May 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 […]
Posts Tagged ‘Milford Point Coastal Center’
Caution: Plovers, Terns & Oystercatchers Nest Here
Friday, May 26th, 2017Bird 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.
