American Oystercatcher Pre-Migration Staging

I have been following this with great interest over the past three years,

American Oystercatchers grouping together in numbers on Crow Island Bar,

a small sand bar between  Copps and Chimmons Islands in Norwalk, CT.

They start to group together at the very end of August and peak during the first few weeks of September.

Over the past few years, the number of Oystercatchers staging here prior to their southerly migration has been growning, in 2008, there was a high of thirty eight birds on this sand bar, last year on Sept 6th we had fourtyfive, this year, 2010 the number increased to fifty seven. 

 

This is a small part of the group, up and about, before landing again on Crow Island.

It's been impossible to get the whole flock together for a photo, but this is a partial shot of the group of

forty five from 2009.

Besides the Oystercatchers, the departing numbers of Terns, Gulls, Cormorants, Osprey and Herons have left a deafening silence around the islands. This will be the course for the next month or two.

I think it's time for some fishing, or hawkwatching...or both!

A Big Thank-You to everyone that stopped by and visited me at the Norwalk Oyster Festival under the

Oyster Pavilion Tent, it was a fun time!!!  

THANKS!!!!