June 1, 2021 — The first state record of Black-bellied Whistling Duck was in mid August, 2018, when one showed up in Essex. Now six have been found in Watertown — the second state record. Back in August 2018, Andy Griswold, Connecticut Audubon’s EcoTravel director, wrote about the species for our old Bird Finder feature. We’ve revised it for today’s Daily Bird.
Posts Tagged ‘Andy Griswold’
Daily Bird: Black-bellied Whistling Duck, a rarity
Tuesday, June 1st, 2021Daily Bird: Wood Warblers — Blackburnian Warbler
Tuesday, May 11th, 2021May 11, 2021 — One of the most strikingly colored of our wood-warblers, this species’ flaming orange throat was responsible for its colloquial name of “Fire Throat.”
Daily Bird: White-faced Ibis
Tuesday, March 30th, 2021March 30, 2021 — Birders found a White-faced Ibis — an uncommon visitor to Connecticut’s coast — at Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison today.
Daily Bird: Red-throated Loon
Tuesday, January 12th, 2021January 11, 2021 — Winter is the season for loons in Connecticut and the Red-throated, the smallest of its family, is a favorite. The best place to find this high latitude nester in Connecticut is on Long Island Sound. Through March, this should be a relatively easy bird to find.
Western Sandpiper 2019
Thursday, July 18th, 2019July 18, 2019 Revised from the original September 16, 2014, post. Western Sandpiper Calidris mauri by Andy Griswold, EcoTravel Director Where to find it: The Coastal Center at Milford Point has produced five Western Sandpipers this week (the week of July 15, 2019). Numerous in its range, Western Sandpiper is considered a vagrant in Connecticut, […]
The Wood Warblers
Friday, April 26th, 2019April 26, 2019 – The next few weeks will be warbler weeks in Connecticut. True, vireos and thrushes and sandpipers and lots of others birds will be arriving too, but it seems almost beyond debate that warbler migration excites the spring birder more than those others.
King Eider
Tuesday, November 20th, 2018November 20, 2018 – All birders, and now some non-birders after the arrival of the escaped Mandarin Duck in New York City, know that there are some seriously amazing plumages among duck species, among them the King Eider. One was found in near-shore waters of Long Island Sound off Waterford just a few days ago.
Member profile: Rob Taylor
Tuesday, October 16th, 2018October 2018 – A violinist, lyricist, and librettist by profession, Rob Taylor is also a seasoned traveler whose birding trips have brought him around the world. He joined a Connecticut Audubon tour of Cuba as a guest seven years ago and returned to lead the tour as an EcoTravel volunteer the following year. Since then, […]
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck: Another Connecticut First!
Tuesday, August 14th, 2018August 14, 2018 – You may have heard by now that there is a Black-bellied Whistling-Duck in Essex! It’s quite the buzz in the birding community and if accepted by the birding powers as a wild bird, it will be a first state record.
Pink-footed Goose
Friday, March 9th, 2018March 9, 2018. Pink-footed Goose is becoming a more regular visitor to the United States east coast, with recent sightings in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Maryland, and out on Long Island.
Snowy Owls in Connecticut, Winter 2017-2018
Sunday, December 10th, 2017December 10, 2017. Welcome to the 2017 Snowy Owl season! With over 10 different sightings already reported in Connecticut and perhaps a hundred or more from Virginia to Maine, there is no doubt this is an irruption year.
Thanksgiving Treats
Tuesday, November 21st, 2017November 22, 2017. Our Bird Finder authors are taking the week off so I’ve compiled a selection of their work from last fall and winter, and the previous fall and winter, as a guide to birds you might want to look for over the Thanksgiving weekend.
Baird’s Sandpiper
Thursday, August 17th, 2017August 17, 2017. Baird’s Sandpiper is a long-distance Central Flyway migrant from its high Arctic breeding grounds to South America, straying east to Connecticut in late summer and autumn. When here, they’re found on mudflats, the edges of grassy ponds and marshes, and beaches above the wrack line.
Bird Finder for January 27, 2017: Harlequin Duck
Friday, January 27th, 2017Harlequin Duck: Taking its name from a colorfully dressed character in Commedia dell’arte and long touted to be the “fashion plate of the winter seas,” Harlequin Duck is a rare sight in Connecticut.
Northern Gannet: Bird Finder for December 2, 2016
Thursday, December 1st, 2016Northern Gannet. When winds howl, storms brew, or winter sets in, the Northern Gannet can be found in Long Island Sound without too much effort.
Bird Finder for March 21: Mew Gull
Monday, March 21st, 2016Mew Gull: The smallest of the “white-headed” gulls in North America, the Mew Gull has been seen at Hammonasset.
Buff-breasted Sandpiper
Thursday, July 9th, 2015July 9, 2015 – Buff-breasted Sandpiper has occurred annually at Hammonasset Beach State Park and at our Milford Point Coastal Center, where one or two are reported each year.
Swainson’s Warbler: A Bird You’ve Never Seen Here
Thursday, April 30th, 2015April 30, 2015 – Swainson’s Warbler, one of those “little brown jobs,” has been seen in the states around Connecticut but never here. As with the Prothonotary Warbler that has been visiting our Larsen Sanctuary in Fairfield, there is the possibility of an overshoot when birds move back to their breeding grounds, which reach as far north as Virginia.
Western Sandpiper
Tuesday, September 16th, 2014September 16, 2014 – Sandy Point in West Haven has produced a Western Sandpiper this week. Numerous in its range, Western Sandpiper is considered a vagrant in Connecticut, with about half a dozen sightings each year.
Rufous Hummingbird
Thursday, August 14th, 2014August 15, 2014. Rufous Hummingbird. Measuring in at 3-3/4 inches, this short winged, compact hummingbird could, depending on the plumage, be passed over as our more common Ruby-throated Hummingbird (photo on left is Rufous; photo in center is Ruby-throated).
