April 17, 2020 — Glossy Ibis have returned to Connecticut from their wintering grounds and big flocks have been seen feeding together. Here’s what you need to know about this eye-catching species.
Author Archive
Daily Bird: Glossy Ibis
Friday, April 17th, 2020Daily Bird: Green-winged Teal
Thursday, April 16th, 2020April 16, 2020 — Green-winged Teal is the smallest North American duck with a length of only 14 inches. The striking males pack a lot of color and pattern into a small package. They’ve been seen recently at Milford Point.
Daily Bird: Downy Woodpecker
Wednesday, April 15th, 2020April 15, 2020 — Anyone with a bird feeder already knows this diminutive woodpecker. At about six inches in length, this black and white clinging bird has a coast to coast distribution and is the smallest of our woodpecker family. It is here in Connecticut year round and does not migrate.
Trail to Earth Day #12: A place so your bird can sing
Wednesday, April 15th, 2020April 15, 2020 — The bottom line for birds is habitat. They need suitable places to nest, spend the winter, and rest and feed during migration.
Dr. Science is at the beach (video, 2 minutes, 59 seconds)
Tuesday, April 14th, 2020April 14 — The amazing Dr. Science talks about plants that drink salt water (not surprisingly those plants are at the beach).
Daily Bird: American Black Duck
Tuesday, April 14th, 2020April 14, 2020 — Black Ducks are a large-bodied dabbling duck about the size of a mallard. They have a yellowish bill with a gray head and dark body.
Trail to Earth Day #10: cut out pesticides
Monday, April 13th, 2020April 13, 2020 — If you apply pesticides to your property to kill insects, you’re killing the food that Connecticut’s birds rely on.
The Daily Bird: Pine Warbler
Monday, April 13th, 2020April 13, 2020 — Of all the warblers that breed in Connecticut, the first to return in spring is the Pine Warbler, arriving in mid- to late March. This year, many have moved into the state during the last few days.
Follow the footprints: trackers know where the otters roam
Sunday, April 12th, 2020April 11, 2020 — Paula, a retired science teacher who lives in Woodstock Valley, leads Connecticut Audubon’s Citizen Science Wildlife and Tracking Program. Since 2003, she’s trained 147 volunteers who have logged 9,216 hours in the field. About a dozen volunteers have stuck with it for a decade or more.
Video (4 minutes, 16 seconds): Dr. Science goes Brackish
Saturday, April 11th, 2020April 11, 2020 — Dr. Science is at the Coastal Center at Milford Point to reveal nature’s formula for an amazing ecosystem called an estuary.
Video (3 minutes, 30 seconds): making sense of citizen science at Deer Pond Farm
Friday, April 10th, 2020April 10, 2020 — Cathy Hagadorn and Deirdra Wallin explain explain EBird, Motus, and other ways of keeping track of the birds, insects, mammals, and more in our area.
The Daily Bird and the Trail to Earth Day: See you next week
Friday, April 10th, 2020April 10, 2020 — The Daily Bird and the Trail to Earth Day are taking the weekend off. The Daily Bird write-ups have turned out to be the most popular feature on our website over the last two weeks. Now is a good time to thank the Connecticut bird experts who wrote those for us.
Trail to Earth Day #9: Composting with worms
Thursday, April 9th, 2020The Trail to Earth Day, a series of simple tips to help the environment (with music at the end), will run through the 50th Earth Day, April 22. We’d be happy to send you one a day via text. Sign up here. April 9, 2020 — This series is based on suggestions that we solicited […]
The Daily Bird: Great Egret
Thursday, April 9th, 2020April 9, 2020 — Great Egrets have arrived along the shore of Long Island Sound. Look for this large, long-legged wader foraging in wetlands, lakes, and marshes.
Trail to Earth Day #8: Make your windows safe for birds
Wednesday, April 8th, 2020April 8, 2020 — Up to a billion (with a “b”) birds a year are killed when they crash into windows. It’s a problem where individual action can make a difference.
Daily Bird: Wood Duck
Wednesday, April 8th, 2020April 8, 2020 — This time of the year Wood Ducks are found in good nesting habitat. That includes almost all freshwater bodies and wetlands with nearby large trees and adequate cover.
Daily Bird: Cedar Waxwing
Tuesday, April 7th, 2020April 7, 2020 — In late winter and early spring, look for Cedar Waxwings feasting on the blue berries of the Eastern Red Cedar.
The Daily Bird: Great Horned Owl
Monday, April 6th, 2020April 6, 2020 — Today’s Daily Bird consists of one great photo. Our friend Tomas Koeck took it in Fairfield, and we thank him for the chance to publish it here.
Trail to Earth Day #6: Make a Little Birdhouse
Monday, April 6th, 2020April 6, 2020 — Build a birdhouse (or buy one) and put it up.
Video (2 minutes, 30 seconds): Spring activity in the wooded wetlands
Sunday, April 5th, 2020April 5, 2020 — The noisiest places in the natural world right now, at least in Connecticut, might be vernal pools. Conservation biologist Jim Arrigoni explains what’s going on, in this video.
