February 3, 2019 – Experienced and skilled wildlife observers have suggested alternative hypotheses in the days since we posted our Barred Owl article on Wednesday evening, January 30.
Author Archive
Why are so many people seeing Barred Owls this winter?
Sunday, February 3rd, 2019Green New Deal
Friday, February 8th, 2019February 8, 2019 – The Connecticut Audubon Society has written to the state’s five members of the House of Representatives and two Senators expressing conceptual support for the non-binding Green New Deal and urging Connecticut’s delegation to co-sponsor the recently-introduced Green New Deal Resolution. The Green New Deal Resolution is an outline for a bold […]
Press Release – State of the Birds 2018: cities and suburbs are essential to the survival of Connecticut’s birds
Wednesday, November 28th, 2018November 29, 2018 — For the scores of migratory and nesting bird species in Connecticut to survive and thrive, the state’s cities and suburbs must create, maintain, and improve their local habitats in everything from small neighborhood parks to larger nature preserves. A PDF of the report is here. That’s the key finding of the […]
A time to plant: Smith Richardson volunteer work day: 1,105 trees and shrubs planted!
Wednesday, October 3rd, 2018Our volunteer day at the Smith Richardson sanctuary in Westport on Saturday, November 3, was a huge success. Thank you to all the hard workers! Charles Stebbins, a member of our Board, who along with fellow Board member Jerid O’Connell is spearheading the project, reported: “Not only did the weather clear and provide a glorious […]
2018 Testimony in Favor of An Act Establishing a Pilot Program for the Preservation of Open Space
Friday, February 1st, 2019February 26, 2018 To: Committee on Planning and Development Connecticut General Assembly From: The Connecticut Audubon Society Re: S.B. 181 The Connecticut Audubon Society strongly supports S.B. 181, An Act Establishing a Pilot Program for the Preservation of Open Space. Founded in 1898, the Connecticut Audubon Society is an independent organization that conserves Connecticut’s environment […]
Action Alert: Land Preservation Home Rule Funding Bill
Friday, February 1st, 2019February 1, 2019 – The legislative session in Hartford has just gotten started and already there is a public hearing scheduled for a bill that is crucial to conservation in Connecticut. Monday, February 4 10:30 a.m. Room 2B Legislative Office Building Hartford The best way to protect habitats for birds and other wildlife is to preserve […]
How to behave when watching a Snowy Owl (or any owl)
Wednesday, January 1st, 2025Follow these three basic rules no matter which owl — Barred, Snowy, Northern Saw-whet, etc. (borrowed from Project SNOWStorm) Keep your distance Respect private property Don’t feed an owl, ever. We’re quoting at length from Project SNOWStorm. Keep your distance: “This is the first and most important rule. Just because the owl may tolerate a […]
Connecticut Birds in the Tropics
Wednesday, January 23rd, 2019January 24, 2019
Leaving for a few weeks in warmer climes? You can still enjoy Connecticut’s birds. Look for Northern Waterthrush among mangroves and Western Sandpiper exploring the salt flats on Tortola, for example, and foraging flocks of Ovenbird, Blue-winged Warbler, and American Redstart in moist tropical forest along the Reef Bay Trail on St. John.
Mew Gull
Wednesday, January 16th, 2019January 16, 2019
Where and When To Find It: Cove Island Park, Stamford. Right now. There’s no guarantee we’ll see another. Alternatively, plan on a very long plane ride.
2018: The Year in Birds – and in Birders! Featuring Our Bird of the Year
Monday, December 17th, 2018December 2018 – It’s been an exciting, maybe even unprecedented, year in Connecticut for birds and the people who love them. A Little Egret showed up on a breakwater off Stonington in August, single-handedly boosting the marine economy as birders scurried to charter boats to get a good look. Just days later a Black-bellied Whistling […]
News Release – 2018 Bird of the Year
Wednesday, December 19th, 2018Connecticut’s Birds of the Year for 2018! An outlandishly pink bird that made its first recorded visit ever to the state and spent three weeks wowing observers has been named the Connecticut Audubon Society’s 2018 Bird of the Year. The Roseate Spoonbill, a native of the sub-tropics, first appeared in Stratford on September 15. Word […]
American Tree Sparrow
Thursday, January 10th, 2019January 10, 2019 – They prefer areas that are open and have low vegetation, like field and marshes, but also take advantage of backyard bird feeders. American Tree Sparrows have been frequenting the open grassy fields of the Connecticut Audubon’s Bafflin Sanctuary in Pomfret and of Goodwin State Forest.
Greater White-fronted Goose
Saturday, December 8th, 2018December 8, 2018 Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons by Nick Bonomo Don’t drive by that corn field full of Canada Geese without looking for this needle in a haystack! What it looks like: The size and shape of your standard goose, perhaps a bit smaller than the average Canada Goose. Adults are rather obvious. The […]
Peregrine Falcon
Thursday, December 6th, 2018December 6, 2018 – Look for a darkly-colored raptor zipping through the air or perched high on a ledge. They have a grayish-blue back and black barring on the white underside. Their eyes are pronounced, outlined by a bright yellow ring, and the highly curved bill helps them tear at their food.
Media coverage: 2018 State of the Birds
Wednesday, December 5th, 2018How did the state’s media cover Connecticut State of the Birds 2018? Take a look at these links. Hartford Courant New Haven Register/Hearst WNPR/Connecticut Public Broadcasting WSHU Milford Mirror/Hersam Acorn weeklies Waterbury Republican-American Hamlet Hub
State of the Birds 2018 Introductory Video
Wednesday, November 28th, 2018I Need a Photo Opportunity: State of the Birds 2018 in New Haven
Sunday, December 2nd, 2018Sixty people attended the publication event for Connecticut State of the Birds 2018 at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven on November 29. The audience included members of the Connecticut Audubon Society’s Board of Directors, the Connecticut Ornithological Association and the New Haven Bird Club, and members of Connecticut Audubon’s regional center boards, […]
King Eider
Tuesday, November 20th, 2018November 20, 2018 – All birders, and now some non-birders after the arrival of the escaped Mandarin Duck in New York City, know that there are some seriously amazing plumages among duck species, among them the King Eider. One was found in near-shore waters of Long Island Sound off Waterford just a few days ago.
State of the Birds 2018 Launch
Thursday, November 15th, 2018Join us on Thursday, November 29, at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, 123 Huntington Avenue, New Haven, for the official release of the Connecticut State of the Birds 2018 report, “In Cities and Suburbs: A Fresh Look at How Birds Are Surviving in Connecticut.” It’s free. Just RSVP, please.
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Wednesday, November 14th, 2018November 15, 2018 – By now, most of us have noticed a particular trend this season with the arrivals of certain ‘irruptive’ winter species highlighted in the 2018-2019 Winter Finch Forecast.
