Book Review: The Secret Lives of Bats by Merlin Tuttle
Written by RTPI associate and bat enthusiast Jonathan Townsend Merlin Tuttle has been a driving force in bat conservation for decades, and has been studying them since he was 12 years old. In addition to his biological studies he is one of the world’s preeminent bat photographers, and to date has photographed hundreds of species on every continent in which bats are found – including all 46 species of North American bat. Over the years he has authored and collaborated on dozens of scientific papers, has had several articles in National Geographic, and has published two books and...
Read More2015 Waterbird Results
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s Wildlife Division (CT DEEP) has now released the official nesting results for the state-threatened Least Tern and the federally-threatened Piping Plover from the 2015 monitoring season, and the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds (AAfCW) – Audubon Connecticut and the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History – has completed our American Oystercatcher report. The first bit of fantastic news is that we hosted a new all-time high number of Piping Plover pairs in the state with 62 attempting to breed...
Read MoreJanuary Black-bellied Plover
This Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola) is one of several that have been hanging out around the Stratford Point area all winter. The species can overwinter in Connecticut if the season is cooperative enough without ice, snow and frigid temperatures making foraging and surviving more difficult, and so far we have been treating them relatively well. While it has been a chilly week we have only had a trace of snow, and the daytime temperatures still climb to above freezing. In only two months dozens of our volunteer monitors will be hitting the field for the beginning of the Audubon...
Read MoreCloud Forest
Here is a little morning getaway for you to the warmth of Costa Rica. Sean describes it as walking in a dream of sorts with walls of green surrounding you and a constant mist in the air. These magical views are from the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve by RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser.
Read MoreCooper’s Hawk
I completely forgot to post these two photos of a young Cooper’s Hawk from last month, so here they are now. This individual was going after a Song Sparrow that had taken cover in a brush pile. It really seemed as if more accipiters remained in the Northeast during the extreme December record heat with more prey to find than usual in very cooperative weather conditions. What do you think is harder – hunting on a 60 degree sunny day with a light southerly breeze, or finding a meal when several inches of snow is falling in 20 degree temperatures with a bitter northerly flow? I...
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