Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)
There is nothing like seeing the Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) fly near you, turning ever so slightly to reveal a flash of light under its throat. When this bird caught the right light on its gorget it was almost a blinding beam of red. Photographed for the Meet Your Neighbours global biodiversity project in Connecticut while on assignment for The Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History. Sean Graesser RTPI Affiliate
Read MorePainted Trillium (Trillium undulatum)
One of these days I’ll stop posting pictures of Painted Trillium (Trillium undulatum), but they’re just too pretty not to… Twan Leenders RTPI President
Read MoreAmerican Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)
The American Redstarts (Setophaga ruticilla) keep on coming! As some of our late-arriving birds like the Blackpoll Warbler are peaking the Redstarts are still pushing through in migration, with others already here building nests. No complaints – we want more of these stunners!
Read MoreLeast Terns Return
The terns have returned! Here we have a pair of Least Terns photographed off Stratford Point in Connecticut last week. Both Least and Common Terns, two of the focal species in the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds, are back in Connecticut and we will be monitoring them as we do Piping Plovers and American Oystercatchers. Other terns, such as Forster’s and Caspian, have returned as well. Also keep an eye out for Roseate, Royal and even more rare terns like Gull-billed. We hope the birds will cooperate and Least Terns colonies will set up in Stratford, Milford, West Haven,...
Read MoreBee Swarm
Just one of those days where you wished there was not just a macro lens on your camera… Three bee swarms landed in the same tree in the RTPI preserve – quite a sight (from a respectable distance, except to take pictures). Twan Leenders RTPI President
Read MoreBlack-and-white Warblers
Black-and-white Warblers (Mniotilta varia) were the most common migrant this spring in Connecticut for RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser, and he even thinks that breeding individuals may stick around at Audubon Greenwich. This is male on the left and female on the right. Only now is their migration finally winding down after a tremendous season for the species.
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