Author Archive

This morning I carried out one of our monthly wildlife surveys for the US Army Corps of Engineers at their flood control project at Colebrook River Lake. As I shivered through the first half hour of my survey, not expecting much in gloomy 40 degree weather with a steady drizzle I rounded the corner towards […]

We are waiting to see if the American Kestrel box at Stratford Point hosts a family this year. A female has been hanging around but we have not spotted a male for some time. This Merlin was the only falcon present a few days ago. It was very friendly, allowing me to walk right up […]

Excuse me for the cheesy title, but Twan thought this would be an outstanding story to share with everyone, and I wholeheartedly agree. The below tale is from a posting on the Shorebirds listserv. You can see Whimbrels at the Coastal Center at Milford Point and Stratford Point each summer, even if they are just […]

On Wednesday a friends of ours from Stratford, Barney Bontecou, wrote an email to another friend, Frank Mantlik, about a male Harlequin Duck at Long Beach. Since he is away he passed it along to others to check out. I think all of us included in that email were busy yesterday or saw nothing, but […]

Attention CAS Environmental Advocates: Please help support H.B. 6557 which you can find if you click here. This bill has been in the works since the May 2010 jury verdict awarded $2.9 million for a mountain biker who was injured at the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) Reservoir in West Hartford, effectively closing MDC properties for […]

Here’s a quick message from the DEP – please help them out if you can! Volunteers are needed by the DEP to help put up string fencing for nesting Piping Plovers (quite a bit of overlap with Least Tern colonies as well). Here is the tentative schedule for fencing piping plover nesting habitat. If you […]

We wanted to pass along a recent press release by the American Bird Conservancy concerning bird strikes and wind power which you can read below: (Washington, D.C., April 5, 2011) American Bird Conservancy (ABC), the nation’s leading bird conservation organization, today distributed dramatic footage showing a wind turbine striking a bird—a poignant illustration of the […]

OK, so it has been a Purple Martin overload lately, but I am excited about the great work being done for them. They would not be able to breed at all without our assistance, so it is crucial we continue to provide more and more of it. The action at Gazebo Phil’s started early this […]

I may tweet or blog about them a lot, but Northern Gannets really are that spectacular of a sight off Stratford Point. The fact they were exceptionally rare anywhere in the state not long ago makes it all the more special. Twan captured these great shots earlier in the week. It’s only a matter of […]

I had to post this – check out Gazebo Phil now and you may see the below image live. I captured that image just after 10AM today. Amazing, a Purple Martin already in the gourd with the cam inside it! This does not mean it will nest there, but it is great to see them […]

Purple Martins have returned to Connecticut! On this somewhat unexpected early date, Gazebo Phil welcomed back eight Purple Martins to Martin Acres by the Sea. If you have never seen his impressive community and amazing website and cameras you need to check out and then bookmark the following site: http://gazebophil.com We were expecting them to […]

During the first two weeks of March, Connecticut Audubon Society staff members Frank Gallo and Twan Leenders travel to a Costa Rican rainforest preserve with students and staff from three Litchfield high schools as part of a year-long tropical biology class. Students carry out important research projects, some of which have been ongoing for 19 […]

During the first two weeks of March, Connecticut Audubon Society staff members Frank Gallo and Twan Leenders travel to a Costa Rican rainforest preserve with students and staff from three Litchfield high schools as part of a year-long tropical biology class. Students carry out important research projects, some of which have been ongoing for 19 […]

In spite of the unseasonably cold weather in recent days, the first Piping Plovers have already reached our shores and their breeding season will start shortly. These state and federally listed shorebirds have been the subject of a very successful volunteer monitoring program for many years. Due to the efforts of the U.S. Fish and […]

One of the birds seen at our Bafflin Sanctuary today… This American Woodcock was very cooperative. Much more to come this week on the conservation work, changes, and birds of the Connecticut Audubon Society Center at Pomfret. Photo © Scott Kruitbosch

Here are a few photos of what has been going on at the always popular Stratford Point in the past week. I found this pile of feathers while walking the perimeter trail during a survey… Any clue as to what they are? If you look very closely you will be able to see bits of […]