Roughing the Birder!

Flag on the play.  Roughing the birder.  Loss of 5 yards.  Repeat 3rd down!

Not quite the call you'd hear on field today for the Super Bowl.  But cold weather can be rough on birders.  So when Connecticut's Weather was going to hit mid to high 40's I made sure to get out and about!   I dipped on the Mew Gull that had been seen in Southbury, so I won't bore you with that story.  Long story short, I am now more than familiar with Ring-Billed Gulls than I was before.  

Yesterday morning, I got to add a couple birds to my state, year and even life list.  The Rough-Legged Hawk, a smallish buteo of marshs, was something that had eluded me during the winter.  I finally got to add this magnificent buteo to my life, state, and year list.  We found the RLHA in the area of the park called the sparrow lanes.  This also allowed us to spend some time look at and practice identifying sparrows.  At first we were just seeing American Tree and Song Sparrows.  Then we got two lucky birds.  An Eastern Meadowlark flew in and then we found a Chipping Sparrow!  Great Day of birding, even without a Mew Gull...

Rough-Legged Hawk over looking Silver Sands SP

A Close up shot

Can you find the Grey Ghost?

Rabbit Tracks in the Snow

2014 Year List: 115 (135 to go)

CT Year List: 110 (115 to go)

Notable Additions:

Eastern Meadowlark

Cackling Goose

Rough-Legged Hawk (A Lifer)

Life List: 329! (71 to go!)

Pass the Fork-Tailed Flycatcher

The Fork-Tailed Flycatcher is an amazing bird.  The Greys, Blacks, and Whites of this bird make its an amazing specimen.  Now add on to the fact that this bird is quite rare in North America.  By rare, I mean, when you look it up in Sibley's, Peterson's, or Crossley's, and you see the range map, there are a lot of marks for rare and very rare.

The bird is extremely beautiful.  The colors are amazing and a wonderful study in the power of contrast.  We were lucky to see this bird so close to home.  Seeing this bird, you can't help but be hit by the unicorn effect.  Plus the joy of sharing the moment with so many birders only adds to the excitement.  Of course, I would love to go see the bird on its home turf.  Oh, the possibilities and wonder!

Just like with the BCHU earlier, I was stuck wondering what brought this bird here.  How did it travel from its typical grounds in Central America and South America?  What made the bird come here to Hadlyme, Connecticut? The Journey is long and dangerous and while I am happy to see such a bird,

Want to see this lovely bird?  Look for the CT Birding Email List.  That will have all recent sightings and updates