Blog – 2018

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 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 — Why do northern water snakes leave ponds on warm spring days (and ignore social distancing rules)?

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.

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.

May 19, 2020 — Why does Connecticut Audubon’s Dr. Science exclaim “WOW!” over her discovery in the Larsen Sanctuary? Find out by becoming a science detective and join her for an intriguing investigation of owl pellets.