We Didn’t Expect This!
Winter Birding Forecast #3 is brought to you by Audubon Connecticut in partnership with the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History. Last time we told you to “Expect the Unexpected”, but we certainly didn’t expect this. A Couch’s Kingbird was spotted for the first time ever in New York and it happens that this bird has been hanging out in the West Village on Lower Manhattan for several weeks before it was identified as this rare and spectacular flycatcher that should be in Texas or Mexico right now. If a Couch’s Kingbird can hang out undiscovered for several weeks on Manhattan...
Read MoreDrake Northern Pintail
The drake Northern Pintail (Anas Acuta) is utterly spectacular. It is one of many species of waterfowl on the move as waters in the north freeze during this January cold snap. If you have not seen one yet this year you may soon if you can find an open pond near you. There are an abundant number of ducks to be found in unfrozen bodies of water during such frigid stretches of weather.
Read MoreWinter Bird Forecast – We Didn’t Expect This!
Here’s our latest Winter Bird Forecast with Audubon Connecticut, our partners in the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds which we are gearing up for more and more every day. But right now the waters are freezing and the birds in our landscapes are changing rapidly!
Read MoreHooded Mergansers (Lophodytes cucullatus)
Here is a group of Hooded Mergansers (Lophodytes cucullatus), a common species to spot on an unfrozen pond or lake near you right now. Chautauqua Lake is certainly a good place to find them – at least during this time of the year while it is not a solid block of ice. More of our waterfowl species are moving into the region as we have had an active and varied weather pattern. Have you had any surprises?
Read MoreCommon Redpolls coming
Common Redpolls are starting to arrive further south as we hit the beginning of meteorological winter (December 1-February 28/29). Here is one bird enjoying a little snow snack as well as the eBird range map of sightings for the species for October through December, 2014. Hold on to your socks! Or fill them with thistle seed and put them out for the birds…
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