Grass Pink
This Grass Pink, or Deptford Pink, (Dianthus armeria) is truly exceptional in terms of vibrant color for such a tiny plant. The wildflower is native to Europe, and though nonnative in our soil it does well without becoming invasive or dominating any landscape. What are we do to about such species? Try to remove them all at tremendous cost and inevitably failing? We have to focus on protecting our greatest conservation priorities and selectively dealing with the most dangerous invasive plants that crowd out or harm native endangered wildlife. There is no way to turn back the clock and restore...
Read MoreBobolink
The Bobolinks (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) are back! This bird of the grasslands is returning to those habitats and fields or farms across the region. This is a good time to find males like this one perched on tall grass or hedgerows, fluttering and calling out with their bubbly, rich song. You may find migrant flocks with a bunch of them all quite conspicuous – at least for now, before nesting season begins. This individual perched on a white pine along with a few others while overlooking a grassland. There is no better reason than hosting some families of Bobolinks to let your grassland,...
Read MoreChipping Sparrow
This is a Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina), one of a few of the species I observed and photographed this past Thursday. The early spring sparrow migrants continue to pour through the region with dozens and dozens of Savannah Sparrows dominating any grasslands, fields, farms and open areas. The Eastern Towhees are calling out from shrub and scrub patches, yards, feeding stations and power line corridors. Winter friends like White-throated Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos are starting to wrap up their pushes north for the breeding season. The Field Sparrows have returned to nest right where...
Read MoreRadiant Sunset
This radiant sunset is from last weekend at Stratford Point while overlooking the grasslands and soon to be pollinator meadows. It will be a very exciting year for the property as it is continually improved and studied by Audubon Connecticut, Sacred Heart University, site owner DuPont, and RTPI. We will be helping birds, insects, marine life, mammals, and so much more with multiple thrilling projects to hopefully talk about more in-depth soon. If I didn’t hate waking up at 5AM I would go snap a sunrise shot, so let’s pretend this is the rising light on a site that is about to...
Read MoreSnowy Designs
Sometimes we do not even need any wildlife to liven up our winter wonderland. In this case the wind blowing over the snow and the vegetation poking through was enough to create a serene scene with a haunting but warm beauty. I thought it looked almost like a desert, relatively devoid of life and barren at the moment. The snow looked more like grains of sand than your typical snowflakes, lacking any large dendrites or plates. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read More
