Snow Dog
We hope you are enjoying a sensational holiday season with your friends and family, including the fluffy and feathery ones. Make sure you get outdoors together, too! It’s fun for everyone…especially with tasty snow still around.
Read MoreLong-tailed Ducks
Happy New Year! We hope you are flying into a wonderful 2016 like these gorgeous Long-tailed Ducks (Clangula hyemalis), and we at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History wish you a happy and healthy New Year. Good birding to you and good luck assembling your Big January list this month. Share your sightings and your stories as you tally your list and get outdoors with your friends and family. Don’t forget your Peterson Field Guides, of course, and be sure to show us how much you are putting them to use!
Read MoreBaltimore Oriole
I took these photos of this male Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) this morning while it was in an Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides) tree. It is a glorious May day out there, and I hope you can be outdoors for your Sunday to enjoy all of the migrants pouring into our region. In the next few weeks we will be focusing on showcasing the spectacular species returning to our backyards, whether it is your garden, fields, or woodlands. Various vireos are on the way. Fabulous flycatchers are about start feasting here. Waves of warblers will be overwhelming us soon. Get ready, and be sure to...
Read MoreExpect the Unexpected
Winter Birding Forecast #2 is brought to you by Audubon Connecticut in partnership with the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History. The relatively mild December is making for great birding opportunities as we close out 2014. So called “half-hardy” birds such as Gray Catbird, Pine Warbler and Common Yellowthroat are putting in appearances on Christmas Bird Count (CBC) checklists and birds like Hermit Thrush, Winter Wren and Eastern Bluebird are being found in good numbers as are Yellow-rumped Warblers at some coastal locations. One of the biggest surprises of the week was the...
Read MoreAmerican Coot (Fulica americana) in the rain
This American Coot (Fulica americana) was photographed earlier this week, not trying to dodge any of the drops while displaying its waterproof winter coat. We have had to wear our waterproof jackets frequently lately as much of the Northeast has been targeted with a lot more rain than snow. We currently have a couple of unseasonably warm and sunny days on tap which at least provide a great excuse to get outdoors to enjoy the winter wonders of nature with family and friends. By this time next week the temperature will have dropped and we may be thinking about snow to start off 2015. We all...
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