April 13, 2020 — If you apply pesticides to your property to kill insects, you’re killing the food that Connecticut’s birds rely on.
Author Archive
Trail to Earth Day #10: cut out pesticides
Monday, April 13th, 2020The Daily Bird: Pine Warbler
Monday, April 13th, 2020April 13, 2020 — Of all the warblers that breed in Connecticut, the first to return in spring is the Pine Warbler, arriving in mid- to late March. This year, many have moved into the state during the last few days.
Follow the footprints: trackers know where the otters roam
Sunday, April 12th, 2020April 11, 2020 — Paula, a retired science teacher who lives in Woodstock Valley, leads Connecticut Audubon’s Citizen Science Wildlife and Tracking Program. Since 2003, she’s trained 147 volunteers who have logged 9,216 hours in the field. About a dozen volunteers have stuck with it for a decade or more.
Video (4 minutes, 16 seconds): Dr. Science goes Brackish
Saturday, April 11th, 2020April 11, 2020 — Dr. Science is at the Coastal Center at Milford Point to reveal nature’s formula for an amazing ecosystem called an estuary.
Video (3 minutes, 30 seconds): making sense of citizen science at Deer Pond Farm
Friday, April 10th, 2020April 10, 2020 — Cathy Hagadorn and Deirdra Wallin explain explain EBird, Motus, and other ways of keeping track of the birds, insects, mammals, and more in our area.
The Daily Bird and the Trail to Earth Day: See you next week
Friday, April 10th, 2020April 10, 2020 — The Daily Bird and the Trail to Earth Day are taking the weekend off. The Daily Bird write-ups have turned out to be the most popular feature on our website over the last two weeks. Now is a good time to thank the Connecticut bird experts who wrote those for us.
Trail to Earth Day #9: Composting with worms
Thursday, April 9th, 2020The Trail to Earth Day, a series of simple tips to help the environment (with music at the end), will run through the 50th Earth Day, April 22. We’d be happy to send you one a day via text. Sign up here. April 9, 2020 — This series is based on suggestions that we solicited […]
The Daily Bird: Great Egret
Thursday, April 9th, 2020April 9, 2020 — Great Egrets have arrived along the shore of Long Island Sound. Look for this large, long-legged wader foraging in wetlands, lakes, and marshes.
Trail to Earth Day #8: Make your windows safe for birds
Wednesday, April 8th, 2020April 8, 2020 — Up to a billion (with a “b”) birds a year are killed when they crash into windows. It’s a problem where individual action can make a difference.
Daily Bird: Wood Duck
Wednesday, April 8th, 2020April 8, 2020 — This time of the year Wood Ducks are found in good nesting habitat. That includes almost all freshwater bodies and wetlands with nearby large trees and adequate cover.
Daily Bird: Cedar Waxwing
Tuesday, April 7th, 2020April 7, 2020 — In late winter and early spring, look for Cedar Waxwings feasting on the blue berries of the Eastern Red Cedar.
The Daily Bird: Great Horned Owl
Monday, April 6th, 2020April 6, 2020 — Today’s Daily Bird consists of one great photo. Our friend Tomas Koeck took it in Fairfield, and we thank him for the chance to publish it here.
Trail to Earth Day #6: Make a Little Birdhouse
Monday, April 6th, 2020April 6, 2020 — Build a birdhouse (or buy one) and put it up.
Video (2 minutes, 30 seconds): Spring activity in the wooded wetlands
Sunday, April 5th, 2020April 5, 2020 — The noisiest places in the natural world right now, at least in Connecticut, might be vernal pools. Conservation biologist Jim Arrigoni explains what’s going on, in this video.
Trail to Earth Day #5: It’s Cool for Cats to be Indoors
Sunday, April 5th, 2020April 5, 2020 — Don’t let the cat out of the house. Outdoor cats kill an estimated 1.3 – 4 billion birds in North America every year (they also kill 6.3–22.3 billion mammals annually).
The Daily Bird: Canvasback
Friday, April 3rd, 2020April 3, 2020 — Of all the waterfowl found in North America, perhaps none are more deserving of the title King than the dramatic Canvasback.
Video (1 minute, 30 seconds): “A bluebird comes tenderly up to alight …”
Thursday, April 2nd, 2020April 2, 2020 — This is the time of year to put your Eastern Bluebird box up (and if you don’t get bluebirds, maybe you’ll get Tree Swallows). Deirdra Wallin and Stefan Martin were back in the field again at Deer Pond Farm recently to talk about it.
News: Osprey Nation 2019 Season Report
Thursday, April 2nd, 2020April 2, 2020 — The sixth season of the Osprey Nation citizen science project saw increases in the total number of Osprey nests in Connecticut.
The Daily Bird: Red-breasted Merganser
Thursday, April 2nd, 2020April 2, 2020 — The Red-breasted Merganser’s distinguishing characteristics are a long neck, a scarlet bill, and a double crest at the back of the heads of both males and females.
Trail to Earth Day #2: Make Your Property a Great Place for Birds and Insects — and For Yourself
Thursday, April 2nd, 2020April 2, 2020 — Landscape for birds. Lots of us can make the property we live on far more sustainable, in lots of ways. Reduce the size of your lawn. Let the clover take over.
