May 13, 2020 — The discovery of a Townsend’s Warbler in Hartford last month — a record first for Connecticut — got birders thinking about which new species might show up next. Because it’s migration time, thoughts turn to Swainson’s Warbler. Note that the violet color that indicates a sighting is absent from Connecticut on […]
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Daily Bird/Warbler Week: Swainson’s Warbler
Wednesday, May 13th, 2020The Daily Bird/Warbler Week: Hooded Warbler
Tuesday, May 12th, 2020May 12, 2020 — Usually first noticed by a ringing “weeta, weeta, weeteeo” song, a Hooded Warbler sighting highlights almost any bird walk in the Connecticut woods.
Diary of a teenage birder from New Canaan, circa 1910. Part 3.
Tuesday, May 12th, 2020May 12, 2020 — On a spring morning in New Canaan, meadowlarks are singing and flickers “salute each passerby” as a 15-year-old boy walks to the Tallmadge Hill station to take the train to high school in Stamford. It’s 1910 and Harold Jones is making notes in his diary.
The first hummingbirds of 2020
Tuesday, May 12th, 2020May 12, 2020 — Almost 90 of you sent in your first-of-year sightings from 80 places in Connecticut (plus Pennsylvania, New York, and Vermont). Follow the arrival of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds on this map.
The Daily Bird/Warbler Week: Chestnut-sided Warbler
Monday, May 11th, 2020May 11, 2020 — Chestnut-sided Warblers are migrating through and can be found in numerous habitats. They nest in old field and scrubby habitat throughout Connecticut, a declining habitat type as forests mature and fields get developed and converted to lawns.
The Monday Bird Report
Monday, May 11th, 2020May 11, 2020 — You may have noticed that the rest of the world is catching on to what you’ve known for a while: birding is hot. It seems the antidote to the stress of dealing with the pandemic is birdwatching.
The Daily Bird: Gray Catbird
Friday, May 8th, 2020May 8, 2020 — This handsome gray bird can be distinguished by its bold personality and characteristic call, reminiscent of a cat’s meow. They are more often heard than seen, spending much of the day hidden away in thick shrubs and trees. Although they tend to be secretive, they are very energetic and boisterous birds.
Watch and listen to what’s going on in the water at Deer Pond Farm
Friday, May 8th, 2020May 8, 2020 — Is there a more beautiful sound in nature than the trill of an American toad? You can hear it at the start of this terrific video that our Deer Pond Farm staff recorded this week. And stick around for Jim Arrigoni’s terrific description of the aquatic invertebrates he found.
You probably need new binoculars or a scope. If so, we’ve got you covered. Just call.
Thursday, May 7th, 2020May 7, 2020 — Time to upgrade those binoculars? Need a spotting scope? Need a gift? The birds are here, with more on their way. No time like the present! Call at 860-767-0660 to discuss or to place an order.
Daily Bird: Orchard Oriole
Thursday, May 7th, 2020May 7, 2020 — This is a handsome and distinctive species. The males lack the bright orange flash of the more common and widespread Baltimore Oriole but sport a bright chestnut and black plumage unique among North American birds. The greenish-yellow hues of the female also stand out, and the first-summer males are readily identified by the their black bib. Compared to the Baltimore, it’s a more slender and spritely bird.
Diary of a teenage birder from Connecticut, circa 1910. Part 2
Saturday, May 9th, 2020May 9, 2020 — In early spring 1910, 15-year-old Harold Jones, who lived on the Waveny Estate in New Canaan, was busy keeping his daily bird list and identifying wildflowers. Here’s the second entry from his nature diary.
Diary of a teenage birder from Connecticut, circa 1910. Part 1
Wednesday, May 6th, 2020May 6, 2020 — “I have some notebooks of bird observations from 1910. Would you be interested in them as a guide to habits today, considering the changes in climate? They were made by my father, now deceased. The written observations were in New Canaan, CT in 1909 and 1910.”
Daily Bird: Eastern Meadowlark
Wednesday, May 6th, 2020May 6, 2020 — Careful observers can still see and hear this bright relative of our blackbirds in open, grassy habitats, sometimes perched on fences and bushes in a few Connecticut locations. It is a birder’s treasure wherever it is found.
Daily Bird: Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Tuesday, May 5th, 2020May 5, 2020 — The Rose-breasted Grosbeak, returns from the Caribbean to Connecticut during spring migration. And you may not have to work very hard to find it.
Facetiming Bird Migration
Tuesday, May 5th, 2020May 5, 2020 — NBC CT meteorologist Kaitlyn McGrath Facetimed Executive Director Patrick Comins last week to talk about migration, about visiting Connecticut Audubon’s sanctuaries, and about threats to Connecticut’s birds.
Daily Bird: Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Monday, May 4th, 2020May 4, 2020 — Yellow-crowned Night Herons are birds of marshes and wet meadows but are not widely distributed across the state. Our Milford Point Coastal Center is by far the most reliable location in the state.
The Monday Bird Report
Monday, May 4th, 2020May 4, 2020 — It was not only a beautiful weekend, it was a busy one for birds and birders. Here are a few highlights.
Daily Bird: Eastern Whip-poor-will
Friday, May 1st, 2020May 1, 2020 — Eastern Whip-poor-wills typically arrive in their breeding grounds in late April-early May, timed with the appearance of the insects that make up their diet.
Daily Bird: Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher
Thursday, April 30th, 2020April 30, 2020 — The long-popular reference to a “miniature Mockingbird” holds up pretty well. Shape and tone are reminiscent of the big mimid, although the gnatcatcher lacks the white wing markings. But keep miniature in mind. This is a small, slender bird in the warbler size category.
The Daily Bird: Semipalmated Plover
Wednesday, April 29th, 2020April 29, 2020 — Semipalmated Plovers are starting to appear on Connecticut beaches during spring migration. Named for their semi-webbed toes, which allow them to walk on different substrates, Semipalmated Plovers can be found foraging for insects and other invertebrates on mudflats and beaches while they migrate to their nesting territory on Arctic beaches.
