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I did a FAQ blog entry about the White-tailed Kite and Stratford Point over a month ago. Since things have changed a bit in that time I thought it might be a good idea to do version 2, which is below. Thanks to our friend Kevin Doyle for all the great photos! 1) Where should […]

I still wonder how high that day total is going to get. The White-tailed Kite is still at Stratford Point, and occasionally at Short Beach or the Coastal Center at Milford Point. I have not had a good look at it since Sunday night, though I suspect the tail molt still has a fair amount […]

The White-tailed Kite continued to be seen at Stratford and Milford Points this evening for day number 36. Below is the fifth video I have taken of the White-tailed Kite. It is footage assembled from the last week while hunting at Stratford Point, soaring and interacting with some other birds. White-tailed Kite 5 from Connecticut […]

Here is a rundown of upcoming events at three Connecticut Audubon Society locations: the Birdcraft Museum and Sanctuary and the CAS Center in Fairfield, as well as the Coastal Center at Milford Point. You can find more details and contact information on each center’s page, linked above. First, Birdcraft… Nature Nursery, Wednesdays, 10-10:45 a.m. on […]

The White-tailed Kite has entered its second month at Stratford Point. It is beyond amazing. I do not know of anyone that thought this length of a stay probable or even considered it a possibility. Some people thought it would depart instantly, while others pointed to the molt and said it would have to stay […]

While waiting for a possible return for a second feeding of the night by the White-tailed Kite yesterday Stratford Point visitors were treated to another entertaining sight in the form of gulls catching bugs. The phenomenon is not new to me, but it is to many people who do not live in coastal areas, or […]

The White-tailed Kite continues for the 29th day. Since I put up more photos yesterday I figured why not a fourth video today! This is the longest so far, nearly 2 minutes shot from August 17 through August 28. It features, almost in order, the kite diving, interacting with gulls and terns, hovering, scratching itself […]

Here are some White-tailed Kite photos…because, well, it’s a White-tailed Kite in Connecticut. Even though this is the beginning of day 29 it is still staggering to think of this bird even being within 500 miles of New England. The first two are from me while the other three are from, once again, Scott Vincent […]

The White-tailed Kite has a secret I have slowly let out the last few days. It is, without a doubt, spending much more time at Stratford Point. This is because it is feeding more than it did for the first 20-25 days. The kite never had more than one meal at night, but it has […]

Here is a list of the species I have recorded at Stratford Point during the first 25 days of White-tailed Kite mania. This only includes official surveys completed by myself. It does not include some sighted outside that time by others such as the Wilson’s Storm-Petrel seen a few days ago. The official tally is […]

Courtesy of WTNH, the following video details a Manatee that was seen in Clinton Harbor. This is yet another southern visitor to Connecticut this summer. Apparently, a Manatee was seen in Bridgeport and perhaps Fairfield last week as well. This is very likely the same one. I am certainly not a marine mammal expert, but […]

Day 23 of the White-tailed Kite watch was a tough one for the poor raptor. After a night of torrential rain this morning started with still more rain. The bigger story was the wind. Right on the coast, and on Stratford Point property, wind gusts were well over 30MPH, nearing 40 at times. This northeast […]

Last Sunday something very strange was discovered by a young boy on the beach of the Connecticut Audubon Society Coastal Center at Milford Point. This non-avian discovery made its way to Director Frank Gallo. Our own Conservation Biologist and fellow blog author, Dr. Twan Leenders, took the following photographs. He, in consultation with scientist friends […]

Well, Scott just let me know that the White-tailed Kite was not seen tonight by the small group of kite-spotters waiting patiently at Stratford Point, nor was it detected in its regular hangouts at Milford Point. However, several people got great looks this morning and the bird was unusually visible on-and-off all morning as it […]

The White-tailed Kite has altered its schedule a bit lately, spending more time at Stratford Point in the morning and less in the evening. This is likely because it is able to be there without too many people around, if any. It is becoming well versed in our schedules and habits. While I do not […]

The White-tailed Kite continues! Our own Dr. Twan Leenders reported that, as usual, it was hunting at Stratford Point this morning. I will be there this evening as more visitors stop by for a chance to see it up close. Last night was the first evening since August 7th that it did not return to […]

Tomorrow will be two weeks since the kite was discovered at Stratford Point by Dennis Varza. It is in a perfect routine at the moment, having becoming accustomed to the human schedule while setting one for itself. It hunts early while we give it space, having a few meals from around sunrise to 8AM before […]

The White-tailed Kite is still here! However, there has been no sign of the Brown Pelican since the evening of August 10. A Black Tern, possibly the same bird, was seen today at Milford Point. This is the nature of pelican sightings in Connecticut, especially Brown. They are often seen and never relocated. The fact […]

The White-tailed Kite continued to be seen today at Stratford Point, Short Beach, and Milford Point. I went back tonight in hopes of seeing it hunting, as I do nearly every late afternoon or evening, and to allow visitors in to the site. Twan was still there, doing work mapping spartina growth around Stratford Point, […]