Winter Birds Wrap-up
Here is a review of some of the great birds seen so far this winter in Connecticut: http://wtnh.com/2016/02/29/winter-birds-wrap-up/ Be sure to click on the “next page” buttons at the bottom to see all of the photos. This is our first post on WTNH.com. Please share so Audubon Connecticut and RTPI can make a big splash on the new platform!
Read MoreDaffodil Buds
I snapped this photo of daffodils emerging in the leaf litter in Connecticut on February 25 as I have seen them coming up in several areas at multiple locations. I recalled that I took a similar photo last year and wondered when, knowing this season’s warmth and last February’s historic cold likely meant it was a couple weeks later. Surprisingly it was a full month later on March 25! If the date wasn’t enough of a shock there was also still snow surrounding them then which is very late indeed for Connecticut. We had a taste of winter recently along with a couple of strong...
Read MoreSnow Buntings
Now that the Horned Larks have had to surrender their crown of “Best Camouflage in the Grasslands” Snow Buntings like this one have claimed the throne. When viewing them from the front at their level the cap and collar stand out a bit with brown and orange tones, but the bird is otherwise becoming one more little pile of snow. If you have a deep snow cover keep an eye on fields, especially agricultural, plus the sides of driveways and roads where plows have scraped up some of the earth. This is the best time of the year to find their fluttering flocks descending on any exposed...
Read MoreWindow Ice
Is it cold enough for you this morning? Here’s a look out the window at the intricate ice that had formed on the glass. This Valentine’s Day will stay frigid but relief is on the way soon with more lake effect snow across Chautauqua County and a mostly wet nor’easter along the Atlantic coast this week. Keep your feeders full! The birds can take the temperatures, but they do need all the calories they can get on days like this. Be sure to bundle up when you venture outdoors, and enjoy this sunny winter day. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach...
Read MoreSnowy Designs
Sometimes we do not even need any wildlife to liven up our winter wonderland. In this case the wind blowing over the snow and the vegetation poking through was enough to create a serene scene with a haunting but warm beauty. I thought it looked almost like a desert, relatively devoid of life and barren at the moment. The snow looked more like grains of sand than your typical snowflakes, lacking any large dendrites or plates. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
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