I love this time of year. After the exuberance of summer and the vibrant colors of fall, I’m thankful for the days growing shorter. The nights longer. Temperatures falling. Silhouettes of bare branches against a leaden sky promising snow. All of nature winding down. Encouraging quiet. Reflection. Introspection. [more]
Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia)
Here is a Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia) performing a tree insect inspection a couple of weeks ago during the height of their migration through our region. This is a brilliantly marked male with quite a bit of black on his face, throat, breast, wings – everywhere. Whenever I post Black-and-white Warblers on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram I happen to notice how many people truly love them. Many of our neotropical migrants are well liked by even the non-birder, but everyone – everyone! – seems to go crazy over...
read moreEastern Bluebird Feeding
May is the time for the next generation of Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) to join our world as nest boxes across the land are filled with the growing and begging beaks of nestlings. These young birds, like so many others, require a lot of constant room service, and mom and dad are busy feeding them nonstop. I took only a moment to photograph this Bluebird as I did not want to interrupt it as it headed home with a delivery. Their unbelievably beautiful plumage looks unreal against the increasingly green backgrounds of forest adjacent to...
read moreFlagged Piping Plover
We have found multiple flagged/banded Piping Plovers in Connecticut in 2016, and here is the story of one of them. Back on March 31 one of our coastal waterbird technicians, Ewa Holland, found a green flagged “09C” bird at Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison. It remained there until at least last Sunday, May 22, appropriately last seen by Ewa. It had not had nesting success and was still attempting to find a place and mate in poor habitat on a small section of beach. It was with another bird on May 22 and doing aerial...
read moreYellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus)
We had a very welcome late morning visitor at Stratford Point today in the form of this Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) as it searched out tent caterpillars on the bluff. The American Robins and Common Grackles were not as welcoming, thinking this bird was going to go after their nests and little ones. The light was not the best for photography, but it is hard to get better views of a cuckoo than this! Stratford Point keeps bringing in the migrants even as we near the end of May. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach...
read moreKeeping the World Wild Exhibition
Keeping the World Wild The Art of John and Suzie Seerey-Lester June 17 – August 28, 2016 RTPI is very pleased to announce a new exhibition featuring original works by John and Suzie Seerey-Lester this summer! “Keeping the World Wild” will give visitors a glimpse into the inspiring work of this incredible artist duo. With work hanging at the White House and in permanent, private and Museum collections throughout the world, John Seerey-Lester has become one of the most renowned of today’s wildlife and historic artists. He moved to America over...
read moreRuby-throated Hummingbird Portraits
In his continuing portrait series, RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser couldn’t get enough of this adult male Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris). He said that the bird’s gorget was one of the most stunning he had ever seen in this species and so very vibrant. This is one of the two adult males at Audubon Greenwich this breeding season. Sean has seen a lot of hummingbirds species over the years. He has now caught over 40 species during mist netting and banding operations across the Americas, and the bright red gorget of a...
read moreBaltimore Oriole Nest Building
This first-spring male Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) was a busy fella, methodically sorting through all sorts of nest building material as I watched him last week. He would gather some grass, straw and other vegetation, carefully crafting it and arranging it just right, then flying back off to his mate and his tree. You may have seen a Baltimore Oriole nest, hanging from several points of a tree branch, without evening knowing what it was. The female bird constructs a sack or sock-like container that is carefully woven together with such...
read moreHouse Wren
The incomparable and iconic House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) is a star of the screen with its cheery, chattering call reverberating through the background of countless TV shows and movies. It is one of our most geographically widespread songbirds with a huge range across the Americas. A true sign of spring, this May arrival gets right to making a nest in boxes or any other container in and around yards. I have always loved these friendly little birds, but this one definitely went the extra mile in allowing me a couple of close photos on a nest...
read moreIndigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)
This Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) ((and what a very appropriate Latin species name that is)) may be a first-spring male coming into his full blue splendor. He was belting out his song in this forest cut, perching on tree branches on the edge of the woodland and finding a shrub or two to allow me a better look while snagging a snack. They are persistent songsters with the tune carrying on all morning and likely through the afternoon. If you are truly lucky – like Twan – then you regularly get to see these birds in your...
read moreCanada Warbler (Cardellina canadensis)
Today was a welcome break for field work on an idyllic May spring day. With sunshine and perfect temperatures plus a light wind it was as wonderful for all of our migrant birds as us. I was watching the radar last night and noted a strong migration occurring with birds leaving and entering the region. I also knew that the weekend was going to end up showery and cloudy, and I decided to swap my Friday and Saturday work plans. This Canada Warbler (Cardellina canadensis) was a very cooperative fella, allowing me to upgrade my photos of the...
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