Author Archive
2023 State of the Birds PDF
Thursday, December 14th, 2023Connecticut State of the Birds 2023
Thursday, December 7th, 2023December 7, 2023—The 2023 Connecticut State of the Birds report, released today, looks at five key areas of conservation concern from previous reports—examples of how new knowledge, new realities, increased human effort, and better technologies are either resulting in changes or resulting in the awareness of the need for improvemen
Homegrown Habitat, November 2023: Northern Bayberry
Monday, November 27th, 2023November 27, 2023—During this gray, dark time of year, the flame-colored leaves we’ve enjoyed so much in the last month or so turn brown and drop onto the cold ground. But an often overlooked shrub lets us know that there is yet life and spirit in the landscape—if we would just take the time to notice.
Osprey Nation 2023: A decade of careful monitoring shows a large and widespread Osprey population in Connecticut
Monday, November 20th, 2023November 20, 2023—Ospreys are thriving in Connecticut, and interest in these beautiful, fish-eating raptors is thriving as well. This was the 10th year of Connecticut Audubon’s Osprey Nation monitoring program. The volunteer Osprey nest stewards found and mapped 688 active nests. By the end of the season, 881 baby Ospreys had fledged — the most ever recorded by the project.
“The mystique of birding” — a leg band found at Milford Point reveals the oldest known Black-bellied Plover in the Western Hemisphere
Tuesday, November 14th, 2023November 14, 2023—By any account, it was a good day of mid-October birding at the Coastal Center for Chris Unsworth: 50 species and almost 600 individual birds. But it was one bird that he didn’t see—or rather, didn’t see alive—that made the day special.
Connecticut Audubon members elect Von Potter, M.D., of Hamden, to the Board of Directors
Saturday, November 4th, 2023November 4, 2023—Von Potter is a familiar figure at the birding hotspots near New Haven. He has a keen interest in bird photography and conservation, particularly conservation education for children. Born and raised in New Haven, Von is currently a senior medical director in clinical development at Celcuity Inc. where he oversees clinical trials in […]
2023 Annual Meeting: Saturday, November 4, at the Fairfield Museum
Wednesday, November 1st, 2023November 1, 2023 — Please join us on Saturday, November 4, for the Connecticut Audubon Society’s annual meeting. It’s a special event this year to mark our 125th anniversary. The meeting will be held at the Fairfield Museum and History Center, in the heart of the neighborhood where Connecticut Audubon was founded and the first meetings were held.
Nominees for the 2023 Annual Meeting
Monday, October 23rd, 2023Connecticut Audubon Society members will vote at the November 4 Annual Meeting for the following nominees Nominee for the Connecticut Audubon Society Board of Directors Von Potter, M.D., Hamden. Von is a familiar figure at the birding hotspots near New Haven. He has a keen interest in bird photography and conservation, particularly conservation education for […]
Homegrown Habitat, October 2023: Highbush Blueberry
Monday, October 23rd, 2023October 23, 2023—Blueberries are bird-friendly native plants with autumn flair. Their delicious summer fruit is packed with vitamins and antioxidants; all sorts of health benefits are attributed to them. Their subtle spring flowers, small white and pink bells, are lovely to look at and entice pollinators. But blueberries become showstoppers in fall, with foliage that turns brilliant red, orange, and purple. In winter their beautifully textured bark ensures the blueberry’s status as a garden plant with four-season interest.
References for “Wildlands & Woodlands: How Well Are Connectecticut and New England Supporting Natural Solutions to Environmental Crises”
Friday, October 6th, 2023Connecticut State of the Birds 2023 Article by David Foster and Brian Hall Bell, S. and A. Miller. 2022. Path to 30×30 in Connecticut. Exploring Case Studies of Promising Conservation Policies and Strategies in the United States.Strategies in Land Conservation. Yale School of the Environment. Duveneck, M., Thompson, J. R. 2019. Social and biophysical determinants of […]
Connecticut Audubon Society statement on the United Illuminating Railroad Transmission Line Upgrade Project
Thursday, October 5th, 2023October 5, 2023—United Illuminating is proposing to rebuild transmission lines along the 25 miles of the Metro North Railroad corridor between Fairfield and West Haven. Transmission lines pose a hazard to birds of all kinds. Between 8 and 57 million birds are killed by transmission lines in the U.S. each year.
Lights Out alerts for Saturday, Sunday and Monday
Saturday, September 30th, 2023September 30, 2023 — An estimated 930,000 birds will be migrating over and through Connecticut tonight, 1.1 million tomorrow night, and and 570,000 Monday night. That means we’re in for three pretty good days of birding. But it also means that a lot of birds are at risk of crashing into things. Please help protect migrating birds by turning your lights out each of the next three nights.
Homegrown Habitat mail: planting advice
Thursday, September 28th, 2023September 28, 2023 — Two Homegrown Habitat readers who live on opposite sides of the Connecticir River—Old Lyme and Old Saybrook—wrote this week seeking practical advice on what and where to plant. We thought you might find Sarah Middeleer’s advice to be useful.
It’s a good night to help protect migrating birds by turning exterior lights out.
Wednesday, September 27th, 2023September 27, 2023 — Tonight is a “medium” alert night for bird migration. But “medium” is not nothing; 424,000 birds will be passing over and through Connecticut, as this map produced by Colorado State University’s Aeroeco lab shows. So it’s a good night to help protect those migrating birds by turning out exterior lights
Rare bird alert: Once again, a Roseate Spoonbill visits Connecticut and the Milford Point Coastal Center
Friday, August 25th, 2023August 25, 2023 — For the fourth time in six years, a Roseate Spoonbill is visiting Connecticut.
The Dave Engelman Volunteer Benchmark Award
Monday, September 25th, 2023The Connecticut Audubon Society’s Volunteer Benchmark Award was established in 1993, and is given annually by our Board of Directors to one or more people whose volunteer activity has significantly enhanced our mission. Each year, at our Annual Meeting, recipients are presented with a plaque commemorating their dedication to conservation. In 2007, the award was […]
September 2023: Asters
Monday, September 25th, 2023Asters and goldenrods: These two standouts of the late-summer and autumn landscape give new meaning to the oft-repeated garden design phrase “four-season interest,” but from the point of view of our treasured pollinators and songbirds.
Roseate Spoonbill 2023: a selection of photos
Monday, August 28th, 2023August 28, 2023 — The Roseate Spoonbill that arrived at Connecticut Audubon’s Milford Point Coastal Center on Thursday, August 24, has not caused quite the elation among birders as the spoonbill that spent three weeks in the area in 2018. Still, this year’s visitor is not without its fans. About 30 people climbed the Coastal Center’s observation tower late in the afternoon on Sunday, August 27, to see it in the Charles Wheeler Salt Marsh.
Mobile App
Tuesday, March 3rd, 2020Explore our centers and sanctuaries on your mobile device Soar through our centers and sanctuaries with this free app, which highlights unique and interesting features at each stop. Take one of our tours while you’re onsite or plan ahead with detailed directions and maps to your nearest Connecticut Audubon location. Features include: Tours of our […]
August 2023: Goldenrods (with asters to follow in September)
Monday, August 21st, 2023August 21, 2023 — The dynamic duo of yellow goldenrods and purple asters is one of the glories of the late-summer landscape. These members of the aster family often grow near one another, for good reason – bees, who benefit greatly from both genera, are attracted to the combination of purple and gold. Robin Wall Kimmerer, botanist and author of Braiding Sweetgrass, says of goldenrod and asters, “Their striking contrast when they grow together makes them the most attractive target in the whole meadow, a beacon for bees. Growing together, both receive more pollinator visits than if they were growing alone.”
