This fall and winter in Connecticut have just been absolutely outstanding. Living in CT you usually spend most of your life looking at the Massachusetts listserve feeling sickened by the amount of cracking birds that show up just 3 or 4 hours drive away. This years migration however, has been somewhat different. Starting early in July we had a Red-necked Stint show up at the local Connecticut Audubon Coatal Center, following that we had 3 Northern Wheatears in the state.
It was however, not really until December that things heated up. In a year of unusually high Rufous Hummingbird sightings for the State, a Calliope Hummingbird suddenly showed up (a first state record and almost more importantly at a public park where birders had access rather than at a private residence which could have been difficult), Then on December 16 I had found a probable state first Ross's Goose and a Painted Bunting showed up on a Christmas Bird Count (the first in about 20 years as I recall). The very next day an Ash-throated Flycatcher turned up (3rd state record) and a Western Tanager on seperate counts. To complete an amazing weekend (although regular in the state) an almost never seen Yellow Rail showed up making 4 or 5 Megas in the state at the same time.
The following weekend there was an unconfirmed report of a Say's Phoebe that seems to have been well seen from reports but was only fleeting in appearance. To cap an amazing year a Western Grebe was seen for the first time within Connecticut for 33 years.
It seemed like things would have to come to an end soon but with some strong Westerly winds all fall and a mild winter it seems to have been quite a year for rarities and the mild weather probably means that they are surviving that much longer than one might expect them to in a New England Winter (today it was over 60 degrees). To highlight the point yesterday an unidentified bunting was reported from a state park close to my work and this morning I was happy to add Lazuli Bunting to my state list - a cracking little bird and unbelievably another state first.
Luke
Your report is simply amazing - I had no idea that any hummingbirds (other than the Ruby-throated) were ever seen on the east coast. And to have buntings in January - in Connecticut???
This weather is really freaky!