December Great Egrets
Last night I inquired about seeing long-legged waders further north than usual, and here are some! I photographed these Great Egrets, part of a group of three to sometimes six individuals, this past weekend during some surveys in Connecticut. The Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds is a year-round effort, but usually we only expect to see a handful of species at this point of the bird wintering season such as the Dunlin, Sanderling, Black-bellied Plover and Great Blue Heron. There are still Snowy Egrets hanging out in the heat, too…strange sights for a season when there is usually...
Read MoreWhite Ibis
The White Ibis has a spectacularly appealing appearance from head to toe, this one seen foraging on a beach in Florida. This is a bird of the deep south, though rarely one confused individual can wander further north. I always think of the species around this time of year after seeing a juvenile in my hometown in Connecticut in December years ago! Do you have more long-legged waders than usual in your area as we enter the holiday season? Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreBlack-bellied Plover
Though this Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola) is not quite living up to its name during the non-breeding season it still has a surprisingly appealing look. The plumage may initially seem dull but when it takes flight it flashes some of that namesake color with its black axillars and an always white rump and tail. The species can be found hanging out on the Atlantic Coast in many locations during the late autumn and winter. It is a bird we record nearly year-round for our work in the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds.
Read MoreWildLife Guards Boy Scout Event
This past Saturday, September 26, I spent the day with seven of our ten Bridgeport WildLife Guards back at Brideport, Connecticut’s Pleasure Beach. That is where they were stationed five days each week this summer, conducting education, conservation and advocacy activities and making a difference for rare or endangered plants and wildlife, highlighted by the federally threatened Piping Plover. They engaged visitors and beachgoers, offering unique and innovative programs to convey the philosophy of sharing the beach and respecting our natural world as well as the complex ecosystems of...
Read MoreStratford Point in September
Here is the end of summer at Stratford Point, looking west towards the lighthouse and out into Long Island Sound near sunset. It was a hot, dry and extremely busy season, and a very successful one for some of our waterbirds including the Piping Plover and American Oystercatcher as the former may have neared the all-time record for fledged birds that we set only last year at 116! Our work in the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds undoubtedly did help an all-time record number of Piping Plover pairs attempt to nest in 2015. We will have more information on the results of our spectacularly...
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