July 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, […]
Posts Tagged ‘Milford Point Coastal Center’
Western Sandpiper 2019
Thursday, July 18th, 2019“Sharp-tailed” Sparrows
Tuesday, October 16th, 2018October 15, 2018 – Although late September through October is the prime time-frame for migratory sharp-tailed sparrows, both species may be seen well into November in Connecticut. One of the best places to look is Connecticut Audubon’s Coastal Center at Milford Point.
Roseate Spoonbill again: for your eyes only
Wednesday, October 3rd, 2018October 3, 2018 – “I kept watching and was rewarded when it untucked its head to preen. There was the spoon-shaped bill, clearly outlined against the leaves for several seconds before the bird tucked it away again.”
Roseate Spoonbill: autumn 2018 birding excitement in Connecticut
Wednesday, September 19th, 2018September 19, 2018 – Connecticut birders are in a tizzy over a Roseate Spoonbill that showed up near the mouth of the Housatonic River this week. It’s the third time this summer that a species new to the state has been seen.
Shorebird compilation
Tuesday, August 28th, 2018August 28, 2018 – Because there’s so much shorebird activity, and because it’s hot and muggy and a good week to visit the shore of Long Island Sound, we thought we’d compile five posts from previous years about birds that have been seen on the state’s beaches in the last day or two.
Shorebird guided tour
Thursday, August 23rd, 2018August 23, 2018 – Summer on Long Island Sound’s coast is a drawn-out carnival of shorebirds. Here’s a straightforward guided tour of what we saw at the Milford Point Coastal Center on Wednesday morning, August 22.
American Oystercatcher
Thursday, July 26th, 2018July 26, 2018. American Oystercatchers are finishing their breeding season now and are preparing to migrate to southern coastal areas. This is a good time of year to look for them.
Milford Point’s Coastal Ranger: Finding Rare Birds while Protecting the Vulnerable Ones
Friday, May 25th, 2018“Basically nobody birding in Connecticut today had ever seen the bird in the state. It was one of the best finds in the 25 years I’ve lived in Connecticut.” Milford, May 25, 2018 – Let’s face it – in an age of self-promotion and personal branding, being the IBA Coastal Ranger at Milford Point is not […]
Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds, 2017
Tuesday, October 3rd, 2017The scores of volunteers and staff who protected the nests of federally threatened Piping Plovers on Connecticut’s beaches did such a good job during the 2017 season that we broke the record for number of breeding pairs since monitoring began in 1996. Nine of those nests were at our Milford Point Coastal Center and nearby […]
Press Release – Fairfield Resident Joins Connecticut Audubon Society as Director in Milford Point and Fairfield
Thursday, November 8th, 2018October 1, 2018 – The Connecticut Audubon Society has named Shari Greenblatt as its new Southwest Regional Director, responsible for leading two of its busiest centers in Fairfield and Milford, as well as the historic Birdcraft Museum and Sanctuary in Fairfield. For each center, Greenblatt will oversee operations and year-round staff, as well as seasonal […]
Caution: Plovers, Terns & Oystercatchers Nest Here
Friday, May 26th, 2017May 26, 2017 – You’ve been hearing from us lately about the substantial risks that Piping Plovers face, not just in Connecticut but on the beaches in the Bahamas where they spend the winter. “The Piping Plover,” Peter Marra, director of the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, said recently, “is really just hanging on by a […]
Bird Finder for March 3: Green-winged Teal
Wednesday, March 2nd, 2016Green-winged Teal
As the calendar turns to March we will notice a drastic increase in the number and diversity of migrant dabbling ducks in our wetlands, including this tiny species.
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.
Connecticut Audubon Bird Finder for September 10: Baird’s Sandpiper
Wednesday, September 10th, 2014September 10, 2014 – Baird’s Sandpipers breed in alpine tundra and dry coastal areas of the high arctic, and are a long-distance Central Flyway migrant to and from South America that strays east to Connecticut mainly in autumn. During migration, they are generally found on mudflats and grassy estuary, pond, and marsh edges, often in drier areas than those preferred by similar species. Currently, one or two are being seen at the Shell Beach Avenue marshes in Branford, off Route 146, and at the pools off the Moraine Trail at Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison.
American Golden-Plovers All Over: Bird Finder for September 4
Thursday, September 4th, 2014September 4, 2014 – American Golden-Plovers get their name from the golden hue of their speckled back feathers. Right now, the birds are molting into their non-breeding (alternate) plumage, so their bold, black throat and belly feathers are interspersed with more brown feathers, making for a more barred appearance.
Black Skimmer
Thursday, June 19th, 2014June 19, 2014 – Black Skimmer. A large, black and white, tern-like waterbird, the Black Skimmer has a distinctive large red bill. Typically skimmers fly low over the water with the lower mandible cutting the surface hoping to catch small fish. Skimmers are the only birds with the lower mandible longer than the upper. When at rest, they often group together on sand and gravel bars, their black backs and white underparts visible at long distances.
