My CT hotspot has been my Garden. Especially during migration - I've had Golden-Winged, Bay Breasted, Nashville and Tennessee Warblers Pass through as well as a Philadelphia Vireo. Fall was amazing with regular mornings with over 100 warblers, vireos etc flitting around in the pines at the bottom of my garden. I've just had a Pine Siskin at my feeder - just keeping my fingers crossed for redpolls and other northern finches this year.
OK thought I'd edit this to make it of more use to CT begginers or those visiting the State (I must preface this by saying my bias is towards the western half of the state as these are my local areas).
As a general overview of a year birding in CT: In winter most attention is directed towards the coastal areas - although open inland water can be good for Gulls,Waterfowl and associated Bald Eagle) - Bantam Lake in Litchfield held Barrow's Goldeneye last winter) actually getting to the coast is not always easy as much of the coastline is privately owned . Long Island also deters most of the sea going birds from entering CT waters, thus making Eiders, Harlequin Ducks, Fulmars, Kittiwakes and Alcid's difficult to find. It's worth keeping an eye on the CT Rare Bird Alert at: www.virtualbirder.com
Places to try in winter are:
Sherwood Island State Park(Westport)
Long & Short Beaches (Stratford)
Hammonasset State Park (Madison) which is one of CT's premier birding sites throughout the year,
New Haven Harbour (anywhere you can access the coast - often good for Eurasian Wigeon)
Penfield Reef (Fairfield - only exposed at high tide),
Greenwich Point Park (Greenwich)
It is also worth keeping an eye on the RBA's of northern states such as Vermont NH and MA to see if there are any movements of winter finches (Grosbeaks, Crossbills and Bohemian Waxings)
As spring migration arrives (Late March will see the return of early passerine arrivals such as Pine Warbler and Eastern Phoebe but the main passage will be from mid April through to the first week of June - late birds such as Mourning Warbler and Olive Sided Flycatcher) attention switches slowly from Coastal Sites towards inland sites and famous land bird Migrant Traps. The main thing is to just get out and bird as often and as early in the morning as possible, wherever you can get to have a look as you never know what is going to show up. Places that deserve a planned visit are:
River Road - Kent (a premier migrant trap and also good for breeding Cerulean, Hooded and probably one of the last sites for Golden-winged Warbler)
East Rock Park - Hamden - CT's best migrant trap - similar to the Central Park NY or Mt Auburn Cemetry MA experience - which are definitely both worth a visit if you want to head out of state.
Bent in the River - Southbury
TBC...
OK thought I'd edit this to make it of more use to CT begginers or those visiting the State (I must preface this by saying my bias is towards the western half of the state as these are my local areas).
As a general overview of a year birding in CT: In winter most attention is directed towards the coastal areas - although open inland water can be good for Gulls,Waterfowl and associated Bald Eagle) - Bantam Lake in Litchfield held Barrow's Goldeneye last winter) actually getting to the coast is not always easy as much of the coastline is privately owned . Long Island also deters most of the sea going birds from entering CT waters, thus making Eiders, Harlequin Ducks, Fulmars, Kittiwakes and Alcid's difficult to find. It's worth keeping an eye on the CT Rare Bird Alert at: www.virtualbirder.com
Places to try in winter are:
Sherwood Island State Park(Westport)
Long & Short Beaches (Stratford)
Hammonasset State Park (Madison) which is one of CT's premier birding sites throughout the year,
New Haven Harbour (anywhere you can access the coast - often good for Eurasian Wigeon)
Penfield Reef (Fairfield - only exposed at high tide),
Greenwich Point Park (Greenwich)
It is also worth keeping an eye on the RBA's of northern states such as Vermont NH and MA to see if there are any movements of winter finches (Grosbeaks, Crossbills and Bohemian Waxings)
As spring migration arrives (Late March will see the return of early passerine arrivals such as Pine Warbler and Eastern Phoebe but the main passage will be from mid April through to the first week of June - late birds such as Mourning Warbler and Olive Sided Flycatcher) attention switches slowly from Coastal Sites towards inland sites and famous land bird Migrant Traps. The main thing is to just get out and bird as often and as early in the morning as possible, wherever you can get to have a look as you never know what is going to show up. Places that deserve a planned visit are:
River Road - Kent (a premier migrant trap and also good for breeding Cerulean, Hooded and probably one of the last sites for Golden-winged Warbler)
East Rock Park - Hamden - CT's best migrant trap - similar to the Central Park NY or Mt Auburn Cemetry MA experience - which are definitely both worth a visit if you want to head out of state.
Bent in the River - Southbury
TBC...
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