By Frank Gallo
It’s six a.m., and Ed Shove is here to do a bird count. Before him stretches New Haven’s Quinnipiac Marsh, his count area. He walks quietly along the railroad trestle at first light. There is no need to come earlier, the owls will still be there – or will they? A mega movie cinema now replaces his best owling area. There have been changes, deemed “progress” over the years. He wonders if the owls see it that way. Behind him, the Middletown Avenue Landfill stands in silent silhouette against the morning sky. He moves on with a purpose.
Across the marsh, Christmas lights from the houses along State Street twinkle in the clear morning air. It is a week until Christmas. He checks his thermometer–it is 5ºF. Today is the day for members of the New Haven Bird Club to participate in the Audubon Society’s annual Christmas Bird Count. There should be 45 or 50 species to reward him for his day’s work. What will he find this year?
There is not much still, open water, so ducks should be in the river. As he walks, he listens and looks for the sounds of his quarry. The marsh is a harsh environment in winter. If you are a small bird or mammal, it is wise not to remain in the open. The wind is cruel, and the hawks are hungry. To his right, a Northern Cardinal calls. He marks it down.
There are always the regulars: flickers, crows, starlings and titmice are all here. Perhaps there will be a Golden-crowned Kinglet or a Hairy Woodpecker this year. Along the tracks, Northern Cardinals, White-throated Sparrows, Black-capped chickadees, Dark-eyed Juncos, American Tree, and Song Sparrows all feed. There will be other less common birds, such as the occasional Swamp Sparrow, Sharp-shinned or Cooper’s Hawks, or perhaps a Brown Creeper. Then there are always a few “good birds,” like the Blue-winged Teals and Boreal Chickadees from years past. Maybe there will even be another American Bittern like last year.
A startled Great Blue Heron flushes from a hidden river channel with a loud squawk; two steps later, a Black-crowned Night-Heron does the same. Both are uncommon birds for this time of year. The startled birder records them in his notebook. Further down the line a female pheasant rushes across the tracks and disappears into the grass. Like the bittern, they are a difficult bird to find–there was only one here last year. A flock of seven Pine Siskins and two Common Redpolls alight in a nearby tree. It looks as if it may be a good “winter finch” year. A Northern Mockingbird jumps up to eye him from the top of a nearby rose bush, and two American Goldfinches pass overhead uttering their “Po-ta-to-chip” call. He writes them down, checks his watch and thermometer, and moves on. It is 8:30 a.m. The temperature has reached 15 degrees.
He follows the tracks deeper into the marsh which offers him an unobstructed view, but no respite from the wind, now blowing from the north. All he can do is hike up his collar and press on. People are counting on him to find Rough-legged Hawks and Northern Saw-whet Owls. There are usually a couple of each wintering in the marsh.
Looking up, he sees the familiar shape of a Red-tailed Hawk, beneath it a Northern Harrier glides effortlessly on raised wings, hunting along a mosquito ditch. Another large hawk quarters the marsh in the distance, but he can’t quite make it out. It begins to hover in place. It is a light-phase Rough-legged Hawk.
Before the day is through, he will return to the dump to count the many gulls. Maybe a Glaucous or Iceland Gull, rare winter visitors from the north, will be present to reward him for his work. Below the Middletown Avenue Bridge, there should be Buffleheads, American Black Ducks, and Common Goldeneyes, and–with luck–a Hooded Merganser, a Pied-billed Grebe, or–once common, but now rare– a Canvasback. If he has the time, he’ll check the bushes and marsh below the bridge for songbirds before checking the cedars off Sackett Point Road for Saw-whet Owls. The Eastern Meadowlarks that were near the bridge in late October may still be around.
A Killdeer calls from somewhere to his left. Searching, he sees a kingfisher plunge into the river and come up with a small fish. So far, it has been a good day. He writes them each in his notebook, checks his watch and thermometer, and moves on.
In the distance, he hears gunshots; he’ll have to hurry. A flock of 10 Canada geese come hurtling down the river away from the sound and are followed by a group of Mallards and American Black Ducks. Wait–is there a smaller duck with them? He raises his binoculars. Yes, the smaller bird is a green-winged teal, a “good bird” for the marsh. It’s the first in a few years.
He hurries on. His luck may not last forever. Another gust of wind greets him as he rounds the bend. He can see the river, there are still ducks on the water. His eyes water as he tries to make them out. Ah, if only it were spring. Then the Rails and Bitterns would be back, he could watch the Least Terns in comfort as they flew up and down the river to feed, or spend leisurely hours poring through the flocks of shorebirds that frequent the marsh pools and riverbanks. There is no use lamenting his lot. It is not his way, and in truth he loves this too. Spring will arrive in due course. For now, he has ducks to count.
His name is Ed Shove, and he is here to do a bird count.
Dedicated to the Memory of Ed Shove, the first Lighthouse Point Park hawk compiler, a consummate naturalist, and my friend. He saw more than most…
How you can contribute:
Christmas Bird Counts (CBCs) are conducted throughout the state from December 14, 2024, to January 5, 2025. New Canaan’s CBC is part of the Greenwich-Stamford Count Circle and is usually held on Saturday, December 14. For more information and to join a count, contact the compiler, Cynthia Ehlinger, at cynthia.ehlinger@gmail.com. For general information on CBCs, go to: https://www.audubon.org/community-science/christmas-bird-count/join-christmas-bird-count. To read the results of last year’s New England counts go to: https://www.audubon.org/news/123rd-christmas-bird-count-new-england. For general information about birds, visit the Connecticut Ornithological Associations webpage at: https://www.ctbirding.org. It’s packed with useful information.
Frank Gallo is the Senior Naturalist at the New Canaan Nature Center, 144 Oenoke Ridge, and the author of Birding in Connecticut – a comprehensive site guide on where when and how to find birds in the State. He can be reached at Fgallo@newcanaannature.org by email. For more on the New Canaan Nature Center, visit NewCanaanNature.org online. All photos on this page are courtesy of Frank.
