Rare Visitor Spotted at Wequetequock Cove Preserve

A rare visitor from the West made an appearance at Avalonia’s Wequetequock Cove Preserve last month, much to the delight of area birders.

The Western Kingbird was spotted on November 13 by Joe Attwater of the Connecticut Audubon Society’s Roger Tory Peterson Estuarine Center. The bird is a large flycatcher that is widespread in the western United States.

This was only the second time the Western Kingbird has been photographed and recorded in New London County on eBird, an online database of bird observations. The prior instance was in Preston, CT in 2018. Several birders were able to record and photograph the bird’s appearance, including Avalonia’s President Dennis Main.

There are 43 Avalonia eBird Hotspots.

Photos by Dennis Main