Niantic, Ct. (Hooded Merganser X Common Goldeneye Hybrid 1/3)

On Saturday 1/3, I helped Chuck Caron cover a portion of the New London CBC on coastal Connecticut. While we were overlooking the water from a park in the village of Niantic, Chuck spotted an odd duck mixed in with a flock of 20 Common Goldeneye. These birds were about 200 meters off shore. The flock was busy feeding and spending more time under water than on the surface. After a good deal frustration I was able to capture a few digi-scope photos of the bird, once the flock finally setting down and stayed afloat.

This bird was about the same size as the nearby Common Goldeneye. There is a good deal of chromatic aberration, the most prevalent color is a purple cast. Chuck did note detecting a bit of purple while viewing the bird through his scope. Though, on my PC monitor I pickup a little bit of green on the head in one photo. To me this bird fits nicely into the Common GE X Hooded Merg hybrid.


Hybrid, upper right, with female Common Goldeneye and Herring Gull

A nice side view

Head tucked in, the purple cast is from the scope/camera.

Hybrid with Common Goldeneyes

Hybrid with Common Goldeneyes. On my monitor I can pickup a bit of green on the back of the bird's head.

Later in the day we had the good fortune of this American Pipit landing in front of us while we scanned the ocean

Digi-bin photo of American Pipit.

The sunset as we walked back form Black Point at the day's end.

The day's list from our section (Only) of the count:

Brant...23
Canada Goose...138
Mute Swan...9
American Black Duck...106
Mallard...89
Northern Pintail...4
Ring-necked Duck...103
Surf Scoter...20
Black Scoter...18
Bufflehead...12
Common Goldeneye...30
Common Goldeneye x Hooded Merganser (hybrid)...1
Hooded Merganser...14
Red-breasted Merganser...65
Red-throated Loon...5

Common Loon...21
Horned Grebe...16
Red-necked Grebe...1
Great Cormorant...2
Great Blue Heron...4
Turkey Vulture...3
Northern Harrier...1
Sharp-shinned Hawk...2
Cooper's Hawk...2
Red-tailed Hawk...2
American Coot...5
Ring-billed Gull...166
Herring Gull...753
Great Black-backed Gull...18
Rock Pigeon...33
Mourning Dove...21
Great Horned Owl...1
Red-bellied Woodpecker...4
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker...2
Downy Woodpecker...11
Hairy Woodpecker...1
Northern Flicker...3
Blue Jay...23
American Crow...39
Black-capped Chickadee...74
Tufted Titmouse...31
White-breasted Nuthatch...11
Carolina Wren...15
Winter Wren...1
Marsh Wren...1
Hermit Thrush...4
American Robin...10
Gray Catbird...5
Northern Mockingbird...16
Brown Thrasher...2
European Starling...25
American Pipit...1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)...7
Eastern Towhee...1
American Tree Sparrow...4
Chipping Sparrow...1
Fox Sparrow...3
Song Sparrow...57
Swamp Sparrow...1
White-throated Sparrow...119
Dark-eyed Junco...28
Northern Cardinal...40
Red-winged Blackbird...14
Brown-headed Cowbird...1
House Finch...58
Pine Siskin...17
American Goldfinch...45
House Sparrow...269

Seen by Chuck and not me were Ruby-crowned Kinglet... 1 and American Kestrel... 1