Short-eared Owl
You have seen a lot of Snowy Owl posts from me during this terrific irruptive season, and they are still with us in early 2018. However, I was lucky enough to enjoy this Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) actively hunting yesterday afternoon at Stratford Point. The bird may have just joined us that day as it was certainly very conspicuous, and it seemed quite hungry – though it was exceptionally talented at hunting with multiple kills! Short-eared Owls are ‘endangered’ in New York and their wintering population is ‘threatened’ in Connecticut. Undisturbed grassland...
Read MoreSupermoon 2018
Happy New Year from all of us at RTPI! Here was the New Year’s Day supermoon rising out of the water this frigid evening off of Stratford Point. Here’s to a superb 2018 full of gorgeous sights like this one! We have a lot to accomplish this year, and I hope you’ll be with us every step of the way. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreStill Snowy
I hope you have had a wonderful holiday season thus far! Our Snowy Owl visitors continue to spend it here with us, delighting many birders who find a moment to sneak out into the field between presents…or heavy snowfall. Be safe if you are in our local area, and when you can get out, enjoy finding the winter delights like this one. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read More20% OFF Unique, Nature-Oriented Gifts at RTPI
Bring Nature Home for the Holidays! Come in to RTPI to enjoy our warm and festive holiday décor and take 20% OFF the entire selection of unique nature-oriented gifts in our museum store including holiday ornaments and cards, bird feeders, bird-friendly coffee, local honey, an outstanding selection of book titles, and more! RTPI is open 10am-4pm today through Saturday for your last minute shopping needs! You’re sure to find something special for everyone on your list!
Read MoreMarbled Godwits by Neil Rizos – A Sculpture with Prestige
This gorgeous sculpture – entitled “Marbled Godwits” by Neil Rizos – is the recent winner of both The Allied Artists of America Marilyn Newmark Award and the American Plains Artists Sculpture Award. Of his creation, Rizos wrote: “Marbled Godwits are large cinnamon-colored shorebirds that nest on the northern Great Plains in summer. When they leave the prairies, they migrate to coastal regions from Virginia to Texas and from Oregon to Mexico. They feed in shallow water along the shoreline or on tidal mudflats, probing deeply with their long up-curved bills. This sculpture...
Read MoreSnowy Owl Snooze
We were lucky enough to have a Snowy Owl stop by Stratford Point today for a snooze! There have been several in the surrounding Stratford/Milford area for a few weeks, though they have stopped on the property only a couple of occasions during that time. On such a beautiful day many people were out and about walking and not realizing the owl was trying to take a nap on the brush pile directly along our trail. I tried to redirect folks as I could (without trying to flush it myself by shouting over or walking down that same trail). The photos here are cropped from 500mm, and even then I was...
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