Red-necked Grebe
Podiceps grisegena
The Red-necked Grebe is a waterbird found in Connecticut coastal waters, rivers, and large inland lakes during the colder months of the year. This member of the family Gavidae (Loons and Grebes) is one of three species of grebes that include Connecticut in its normal range each year (the other two being Pied-billed Grebe and Horned Grebe).
King Eider
Somateria spectabilis
Where to find it: For the past two weeks there have been three King Eiders at Sunken Island in Fairfield, two females and one first-winter male. To look for these rare eiders, follow Beach Road in Fairfield west to its end at the mouth of Pine Creek. Sunken Island is about one quarter of a mile offshore and is covered at high tide, but the terminus is marked by a large red bell buoy. Small groups of ducks, including the eiders, are often seen feeding in the shallow water off the island. A spotting scope is necessary to view these birds, as they are usually 200 yards offshore.
Passenger Pigeon
Ectopistes migratorius
Where to find it: Passenger Pigeons have been extinct for exactly 100 years but on March 12 Connecticut Audubon Society and the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies are presenting a talk by Joel Greenberg, author of the new book A Feathered River Across the Sky: The Passenger Pigeon’s Flight to Extinction, at Kroon Hall. The talk is free and open to the public. One or two preserved Passenger Pigeon specimens from the collection of the Yale Peabody Museum will be on display, to give you a chance to see what they looked like.
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carbo
The Great Cormorant is the largest North American cormorant and is found on nearly all continents. In the States, it is restricted to the east coast, where it breeds on a just a few rocky island colonies in Maine. It is a regular winter visitor to Connecticut where it replaces the more commonly found summer resident, the Double-crested Cormorant.
At the end of each summer, thousands of Tree Swallows swoop over the lower Connecticut River, hawking insects in massive, dark clouds. Autumn still sees big flocks of Common Grackles noisily moving through our woodlands and suburbs in search of food. Communal crow roosts and boisterous gull rookeries can still amaze us. But nothing we […]
Northern Harrier
Circus cyaneus
The Northern Harrier is a hawk of grasslands and open country. It is one of about 15 or so species in its genus, Circus, of the taxonomic family Accipitridae, which includes the various eagles, hawks, and kites.
For a number of years Connecticut Audubon Society been working in Hartford to try to improve the way the state of Connecticut acquires and protects open space. One of the key issues has been that when the state acquires conservation land, the land is not truly protected – the state, at its discretion, can sell […]
Barrow’s Goldeneye Bucephala islandica Where to find it: This is one of our rarer wintering ducks, but some locations over the years have been better than others. Currently a Barrow’s Goldeneye has been seen off and on at Penfield Reef in Fairfield. This week another was spotted at Gulf Beach in Milford. Over the years […]
Hooded MerganserLophodytes cucullatus) Where to find it: Hooded Mergansers are beautiful, small diving ducks that frequent open brackish creeks and marshes in the late fall and winter. Currently, one of the most reliable sites for viewing numbers of “Hoodies” is Lordship Boulevard, in Stratford, especially near the Sikorsky Airport, where the tidal creek flows into […]
Snow Goose
Chen caerulescens
Where to find it: Snow Goose occurs each winter in Connecticut but only in limited numbers, unlike the massive flocks found on the Delmarva Peninsula and the rice fields of Arkansas. Locally, you can expect to typically find one or two birds mixed in with large flocks of Canada Geese. Most records are from inland sites – from farm fields or of birds resting on lakes. Agricultural fields are your best bet in winter when this Arctic nesting species moves to the south.
