May 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.
Blog – 2018
Daily Bird: Orchard Oriole
Thursday, May 7th, 2020Join 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.”
Daily Bird: Eastern Meadowlark
Wednesday, May 6th, 2020May 6, 2020 — Careful observers can still see and hear this bright relative of our blackbirds in open, grassy habitats, sometimes perched on fences and bushes in a few Connecticut locations. It is a birder’s treasure wherever it is found.
Daily Bird: Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Tuesday, May 5th, 2020May 5, 2020 — The Rose-breasted Grosbeak, returns from the Caribbean to Connecticut during spring migration. And you may not have to work very hard to find it.
Facetiming Bird Migration
Tuesday, May 5th, 2020May 5, 2020 — NBC CT meteorologist Kaitlyn McGrath Facetimed Executive Director Patrick Comins last week to talk about migration, about visiting Connecticut Audubon’s sanctuaries, and about threats to Connecticut’s birds.
Webinar Wednesday: Animal Tracks
Tuesday, May 5th, 2020May 5, 2020 — Learn how to track your favorite animals across your backyard. This week RTPEC teacher-naturalist Morgan Allen will teach you how to identify the tracks of local animals as well as how to make your own animal track stamp.
All About Owls Webinar
Monday, May 11th, 2020Tuesday, May 12, 7 p.m. One of our most unique and mysterious family of birds, owls are most active when the rest of us are settling down for the night. In this webinar, teacher-naturalist Joe Attwater will go over what makes these birds so amazing, and which ones call CT home. Joe will discuss: What […]
I Spy: Coastal Connecticut
Monday, May 11th, 2020May 11– Welcome to Mystery Monday! Let’s play a game of I Spy: Coastal Connecticu1 Every Monday we will post part of a picture of an organism found along the coast of Connecticut. Make your best guess–you can post your answer on The Coastal Center’s Facebook page: click here or on The Connecticut Audubon Society Facebook page: click here. […]
Daily Bird: Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Monday, May 4th, 2020May 4, 2020 — Yellow-crowned Night Herons are birds of marshes and wet meadows but are not widely distributed across the state. Our Milford Point Coastal Center is by far the most reliable location in the state.
The Monday Bird Report
Monday, May 4th, 2020May 4, 2020 — It was not only a beautiful weekend, it was a busy one for birds and birders. Here are a few highlights.
The Answer for the May 4 Mystery is……
Tuesday, May 5th, 2020If you guessed Hermit Crab you are correct! Did you know: Most species have long, spirally curved abdomens, which are soft, unlike the hard, calcified abdomens seen in related crustaceans. Most frequently, hermit crabs use the shells of sea snails The tip of the hermit crab’s abdomen is adapted to clasp strongly onto the columella of the […]
Daily Bird: Eastern Whip-poor-will
Friday, May 1st, 2020May 1, 2020 — Eastern Whip-poor-wills typically arrive in their breeding grounds in late April-early May, timed with the appearance of the insects that make up their diet.
I Spy: Coastal Connecticut
Monday, May 4th, 2020May 4– 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. Make your best guess–you can post your answer on The Coastal Center’s Facebook page: click here or on The Connecticut Audubon Society Facebook page: click here. […]
Raptors of CT Webinar
Friday, May 1st, 2020May 1, 2020 — If there’s one group of birds that captivates birders and non-birders alike, it’s the raptors. Join us for a special webinar, 7 p.m., Tuesday, May 5.
What’s on your bookshelf? CT Audubon shares favorite reads on nature and the environment
Monday, April 27th, 2020April 27, 2020 — For your reading pleasure, Connecticut Audubon staff talks about their favorite books on nature and the environment, new and old, including a several by local authors and classics by Rachel Carson, John McPhee, David Quammen, and Michael Pollan.
Daily Bird: Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher
Thursday, April 30th, 2020April 30, 2020 — The long-popular reference to a “miniature Mockingbird” holds up pretty well. Shape and tone are reminiscent of the big mimid, although the gnatcatcher lacks the white wing markings. But keep miniature in mind. This is a small, slender bird in the warbler size category.
The Daily Bird: Semipalmated Plover
Wednesday, April 29th, 2020April 29, 2020 — Semipalmated Plovers are starting to appear on Connecticut beaches during spring migration. Named for their semi-webbed toes, which allow them to walk on different substrates, Semipalmated Plovers can be found foraging for insects and other invertebrates on mudflats and beaches while they migrate to their nesting territory on Arctic beaches.
Daily Bird: Peregrine Falcon
Tuesday, April 28th, 2020April 28, 2020 — Urban development generally pushes species out of the habitat that was replaced by buildings. There are some species like the Peregrine Falcon, however, that can adapt. Peregrine Falcons nest on and dive from tall ledges. The abundance of ledges in urban areas gives them a greater selection of nesting locations.
