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.
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Natural Selections
Welcome to Connecticut Audubon’s blog, Natural Selections. Use the box on the right to subscribe for free and you’ll never miss a post. Click here for a calendar of programs, online and in-person.
Daily Bird: Purple Finch
October 28, 2020 Purple Finches are stacked up at the feeder right now, yielding their posts only to Red-bellied Woodpeckers and Blue Jays. This is the seventh day in a row they’ve been here. In recent years they’ve stopped by only for a quick visit. This is their longest stay. And it isn’t just here. […]
Read more...Daily Bird: Pine Siskin
October 27, 2020 — It doesn’t happen often but once in a while a half dozen species of birds we rarely see in Connecticut will move south from their summer grounds in the far north in search of food. They’re called winter finches, even though they’re not all finches and it’s not winter. We’re going to feature them on the Daily Bird, starting with Pine Siskin today.
Read more...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.
Read more...Not a quail. A Yellow Rail.
October 20, 2020 — “It flew out of the box and is now near main entrance on ground under porch.”
Read more...Congratulations to the 2020 Dave Engelman Volunteer Benchmark Award Winners
October 16, 2020 — Congratulations to the winners of Connecticut Audubon’s Dave Engelman Volunteer Benchmark Award: Eleanor Perkins Robinson, Michael Aurelia, Frank Mantlik, and Tricia Gregory.
Read 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.
Read more...The Connecticut Audubon Society Celebrates 25 Years of Education and Conservation in Milford
The Connecticut Audubon Society celebrated the 25th anniversary of its Coastal Center at Milford Point with a small gathering of dedicated friends, neighbors and supporters on Wednesday, October 21. The afternoon, outdoor event was the kick-off to acknowledge a milestone that will be recognized with other events and activities in the year ahead. Against the […]
Read 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.
Read more...A Tiny Butterfly, a Secret Location, and Seven Volunteers to Improve Its Habitat
October 3, 2020 — On a recent Saturday, I joined a work party to help restore habitat at one of only two places in Connecticut where the highly endangered Northern Metalmark butterfly can be found. We all agreed to not even divulge the town in which this population is located.
Read more...Connecticut Audubon Members: RSVP for the 2020 Annual Meeting (via Zoom)
October 2, 2020 — Connecticut Audubon members are invited to participate in the 2020 Annual Meeting, set for 6 p.m. Thursday, October 15. The meeting will be held via Zoom. RSVPs are necessary.
Read more...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).
Read more...Fall Bird Seed Sale – 20% Off, Saturday, September 26 (Center at Fairfield)
September 23, 2020 — 20% off savings on all varieties of bird seed this Saturday at the Center at Fairfield’s Nature Store, located at 2325 Burr Street, Fairfield. With the cooler months ahead, this is an ideal opportunity to stock up.
Read more...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!
Read more...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.
Read more...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.
Read more...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.
Read more...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.
Read more...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!
Read more...Daily Bird: Caspian Tern
September 5, 2020 — Although uncommon, Caspian Terns may be found in coastal Connecticut from mid-April to early November. Basically, if you’re seeing a large, red-billed tern that flies like a gull and has a hoarse voice, you’re probably looking at a Caspian Tern.
Read 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.
Read more...Land Donation Adds Important Bird Habitat to Connecticut Audubon Preserve in Montville
September 3, 2020 — Thirty-three acres of prime oak forest has been added to Connecticut Audubon’s 233-acre Morgan R. Chaney Sanctuary in Montville, increasing the amount of habitat protected by the preserve by almost 15 percent.
Read more...Daily Bird: American Golden Plover
September 3, 2020 — American Golden-Plovers get their name from the golden hue of their speckled back feathers. Right now, the birds are molting into their non-breeding (alternate) plumage, so their bold, black throat and belly feathers are interspersed with more brown feathers, making for a more barred appearance.
Read more...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.
Read more...Daily Bird: Broad-winged Hawk
September 1, 2020 — Starting in late August, hundreds of thousands of Broad-winged Hawks leave northern forests to head for their wintering grounds in Central and South America. Look for them on almost all ridge lines where the birds can find thermal winds to give them the necessary lift to form large kettles and soar.
Read more...Daily Bird: Buff-breasted Sandpiper
August 29, 2020 — This is the time of year to look for Buff-breasted Sandpiper. Five were reported from Hammonasst Beach State Park yesterday, Friday, August 28.
Read more...One Bird, One Place #7
August 27, 2020 — A common bird declining rapidly but still almost everywhere, and two rarities, one of which is unusually abundant for this time of year — those are our birds. Check out where to look for them.
Read more...The mixed legacy of John James Audubon
August 27, 2020 — For the past several weeks there has been an important and renewed focus on issues of inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility in our society and institutions. Accordingly, the Connecticut Audubon Society and other Audubon societies across the country have been involved in discussions about the mixed legacy of John James Audubon.
Read more...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.
Read more...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!
Read more...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.
Read more...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.
Read more...Daily Bird: Baird’s Sandpiper
August 22, 2020 — Baird’s Sandpipers are long-distance Central Flyway migrants a few of which stray east to Connecticut mainly in autumn and are generally found on mudflats and grassy estuary, pond, and marsh edges, often in drier areas than those preferred by similar species.
Read more...One Bird, One Place #6
August 21, 2020 — You won’t have to go far to fund one of this week’s birds (Ruby-throated Hummingbird), but for another, a trip to the shore would be worth it.
Read more...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.
Read more...Monday Bird Report
August 17, 2020 — A federal judge ruled in favor of birds, a bird name has been changed, and it sort of makes sense that the B-52s (at least one of them) are into birds, doesn’t it?
Read more...Daily Bird: Pectoral Sandpiper
August 15, 2020 We have 300 places left for Thursday’s Shorebirds of Connecticut Zoom presentation by Manomet’s Brad Winn. Reserve a spot here. Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos Edited from a version published in April 2017 by Greg Hanisek, editor of The Connecticut Warbler, the journal of the Connecticut Ornithological Association Where To Find It: This […]
Read more...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.
Read more...One Bird, One Place #5
August 14, 2020 — To find this week’s bird, visit the Milford Point Coastal Center (just a heads-up: you’ll see at lot more than the two featured here), and check out phone wires and utility poles anywhere.
Read more...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.
Read more...Daily Bird: Forster’s Tern
August 11, 2020 — Of the four mid-sized species, we’re preparing for our two breeders — Common and Roseate Tern — to clear out. But at this stage of the year we’re just entering prime time for Forster’s Terns.
Read more...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.
Read more...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.
Read more...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.
Read more...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.
Read more...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.
Read more...Daily Bird: Stilt Sandpiper
August 1, 2020 — One of these uncommon birds recently appeared at Milford Point. In general it can be found in coastal wetlands, usually on mud flats with other shorebirds.
Read more...One Bird, One Place #4
July 31, 2020 — Sandy Point, Pomfret, and Stratford are the places to go for this week’s birds. And a birding trip to any of those will reward you with far more than our suggestions here.
Read more...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.
Read more...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.
Read more...The Daily Bird/Monday Bird Report: Red Knot and a possible hat trick of listed species
July 27, 2020 — There are not many chances to observe a federally-listed bird species in Connecticut. If you’re lucky you might see three at Milford Point.
Read more...Eco-hour Zoom Presentation: Coves and Habitats of the Lower Connecticut River
July 27, 2020 — For four summers, young scientists from colleges in New England have been working with us to track how grasses and other plants in the coves of the lower Connecticut River are changing. Join them at 4 p.m., Thursday, July 30 for an Eco-hour Zoom presentation of their work.
Read more...One Bird, One Place #3
July 24, 2020 — This week’s birds: Black Vulture, Wood Duck, Winter Wren. Read on to see where to find them
Read more...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.
Read more...Return of the Daily Bird: Ovenbird
July 22, 2020 — The Daily Bird is back after a month — with one big difference: we’ll continue to call it the Daily Bird, but the amount of material we have dictates that it will be more like the “two- or three-time-a-week Bird.” Same great authors, photographers, artists, and videographers.
Read more...Monday Bird Report
July 20, 2020 — Shorebirds have started their migration. Connecticut Audubon worked with the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds on a new sign, underwritten by the Long Island Sound Futures sign and soon to go up. It asks people to give the sandpipers and plovers plenty of room. It’s especially important at high tide when the beach and sandbars are at their narrowest.
Read more...This week’s webinar: Thrushes of Connecticut.
July 20, 2020 — Considered by many to be among the best singers in the bird world, thrushes often hold a special place in the hearts of birders. Teacher-naturalist Joe Attwater will lead you on an entertaining journey through the world of the thrushes that live in and pass through Connecticut, in a special webinar set for Tuesday, Jul 21, at 7 p.m.
Read more...Piping Plovers & Oystercatchers at Milford Point Help Themselves Survive
July 17, 2020 — The nesting season at the Milford Point Coastal Center was off to a rough start until early July. That’s when several things happened to turn it around, one of them quite amazing — three birds knew enough to protect their eggs from a tide that would have washed them away.
Read more...Action Alert: Key bird protection law is about to be gutted
July 15, 2020 — Essential parts of the nation’s most important bird protection law are about to be rolled back. Please contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and tell them the rollbacks to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act are unacceptable. Deadline for comments is July 20.
Read more...One Bird, One Place #2
July 17, 2020 — Each Friday experts from Connecticut Audubon’s staff and boards make one suggestion for where to see one interesting bird in one specific place — “One Bird, One Place.” Today: Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Wood Thrush, Gray Catbird, and Louisiana Waterthrush.
Read more...Can you help watch Osprey nests?
July 13, 2020 — Connecticut’s Osprey nests are full with baby Ospreys getting ready to fly. You can help by finding a nest and letting the Osprey Nation project know what you see.
Read more...Birding Basics on Zoom, with Matt Bell
July 13, 2020 — Is it an exaggeration to say that Matt Bell lives for birds? Maybe, but not by much. Matt is marketing manager for our EcoTravel program. You’re invited to log on as he imparts his knowledge and his enthusiasm in this week’s Eco-Hour webinar, Backyard Birding Basics, 4 p.m. Thursday, July 16.
Read more...Monday Bird Report
July 13, 2020 — More evidence from the Coastal Center Purple Martin colony that loyal donors, dedicated volunteers and hard work pay off for bird conservation. Thursday’s check of the 71 gourds found chicks in 37 of them — 144 baby birds in all. Seven eggs remain unhatched.
Read more...One Bird, One Place
July 10, 2020 — The weekend is here and you might need fresh ideas about how to quickly satisfy your bird urge.We can help. We’re introducing a new feature: “One Bird, One Place.”
Read more...Bird Walks With Miley, Tuesday July 14; Thursday, July 16 (Center at Fairfield)
July 9, 2020 — Join Milan Bull, senior director of Science and Conservation, for an early morning bird walk. This walk and talk is an ideal opportunity to see an excellent variety of birds along the trails.
Read more...Gardening for People and Pollinators, Saturday, July 11; Saturday, July 18 (Coastal Center)
July 8, 2020 — Learn how to create an oasis for pollinators in your yard. Bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, beetles and more, are looking for food and shelter and you can help them by making small changes in your yard.
Read more...EcoTravel E-Ventures: Checking the Osprey Nests in Old Saybrook
July 7, 2020 — Andy Griswold’s visit to the Old Saybrook Osprey nests turns up baby birds of different ages and sizes. Watch his 2-minute video for a close-up look.
Read more...Webinar: Barred, Great-horned, Screech and the Other Owls of Connecticut
July 6, 2020 — We invite you to join us on Tuesday, July 7, at 7 p.m., for an eye- and ear-catching webinar, All About Owls. Teacher-naturalist Joe Attwater will go over the adaptations that make these birds night hunters, and which owls you can see (and hear) in Connecticut.
Read more...Monday Bird Report
July 6, 2020 — A “Bird Names for Birds” campaign has started over the last couple of weeks to persuade the American Ornithologists Society to change the common names of birds named after people.
Read more...Naturalist-Guided Walks for Small Groups, July 17 (Coastal Center)
July 5, 2020 — Looking for private, outdoor, small group drop-off activities for your kids? Then join us to see what’s happening in the natural world on this small group, guided walk at the Coastal Center at Milford Point.
Read more...To Protect Beach Birds, the Coastal Center Parking Lot Will Be Closed for the Fourth of July Weekend
July 1, 2020 — Life for Connecticut’s beach-nesting birds gets a lot tougher over Fourth of July weekend. We’re going to try to minimize the harm where we can — by closing the parking lot at the Milford Point Coastal Center for the weekendThe gates will be locked from 4 p.m. Thursday, July 2, until 9 a.m. Monday, July 6.
Read more...Monday Bird Report: Purple Martin Photo Essay & Live-stream
June 29, 2020 — Monday morning joy: the Purple Martin colony at the Milford Point Coastal Center is thriving. It’s no accident. Donations from dedicated members and supporters help fund it, and hard work by staff and volunteers gives these large swallows the best chance. Each week a team, led by Coastal Center Regional Board member Frank Mantlik, checks and maintains the nests.
Read more...Flycatchers of Connecticut: A special online program
June 28, 2020 — With summer in Connecticut comes pesky biting flying insects. But birds are here to help, including the category known as flycatchers. On Tuesday, June 30, at 7 p.m., teacher-naturalist Joe Attwater will lead you through a discussion of the myriad fascinating aspect of these aerial insectivores.
Read more...Naturalist-Guided Walks for Small Groups, July 9 (Center at Fairfield)
June 26, 2020 — Looking for private, outdoor, small group drop-off activities for your kids? Then “take a walk on the wild side” with us to see what’s happening in the natural world on this small group, guided walk in the Center at Fairfield’s Larsen Sanctuary.
Read more...Take a look at how support from members is leading to better bird habitat
June 25, 2020 — If you haven’t been to Deer Pond Farm in Sherman to see how birds, wildflowers, native shrubs, butterflies, and bees are benefiting from your support, plan a trip. Before you go, watch these two videos.
Read more...Baltimore Orioles for the Atlas
June 24, 2020 — If you’re still seeing and hearing Baltimore Orioles in your yard or neighborhood, the Connecticut Bird Atlas wants to know. Connecticut Audubon is a prime sponsor of the Atlas project, so your membership and donations are already supporting it, but this is another way you can help.
Read more...The seabirds of Long Island Sound: An online presentation, Thursday at 4 p.m.
June 23, 2020 — Join Connecticut-based seabird expert Allison Black on Thursday, June 25, 4 p.m., for a webinar on Connecticut’s sea-dwelling birds. Allison spent more than 60 days at sea in 2019 while working for NOAA as a seabird/marine mammal Observer.
Read more...Daily Bird: Hiatus
June 23, 2020 — The Daily Bird is taking a hiatus. It will return in Jlate uly, when shorebirds are populating the beaches on the southward migration, and it might be several times a week instead of daily.
Read more...Pollination
June 22, 2020 — Your donations have helped us plan, plant, and maintain pollinator gardens and meadows at our Smith Richardson Preserve in Westport, the Milford Point Coastal Center in Milford, the Center at Fairfield, Birdcraft, and Deer Pond Farm in Sherman, where the staff has done an incredible job.
Read more...Monday Bird Report: 4 Key Points about the Bird Atlas, Including How You Can Help
June 22, 2020 — The Connecticut Bird Atlas project, now in its third year of field work, is a remarkable collaborative effort. Here are four key takeaways: project status, new insights, what’s left to be done, how you can help.
Read more...Connecticut’s Swallows: A Special Online Presentation
June 22, 2020 — Connecticut’s half-dozen swallow species will come clearly into focus in Tuesday’s online presentations, the Swallows of Connecticut. Don’t miss is.
Read more...Diary of a Teenage Birder from New Canaan, circa 1910. Part 6.
June 21, 2020 — “If you want to discover what a medley is like, search out a flock of goldfinches on some nice spring morning. I found such a flock, to-day, and was surprised at the amount of melody which poured into my ear.”
Read more...Daily Bird: Alder Flycatcher
June 19, 2020 — There have been a good number of reports of Alder Flycatcher this year in Connecticut. Most reports come from west of the Connecticut River, including a report of a singing bird at our Deer Pond Farm preserve in Sherman. Further east there have been reports from the Goodwin Conservation Center in Hampton and Boston Hollow/Yale Forest in Ashford.
Read more...Permanent Conservation Fund Passes in Congress
July 23, 2020 — Conservationists throughout the country are celebrating yesterday’s passage by the U.S. House of Representatives of the Great American Outdoors Act, which creates a permanent annual fund of $900 million for land protection and outdoor recreation. The House vote followed passage in the Senate last month. The bill is expected to be signed into law.
Read more...The “Not So Bummer Summer” Kids Program Is Off to a Great Start
June 18, 2020 — The first week of our Summer 2020 program is more than half over. Nine more to go. Which means there’s plenty of time for your child to get in on the fun. You probably saw our emails from last week but as a reminder, Connecticut Audubon Adventures: The “Not So Bummer Summer” is a new program, online and outdoors.
Read more...Conservation Will Benefit Greatly from the Great American Outdoors Act & the Land and Water Conservation Fund
June 17, 2020 — The passage today by the U.S. Senate of the Great American Outdoors Act is a tremendous victory for conservation and for outdoor recreation in general.
Read more...Daily Bird: American Oystercatcher
June 17, 2020 — In addition to being one of the largest and stockiest shorebirds in Connecticut, American Oystercatcher is easy to distinguish by its unique coloring. Its brown back and wings, black head, and white breast and belly aid in concealing it on the mudflats and other coastal habitats. But what really distinguishes this bird from others and from its surroundings is the bright orange color of the bill and eye ring, and the yellow iris of the eyes.
Read more...Daily Bird: Chimney Swift
June 16, 2020 — Look and listen for Chimney Swifts in any town in Connecticut but especially in Willimantic, Farmington, and Woodbury, sections of which have been designated as Important Bird Areas because they host hundreds of roosting birds.
Read more...Daily Bird: Cuckoos
June 15, 2020 Black-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus erythropthalmus Yellow-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus americanus Revised from a version published in June 2019. by Helena Ives Both the Yellow-billed Cuckoo and Black-billed Cuckoo breed in Connecticut and fill our woods and the edges of freshwater wetlands with their emphatic calls — ka-ka-ka-ka-ka-kow-kow-kowlp-kowlp-kowlp-kowlp for the Yellow-billed and cu-cu-cu-cu, cu-cu-cu-cu, cu-cu-cu-cu […]
Read more...Monday Bird Report
June 15, 2020 — Mid-June is prime nesting season and if you’re into birds, the Connecticut Bird Atlas could use your help.
Read more...Daily Bird: Bobolink
June 11, 2020 — Once a week or so we get an email from someone in Connecticut asking us to identify a bird they’d never seen before. If the photo they include is clear enough we’re happy to do it. Most recently it was Mary Arsenian: “My boyfriend and I live in Newtown and enjoy bird watching a great deal. During a recent walk, we came across a bird we have never seen before. After searching online, we still can’t identify this bird. Can you help us?” Yes, we can.
Read more...Coalition forms to save the American Horseshoe Crab
June 11, 2020 — The Connecticut Audubon Society, which in February called for a ban on horseshoe crab fishing in Connecticut, recently joined the new nationwide Horseshoe Crab Recovery Coalition. Here’s the group’s inaugural news release including remarks from Connecticut Audubon Executive Director Patrick Comins.
Read more...Daily Bird: Wood Thrush
June 10, 2020 — Now is the perfect time to hear the beautiful, flute-like call of the Wood Thrush throughout – as its name would indicate – the woods of rural Connecticut. Listen in the early morning and evening along quiet roads or paths.
Read more...Daily Bird: Indigo Bunting
June 9, 2020 — Is the strikingly-plumaged Indigo Bunting up to the popularity challenge posed by the brilliant orange of the Baltimore Oriole or the brilliance of the Scarlet Tanager, both long-time favorites? You can find them throughout the state, along the edges of fields, power line rights-of-way, early successional habitats, and weedy fields.
Read more...Daily Bird: Western Sandpiper
June 8, 2020 — A Western Sandpiper has been feeding and resting on the mudflats at the Milford Point Coastal Center in recent days. Western Sandpiper is considered a vagrant in Connecticut, with about half a dozen sightings each year.
Read more...The Monday Bird Report
June 8, 2020 — Photographers, June is a crucial time of year for nesting birds. Getting too close to a nest or to just-hatched chicks puts vulnerable birds at greater risk.
Read more...Diary of a Teenage Birder from New Canaan, circa 1910. Part 5.
June 5, 2020 — “I unfolded my chair, seated myself and commenced to peruse Sabbath Reading, which I had brought along for the purpose. Hardly had I started to read when a Flicker flew over my head and alighted on a dead tree nearby.”
Read more...Daily Bird: Clapper Rail
June 5, 2020 — Despite its large size, Clapper Rail is not an easy bird to locate. These marsh birds are known for their elusive nature and are more often heard than seen. The grasses that make up salt marshes hide them well and provide crucial habitat for feeding and nesting.
Read more...We at the Connecticut Audubon Society add our voices to the rising calls for change in our country.
June 5, 2020 — We at the Connecticut Audubon Society add our voices to the rising calls for change in our country. Nature knows no racial boundaries. It is our vision that everyone in our diverse population appreciate the value of the natural world and have access to it. Any possibility that the birding community could feel isolated from racism was shattered last week when Christian Cooper, a birder who happened to be black, was subjected to overt racism while searching for a Mourning Warbler in Central Park.
Read more...I Spy: Coastal Connecticut
June 8– Welcome to Mystery Monday! Let’s play a game of I Spy: Coastal Connecticut! Every Monday we will post part of a picture of an organism found along the coast of Connecticut. Make your best guess–you can post your answer on The Coastal Center’s Facebook page: click here or on The Connecticut Audubon Society Facebook page: click here. […]
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