April 2, 2015 – Gulls are far less likely to spark a birder’s excitement than the ever-popular warblers or raptors, but Bonaparte’s Gulls are very different than their familiar beach-loafing, French fry-loving relatives. Bonaparte’s Gulls are small, spunky, sharply-plumaged gulls that may remind you more of terns than the typical “seagulls” you’re used to seeing.
Posts Tagged ‘Bird Finder’
Bonaparte’s Gull
Thursday, April 2nd, 2015Canvasback — King of the Waterfowl
Saturday, March 28th, 2015March 28, 2015 – Of all the waterfowl found in North America, perhaps none are more deserving of the title King than the dramatic Canvasback.
First One Back: Pine Warbler — Bird Finder for March 19, 2015
Thursday, March 19th, 2015Pine Warbler
Setophaga pinus
Of all the warblers that breed in Connecticut, the first to return in spring is the Pine Warbler, arriving just about now, in mid- to late March.
Tufted Duck: Bird Finder for March 12
Thursday, March 12th, 2015Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligula
Connecticut birders have been flocking to Captain’s Cove in Bridgeport to see a rare Tufted Duck, a species not recorded in Connecticut for approximately 15 years.
American Black Duck
Thursday, March 5th, 2015American Black Duck
Anas rubripes
American Black Ducks are a large-bodied dabbling duck about the size of a mallard. They have a yellowish bill with a gray head and dark body. When in flight they appear to be black in color, which helps distinguish them when mixed with Mallards.
Horned Grebe: Bird Finder for February 27
Friday, February 27th, 2015Horned Grebe
Podiceps auritus
Horned Grebes are small, diving waterbirds that are currently presenting their black and white plumage in the cold, winter waters along Long Island Sound.
Thick-billed Murre: Connecticut Audubon Bird Finder for February 19
Thursday, February 19th, 2015Thick-billed Murre
Uria lonvia
On a trip he led to Montauk this month, Andy Griswold, director of our EcoTravel program, found two Thick-billed Murres in waters less than 16 miles from Connecticut; and Frank Gallo, associate director of our Milford Point Coastal Center, saw one briefly at Hammonasset Beach State Park.
Redhead: Connecticut Audubon Bird Finder for February 13
Thursday, February 12th, 2015Redheads are often found with other diving ducks this time of year in Connecticut’s coastal embayments that are not frozen over. This month Redheads have been seen in Fairfield and New Haven counties.
Evening Grosbeak
Saturday, February 7th, 2015February 7, 2015 – Evening Grosbeaks love sunflower seeds, and may most likely be found at stocked feeders in the northern corners of Connecticut.
Common Redpoll
Thursday, January 29th, 2015January 29, 2015 – Common Redpolls are “irruptive” winter visitors to Connecticut. That is, they occur only in winters during which their food supply to the north is depleted. This species breeds in the Arctic tundra and northern boreal forests. Redpolls are absent from Connecticut during most winters, but over the past few weeks they have appeared in small numbers throughout the state.
