March 9, 2021 — Wilson’s Snipe are starting to show up in Connecticut. These game birds are cryptically and physically similar to American Woodcock but they are readily distinguishable by a head-striping pattern opposite that of Woodcock: longitudinal rather than latitudinal.
Blog – 2018
Daily Bird: Wilson’s Snipe
Tuesday, March 9th, 2021International Women’s Day 2021: Our Founder, Written by Our Board Chair
Monday, March 8th, 2021March 8, 2021 — In honor of International Women’s Day, we went into the archives for this beautiful short biography of our founder, Mabel Osgood Wright, written by our Board Chair, Kathleen Van Der Aue.
Young, Gifted, and Wild About Birds: #BirdNamesforBirds
Monday, March 8th, 2021March 8, 2021 — Is it acceptable to honor a person who believed of Black men that “his intellect … is greatly inferior to that of the Caucasian, and that he is, therefore, as far as our experience goes, incapable of self-government”? What if that same person also owned slaves? Meet the Rev. John Bachman of South Carolina. It’s a controversial issue and we’ll tackle it during the next Young, Gifted, and Wild About Birds.
Despite the pandemic, 200-plus volunteers documented a thriving Osprey population in 2020
Monday, March 8th, 2021March 8, 2021 — More than 200 volunteers overcame arduous circumstances caused by the Covid-19 pandemic to document 510 active Osprey nests in 2020, the most since Connecticut Audubon’s Osprey Nation project began in 2014.
Daily Bird: Winter Wren
Thursday, March 4th, 2021March 4, 2021 — Winter Wrens can be found throughout the state at this time of year although they are usually hard to find because of their secretive habits. The best place to look is in thick brush near streams.
Daily Bird: American Tree Sparrow
Wednesday, March 3rd, 2021March 3, 2021 — To those unfamiliar with birds, American Tree Sparrow would likely blend in with the background or be glossed over as just another sparrow. But to a birder’s eye, this species perfectly masters a balance between drab coloring and striking streaks of rufus, especially in an already bland winter backdrop.
An easy way to keep up with what’s happening In the Sanctuaries
Tuesday, March 2nd, 2021In the Sanctuaries … March 2, 2021 — Connecticut Audubon’s sanctuaries are amazing places. Amazing for the diversity of birds, the occasional moose, the minks and fishers, the bobcats, the scores of other animals. But they’re also amazing for the people of Connecticut. You can snowshoe. You can look for breeding birds. You can track […]
A New Home for Milford Point’s Ospreys, Thanks to the Teamwork of Volunteers and the Generosity of Donors
Monday, March 1st, 2021In the Sanctuaries
March 1, 2021 — Move-in day is not for another month but the Milford Point Ospreys’ new home is ready for their arrival. Thanks to a team of volunteers, and an enormously generous outpouring of donations from Connecticut Audubon supporters, a new Osprey nest platform went up in the marsh at the Milford Point Coastal Center on Wednesday, February 24, replacing the one lost in a winter storm.
Daily Birds: Blackbirds
Wednesday, February 24th, 2021February 24, 2021 — Among the first noticeable signs of spring in February is the progression of blackbird flocks, often large or even huge. They will consist of a mix of Common Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds and Brown-headed Cowbirds. Any of the three can be the primary species in a given flock, although flocks dominated by cowbirds tend not to have a lot of grackles.
This weekend: Mountainfilm! 11 great films for a great price
Wednesday, February 24th, 2021February 24, 2021 — Mountainfilm on Tour is this weekend — February 26 til noon on Monday, March 1. MountainFilm brings a selection of culturally rich, adventure-packed and incredibly inspiring documentary films curated from the Mountainfilm festival in Telluride, Colorado. Enjoy these 11 phenomenal short films from the comfort of your home!
Daily Bird: Red-shouldered Hawk
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2021February 23, 2021 — Red-shouldered Hawks can be found in every month, but they can be especially conspicuous starting around this time of year, when mated pairs and rival males engage in raucous nuptial and territorial vocalizations. They get very noisy again when the young leave the nest, but some calling can be heard anytime.
Action Alert: Speak out in favor of strengthening the Migratory Bird Protection Act
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2021February 23, 2021 — You have a chance today to help make sure the Migratory Bird Treaty Act continues to be an effective way to protect birds. Please help by sending comments to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Tell them that you support strengthening the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Daily Bird: Common Loon
Thursday, February 18th, 2021February 18, 2021 — Common Loons may be the symbol of wild, northern lakes but in winter and spring these large diving birds are relatively easy to find in Connecticut’s coastal waters and larger freshwater lakes and rivers. It is the largest loon you are likely to see in Connecticut.
Daily Bird: Red Crossbill
Wednesday, February 17th, 2021February 17, 2021 — Birders are getting good views and good photos of a small flock of Red Crossbills at Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison, in pines to the right of the Meigs Point pavilion. We posted this Daily Bird just a few months ago, in November (it was originally written several years ago), but Hammo has been such a reliable location lately for these rarities that it’s worth posting again (with new photos by Patrick Comins).
Watch Mariamar Gutierrez in a 6-minute preview of her “Young, Gifted, and Wild About Birds” presentation coming up on Thursday
Monday, February 15th, 2021February 15, 20210 — In a preview of her Thursday Zoom presentation, Mariamar Gutierrez talks about stopover ecology and “full-service hotels” for migratory birds.
Next on Young, Gifted, and Wild About Birds, a fascinating look at what songbirds go through during migration
Thursday, February 11th, 2021February 11, 2021 — Mariamar Gutierrez Ramirez talks about her research into New England songbird migration in the next “Young, Gifted, and Wild About Birds,” on Thursday, February 18.
Daily Bird: Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Wednesday, February 10th, 2021February 10, 2021 — Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers can be found throughout the state in winter. They’re a little larger and stockier than Downy Woodpeckers, black and white, with adult males sporting a bright red crown and throat. Adult females lack the red throat. They have a prominent white stripe on their wings.
The Osprey nest and Osprey Cam at Milford Point were destroyed in the recent storm. Please contribute to so they can be replaced!
Tuesday, February 9th, 2021February 9, 2021 — Everything needs to be replaced — quickly — and you can help. Please make a donation to help provide a nesting place for Milford Point’s Ospreys.
A discussion of Audubon’s “Birds of America” this evening with Patrick Comins and Nelson North
Tuesday, February 9th, 2021February 9, 2021 — The present meets the past at 6 this evening as Connecticut Audubon Executive Director Patrick Comins joins former Executive Director Nelson North for an online conversation about John James Audubon’s art, conservation, and the naturalists who have shaped current day conservation.
In the Sanctuaries: Winter is here, and it’s great
Monday, February 8th, 2021February 8, 2020 — Pack your snowshoes, pull on your hiking boots, grab your poles. Winter is a great time to visit Connecticut Audubon’s sanctuaries. You will see something amazing, guaranteed.
