Checklist S149961360

Observations

1. Canada Goose

   Number observed:  3

2. Mute Swan

   Number observed:  2

   Exotic: Naturalized

   Details

   Scoped in the area of Quinnipiac Meadows from the top of East Rock

3. Mallard

   Number observed:  1

4. Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)

   Number observed:  5

   Exotic: Naturalized

5. Mourning Dove

   Number observed:  2

6. Chimney Swift

   Number observed:  8

7. Laughing Gull

   Number observed:  25

   Details

   New Haven harbor area. Scoped

8. Ring-billed Gull

   Number observed:  7

9. American Herring Gull

   Number observed:  35

10. Double-crested Cormorant

    Number observed:  40

    Details

    Most around the harbor

11. Great Egret

    Number observed:  2

    Details

    Quinnipiac Meadows. Scoped from the top of East Rock

12. Black Vulture

    Number observed:  19

    Details

    Plenty moving around amongst the solid raptor movement today. Assuming most (if not all?) are local

13. Turkey Vulture

    Number observed:  36

    Details

    Some local, most migrating

14. Osprey (American)

    Number observed:  1

    Details

    Likely local

15. Sharp-shinned Hawk (Northern)

    Number observed:  6

    Details

    Five migrating, one making rounds around the top of East Rock hunting (perhaps the same bird as yesterday based). All imms.

16. Cooper's Hawk

    Number observed:  4

    Details

    Actively migrating

17. Bald Eagle

    Number observed:  3

    Details

    All seemed to be local. Two imms, one ad

18. Broad-winged Hawk

    Number observed:  13

    Details

    Fair movement, but somehow I missed the +500 over Lighthouse Point even though I was scoping in that general direction for much of my hawkwatch!!

19. Red-shouldered Hawk (lineatus Group)

    Number observed:  1

    Details

    Absolutely gorgeous adult bird radiating in its rich orange-red plumage. Crisp, frosty back and wings with checkerboard patterning. Moving low over the East Rock neighborhood, so perhaps local? Slightly unexpected, but with such great raptor movement, one was ought to show up.

20. Red-tailed Hawk (borealis)

    Number observed:  8

    Details

    Two immatures (likely siblings from this year) play fighting at the intersection of y Dr and the White Trail. Other seen during hawkwatch/flying around other parts of the park.

21. Buteo sp.

    Number observed:  3

22. Red-headed Woodpecker

    Number observed:  1

    Details

    *Rare and unexpected, but a plausible as a low-density fall migrant in the coastal NE. 2nd New Haven Co. record for 2023, but right upon the heals of one at Sherwood Island on 9/14. East Rock’s 6th (eBird) record for RHWO, but this will be the first with documentation apparently! An utterly wild moment that was super serendipitous. Scoping to my W looking for hawks and scanning Quinnipiac Meadows, I randomly happened to move my scope a little too far to the left when an out-of-focus bird appeared in the center of my scope. I watched it fly for a second or two and then land on a dead branch, and due to its woodpecker flight plus dark wings with glaringly white secondaries, its ID was immediately apparent. At first I was unable to discern where the bird was, but I realized the the bird was on a dead tree on Indian Head. I furiously attempted documentation thinking my moments would be fleeting, but to my surprise (and pleasure), the bird was contented to remain on the branch for at least 30 mins. Medium-sized melanerpes with pale stomach, dirty brown head, dark wings/back with white secondaries, and dark tail. Two dark bars ran across the secondaries, giving the rear of the bird a barred impression when perched. I enjoyed watching it forage on the top of this dead branch and preen for about 20 mins before turning back to my hawkwatch endeavors. As it seemed so content, perhaps it’s worth checking Indian Head to see if this bird sticks around (at least for a short while). Such an epic moment (and species!) to really get me psyched for future days at East Rock! Photos to come (both camera and digiscoped). Last photo shows the distance at which I observed the RHWO.

    Media

23. Red-bellied Woodpecker

    Number observed:  8

24. Downy Woodpecker (Eastern)

    Number observed:  4

25. Hairy Woodpecker (Eastern)

    Number observed:  3

26. Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)

    Number observed:  3

27. American Kestrel

    Number observed:  4

    Details

    Two migrating by East Rock, plus a pair interacting near the New Haven harbor

28. Peregrine Falcon (North American)

    Number observed:  1

    Details

    Adult far out (between East Rock and West Rock)

29. Red-eyed Vireo

    Number observed:  1

    Details

    In with the BAWW and a few other un-ID’d migrants

30. Blue Jay

    Number observed:  20

31. Fish Crow

    Number observed:  1

32. Common Raven

    Number observed:  2

    Details

    Both flying in a generally E direction, one inland and one coastal

33. Black-capped Chickadee

    Number observed:  5

34. Tufted Titmouse

    Number observed:  6

35. Tree Swallow

    Number observed:  17

    Details

    Flying around the edge of East Rock, moving N-ish

36. Barn Swallow

    Number observed:  6

    Details

    One consistently hawk insects around the top of East Rock

37. White-breasted Nuthatch (Eastern)

    Number observed:  2

38. Northern House Wren (Northern)

    Number observed:  1

39. Carolina Wren

    Number observed:  2

40. European Starling

    Number observed:  4

    Exotic: Naturalized

41. Gray Catbird

    Number observed:  4

42. American Robin

    Number observed:  8

43. House Sparrow

    Number observed:  3

    Exotic: Naturalized

44. American Goldfinch

    Number observed:  2

45. Black-and-white Warbler

    Number observed:  3

    Details

    The extreme fallout I’ve been waiting for ;)

46. Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)

    Number observed:  1

    Details

    Foraging along the East Rock cliffs

47. new world warbler sp.

    Number observed:  3

48. Northern Cardinal

    Number observed:  4