 Hudsonian
Godwit.
According to the National Audubon Society, the Hudsonian Godwit
lives “at the extremes of North and South America, and hustling
between them to breed, the Hudsonian Godwit reveals its life
history only to persistent and lucky observers.” Tina Green and
I fell into that lucky class of observers on October 17, 2009.
Standing near the new Nature Center, we spotted an unusual
long-billed shorebird flying overhead toward the model airplane
field. More than a little intrigued, we rushed off in that
direction and soon found it feeding at the far edge of the
field. Tina scoped the bird and immediately identified it as a
Hudsonian Godwit. I rushed home and got my camera to record the
visit of this very rare bird. It stayed in the field for about
three hours, then disappeared.
Another photo. |
 This Ross's Goose,
the first confirmed record of the bird in Connecticut, appeared at Sherwood Island in mid
December 2006, in time to make the Christmas Bird
Count. News of its appearance brought crowds of
birders from all over the state, and from nearby
states as well. The Ross's Goose nests in northern
Canada, and normally spends the winter in southern
Texas, California, New Mexico, and north central
Mexico. Dec-06
[See
photo with two Canadian geese] |
 Hooded Mergansers are common all through
the winter at Sherwood Island, but they are often
overlooked. You can usually find them in the
millpond, as long as it doesn't completely ice over,
but probably the
best place to spot them is in the creek that runs
parallel to the entrance road, just before you get
to the gates. These beautiful birds are easily
spooked, so if you want to get a good look at them,
it pays
to bring a scope. Drive through the gates and park
in the little area on the right. Then walk across
the road to the marsh side and head back out
of the park, searching the creek on your right.
Dec12-02 |
 This
Hooded Merganser was swimming
on glassy water one rare windless day during the
winter of 2003. Feb11-03 |
 I
found this Red-Breasted
Merganser feeding in the creek that borders
Sherwood Island to the
east. The tide was running in hard, and as I watched, he dove
and captured a crab every minute
or so for some 15 minutes. This was during the January '03 deep
freeze, and he was feeding just above the point where the
current--which he could just barely keep up with--went under an
endless sheet of ice. I wondered what would happen if he ever
got swept under that sheet, but it never happened. No
other ducks had the nerve to try what he was doing, however.
Jan25-03
|
 Red-Breasted Merganser
coming in for a landing on the millpond. Feb2-03
|
 This
is the male Redhead Richard Soffer and I tallied
in the millpond during the 2002 Christmas Bird Count. Shortly thereafter, the pond iced over
and the Redhead disappeared for a few weeks, only to
return when the weather warmed a bit and the ice
retreated. Although you might spot the duck
using a scope from the park, for a closer look, try
the parking lot at Allen's Clam House, across the
pond from the park. Feb2-03
|
 Marbled godwit.
Here's
one that spent a couple days in the
east beach area
of the park. Sep12-02
|
 Kildeer. These kildeer
were photographed in late March when they had just
returned to the park after a long cold winter. As
you can see, they wasted little time in
getting down to the business of mating. For
the results of such endeavors, see below.
Mar-03
|
 Kildeer chick, one or
two days old. One of four that hatched from a nest
right in the middle of the westernmost parking lot.
May2-02 |
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 The
Pectoral Sandpiper is uncommon along the CT coast,
but just about every October, a few of them will stop in at
Sherwood during migration, often in the large grassy circle to
your left as you drive in. I spent about an hour photographing
this one probing the earth and coming up with Japanese Beetle
grubs. Finally the bird came up with a worm, just what I was
waiting for. I fired off about 6 quick shots and this was the
best of them. Oct-06 |
 Baird's Sandpiper is a very rare bird at Sherwood
Island. This one was sighted foraging amongst the tidal
detritus near the jetty at the eastern end of the park. Aug21-02
|
 Little
Blue Heron are somewhat rare in
Connecticut, but I have seen them on nests out in
the rookery on Cockenoe Island, so don't be
surprised if you run across one or more
feeding in the grassy area adjacent to the
two small ponds near the Nature Center, especially
after heavy rains have soaked the ground and driven
worms to the surface. This is a
particularly bright specimen in breeding plumage.
Look also for the all-white immature Little Blue, as
well as the "pied" immature, with its
blotchy combination of the juvenile white feathers,
and the slate-blue adult feathers that are beginning
to replace them. Jun6-03
|
 This
is the American Bittern
that has been frequenting the area of the two little
ponds behind the Nature Center since October 9, as
reported by Richard Soffer. Dave Cadra and I have
been trying to photograph this bird ever since that
date, but whenever we were lucky enough to locate
the bird, it always flushed before we could spot it
on the ground. Finally late afternoon of the last
day of October Dave spotted it out in the open, and
he called me on his cell phone. I was there within
minutes and managed to get some good shots of a very
elusive bird. Oct31-02
|
 Clapper rail.
These
secretive birds nest in the marsh behind the model
airplane field. They are quite shy, but if you visit
the marsh at low
tide, about an hour before sundown, in June or July,
you may get a look at one. Find a spot with a good
view of muddy areas, and wait. Any birds that have
hidden as you arrived, will eventually forget you
are there. Then they will come out on the banks and
flats and resume feeding. Jun8-02
|
 It may be called the
Common Snipe, but
this is a difficult bird to find, and it's even more
difficult to see well. Usually the only view you get
is the zigzagging blur of a spooked bird
flying off to safety. They frequent the park in fall
and spring,
normally skulking around in wet, overgrown grassy
areas. When a snipe sees you approaching, it will
flatten down like this bird, and blend into the
vegetation. If you get too close it will explode
into the air with a sharp two syllable call and
generally vanish. Nov15-02
|
 The
name of the Common Snipe has
now officially been changed to Wilson's
Snipe. This snipe, an uncommonly tame specimen, spent
a few weeks at Sherwood in Feb-Mar of 2006. After years of
spooking these subject before I could get close enough for a
decent shot, this guy was a real treat. I found I could walk up
to within 20 feet or so, and get all the shots I wanted,
including some of him pulling worms out of the ground. Mar-06 |
 American
Woodcock pass through Sherwood Island every
spring starting around the first of March.
Over the years I have flushed dozens of them
in the woods near the viewing platform, but
I have never been able to get a good look at
one, let alone a photo. When they hear or
see you coming, they hunker down in
the leaf litter on the ground, and their
cryptic coloration renders them nearly
invisible. You will either walk right by, or
get so close they burst into the air on
whistling wings and vanish into deep cover. Finally, in March of
2004, I managed to pick this one out of the
leaves and got my first photo. |
 American
Woodcock
In March of '05, I came across a particularly bold
individual, out foraging for worms in the middle of the day, and
seemingly oblivious to my close approach. Mar-05 |
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