Norwalk Islands, a bird nesting haven

It's April 15th and time to cruise the Norwalk Islands again,
to get a good count as to what is coming and what is going.
At 10:00 this morning, I met Chris Bosak and David Parks at the boat, the plan was to survey all the osprey nest sites in the Norwalk Islands and surrounding shoreline.

The Norwalk Ospreys are doing well, with at least ten confirmed nest sites being used as of today.
Besides checking the osprey sites, my plan was to also survey the nesting areas of all other species.
I was concerned about the seemingly low numbers of American Oystercatchers a few weeks ago, not to worry we found eight pair around the islands and I'm sure there are a number more.

Double-crested Cormorant numbers have swelled to over three hundred on Goose Island, I expect this number to double or triple in the weeks to come.
The Herring Gull colony on this same island is now at six hundred, with Great Black-backs at three hundred.
I don't see the oyster-catcher pair here this year, as their nesting attempts the past two years turned into food for the gulls.

The Heron colony at Cockenoe Island is well over one hundred, I can't determine between Great and Snowy Egrets at the distance needed to view all, but it seems that the Greats are by far the majority, there are also Black-crowns and other species in there as well.
Goldfinch can be heard throughout this island, which is also a great spot for a few early season Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, I didn't see any today but did note a Morning Cloak Butterfly making it's way between islands.

Peregrine Falcons, the pest of anything that dares to fly out there are also doing well.
This week they were not harassing a Bonapartes Gull but rather a Rock Pigeon, near the Norwalk Power Plant, which has installed a nest box for them on the main building, not far from the Osprey nest which has the camera on it, this could become interesting as I and others have watched Peregrines attacking young osprey in there nest before they have fledged.
Hopefully this is just a game for them.
We also witnessed a number of mating attempts today, from ospreys to gulls.
The kids are coming in another month or so, stay tuned.



Channel Marker #1, just one stick on April 1st
lean two style, it grows daily.
This is the pair that has never
produced offspring.

Aigrette, doing that incredible dance, a slow hop up and down,
a little side to side sway, head extended then into a tuck.
Plumes extended.
The tango, egret style!



Not a good panoramic view but the are over 100
egrets in this one area.





DC Corms, their numbers are growing,
Did I mention the guano stench in this area?
Es muy mal!





A close up, note the hair doo.







Bad hair day?

Carrot-billed sparkplug again

I didn't mention the hundreds of Brant still hanging

around, only a handful of Long-tail and other winter ducks

were seen today.