Date: 1/23/26 8:56 am From: ashippee via CTBirds <ctbirds...> Subject: [CT Birds] Somers Western Meadowlark seen today.
For anyone interested in the Western Meadowlark, it has been seen today in its usual haunts, on Hutton Road, Somers, off Pinney, about here: 41.96442° N, 72.47855° W.
It has, I believe, some favorite places. Driving in from Pinney, you come to a break or tangle on the right (south), and across there's a depression with some water and some seed: it's been at both of those. A bit after the depression are a couple of big trees (oaks?), and we had good looks there yesterday. Further along, the road declines, and there's a place where corn has been dropped. That attracts the scores of Horned Larks (and a Snow Bunting), and sometimes the Meadowlark.
Sometimes I gather it associates at the edge of the H. Lark flock. I've heard it likes to walk around, flicking its tail. It's bigger than the Larks, and very bright if you see it from the front. Thanks to the half-dozen other birders stalking it yesterday, and good luck to those who try before the big snow.
Yesterday, several of us then took 190 across the CT river bridge, chasing and twitching the M. Barrow's Goldeneye (maybe two). (There's a MacDonald's along the way, in case....) We were helped by updates on the GroupMe account. First I parked at the canal park lot, off 159 just south of the bridge, and walked the path north onto the bridge, a safe walkway high over the water. I got good looks at Common G. up to the old pylons, where there was ice. Then there were two messages that the Barrow's was visible a bit above that ice, from River Blvd (W side of river, Suffield), which is where a few of us snagged views. It might have been visible from Barnes boat ramp on E side. I've not seen a message about the Barrow's.
No sign of the rare geese yesterday, no message today, yet.
Thanks to all those who helped yesterday.
Good birding! Arthur
A. ShippeeHamden
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