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.
Bonaparte’s Gull
Thursday, April 2nd, 2015April 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.
Canvasback — 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.
