May 23, 2025 — Migration Magic, our month-long festival of birds and birding, runs through May 31, 2025—as of today, May 23, there are 8 more days to participate in the Birdathon and Birdathon Photo Contest to support bird conservation right here in Connecticut.
Blog – 2018
8 Days Left to Join the Fun—Migration Magic Birdathon Is Still Going Strong!
Friday, May 23rd, 2025An important pesticides bill passes the State Senate and now moves to the House. Here’s what you need to know
Friday, May 23rd, 2025May 23, 2025 — Senate Bill 9 has passed the State Senate by a vote of 28–8 — a significant step forward, though not a complete victory. It now heads to the House. If passed there, it will move on to the Governor’s desk for final approval.
Resources for understanding the importance of Public Act 25-33/SB 9 and its neonics provisions
Friday, May 23rd, 2025May 23, 2025 — Here’s a summary of SB 9; links to the Senate vote and to the complete the text of the bill; links to the 2024 Connecticut State of the Birds report and to a summary of the report; and more.
Homegrown Habitat, May 2025: Chokecherry
Thursday, May 22nd, 2025May 22, 2025 — Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana), a small tree with excellent garden potential, is also an ecological powerhouse. It is native to much of the United States except for a few Southeastern states.
Volunteer Opportunity for Birders: Help with Bird Research This June
Tuesday, May 20th, 2025May 20, 2025 —Attention, birders! Hartmut Doerwaldt, a master’s degree student at Wesleyan University, is conducting a summer field study on insect-eating birds and their predation on white oak caterpillars.
Bad news on neonics but it might not be too late
Thursday, May 15th, 2025May 15, 2025—Act today! Senate Bill 9, which includes a provision to restrict the use of neonics, has been amended, and not in a good way. Trees and shrubs were removed from the bill. That means that landscapers will be prohibited from using neonics on lawns but not on the trees and shrubs next to lawns. And the law would be delayed for a year and a half! It would go into effect in October 2027 rather than January 2026.
Neonics Bill Update: Time to Contact Your State Officials
Wednesday, April 30th, 2025April 30, 2025—There’s good news about the work being done to enact a stronger pesticide law in Hartford, but also a serious concern. It is important for you to contact your legislators as soon as you can.
For Earth Week, a team of volunteeers and staff help make sure Purple Martins thrive
Friday, April 25th, 2025April 25, 2025—Our seventh and final Earth Week story is about one of our own projects, submitted by Beverly Propen, peerless volunteer at the Milford Point Coastal Center. Bev is part of the team of volunteers and staff that make sure the Coastal Center’s Purple Martin colony thrives.
For Earth Week, trees — planting them along the road, managing them as part of a forest
Thursday, April 24th, 2025April 24, 2025—Was it E.F. Schumacher, author of the influential 1970s-era book Small is Beautiful: A Study of Economics as If People Mattered, who, when asked what is the most important thing one person can do to make a difference, answered, “Plant a tree”? Tree planting and forest management are the subjects of the fourth day of our series of Earth Week stories about important local environmental initiatives in Connecticut.
For Earth Week, a conventional lawn in Madison is transformed into a family’s nature preserve
Wednesday, April 23rd, 2025April 23, 2025—People love pollinator gardens, and with good reason — they’re colorful, full of life, ever-changing, and a delight to look at and listen to. On the third day of our Earth Week series, we’re featuring a tale of how one family in Madison transformed their typical lawn-dominated yard into a biodiversity showplace.
For Earth Week, tales of environmental projects that are making a difference: a pollinator garden in downtown Bridgeport; a close look at rising temperatures, globally and at home
Tuesday, April 22nd, 2025April 22, 2025 — On the second day of our Earth Week series, we’re featuring a project in downtown Bridgeport and another from the atmosphere above Connecticut. The former started as a way to ease the heat island effect in a city; the other is based on a wish by two scientists to understand just how hot it has gotten, and how quickly it has happened.
Homegrown Habitat, April 2025: Wild Geranium
Tuesday, April 22nd, 2025April 22, 2025—At this time of year copious flowers invite us outside, proclaiming a joyful end to the late-winter blues. Wild geranium is a valuable member of this spring bloomers club; it is easy to grow in the garden, a pleasure to behold, and offers many benefits to birds and pollinators.
For Earth Day, tales of environmental projects that are making a difference, locally and beyond: West Virginia White Butterflies
Monday, April 21st, 2025April 21, 2025—We’re celebrating Earth Day 2025 by publishing stories from around Connecticut of important, small-scale environmental projects — and their creators — from around Connecticut. First up: restoring rare butterfly habitat in New Milford.
Protecting birds from building collisions during spring migration
Thursday, April 17th, 2025April 17, 2025—Bird migration is underway and the forecast is for the first big night of spring, tomorrow, Friday, April 18. Birds migrate at night so please help them by turning out your outdoor lights.
News Release: Connecticut Audubon Society Welcomes Bird Enthusiasts to Migration Magic 2025
Thursday, April 17th, 2025April 17, 2025—Connecticut Audubon invites people from across the state to participate in Migration Magic 2025, a month-long celebration of bird migration taking place throughout May. May is the peak month for spring bird migration. On some days, more than half a million birds migrate into and over Connecticut, many of them staying to rest, feed and look for places to nest. It is an ideal time to experience this amazing annual phenomenon, and Migration Magic is designed to help you enjoy it in dozens of ways.
Launch party! “The Naturalists’ Guide to Migration Magic 2025” — a free Zoom program
Thursday, April 10th, 2025April 10, 2025—You’re invited to a special free Zoom presentation to help you get the most enjoyment out of spring migration and help us launch Migration Magic 2025. It’s called “The Naturalists’ Guide to Migration Magic 2025,” and it’s scheduled for Wednesday, April 16, 7 p.m.
Volunteer for Connecticut Audubon’s Osprey Nation project and help monitor and protect the state’s Osprey population! (We especially need people with boats.)
Monday, April 7th, 2025April 7, 2025—Volunteers choose or are assigned a nest, which they visit at least twice a month, from April until late in summer. They take and submit notes on their observations, especially the number of young Ospreys in the nest, the number who successfully leave the nest, and the dates on which that happens. It’s an enjoyable task, and many volunteers have continued on for several years or more.
Homegrown Habitat guide to the native plants that will help the birds in your yard this spring (and beyond)
Tuesday, April 8th, 2025April 8, 2025—It’s relatively easy to make your yard and surrounding property better for birds. Small changes over time add up to big improvements. And what’s good for birds tends to be good for bees, butterflies, moths and other kinds of insects. Now that it’s spring, Sarah Middeleer, who writes Connecticut Audubon’s Homegrown Habitat feature, has picked two trees, two shrubs, and two perennials for you to consider planting.
You know a good environmental project when you see one. We’d like you to tell us about it.
Tuesday, April 8th, 2025April 5, 2025—How much good, important environmental work is being done in Connecticut? The New York Times wants to know, and so do we. Send us your best example.
Early spring is a good time of year to not do too much in your yard. Birds will benefit.
Wednesday, March 26th, 2025March 26, 2025—To make your yard better for birds, start by doing nothing. At least for a while. That’s the advice from Connecticut Audubon and a University of Connecticut expert, summed up in this recent story from Connecticut Public Radio. “ … raking or mowing last year’s leaves too soon in the spring can kill a key group of creatures in Connecticut’s food web.
