Cooper’s Hawk
This Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) was not feeling the freezing rain after it flipped from snow, though its outrageously orange eyes did match its vest quite well. Life is hard for these hawks in the winter as every successful capture helps to stave off potential starvation, a problem frequently seen in juveniles. However, a bird that has reached the age this one has undoubtedly possesses finely-tuned hunting skills.
Read MorePiping Plover Monitoring
This Piping Plover may be asking, “What do you plan to do about beach conservation today?” as we continue our nonstop work to help monitor and protect them, the American Oystercatcher, Least and Common Terns, and more imperiled waterbird species that nest in Connecticut. It has been a difficult stretch of weather for us in the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds (Audubon Connecticut and the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History), and we have a ton of field work, outreach and education to get done with a limited staff. We have nests that have been washed out by...
Read MorePiping Plover Activity
The Piping Plover nesting season is now off to a slow start in Connecticut as sub-freezing temperatures and snow, sleet and freezing rain have all been seen recently…with more to come! That puts a pause on our operations and the beginning of the breeding activities of our birds. More often than not they have been seen only foraging or sticking close together in small groups. However, we will still need volunteer help for erecting string fencing and signage around these soon to be nesting areas on the following dates at these locations: Monday, April 11th, 10:00 – Sandy/Morse...
Read MoreIced Maple
These maple tree buds had a good coating of freezing rain covering them up in ice, too – I cannot imagine this is good for the trees or the wildlife that depends on them! But it was probably not as bad as the prolonged sub-freezing temperatures of the last couple of days… Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreFrozen Forsythia
Here are a couple shots of some very frozen forsythia from yesterday after freezing rain and snow covered flowers across the Northeast region. Spring was here, and it visited very early, leaving us with some winter again for the week. Make up your mind, climate! This is what our climate change future holds more of – a roller coaster ride of weather that kills plants and animals at a more frequent rate than what we used to call “normal” in the four seasons. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
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