October 26, 2020 — Join us on Tuesday evening, October 27, for a Zoom webinar on the amazing blackbirds of Connecticut: grackles, redwings, and more.
Author Archive
Blackbirds of Connecticut, on Zoom
Monday, October 26th, 2020Not a quail. A Yellow Rail.
Tuesday, October 20th, 2020October 20, 2020 — “It flew out of the box and is now near main entrance on ground under porch.”
Congratulations to the 2020 Dave Engelman Volunteer Benchmark Award Winners
Friday, October 16th, 2020October 16, 2020 — Congratulations to the winners of Connecticut Audubon’s Dave Engelman Volunteer Benchmark Award: Eleanor Perkins Robinson, Michael Aurelia, Frank Mantlik, and Tricia Gregory.
Generous Donors, Dedicated Birders Help Reach Big Sit Goal
Thursday, October 15th, 2020October 15, 2020 — Thanks to your generous donations, we surpassed our goal of $5,000 and had a successful day of identifying birds! Our tally was 108 bird species identified including a Jaeger species, a tie for our third highest count. Highlights included 12 species of ducks (including seven Northern Shovelers and all three scoter species), Wild Turkeys, 12 species of shorebirds, and lots more.
Raptors Are On the Move. We Have the Info You Need to Know, Via Zoom
Monday, October 5th, 2020October 5, 2020 — It’s always thrilling to see a hawk but it’s even better if you know which hawk you’re looking at. We have a solution to that — a Raptor Migration Webinar, Tuesday, October 6, 7 p.m., via Zoom.
Connecticut Audubon Members: RSVP for the 2020 Annual Meeting (via Zoom)
Friday, October 2nd, 2020October 2, 2020 — Connecticut Audubon members are invited to participate in the 2020 Annual Meeting, set for 6 p.m. Thursday, October 15. The meeting will be held via Zoom. RSVPs are necessary.
A Tiny Butterfly, a Secret Location, and Seven Volunteers to Improve Its Habitat
Saturday, October 3rd, 2020October 3, 2020 — On a recent Saturday, I joined a work party to help restore habitat at one of only two places in Connecticut where the highly endangered Northern Metalmark butterfly can be found. We all agreed to not even divulge the town in which this population is located.
What to do with “abandoned” or “orphaned” birds
Wednesday, May 6th, 2020Have you found an abandoned bird? Birds and other wildlife that seem to be abandoned or orphaned at this time of year often are not actually abandoned orphaned. The Connecticut DEEP has advice about what to do if you find a bird that you think is abandoned.
The Big Sit 2020: A great way to support bird conservation
Thursday, September 24th, 2020Six of New England’s best birders will be representing the Connecticut Audubon Society in this year’s International Big Sit Bird Challenge, to be held Sunday, October 11. The event is a fundraiser for the Coastal Center at Milford Point. The team will be trying to raise more than $5,000 by identifying as many species of birds as possible from one spot (an observation platform in the dunes).
Daily Bird: Caspian Tern
Saturday, September 5th, 2020September 5, 2020 — Although uncommon, Caspian Terns may be found in coastal Connecticut from mid-April to early November. Basically, if you’re seeing a large, red-billed tern that flies like a gull and has a hoarse voice, you’re probably looking at a Caspian Tern.
Land Donation Adds Important Bird Habitat to Connecticut Audubon Preserve in Montville
Thursday, September 3rd, 2020September 3, 2020 — Thirty-three acres of prime oak forest has been added to Connecticut Audubon’s 233-acre Morgan R. Chaney Sanctuary in Montville, increasing the amount of habitat protected by the preserve by almost 15 percent.
Daily Bird: American Golden Plover
Thursday, September 3rd, 2020September 3, 2020 — American Golden-Plovers get their name from the golden hue of their speckled back feathers. Right now, the birds are molting into their non-breeding (alternate) plumage, so their bold, black throat and belly feathers are interspersed with more brown feathers, making for a more barred appearance.
Daily Bird: Broad-winged Hawk
Tuesday, September 1st, 2020September 1, 2020 — Starting in late August, hundreds of thousands of Broad-winged Hawks leave northern forests to head for their wintering grounds in Central and South America. Look for them on almost all ridge lines where the birds can find thermal winds to give them the necessary lift to form large kettles and soar.
Daily Bird: Buff-breasted Sandpiper
Saturday, August 29th, 2020August 29, 2020 — This is the time of year to look for Buff-breasted Sandpiper. Five were reported from Hammonasst Beach State Park yesterday, Friday, August 28.
One Bird, One Place #7
Friday, August 28th, 2020August 27, 2020 — A common bird declining rapidly but still almost everywhere, and two rarities, one of which is unusually abundant for this time of year — those are our birds. Check out where to look for them.
Semipalmated Sandpiper: From tundra to Suriname and back via Milford Point.
Thursday, August 27th, 2020August 27, 2020 — No matter how much you know or learn about bird migration, it is still a marvel that a shorebird resting on the sandbar at the Milford Point Coastal Center had once been on the flats of Suriname, on the northeast coast of South America.
Birding by Ear, on Zoom
Monday, August 24th, 2020August 24, 2020 — Learning how to bird by ear is an important tool and useful field skill for birders though it can be difficult to pick out which bird is calling and from where. This program, set for Tuesday, August 25, is for everyone but has been formatted to meet the needs of people with visual impairments.
Shorebirds of Connecticut: Watch the presentation by Brad Winn
Friday, August 21st, 2020August 21, 2020 — If you missed Brad Winn’s shorebird presentation on Thursday, August 20, we posted it on our website. Highly recommended and well worth an hour of your time.
Daily Bird: Baird’s Sandpiper
Saturday, August 22nd, 2020August 22, 2020 — Baird’s Sandpipers are long-distance Central Flyway migrants a few of which stray east to Connecticut mainly in autumn and are generally found on mudflats and grassy estuary, pond, and marsh edges, often in drier areas than those preferred by similar species.
One Bird, One Place #6
Friday, August 21st, 2020August 21, 2020 — You won’t have to go far to fund one of this week’s birds (Ruby-throated Hummingbird), but for another, a trip to the shore would be worth it.
