[Birdtalk] Famington Bay 2-6-09

[bcurrie100 at comcast.net]

I stopped by Farmington Bay on my way home from work yesterday for a scouting trip to see if the numbers of  Bald Eagles are picking up.  I was there was it was raining. 



Bald Eagle (~40) 

American Kestrel 

Greater Yellowlegs (11 @ boat launch area on west dike) 

Ring-billed Gulls 

California Gulls 

Redhead Duck 

Northern Shoveler 

Bufflehead 

Common Goldeneye 

And a beautiful male Ring-necked Pheasant that almost became Pheasant under glass when he hopped out right in front of my car on a muddy road. 



I ran over to Glover's Ponds to see if anything was there.  There were more American Kestrels and just when I thought that would be the only sighting, I spotted a Peregrine Falcon on the heron rookery poles. 



For those who monitor these types of things, going west bound about 1/4 mile before getting to the area to turn in to Farmington Bay, I saw what appeared to be a very dark juvenile RT Hawk.  Can't be sure of which subspecies it was, or if it even was (though it was a RT).  It was raining and it was a very wet bird atop a telephone pole, with of course heavy cloud cover.  All of these factors could have been a factor in the appearance of the coloring of the bird and as some feathers were clumped together due to the wetness, which feathers I was actually seeing on the breast.  But just in case you are interested and in the area, I thought I would mention it. 



Brian 
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