Natural Selections

Video preview: The Song of the Ovenbird, with Eliza Grames

January 4, 2020 — Communications Director Tom Andersen does a quick check-in with UConn Ph.D. candidate Eliza Grames as she prepares for her “Young, Gifted, And Wild About Birds” presentation on Thursday evening, January 7.

Connecticut Audubon’s Birds of the Year for 2020

December 21, 2020 — Birding and bird conservation is a lot more fun when you can share your stories. When a rare bird arrives, people spread the news. When a bird needs help, it becomes a rescue tale to be recounted. When something as simple as groups of beautiful birds show up at feeders, feeder-watchers can’t wait to let you know about it. For our 2020 Birds of the Year, we have the usual array of interesting rarities. But we also have great stories to make the list come alive.

Protecting the Beach Birds: An Interview with Katerina Gillis, Coastal Ranger at Milford Point

December 18, 2020 — High tides threatened them. Foxes preyed on them. People and their dogs disturbed them. And because of COVID-19, few conservation workers could put in the time protecting them. 2020 was a tough year for the birds nesting at Milford Point. The IBA Coastal Ranger talks about the details, including the emotional toll it took on her.

Coming January 7 — Eliza Grames and The Song of the Ovenbird: Part II of Young, Gifted & Wild About Birds

December 18, 2020 — The reviews of Part I of Young, Gifted, and Wild About Birds are in, and they are awesome. “So impressive! I learned a ton! Thank you!” “Wonderful program!  It provided me with a whole new perspective on birding.” So why not join us for part II?

The Birds of Happiness

December 9, 2020 — You know that feeling you get when birds come to your feeder or when you pass through a mixed flock of songbirds in the woods? That’s happiness and, it turns out, those birds are bringing it to you.

4 Stars: You can be confident that your donations are being used wisely and well

December 9, 2020 — 2020 marks the third year in a row that Charity Navigator has designated Connecticut Audubon a four-star organization. Out of approximately 1,000 non-profits in Connecticut, only 48 received four stars in 2020. “This is our highest possible rating and indicates that your organization adheres to sector best practices and executes its mission in a financially efficient way.”

State of the Birds 2020 Highlight: Piping Plovers and the Audubon Alliance.

December 8, 2020 — Connecticut’s Piping Plovers fared poorly during the 2020 breeding season. Because of the COVID-19 lockdown, the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds was forced to cut back on its protection work. Only when restrictions were eased during summer and the work-pace picked up did Piping Plovers do better. It’s an important enough issue that we wrote about it in this year’s State of the Birds report and are highlighting it here.

Natural Landscape Design for New England: An Intensive Virtual Course

December 7, 2020 —  Join us on Thursday and Friday, December 10 and 11, for this two-day, six-hour virtual course and learn techniques to create landscapes that are “ecologically functioning” as well as beautiful. This course, presented by New Directions in the American Landscape and co-sponsored by The Connecticut Audubon Society, will illustrate how to apply these altered practices in a variety of settings including meadows, shrublands, woodlands, and fine gardens.

First up on Young, Gifted, and Wild About Birds — #BlackBirdersWeek: The hashtag that started a movement

December 7, 2020 — The Young, Gifted, and Wild About Birds series on Zoom starts next week with “#BlackBirdersWeek: The hashtag that started a movement,” featuring co-founder Deja Perkins.

The Alcids of Connecticut: Tuesday Webinar

December 6, 2020 — Dovekies, murres, guillemots, puffins, razorbills — these are the Alcids of Connecticut. Some are rare. When they are here, they can be hard to observe, given their preference for the sea. But they’re fascinating and worth learning about.

Christmas Bird Count 2020-21

December 5, 2020 — ‘Tis the season for Christmas Bird Counts. Keep alert for French hens and turtle doves, and take extra time scrutinizing all the pear trees you might come upon. Here’s the schedule of CBC’s in Connecticut.

Zoom Bird Names: A Quiz

December 2, 2020 — Recently we started using closed captioning on our Zoom programs, for people who might have difficulty hearing the presenters. It works great. But it also produces funny transcriptions of bird names. See if you can figure out what they are.

Tuesday evening webinar: Backyard Bird Feeders

November 30 — Feeding birds in your yard is a win-win. You provide food and water for the birds in your neighborhood and, because maintaining a bird feeder is as much about enjoying the birds as it is about feeding them, you’ll get the added satisfaction of attracting more birds and more species. We have a webinar that can help.

CT State of the Birds 2020 to Look In-depth at How the Pandemic is Affecting Conservation

November 25, 2020 — We are set to release our annual Connecticut State of the Birds report on Thursday, December 3. The 2020 report is titled “Pandemic: Conservationists scramble in the field, the lab, and the legislature.” It is the first in-depth look at how the coronavirus lockdown has affected conservation in the state.

An Old Bird-Centered Friendship is Revived at a New Canaan Sanctuary

November 13 — A century after Connecticut Audubon’s founder Mabel Osgood Wright helped her friends in New Canaan establish a bird sanctuary, that friendship has been rekindled over plans to restore the habitat.

Daily Bird: Northern Shoveler

November 12, 2020 — One of the most distinctive of our dabbling ducks, small numbers of Northern Shovelers are most frequently seen in our area in late winter and early spring, but several have been around recently,

Fall Fundraiser for Fairfield Region: Online Auction + A Conversation With James Prosek and Richard Prum

November 11, 2020 — Bid on fabulous items in our online auction now, and join us on November 18 at 7 p.m. for a virtual conversation on “Art Birds Art?” with James Prosek, a well-known contemporary artist, and Richard Prum, the W. R. Coe Professor of Ornithology at Yale University and Curator of Ornithology at the Peabody Museum of Natural History. Your participation will support the work of Connecticut Audubon’s Fairfield Centers — Birdcraft and the Center at Fairfield — which provide programming for our community, teachers and students.

Daily Bird: White-crowned Sparrow

November 11, 2020 — One of the aristocrats of the sparrow family, the size and handsome markings of this sparrow immediately distinguish it from other sparrows and draws the observer’s attention.

Daily Bird: Hooded Merganser

November 10, 2020 — Hooded Mergansers are beautiful, small diving ducks that frequent open brackish creeks and marshes in the fall and winter and into spring. If there were a competition for the most beautiful wild duck in Connecticut, Hooded Merganser would be right in there.

Daily Bird: Red Crossbill

November 5, 2020 — The Red Crossbill is a common resident of higher-altitude coniferous forests of northern New England, but is nomadic, irruptive, and unpredictable in Connecticut. They can wander extensively, especially during years when cone crops fail within its normal winter range. During irruption years, movements may begin as early as late September, and may coincide with exodus of Red-breasted Nuthatch.

Winter Finches in Connecticut: “A siskin on every feeder port of every feeder”

November 2, 2020 — Good news, bird lovers. The winter finch influx seems to be continuing, with Common Redpolls and a Red Crossbill added to the list. Members from across the state sent us their report.

Daily Bird: Evening Grosbeak

October 29, 2020 — Those of you who have packed on more than a few years of chasing birds will easily remember the 1950’s and 60’s when Evening Grosbeaks were welcome visitors to our winter feeders. Usually they came in small flocks and mobbed the sunflower tray for a day or two, then disappeared. Being large, colorful grosbeaks with massive bills and dressed in black, white and bright yellow, they were always greeted with joy and amazement.

That’s quite a view out the dining room window

October 28, 2020 — Imagine Sally and Walter Brockett’s surprise when they looked out their dining room window in North Haven yesterday and saw five Sandhill Cranes.

Blackbirds of Connecticut, on Zoom

October 26, 2020 — Join us on Tuesday evening, October 27, for a Zoom webinar on the amazing blackbirds of Connecticut: grackles, redwings, and more.

Generous Donors, Dedicated Birders Help Reach Big Sit Goal

October 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

October 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.

The Big Sit 2020: A great way to support bird conservation

Six 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).

Meet the Bees, a Zoom presentation, Monday, September 21

September 17, 2020 — Peek inside a real, buzzing beehive while experiencing a day in the life of a beekeeper. View and hear thousands of these little ladies hard at work; if you get extra lucky, you’ll meet Her Majesty, the Queen Bee!

Air Quality at Home, a Zoom presentation, Friday, September 18

September 17, 2020 — Spending more time living, working and learning remotely from home? In this Zoom presentation, learn about the quality of the air in your home environment: the effects of air fresheners, carpeting, mold, Radon and more. Hear why some people are affected by common home allergens, while others are not.

September Field Walk – Explore Milford Point From Salt Marsh to Shore, Tuesday, September 22

September 16, 2020 — Explore the amazing bounty of maritime plants and animals along Milford Point’s shoreline with Diana Payne, PhD, associate professor and education coordinator with UConn’s Connecticut Sea Grant. This fall walk, timed for low tide, is ideally suited for investigating marine life from the tide pools to the salt marsh.

September Field Walk – Insects That Run the World, September 15 (Center at Fairfield)

September 11, 2020 — Join Entomologist Steve Mason to learn about the tiny creatures that make up the world’s greatest biomass and gain an appreciation for their role in our fragile ecosystem.

Bird Migration Walk, Saturday, September 12 (Center at Fairfield)

September 10, 2020 — Come and hike the trails of the Larsen Sanctuary with our naturalist and learn what birds are migrating, and why the varied habitats in the Sanctuary are important for the birds that live there.

Backyard Bird Feeding, a Zoom presentation, Friday, September 11

September 8, 2020 — Join Connecticut Audubon’s Teacher/Naturalist Tricia Kevalis and learn the basics of backyard birding including how to identify backyard birds by​ sight and sound, who is at the feeder, what their feeding habits are and more!

Shorebird Walk at Ash Creek

September 4, 2020 — Late summer is an incredible time to visit Fairfield’s Ash Creek, a Long Island Sound estuary, as it is warmed by the sun and filled with a bounty of creatures, including an excellent variety of shorebirds. On Thursday, September 10, explore this amazing natural world with Connecticut Audubon’s Milan Bull, senior director of Science and Conservation.

September Field Walk – Migrating Shorebirds: SOLD OUT

September 2, 2020 — Explore Milford Point to look for migrating shorebirds with Milan Bull, Connecticut Audubon’s senior director of science and conservation. Situated on Long Island Sound at the mouth of the Housatonic River, Milford Point is a designated Important Bird Area that provides essential habitat for these migrating birds.

Semipalmated Sandpiper: From tundra to Suriname and back via Milford Point.

August 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.

Animal Feeding Frenzy at the Center at Fairfield

August 25, 2020 — Our turtles and toads cordially invite you to join them on our back lawn as they enjoy a socially distanced meal. You can help our naturalist feed them while learning about their differences and similarities. Bring lots of questions, they are eager to see you!

Birding by Ear, on Zoom

August 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

August 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: White-rumped Sandpiper

August 19, 2020 — White-rumped Sandpiper is an uncommon species in Connecticut, but one that can be found with some reliability. It favors coastal shorelines and mudflats at the state’s top shorebird stopovers such as Milford Point, Sandy Point in West Haven and Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison.

Meet Our Raptors at the Center at Fairfield

August 14, 2020 — What is a bird of prey? Whooo hunts at night? Learn this and more as you experience the thrill of meeting live raptors during this family-friendly program on our back lawn.

The Shorebirds of Connecticut, a Zoom presentation with Manomet’s Brad Winn, Thursday, August 20

August 12, 2020 — If you’ve ever been awestruck by silvery clouds of sandpipers flying in unison above New England’s shoreline, this is the presentation for you:

Thursday, August 20, at 7 p.m., Brad Winn, director of shorebird habitat management for Manomet in Massachusetts, will discuss New England’s sandpipers and plovers, and efforts to protect them — including how you can help.

Oystercatcher rescue

August 6, 2020 — Through their own wiles, the birds nesting at Milford Point survived the July high tides — when the waters rose, the Piping Plovers moved their eggs and an American Oystercatcher sat on hers until the danger passed. But when one of the surviving oystercatcher chicks got itself tangled up in something a couple of weeks ago, there was no chance it would free itself.

Storm birds

August 5, 2020 — Storms often carry rare birds into the area and, even more frequently, they push birders out of doors to try their luck at finding the rarities. Yesterday two Connecticut Audubon birders lucked out.

Bird Walks With Stefan Martin at the Coastal Center

August 4, 2020 — Search for migrating shorebirds, terns and waterfowl, and other species, during a coastal bird walk along Milford Point with Stefan Martin, Connecticut Audubon’s land steward. Situated on Long Island Sound at the mouth of the Housatonic River, Milford Point is an enormously important IBA site (Important Bird Area) that provides essential habitat and includes sites for breeding, wintering and migrating birds.

Monday Bird Report

August 3, 2020 — Each week, Frank Mantlik, a member of the Coastal Center’s regional board, leads a team that checks each of the gourds at the Coastal Center’s Purple Martin colony. Here’s his latest report.

The public is invited to participate in an online meeting to discuss the National Estuarine Research Reserve

August 3, 2020 — Connecticut Audubon members and the public in general are invited to participate in an online meeting that will help plan the environmental review of the proposed Connecticut National Estuarine Research Reserve. The meeting is online and starts at 7 p.m., Tuesday, August 4.

Daily Bird: Whimbrel

July 29, 2020 — This very large shorebird presents a spectacular contrast to the smaller sandpipers and plovers that it towers over on a sandbar or mudflat. There’s been at least one lately at at Sandy Point, in West Haven, one or two at the Milford Point Coastal Center; and 10 days ago an observer counted six on the Norwalk Islands.

Roger Tory Peterson

July 28, 2020 — When Roger Tory Peterson died — 22 years ago today, July 28, 1998, at his home in Old Lyme — I was on deadline and without an idea for a weekly “On Nature” column I wrote for the daily newspaper in northern Westchester County.

Beautiful Animals that aren’t birds: Compton Tortoiseshell

August 2, 2020 — Stefan Martin, one of Connecticut Audubon’s top-notch naturalists, was making a check of the perimeter of Deer Pond Farm in Sherman last week when he saw a rare-for-Connecticut butterfly rise from the dirt road he was walking on.