December 6, 2018 – Look for a darkly-colored raptor zipping through the air or perched high on a ledge. They have a grayish-blue back and black barring on the white underside. Their eyes are pronounced, outlined by a bright yellow ring, and the highly curved bill helps them tear at their food.
Posts Tagged ‘birding’
Peregrine Falcon
Thursday, December 6th, 2018Member 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, […]
Endangered Sedge Wrens are Nesting and Drawing a Crowd at our Sanctuary in Pomfret
Wednesday, July 18th, 2018July 19, 2018. A tiny endangered bird that rarely nests in the state has made a home this year at the Connecticut Audubon Society’s Bafflin Sanctuary in Pomfret.
Blue-winged Warbler
Thursday, June 28th, 2018June 28, 2018. Blue-winged Warblers prove that you don’t have to stop looking at vibrant warblers just because spring migration is over!
Chimney Swift
Thursday, June 21st, 2018June 21, 2018. To find Chimney Swifts in Connecticut this summer, look up to the sky! There is a good chance you will see them flying high in the air around densely populated areas. In the evening, you may notice large groups of these birds coming to a chimney to roost.
Boat-tailed Grackle
Wednesday, June 13th, 2018June 14, 2018. In Connecticut, hearing the rolling metallic song of the Boat-tailed Grackle is a welcome surprise. Unlike its very similar and more abundant cousin, the Common Grackle, the Boat-tailed prefers coastal habitats (specifically, tidal marshes) and is an extremely localized breeder, with only a handful of confirmed colonies statewide in the past decade or so.
Rough-legged Hawk
Friday, January 12th, 2018January 12, 2018. They are most easily found along the coast at places such as Connecticut Audubon’s Coastal Center at Milford Point and Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison, where birders found a Rough-legged on Monday and Tuesday. Another was seen at Long Beach in Stratford on Tuesday.
Ipswich Sparrow
Friday, January 5th, 2018January 5, 2018. For those birders who relish long walks in biting cold winds, coastal sparrow searches in winter can turn up one of the rarer subspecies of the common Savannah Sparrow, the “Ipswich” Savannah Sparrow.
Black-headed Gull
Wednesday, January 3rd, 2018January 3, 2018. A great find at any time of the year, but more likely in the late winter and early spring, this small, hooded gull is normally found associating with large flocks of Bonaparte’s Gulls but often consorts with larger gull species such as Laughing and Ring-billed Gulls.
Red-breasted Merganser
Wednesday, December 20th, 2017December 20, 2017. Red-breasted Mergansers can be found in large groups, as big as 50 to 60 individuals at times.
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.
Snow Bunting
Wednesday, December 6th, 2017December 6, 2017. A bleak winter day can be brightened by the sight of the small, graceful songbird called the Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis).
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.
Franklin’s Gull
Thursday, November 2nd, 2017November 2, 2017. Franklin’s Gulls are extremely rare visitors to Connecticut.
Red Crossbill
Saturday, November 18th, 2017November 18, 2017. Although there have been only a few sightings in Connecticut so far, you may have a good opportunity to see Red Crossbills this fall and winter. Look for the trademark bill that crosses at the tip.
Northern Goshawk
Friday, October 27th, 2017October 27, 2017. The best way to see a Northern Goshawk in Connecticut is by visiting a hawk watch during late autumn.
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Thursday, October 19th, 2017October 19, 2017. Nominally a European species, the Lesser Black-backed Gull is now an uncommon but regularly occurring bird along Connecticut’s coast from October through March.
White-crowned Sparrow
Friday, October 13th, 2017October 13, 2017. One of the aristocrats of the sparrow family, the size and handsome markings of this sparrow immediately distinguish it from other sparrows and draws the observer’s attention.
Pine Warbler
Friday, October 6th, 2017October 6, 2017. Still hanging around in pine trees, the Pine Warbler is usually one of the last songbirds to migrate south.
Connecticut Warbler
Thursday, September 28th, 2017September 28, 2017. One of our most difficult warblers to see, now is the time to look for this secretive species.
