Scaup photo from www.flyways.us

Northern Pintail photo from www.fws.org

Snow Goose photo from www.nv.wikipedia.org

November, 2011 produced quite an abundance of birds on White Memorial property and at Bantam Lake. A total of 89 species were seen or heard, which is at least 10 more than average for this month. The new ebird gadget on the right side of this blog has been great in keeping readers abreast of what's around the area. The photos above depict a representative sampling of some of the uncommon species detected. Waterbirds by far and away dominated the scene, which is typical for November. The "most bang for the buck" for birders has been to visit Pt. Folly and the Litchfield Town Beach for excellent views of Bantam Lake. Land habitats around these places have also produced plenty of birds. Among the more notable finds at Bantam Lake were a flock of 105 Snow Geese that dropped in for an hour on the 22nd, as many as 7 Northern Shovelers which stayed for the whole month, as many as 3 Northern Pintails present during the second half of the month, 3 Greater and 6 Lesser Scaup present on the 1st, Surf, White-winged, and Black Scoters that dropped in periodically, Long-tailed Ducks that visited during the first half of the month, a Red-throated Loon seen on the 22nd, and Horned and Red-necked Grebes present all month, and 3 Bonaparte's Gulls on the 1st. Little and Cemetery Ponds also produced their fair share of waterfall and other birds. The most notable were Northern Shovelers, Northern Pintails, and Gadwalls. Landbirds of interest included a Northern Goshawk at Marsh Pt. on the 19th, a Northern Shrike at the Morris Town Beach on the 22nd, Winter Wrens a few times, an American Pipit on the 1st in the Museum Area, a Field Sparrow at Apple Hill on the 8th, and Rusty Blackbirds and Purple Finches on several days in various places. As for numbers, our summary from ebird showed a range from 1,805 individuals during the last week of the month to 11,436 individuals during the middle of the month. Species with the highest number of individuals counted were Canada Goose (240), Ring-billed Gull (330), American Robin (7,500), and Common Grackle (200). So, what caused the bird list for November to be so good? It was undoubtedly the combination of nice, mild weather all month (despite the October snowstorm), an abundant supply of all types of food, and a large number of birders visiting the area.

Waterbird Migration Picks Up

Horned Grebe photo by Nancy Johnston

from www.nejohnston.org

Common Gallinule photo by Darlene Knox

Northern Shoveler photo by Paul Fusco

from www.PaulFuscoWildlifePhotography.com

Ruddy Duck photo from www.en.wikipedia.org

Surf Scoter photo by Paul Fusco

from www.PaulFuscoWildlifePhotography.com

Black Scoters photo by Paul Fusco

from www.PaulFuscoWildlifePhotography.com

Migration activity by waterbirds has really picked up in northwest Connecticut since 10/15. Since Bantam Lake and Little Pond are two of the best places in this part of the state to see waterbirds I and many other birders have been checking them almost daily this month. During this time we have been seeing a steady stream of Mallards, American Black Ducks, Wood Ducks, and Blue-winged and Green-winged Teal moving through. This past Tuesday, 10/18, they were joined by a pair of Northern Shovelers at Little Pond. Because the male is exhibiting a very distinctive transitional molt plumage we are sure that the pair of shovelers that we saw at Bantam Lake's Pt. Folly on the 21st and 23rd and back at Little Pond on the 20th and 22nd were the same birds. During this same time span the number of American Coots visiting Little Pond increased to 62. On 10/19 and 20 Mike Doyle saw a Common Gallinule mixed in with them. Mike, and later, Ray Belding also saw 5 White-winged Scoters at this pond on the 20th. This has been a good period of time to find scoters (as it usually is) because Mike saw White-winged, Black, and Surf Scoters on Bantam Lake on the 20th. Two days later, Samantha Foster and I saw a Black and a Surf Scoter on the Lake's N. Bay, along with a Horned Grebe feeding close to Litchfield Town Beach. That day also produced 2 American Wigeons for us at Pt. Folly. The wigeons were still there the next day when John and Tracy Eykelhoff joined me to look for ducks. We also saw a Surf and a White-winged Scoter swimming together in the Lake's central section. Every day during this period has produced between one and four Ruddy Ducks on Little Pond, and a couple of reports of up to 11 of them on Bantam Lake. Other species of water-oriented birds seen on these bodies of water during the past week have included an American Bittern at Little Pond, Common Mergansers, Pied-billed Grebes, quite a few Great Blue Herons and Double-crested Cormorants, an Osprey at Bantam Lake's S. Bay, Belted Kingfishers, and lots of Canada Geese and Ring-billed Gulls. The next 6 weeks should bring even more waterbirds moving through here.