Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia) by Scott Kruitbosch
It’s difficult to tell in this photo but Caspian Terns really are enormous birds. At least 9 were feeding in Lake Erie off Dunkirk yesterday in the increasingly blue sky. After another frost last night in Western NY (ugh!) spring temperatures and sunshine will come fast this week.
Read MoreBeach birds and volunteer monitoring
Yesterday I was a part of beach training for the new volunteer monitors of the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds (AAfCW). This session, to help those entering the AAfCW program with how to safely monitor and survey Piping Plovers and Least Terns, was conducted by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection with staff from Audubon Connecticut and myself from RTPI on hand. AAfCW and our collective staff act as a bridge to aid the State of Connecticut and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, regulatory agencies for these state and, in the case of the Piping Plover,...
Read MoreBeach training
Beach training for Piping Plover and Least Tern monitoring with CT DEEP, Audubon Connecticut and RTPI for the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds! Beautiful day at Sandy/Morse Point Important Bird Area in West Haven, Connecticut.
Read MoreShorebirds are arriving
Shorebirds are finally beginning to arrive in Connecticut after a continually cold winter and now early spring have meant the Atlantic Coast has been slow in seeing their usual March residents. Piping Plovers showed up across the state in the last week. American Oystercatchers have been around for about a month but in very low numbers. They are now finally becoming common on beaches, salt marshes and coastal waterways. This pair was photographed by RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser at Milford Point today. All of this activity is very important to us at RTPI as we are partners in the Audubon...
Read MoreSanderlings (Calidris alba) by Scott Kruitbosch
These Sanderlings (Calidris alba) were feeding along the gentle waves of Long Island Sound today in Stratford, Connecticut. Note that the bird on the far right has a silver federal band that I unfortunately could not read. They were part of a group of over 100 combined Sanderling and Dunlin (Calidris alpina). The two species are typically found together in Connecticut through the winter but I was excited to see any shorebirds and many other spring waterbirds will be arriving shortly.
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