June 2, 2020 — Ever wonder how you could use your binoculars to get an “eagle-eye” view of some of your favorite birds?
June 2, 2020 — Ever wonder how you could use your binoculars to get an “eagle-eye” view of some of your favorite birds?
June 1, 2020 — By June, birds are on their breeding grounds, eggs are in the nest — some have hatched — and sumer is icumen in/Lhude sing cuccu, if you’re lucky enough to have a cuckoo nearby.
If you guessed jingle shells, mermaid’s toenails, Neptune’s toenails, toenail shells, gold shells or saddle oysters, you are correct!! Jingle shells are shiny mollusks that got their name because they produce a bell-like sound when several shells are shaken together. The shells are thin and often translucent, they will grow following […]
June 1, 2020 — A competitor of Baltimore Orioles for the title of most noticeable songbird in Connecticut, Scarlet Tanagers are a fairly common forest nesting bird in Connecticut. Most of the larger and many of the smaller forested areas of the state will have nesting pairs.
May 29, 2020 — Piping Plovers live out in the open but can be hard to find. They attract a lot of attention but can be found only on certain beaches. They nest from Greenwich to Stonington but are rare enough — only 57 pairs in Connecticut last year — to warrant listing as a federal and state-threatened species.
June 1, 2020 — We are thrilled to announce the winners of the 2020 Birdathon Photo contest. Birders from across the state submitted approximately 100 photos, all taken in Connecticut from May 22 to 24. They included geese, ducks, herons, hawks, owls, warblers — even a box turtle. The winners were chosen by Julian Hough, an experienced bird photographer and graphic designer.
June 18, 2020 — The cinnamon-colored Brown Thrasher may more often be heard than seen as it spends much of its time hidden in its preferred shrub habitat. A little bigger than a robin, the Brown Thrasher is on the list of Connecticut’s “Birds of Special Concern,” mainly because of loss of the messy shrubby areas it favors.
May 28, 2020 — The first Little Blue Herons arrive in April and stay into October, sometimes later. It is strictly an inhabitant of coastal salt marshes. It nests on Duck Island in Westbrook and Charles Island in Milford.
May 28, 2020 — Why do northern water snakes leave ponds on warm spring days (and ignore social distancing rules)?
May 27, 2020 — One of our most ubiquitous shorebirds is the Sanderling. Only the Ruddy Turnstone and the Whimbrel may have a wider distribution.
May 26, 2020 — With its orange-flame plumage and loud, operatic song, the Baltimore Oriole attracts attention like almost no other songbird in Connecticut and is often a trophy-bird at backyard bird feeders.
May 26, 2020 — What “parachutes” into your backyard, eventually becoming a great source of nectar for bees, providing seeds for birds and having delicious leaves for salads?
May 26, 2020 — Piping Plover eggs are starting to hatch on Connecticut’s beaches — there are already three hatchlings from the 10 nests at the Milford Point Coastal Center, for example. And the two American Oystercatcher nests there already have one chick each.
June 1– Welcome to Mystery Monday! Let’s play a game of I Spy: Coastal Connecticut! Every Monday we will post part of a picture of an organism found along the coast of Connecticut. Can you guess the creature in this picture? Make your best guess–you can post your answer on The Coastal Center’s Facebook page: click here or […]
May 28, 2020 — The 2020 Migration Madness Birdathon was designed for everyone, and thanks to the dozens of people who participated and made pledges it was a terrific success! By the end of the three-day event, 67 birders submitted checklists with a total of 199 species, a tick behind last year’s total of 207.
May 30, 2020 — “A couple favorite moments were hearing a loud bird singing by a river on Saturday morning, then looking up and seeing a Baltimore Oriole. Then on Sunday, having my first sighting of a pair of Barn Swallows, two beautiful blue gems stopping briefly on the riverbank.”
May 22, 2020 — Treat yourself to a special encounter with one or more raptors on a bird handler’s glove. You’ll learn about their natural history and discover the unique physical attributes of these magnificent birds. We’ll discuss different raptor species and their amazing behavioral and predatory adaptations, as well as their conservation status and critical role in our environment.
May 21, 2020 — Prothonotary Warblers are relatively rare in Connecticut but one or two visit almost every year in May.
March 12, 2020 — Our sanctuaries and trails will remain open, and we encourage you to visit for a hike. Outdoor programs will be held as scheduled. Indoor programs are cancelled or postponed. The buildings at all our centers will be closed to the public.
May 20, 2020 — This species has made a good showing in Connecticut. One of the most strikingly colored of our wood-warblers, the Blackburnian’s flaming orange throat was responsible for its colloquial name of “Fire Throat.” But who was it named after? Keep reading to find out.