May 14, 2020 — Uncountable numbers of tiny, winged perpetual-motion machines — cerulean, yellow, chestnut, golden, orange, black, blue, green — are arriving in Connecticut’s treetops these days. Warbler migration is upon us, bringing pleasure and stiff necks to eager birders.
Blog – 2018
The Daily Bird/Warbler Week: Special Video Edition
Thursday, May 14th, 2020In the north woods of Connecticut, a rare butterfly
Thursday, May 14th, 2020May 14, 2020 — Wandering through the Croft Preserve in Goshen earlier this month, longtime Connecticut Audubon member Jim Dugan came upon an unusual find — two or three West Virginia white butterflies, feeding in a patch of spring-beauty wildflowers.
Daily Bird/Warbler Week: Swainson’s Warbler
Wednesday, May 13th, 2020May 13, 2020 — The discovery of a Townsend’s Warbler in Hartford last month — a record first for Connecticut — got birders thinking about which new species might show up next. Because it’s migration time, thoughts turn to Swainson’s Warbler. Note that the violet color that indicates a sighting is absent from Connecticut on […]
Eco-Hour with Conservation Biologist Jim Arrigoni
Wednesday, May 13th, 2020May 13, 2020 — Salamanders quietly live most of their lives out of sight and beyond our perception, yet they play outsized roles in many Connecticut ecosystems. Conservation biologist Jim Arrigoni explains in his Eco-hour Chat, Thursday, May 14.
The Daily Bird/Warbler Week: Hooded Warbler
Tuesday, May 12th, 2020May 12, 2020 — Usually first noticed by a ringing “weeta, weeta, weeteeo” song, a Hooded Warbler sighting highlights almost any bird walk in the Connecticut woods.
Diary of a teenage birder from New Canaan, circa 1910. Part 3.
Tuesday, May 12th, 2020May 12, 2020 — On a spring morning in New Canaan, meadowlarks are singing and flickers “salute each passerby” as a 15-year-old boy walks to the Tallmadge Hill station to take the train to high school in Stamford. It’s 1910 and Harold Jones is making notes in his diary.
Join Dr. Science and Discover Life Under a Log (video, 5 minutes, 27 seconds)
Tuesday, May 12th, 2020May 12, 2020 — Did you know that one of the best places to view a thriving ecosystem is under a rotting log? Connecticut Audubon’s Dr. Science takes us into the woods and shows us how to carefully reveal and explore this fascinating micro habitat.
The first hummingbirds of 2020
Tuesday, May 12th, 2020May 12, 2020 — Almost 90 of you sent in your first-of-year sightings from 80 places in Connecticut (plus Pennsylvania, New York, and Vermont). Follow the arrival of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds on this map.
Webinar Wednesday: Rock Art
Tuesday, May 12th, 2020May 12, 2020 — Join teacher-naturalist Morgan Allen as she shows you how to plan out your design using the shape of your rock, how to layer up paint on your rock, and more.
The Daily Bird/Warbler Week: Chestnut-sided Warbler
Monday, May 11th, 2020May 11, 2020 — 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.
The Monday Bird Report
Monday, May 11th, 2020May 11, 2020 — You may have noticed that the rest of the world is catching on to what you’ve known for a while: birding is hot. It seems the antidote to the stress of dealing with the pandemic is birdwatching.
All About Owls Webinar
Monday, May 11th, 2020May 11, 2020 — Join Joe Attwater as he reviews Connecticut’s owls and what makes these birds so amazing. Tuesday, May 12, 7 p.m.
The Answer for the May 11 Mystery is……
Tuesday, May 12th, 2020If you guessed Mummichog, Fundulus heteroclitus, Atlantic killifish, mummies, gudgeons, or mud minnows… you are correct! Did you know? You will find these fish in brackish and coastal waters including estuaries and salt marshes This species is hardy and has the ability to tolerate highly variable salinity, temperature fluctuations from 43 to 95 °F, low oxygen levels, and heavily polluted ecosystems. As a result, the mummichog […]
The Daily Bird: Gray Catbird
Friday, May 8th, 2020May 8, 2020 — This handsome gray bird can be distinguished by its bold personality and characteristic call, reminiscent of a cat’s meow. They are more often heard than seen, spending much of the day hidden away in thick shrubs and trees. Although they tend to be secretive, they are very energetic and boisterous birds.
Watch and listen to what’s going on in the water at Deer Pond Farm
Friday, May 8th, 2020May 8, 2020 — Is there a more beautiful sound in nature than the trill of an American toad? You can hear it at the start of this terrific video that our Deer Pond Farm staff recorded this week. And stick around for Jim Arrigoni’s terrific description of the aquatic invertebrates he found.
You probably need new binoculars or a scope. If so, we’ve got you covered. Just call.
Thursday, May 7th, 2020May 7, 2020 — Time to upgrade those binoculars? Need a spotting scope? Need a gift? The birds are here, with more on their way. No time like the present! Call at 860-767-0660 to discuss or to place an order.
Daily Bird: Orchard Oriole
Thursday, May 7th, 2020May 7, 2020 — This is a handsome and distinctive species. The males lack the bright orange flash of the more common and widespread Baltimore Oriole but sport a bright chestnut and black plumage unique among North American birds. The greenish-yellow hues of the female also stand out, and the first-summer males are readily identified by the their black bib. Compared to the Baltimore, it’s a more slender and spritely bird.
Join Dr. Science On a Nature Walk & Glimpse a Great Blue Heron (video, 3 minutes, 57 seconds)
Thursday, May 7th, 2020May 7, 2020 — If you’re patient and observant, what long-legged bird might you catch a glimpse of near the shore or wetlands? Join Connecticut Audubon’s Dr. Science on this nature walk and see if you can spot the camouflaged Great Blue Heron.
Diary of a teenage birder from Connecticut, circa 1910. Part 2
Saturday, May 9th, 2020May 9, 2020 — In early spring 1910, 15-year-old Harold Jones, who lived on the Waveny Estate in New Canaan, was busy keeping his daily bird list and identifying wildflowers. Here’s the second entry from his nature diary.
Diary of a teenage birder from Connecticut, circa 1910. Part 1
Wednesday, May 6th, 2020May 6, 2020 — “I have some notebooks of bird observations from 1910. Would you be interested in them as a guide to habits today, considering the changes in climate? They were made by my father, now deceased. The written observations were in New Canaan, CT in 1909 and 1910.”
