Birding with the BwBTC Group

 Dawn Fine and Mardi Welch Dickenson

Last October I finally got to go out birding with the Birders who Blog, Tweet, and Chirp. I had missed several opportunities to go birding with this group over the past couple of years due to conflicts with other trips or even moving across the county, but finally it worked out for me. My first outing with them had been two weeks before at Plum Island in Massachusetts. Now, just two weeks later I found myself on my way to Wilton, CT to go birding once again. I knew I would have fun if I could just get there! Since I was already in Connecticut visiting my family it seemed like an easy choice to make until I discovered that Wilton was down by the New York border--the opposite direction from where I currently live! To drive down there would turn my 2 hour trip home into a 5 to 6 hour round trip! Oh, but I had so much fun two weeks ago and I would get to meet more birders and see more birds and…oh heck, why not! So, I got up before dark, got on the highway and drove southwest across the state.

Palm Warbler hiding

Though I got there a bit late, it was not too late to see birds. However, the birds were not cooperating with me and my camera. Sorry, but there will not be any outstanding bird photos today, but there will be fun!

American goldfinches on weeds

We met at Allen Meadows Park. The crisp autumn morning soon warmed up and birds flitted around everywhere. In tangles and hedgerows, in trees and brush they flew and perched and fed.

Dawn Fine, Cynthia Cage and Mardi Dickenson

You can tell from this photo we were all having fun and I found it a bit hard to focus on the birds. I finally had to walk off by myself just to see some birds!

Diana Frugulietti, Dan Huber, Jeff Fine and Chris Ciccone

I saw some of the same people I had met two weeks before, and I met some new ones. You can read about that adventure over at Birding is Fun today.

Since the birds weren’t cooperating I took pictures of flowers instead.

 

I was able to capture this one fuzzy shot of a Vesper Sparrow, a first for my Connecticut Life List.

 

Autumn Leaves

 

Cooper’s Hawk

All in all I saw 38 species of birds at Allen’s Meadow Park! After a brief stop for coffee and a restroom break we headed over to Schenk Island in search of more birds.

Schenk Island

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

 

Red-bellied woodpecker in shade

 

Red-bellied woodpecker in flight with acorn

 

Autumn Leaves…

 

…and Nutty Birders!

What fun I had! What fun people I met. Though I only saw 16 species of birds on Schenk Island I saw my first ever Dickcissel and I was the one who spotted it first and noticed that it had a larger beak than a sparrow. I was so proud of myself! However, the photo I took of the bird is terrible, so, no pictures of that one either!

World Bird Wednesday 

Links:

• Birders who Blog, Tweet and Chirp
• Dawn’s Bloggy Blog
• Brownstone Birding Blog
• Nature Observances
• Living in Brooklyn, Longing For Maine
• Catherine Hamilton
• Mardi Welch Dickinson
• Chris Ciccone: Picus Blog and The Blue Goose Galleries

Bird List for Allen’s Park Meadows

1. Canada Goose
2. Turkey Vulture
3. Cooper’s Hawk
4. Sharp-shinned hawk
5. Red-shouldered hawk
6. Red-tailed hawk
7. Merlin
8. Ring-billed gull
9. Mourning Dove
10. Belted Kingfisher
11. Red-bellied Woodpecker
12. Northern flicker
13. Pileated Woodpecker
14. Eastern Phoebe
15. Blue jay
16. American Crow
17. Black-capped chickadee
18. tufted titmouse
19. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
20. Eastern bluebird
21. Gray Catbird
22. Northern Mockingbird
23. Blackpoll Warbler
24. Palm Warbler
25. Chipping Sparrow
26. Vesper Sparrow
27. Savannah sparrow
28. Song sparrow
29. Lincoln’s sparrow
30. Swamp sparrow
31. White-throated sparrow
32. White-crowned sparrow
33. Northern Cardinal
34. Indigo bunting
35. Common Grackle
36. House finch
37. American Goldfinch
38. House sparrow

Schenk Island Birds

1. Red-bellied Woodpecker
2. Hairy Woodpecker
3. Yellow-bellied sapsucker
4. Northern Flicker
5. Eastern Phoebe
6. Tufted Titmouse
7. American robin
8. Cedar Waxwing
9. Palm warbler
10. Yellow-rumped warbler
11. Song Sparrow
12. Swamp Sparrow
13. White-throated sparrow
14. White-crowned sparrow
15. Dickcissel*****Lifer!