Ruddy Turnstone
This beautiful Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) was one of several feeding at Stratford Point in Stratford, Connecticut recently along with a small group of Semipalmated Sandpipers. Migrant shorebirds are now finishing moving north through the state, and it is hard to believe that in two months we will have many flying south. Please keep sharing any Connecticut eBird checklists with shorebirds, terns or long-legged waders with us at ctwaterbirds@gmail.com, thanks!
Read MorePiping Plovers Increasing
We have a lot of tiny Piping Plover hatchlings popping out on beaches across Connecticut right now, but we even have additional pairs and adult birds showing up on territories. These birds may have lost their nest somewhere else, or even a mate, and are searching for new prime real estate and other individuals who have not paired off. Sean took this photo of Milford Point’s eighth (!) pair of Piping Plovers! The entire coast of the town of Milford is one of the best Piping Plover areas in the state, and the birds certainly want to nest there, though there are only so many...
Read MoreShorebird Brochures
Here are a couple quick photos of our freshly-printed American Oystercatcher brochures to go along with our Piping Plover brochures! You can spot our logo along with Audubon Connecticut at the top, and were created by our staff as a part of our education and outreach work in the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds. They look wonderful in person, and our staff will soon have some to pass on to you if we see you on the beach in Connecticut. They feature basic biological information on both species including where and when they nest, why they are threatened, how we can help them and what to...
Read MoreFencing Dates & Monitoring Begins
String fencing and signage erection dates for Connecticut beaches in spring 2015 are as follows and we need all the volunteers we can get! April 8th, 11:00 Long Beach, Stratford Meet at the far west parking area. April 10th, 11:00 Sandy Point, West Haven Meet in the parking lot. April 13th, 9:30 Griswold Point, Old Lyme We recommend carpooling if possible which can be done at the park and ride commuter lot off exit 70 of Interstate 95 on Neck Road. The nearby businesses also have the only available restrooms. The group will meet up at the end of the private Griswold Point Lane for a 9:30AM...
Read MoreGray Ghost Northern Harrier
This is a “Gray Ghost” Northern Harrier, an adult male soaring through the sky and hunting over grasslands. The Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History has been assisting the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for a second season of wintering raptor surveys in Chautauqua County in 2014-2015. The primary focus of these surveys is to determine where Short-eared Owls (Asio flammeus), ‘endangered’ in New York, and Northern Harriers (Circus cyaneus), ‘threatened’ in New York, are spending the winter season to roost and feed. As we...
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