Daffodil 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 MoreFemale House Finch
Nobody tell this female House Finch that she is chowing down on bittersweet berries on this recent chilly winter day…or maybe we should because undoubtedly she is not receiving a very nutritious meal. That is why they are often the last thing to be snacked on by our feathered friends during the depths of winter. Fear not, birds – we will work our way into spring soon enough, and the songs of birds like the House Finch are filling the air right now… Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreHooded Mergansers
The icy cold and snowy weather of the past several weeks along with the beginning of the waterfowl spring migration season has sent some birds looking for open water and others finding their way north again. These Hooded Mergansers (Lophodytes cucullatus) were zipping around looking for a warm spot on one of the more frigid afternoons recently. Courting continues, but the spring breeding season is sooner rather than later…
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...
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