Duck-Eagle Hop

A few Menunkatuck members and friends birded the Connecticut River from Saybrook Point to Haddam on Saturday, January 23. A chilly breeze at Saybrook Point was bearable due to the number of ducks in the river. Close side-by-side looks at Common Loon and Red-throated Loon made the field mark comparison very clear. Long-tailed Ducks were numerous.
Across the river at the Connecticut River Museum in Essex, we saw four deer "walking on water" as they attempted to use a sandbar to go from Nott Island to the mainland. When the water got too deep for them, they returned to the island.
Deep River Landing gave us good looks at Common Goldeneye and Great Cormorant. And at Haddam we finally got a look at a Bald Eagle soaring above the Goodspeed Opera House. As it turned in the sky, the sun shone on its white head and tail, and its yellow talons glistened.
The list for the day was:

Mute Swan, Canada Goose, American Black Duck, Mallard, Lesser Scaup, Common Goldeneye, Long-tailed Duck, Bufflehead, Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Red-throated Loon, Common Loon, Horned Grebe, Great Cormorant, Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Ring-billed Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Rock Pigeon, Downy Woodpecker, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, European Starling, American Robin, Yellow-rumped Warbler, fSong Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco