Welcome to the CTAudubon Rare Bird Alert
We’ll text you when a rare bird is found in Connecticut and other nearby areas. We’ll also list it in this post, locate it on the map below, and include a link to this post.
The alerts are by text only and you have to sign up to receive them! Click here to sign up!
Roseate Spoonbill photo by Mary Walsh.
September 5, 2023, 11:50 a.m. — The Roseate Spoonbill was at Stratford Point this morning and by 11:45 a.m. had moved to the marsh at the Milford Point Coastal Center. It continues to be observed at various locations around the mouth of the Housatonic River.
August 28, 2023, 4 pm — Roseate Spoonbill in the marsh at Milford Point, observed from the tower. It’s been going back and forth between Milford and Stratford so no guarantees, of course.
Happy birding, and please take a look at the American Birding Association’s Code of Ethics before heading out.
We’ve compiled a list of birds that we think are worth going to see if they show up in Connecticut. If we confirm that they are here, we will send out an alert.
Click here to see the list.
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2023
January 13 — GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE at Veteran’s Park, FAIRFIELD
January 19 — COMMON MURRE off Pequot Ave, NEW LONDON. BLACK GUILLEMOT reported from Ocean Beach Park, in GROTON
March 28 — A probable WESTERN MEADOWLARK at Hammonasset
April 11 — TRUMPETER SWAN at Aicher Preserve in POMFRET
May 21 — RED-NECKED PHALAROPE at Sandy Point Bird Sanctuary
July 5 — BROWN PELICAN on the break wall at the mouth of the Housatonic River.
July 24 — COMMON RINGED PLOVER (2nd State Record)
August 5 — EXTRALIMITAL LESSER SAND-PLOVER
August 24 and subsequent days — ROSEATE SPOONBILL at the Milford Point Coastal Center and elsewhere nearby
October 13 — LECONTE’S SPARROW at Hammonasset State Park
Previous years
August 17, 2019 – Magnificent Frigatebird, Hammonasset Beach State Park (this bird flew past and was not relocated).
August 29, 2019 – Black-headed Gull, Milford Point (not relocated on August 30)
September 9, 2019 – Lark Sparrow, Lighthouse Point, New Haven
September 4, 2019 – Black-headed Gull, Short Beach, Stratford.
September 2, 2019 – Yellow-headed Blackbird, Silver Sands State Park, Milford. No reports on Tuesday, 9/3.
August 30, 31, 2019 – American Avocet (3), Milford Point. Reported on 8/30, still there Saturday, 8/31, and Sunday 9/1. The three birds were still there on Tuesday, 9/3.
August 30, 2019 – Wilson’s Phalarope, Silver Sands State Park. No further reports.
September 21, 2019 – American Avocet at Milford Point. One bird has been observed there for several days, possibly one of the three that were there three weeks ago.
September 22, 2019 – Lark Sparrow at Silver Sands State Park, Milford. Reported this morning on the COA listserve: “The bird was near the north south running wood parking barrier at the West end of the Sparrow lanes.”
September 27 – Gull-billed Tern seen again this morning at the Sherwood Mill Pond Preserve, 191 Hillspoint Avenue, Westport. Reported on the COA listserve. See map below.
October 5 – Blue Grosbeak (adult female or second year male) reported on Friday, October 4, at our Smith Richardson Preserve, Sasco Creek Road, Westport. Photos on eBird.
October 4 – Sedge Wren at Silver Sands State Park, 30 yards past black gate at western end of main parking lot, along the chain link fence
October 4 – Swainson’s Hawk seen flying north past Lighthouse Point Park in New Haven
October 28 – Lark Sparrow at Sikorsky Airport off of Lordship Boulevard. Gated lot near entrance, associating with Savannah Sparrows
October 27 – Sandhill Crane at Salt Meadow Park, Madison. The COA list reports that it’s “on the left side of the soccer fields at Salt Meadow Park in Madison as of 9:55 AM. Easy views from parking area.”
October 23 – Probable Western Meadowlark at Sherwood Island State Park, moving between model airfield and rotary with a flock of Eastern Meadowlarks. Last seen October 24.
November 24 – Western Grebe, Cove Island Wildlife Sanctuary
November 23 – Brewer’s Sparrow at Hammonasset. First State record. As of shortly before 1 p.m on the COA list, “The Brewer’s found earlier this morning at Middle Beach Circle is still here, in a mixed flock feeding in the grass by the picnic tables. The flock is pretty skittish but seems to be working the area pretty regularly.”
November 23 – Leconte’s Sparrow, Savin Lake Park, Route 616, Lebanon. From the COA list: “Park at the entrance sound end of lake. Walk up dirt road 1/10 mile. Go past gate. Bird is in thicket on right about 15 yards past gate.”
December 7 – Tufted Duck, Captain’s Cove, 1 Bostwick Avenue, Bridgeport. The COA reports that it’s “in the west cove seen from boardwalk near small buildings … with mostly Lesser and a few Greater Scaup.” The docks are private, so view from the paved area, please.
December 7 – First reported November 27, Western Tanager still being viewed at a feeder at 60 Dibble Street, Torrington.
December 21 – Barnacle Goose in Shelton. Seen on Trap Rock Reservoir from 420 Huntington Street, Shelton.
2020
January 5, 2020 – Young female Barrow’s Goldeneye off the tip of Stamford Avenue, on Shippan Point, Stamford, seen this morning feeding with Brant until it swam out of sight.
January 13 – Pink-footed Goose on Crosby Pond in Orange, with Northern Pintail and a large number of Canada Geese
January 26, 2020 – Thick-billed Murre at Greenwich Point Park. Park in the lot with the concession stand and walk out to the point.
February 8, 2020 – Pacific Loon. Reported on the COA list early afternoon. Seen in New London Harbor from the Orient Point Ferry. Early suggestions are to search from Fort Trumbull Park.
Black-headed Gull on the East Branch of Stamford Harbor, seen from Czecik Marina Park.
March 16, 2020 – Sandhill Crane at Benedict Pond, Norfolk, yesterday. Look for parking near the outlet on North Colebrook Road.
March 16, 2020 – February 24, 2020 – Harris’s Sparrow still at Hammonasset, near the playground.
September 4, 2020 – Western Kingbird, West Thompson Dam, North Grovenserdale. The bird is visible in the large field on the west edge of the reservoir. It reportedly likes to use the middle line of trees in the field as a perch, but is unreliable.
2021
March 30, 2021 — White-faced Ibis, Hammonasset Beach State Park, at the Boulder Pond.
April 5, 2021 — Mew Gull in West Haven this afternoon, on the beach just west of Bradley Point.
April 14, 2021 — European Golden Plover. Duxbury, Massachusetts. Just north of High Pines on the Bay side.
April 29, 2021 — YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER at the Larsen Sanctuary in Fairfield. Streamside Trail in large warbler flock
May 12, 2021 — Little Egret, Grace Salmon Park, Saugatuck River, Westport. 2nd State record for this species
May 13, 2021 — Swallow-tailed Kite, Norwich.
May 27, 2021 — Extra-limital HEERMANN’S GULL currently being seen at Horseneck Beach State Reservation, MASSACHUSETTS. First New England record
June 1, 2021 — 6 BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCKS are currently being seen in Watertown.
June 4, 2021 — A GULL-BILLED TERN was just reported at Milford Point, on the sandbar. Please be respectful of nesting shorebirds and maintain proper distance
August 17, 2021 — A Roseate Spoonbill was just located (8:30a) in Boulder Pond at Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison. Good Luck!
October 22, 2021 — HARRIS’S SPARROW was just reported from Allen’s Meadow, Wilton. “South side tree line of the community gardens”
October 23, 2021 — LECONTES SPARROW was just photod at Smith Richardson Preserve, Fairfield.
October 24, 2021 — BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER just photod at Hammo, around the Swan Pond
October 27, 2021 — PINK-FOOTED GOOSE at the Broad Brook Millpond, in Broad Brook.
November 13, 2021 — Extralimital SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER in RHODE ISLAND. Marsh off Sandhill Cove Rd, Galilee
December 20, 2021 — EXTRALIMITAL STELLAR’s SEA-EAGLE in Massachusetts. Visible from Somerset Boat Ramp,
2022
February 10, 2022 — COMMON GULL (Kamchatka) was just photographed at Cummings Beach, STAMFORD
March 18, 2022 — POSSIBLE Slaty-backed Gull off Long Beach, Stratford. Feeding offshore. Key word: POSSIBLE. More info when we have it.
March 19, 2022 — SAY’S PHOEBE at Sikorsky Airport, STRATFORD. 4th State Record
March 20, 2022 — SHORT-BILLED GULL is being seen at Long Beach, STRATFORD. 2nd state record
May 21, 2022 — Black-necked Stilt at Four Mile River boat launch in Old Lyme
July 11, 2022 — AMERICAN AVOCET at Nod Brook WMA in Simsbury/Avon.
July 18, 2022 — CURLEW SANDPIPER at Short Beach Golf Course, Stratford.
November 22 — TOWNSEND’S SOLITAIRE at Hammonasset
October 18 — SMITH’S LONGSPUR at Sandy Point in New Haven. 3rd state record
October 12 — GRAY KINGBIRD at Bauer Park in MADISON
September 14 — RUFF at Hammonasset State Park
American Avocets at Milford Point, August 2019. © C.S. Wood
