May 19, 2021 — Good news from Hartford: the bill authorizing a new lease for Coastal Center at Milford Point has made it out of committee. Following Friday’s hearing, the Government Administration and Elections Committee voted unanimously today to pass HB 6679, which was introduced by Representative Frank Smith of Milford. Thank you to Rep. Smith, to the committee, and to everyone who spoke or sent a message in favor of the bill!
Blog – 2018
Legislative committee unanimously passes Coastal Center lease bill
Wednesday, May 19th, 2021Daily Bird: Wood Warblers — Blackpoll Warbler
Wednesday, May 19th, 2021May 19, 2021 — Though Blackpoll Warblers are fairly common in Connecticut, we are likely to see them only in spring and fall migrations, when they are among the last warblers to migrate. They don’t breed in the state or most of New England, and nest further north than any other warbler species.
Daily Bird: Wood Warblers — Worm-eating Warbler
Wednesday, May 12th, 2021May 12, 2021 — During migration Worm-eating Warblers may be seen at any of the typical warbler stopovers, such as Connecticut Audubon’s Birdcraft Sanctuary in Fairfield and East Rock Park in New Haven.
Daily Bird: Wood Warblers — Blackburnian Warbler
Tuesday, May 11th, 2021May 11, 2021 — One of the most strikingly colored of our wood-warblers, this species’ flaming orange throat was responsible for its colloquial name of “Fire Throat.”
Daily Bird: Wood Warblers — Magnolia Warbler
Monday, May 10th, 2021May 10, 2021 — The first time I really noticed a warbler was in my backyard in Milford when I was 10 years old with my dad’s binoculars. It was a Magnolia Warbler in a Flowering Dogwood at about eye level. For a 10 year old it seemed impossibly beautiful and I had no trouble looking it up in my field guide.
Daily Bird: Wood Warblers — Hooded Warbler
Friday, May 7th, 2021May 7, 2021 — Usually first noticed by a ringing “weeta, weeta, weeteeo” song, a Hooded Warbler sighting highlights almost any bird walk in the Connecticut woods. Hooded Warblers reach the northern edge of their breeding range here in Connecticut (although there is a breeding population in southern Ontario), generally arriving during the first week of May and setting up housekeeping almost immediately.
20 Warblers in 60 Seconds
Friday, May 7th, 2021May 7, 2021 — Got a minute? Connecticut Audubon Board member Gilles Carter put together this fun video: “20 warblers in 60 seconds” to celebrate the upcoming Migration Madness Birdathon.
Daily Bird: Wood Warblers — Black-and-White Warbler
Thursday, May 6th, 2021May 6, 2021 — Although every warbler species is unique, the Black-and-white Warbler stands out, and for a variety of reasons. Many warblers exhibit bright and flashy colors, but the aptly named Black-and-white Warbler is just that: black and white. Yet it is far from drab: the ornate and contrasting striped pattern conjures the exotic pattern of a zebra.
Purple Martins are back and you can help them directly by adopting a nest gourd
Thursday, May 6th, 2021In the Sanctuaries …
May 3, 2021 — Purple Martins have been gone from the Coastal Center since early September, probably wintering in the Amazon basin. But they’re back now, and you can help them thrive.
Daily Bird: Wood Warblers — Chestnut-sided Warbler
Wednesday, May 5th, 2021May 5, 2021 — This time of the year, Chestnut-sided Warblers are migrating through and can be found in numerous habitats. They nest in old field and scrubby habitat throughout Connecticut, a declining habitat type as forests mature and fields get developed and converted to lawns.
Daily Bird: Wood Warblers — Northern Parula
Tuesday, May 4th, 2021May 4, 2021 — Today marks the start of the Daily Bird’s warbler extravaganza. We have 19 warblers lined up for you, many with first-rate HD video by Connecticut Audubon Board member Gilles Carter. The first is Northern Parula, written by Connecticut Audubon Executive Director Patrick Comins.
The country’s most important bird protection law is safe, thanks to a vast grassroots advocacy effort
Thursday, May 27th, 2021May 27, 2021 — Thanks to a nationwide grassroots advocacy effort that included members of the Connecticut Audubon Society, the long-standing protections of the country’s most important bird protection law will remain intact. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced recently that it was revoking changes made in 2018 that weakened the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Daily Bird: Common Raven
Wednesday, April 28th, 2021April 28, 2021 — Common Ravens are among the earliest birds to construct nests, sometimes even while snow still blankets the ground in early March. Listen for its throaty croak, an identification dead give-away that is unlikely to be confused with Common Crow or Fish Crow, Connecticut’s other two big, all-black birds.
Daily Bird: Noisy Spring Woodpeckers — Northern Flicker
Tuesday, April 27th, 2021April 27, 2021 — If Northern Flickers are breeding near where you live, you know it. Their calls pierce the woods in April, loud, long, and persistent. Take the time to look for the bird too because, as Andy Rzeznikiewicz says in today’s Daily Bird, “their various colors and markings are spectacular.”
Daily Bird: Noisy Spring Woodpeckers — Pileated Woodpecker
Friday, April 23rd, 2021April 23, 2021 — Woodpeckers are noisy this time of year. If you happen to live near a pair of Pileateds, you’ll know it. Add their loud territorial call to that of Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers, Common Flicker, and Downy Woodpecker, and you have a woodpecker cacophony.
An injured Herring Gull at Milford Point: add face masks to fishing line, nets, and balloon strings on the list of litter that imperils birds
Friday, April 23rd, 2021In the Sanctuaries
April 23, 2021 — They are the latest menace to wildlife — Covid protection masks that are lost or thrown on the ground and get tangled around birds’ wings, necks, and legs. On Monday, April 19, two members of Connecticut Audubon’s staff at the Milford Point Coastal Center found a young Herring Gull completely caught in a mask.
Ten Ways to Help Birds: Number 1 — Advocate!
Thursday, April 22nd, 2021April 22, 2021 — We’ve made a list of 10 things you can do to help birds, and we’re counting them down one day at a time until today, Earth Day! Thank you for all you do to make a difference for conservation!
10 Ways to Help Birds: Number 2 — Reverse the climate crisis
Wednesday, April 21st, 2021April 21, 2021 — The biggest threat to birds is climate change. Birds are already starting to feel the heat right here in Connecticut. It’s a global problem with local and regional implications, and with local and regional opportunities for meaningful action. The most effective action is collective but that doesn’t mean we should ignore individual action.
Daily Bird: Eastern Bluebird
Wednesday, April 21st, 2021April 21, 2021 — One of the most sought after birds to attract to one’s yard! Males are a brilliant bright blue year round with a rusty colored breast, females are more grayish blue with a rusty breast and flanks. Their song is a thrush-like gurgle, often soft but sometimes surprisingly loud and forceful.
10 Ways to Help Birds: Number 3 — Support open space preservation
Tuesday, April 20th, 2021April 20, 2021 — The bottom line for birds is habitat. They need suitable places to nest, spend the winter, and rest and feed during migration. It’s critical that you support the acquisition, preservation, and proper management of open space, including forest land, on the state and local level.
