December 10, 2017. Welcome to the 2017 Snowy Owl season! With over 10 different sightings already reported in Connecticut and perhaps a hundred or more from Virginia to Maine, there is no doubt this is an irruption year.
Posts Tagged ‘Andy Griswold’
Snowy Owls in Connecticut, Winter 2017-2018
Sunday, December 10th, 2017Thanksgiving Treats
Tuesday, November 21st, 2017November 22, 2017. Our Bird Finder authors are taking the week off so I’ve compiled a selection of their work from last fall and winter, and the previous fall and winter, as a guide to birds you might want to look for over the Thanksgiving weekend.
Baird’s Sandpiper
Thursday, August 17th, 2017August 17, 2017. Baird’s Sandpiper is a long-distance Central Flyway migrant from its high Arctic breeding grounds to South America, straying east to Connecticut in late summer and autumn. When here, they’re found on mudflats, the edges of grassy ponds and marshes, and beaches above the wrack line.
Bird Finder for January 27, 2017: Harlequin Duck
Friday, January 27th, 2017Harlequin Duck: Taking its name from a colorfully dressed character in Commedia dell’arte and long touted to be the “fashion plate of the winter seas,” Harlequin Duck is a rare sight in Connecticut.
Northern Gannet: Bird Finder for December 2, 2016
Thursday, December 1st, 2016Northern Gannet. When winds howl, storms brew, or winter sets in, the Northern Gannet can be found in Long Island Sound without too much effort.
Bird Finder for March 21: Mew Gull
Monday, March 21st, 2016Mew Gull: The smallest of the “white-headed” gulls in North America, the Mew Gull has been seen at Hammonasset.
Buff-breasted Sandpiper
Thursday, July 9th, 2015July 9, 2015 – Buff-breasted Sandpiper has occurred annually at Hammonasset Beach State Park and at our Milford Point Coastal Center, where one or two are reported each year.
Swainson’s Warbler: A Bird You’ve Never Seen Here
Thursday, April 30th, 2015April 30, 2015 – Swainson’s Warbler, one of those “little brown jobs,” has been seen in the states around Connecticut but never here. As with the Prothonotary Warbler that has been visiting our Larsen Sanctuary in Fairfield, there is the possibility of an overshoot when birds move back to their breeding grounds, which reach as far north as Virginia.
Western Sandpiper
Tuesday, September 16th, 2014September 16, 2014 – Sandy Point in West Haven has produced a Western Sandpiper this week. Numerous in its range, Western Sandpiper is considered a vagrant in Connecticut, with about half a dozen sightings each year.
Rufous Hummingbird
Thursday, August 14th, 2014August 15, 2014. Rufous Hummingbird. Measuring in at 3-3/4 inches, this short winged, compact hummingbird could, depending on the plumage, be passed over as our more common Ruby-throated Hummingbird (photo on left is Rufous; photo in center is Ruby-throated).
