Snowy Owl Fly-by
This Snowy Owl photo is from earlier this winter, and I’m still imagining how wonderful it would be if this fly-by bird had simply looked at me. It was a short flight from one spot to another by our resident friend, and I suppose I was too boring and non-threatening for it to focus on. Still, it’s a cool look at parts of the Snowy we do not often get to see, with those talons tucked under the very feathery and incredibly insulated body. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreGreater White-fronted Geese
Here’s a very cool bird sighting for Western New York! Kim Sherwood sent us these record photos of at least 29 Greater White-fronted Geese flying west/northwest over the Conewango Wildlife Management Area late yesterday afternoon. We typically find one or two of them mixed in here and there, but seeing a whole flock is a great sighting as the species heads back to the tundra for the spring. Thank you, Kim! Maybe if you’re out birding today you will be able to find them somewhere…
Read MoreRough-legged Hawk
This Rough-legged Hawk put on a brief but thrilling show for me today, facing into the wind to help it hover while scanning the land below for any small mammal prey. The wind was particularly strong thanks to the major storm currently impacting the Northeast region. Whichever one of the hawk’s eyes that was being battered by the wind the most was often covered by its nictitating membrane. This third eyelid is almost like wearing a pair of sunglasses for the raptor in that it can still see while the eye is more protected than it would be otherwise. It was also keeping the eye moist with...
Read MoreSnowy Squinting
Hey, if you were staring into the sun, you would be squinting your eyes, right? It’s no different for a Snowy Owl with those big yellow eyes. No, this bird was not trying to nap, it was just doing what comes naturally. This is the same individual as Monday’s posting and was from the same day, too. This bird has been all over the coast of Stratford and Milford, Connecticut, being very active and enjoying the varied and favorable pockets of habitat. Long Island Sound has a lot of appeal to the species, and I wonder what it is doing at night with all of the ducks we have pouring...
Read MoreSnowy Owl
A Snowy Owl joined us at Stratford Point today after showing up in neighboring Milford, Connecticut yesterday. The species is annual at Stratford Point with the coastal grasslands property, the mouth of the Houstatonic River, the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge and the mile-long Long Beach and Pleasure Beach offering various nearby feeding and resting areas. It is a very attractive section of the Atlantic Coast for Snowys on the move or looking for a place to spend a chunk of their winter. Hoping to keep it around all day (and we were successful!) I kept the picture-taking to a...
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