Black Skimmer
The sandbars at our Coastal Center at Milford Point in summer are probably the most reliable place in the state to see Black Skimmers, especially in June and in late August and early September.
Posts Tagged ‘Bird Finder’
Black Skimmer: Bird Finder for July 2
Thursday, July 2nd, 2015Pileated Woodpecker: Bird Finder for June 26
Thursday, June 25th, 2015Pileated Woodpecker
Dryocopus pileatus
The Pileated Woodpecker is the largest woodpecker found in Connecticut. Crow-sized, it is an inhabitant of the mixed deciduous and coniferous forests of North America.
Bird Finder for June 10: Glossy Ibis
Tuesday, June 9th, 2015June 10, 2015 – Ibises are a group of nearly 30 species of distinctive wading birds that occur worldwide. Here in Connecticut we commonly see one species of ibis, the Glossy Ibis, which occurs locally along the coast during the summer season.
Eastern Meadowlark — A Sweet Singer: Bird Finder for June 5.
Friday, June 5th, 2015Eastern Meadowlark
One of our most threatened species, the Eastern Meadowlark has slowly disappeared in Connecticut along with the large and rambling agricultural meadows that once dominated our landscape.
Orchard Oriole — A Song Like the Top 40: Bird Finder for May 28
Thursday, May 28th, 2015Orchard Oriole
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.
Bird Finder for May 21: Cerulean Warbler
Thursday, May 21st, 2015Cerulean Warbler
In May we birders celebrate the return of the warblers, “the butterflies of the bird world.” Connecticut is in the nesting range of the rare and beautiful Cerulean Warbler and May is the best time to see it as it often stays high in the canopy, difficult to see once the trees leaf out.
Prothonotary Warbler in Cheshire: Bird Finder for May 18
Monday, May 18th, 2015Prothonotary Warblers are relatively rare in Connecticut but there have been at least two this spring: one at our Larsen Sanctuary, in Fairfield, in late April, and another today (Monday) in Cheshire.
American Oystercatcher: Bird Finder for May 7
Thursday, May 7th, 2015American Oystercatcher
Haematopus palliatus
What it looks like: American Oystercatchers are large shorebirds with a long, narrow, orange bill which beautifully contrasts against their black head, brown back and tail and bright white underparts. You can see their white wing patches when they are in flight.
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.
Ruffed Grouse: Bird Finder for April 16
Thursday, April 16th, 2015Ruffed Grouse
Bonasa umbellus
Ruffed Grouse are chicken like, medium-sized game birds of mixed coniferous and deciduous forests. Although their numbers in Connecticut are greatly diminished, listen this month for the distinctive and unmistakable drumming sound the males make to attract a mate and ward off rivals.
