Avocet Milestone at Milford Point

Something of a nemesis bird for me in Connecticut, I’ve chased several American Avocets – sometimes all the way across the state – to no avail. They always were gone within the time it took me to get there.  So when I heard of three discovered by Hugh Whelan at the relatively nearby Milford Point Connecticut Audubon Coastal Center.  I was, as usual, unable to get away immediately, so I had to hope they would stick for a day.  

Arriving at 8:30, I ran into Jason and Peter, fellow members of the Connecticut Ornithological Association Board of Directors, and we pretty quickly got on the three rarities in the shallows of the low tide marshes.  After satisfactory looks and record photos from distance (my 350^thConnecticut bird and 272^ndConnecticut bird photo), we headed out to the beaches, where we expected the birds to relocate as the tide came up.  

Small numbers of peeps and plovers lined the edge of the water on the outer sand bar and with close scoping I noticed a Western Sandpiper, a bird I’ve seen but never before photographed.

   Western Sandpiper with Semipalmated Sandpiper behind

We worked the shorebirds and watched Least Terns still feeding late offspring.

   Least Tern Fledgling

While we were absorbed with terns and peeps, as often happens seemingly by “beam me up, Scottie”, the Avocets appeared on the shoaling sand on the inside of the bar.  Even expecting them, we did not see them fly in.  Nice light and closer proximity afforded some better photos.

   American Avocet

Going through my photos and reviewing the species account at Birds of North America Online, it appears that one of these birds is a female based on the more sharply recurved bill.

   American Avocet (female on right)

Jason was studying Black-bellied Plovers looking for Golden Plover and finding Short-billed Dowitcher instead, but then calling out “Whimbrel” as two joined the plover flock.  A third came in a little later and we were treated to a shorebird mix of Avocet, Whimbrel, American Oystercatcher, and Black-bellied Plover all within one photo frame.

   Whimbrel

   Two Short-billed Dowitchers with Black-bellied Plovers

   An Interesting Shorebird Mix

A nice milestone bird for me and a great birding day at one of Connecticut’s premier birding sites.  Noticing a goodly number of American Avocet eBird reports in New England currently, I took a look at recent history and this year’s incursion appears to be unprecedented at least over the past ten years. I’m curious as to whether this is population related, weather influenced, or some other demographic/distribution dynamic.

         eBird Reports, American Avocet

all photos © C.S. Wood
visit all my photos at https://www.flickr.com/photos/cswood-photos/