Hidden Wood Duck
This pond had a bunch of Mallards, American Black Ducks, and some hybrids…and hidden in the back were a couple of Wood Ducks, a treat for a December day when this water could very well have been frozen over in many other years. I hope you will be able to put on your t-shirt and shorts and get outside to enjoy this unfathomable stretch of holiday heat this weekend. See what you can find and keep an open mind – in the past week I have seen uncommon lingering birds like these, a dragonfly (Autumn Meadowhawk) and a butterfly (Orange Sulphur). It’s unbelievable! Scott Kruitbosch...
Read MoreBird/Nature Tour at Stratford Point – August 8, 2015
Bird/Nature Tour at Stratford Point – August 8, 2015 Audubon Connecticut, the U.S. Coast Guard and RTPI will be having an open house at Stratford Point, 1207 Prospect Drive in Stratford, Connecticut on Saturday from 9 AM – 3 PM with bird/butterfly walk/tours of the property at 9 AM, 11 AM and 1 PM. Join RTPI Conservation & Outreach Coordinator Scott Kruitbosch for a bird and nature tour at 1 PM. The globally Important Bird Area is always abuzz with life in August as insects and birds use the site as a feeding and stopover area. Expect to see some butterflies, dragonflies and a...
Read MoreHalloween Pennant (Celithemis eponina)
The Halloween Pennant (Celithemis eponina), one of the more charismatic dragonflies in the Northeast. They acquired the name “pennant” because of their tendency to perch on the tips of stalks of grass and wave in the breeze. Photographed by RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser for the Meet Your Neighbours global biodiversity project in Connecticut while on assignment for the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History.
Read MoreDragonfly Swarm!
On the evening of July 21, 2015 a cold front was rapidly advancing through Stratford, Connecticut from the northwest, bringing showers and thunderstorms to the tri-state area. This video was taken at Stratford Point, a peninsula that stretches far into Long Island Sound and harbors migratory insects and birds throughout the year. These Swamp Darners (Epiaeschna heros) and Common Green Darners (Anax junius) suddenly swarmed the site, seeking refuge from the rain and storms in this corner of the building and covered porch. Some literally flew into me while I filmed. This behavior has been...
Read MoreDragonfly Hike
Here is a short video of the dragonfly hike that I led last weekend at the Aspetuck Land Trust’s Trout Brook Valley Conservation Area, as filmed by trail steward Thomas Carter Jr. on a hot and sticky Saturday morning and afternoon. Fortunately we had some great finds, including the threatened Tiger Spiketail, and you can see me netting a Widow Skimmer. Our thanks to Thomas! Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach...
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