Snowy Shadows in the Sun
The shadows cast by these trees are changing every day as the sun rises in the sky. Winter has a complete and total grip on the region at the moment. Spring may seem like it is so very far away…but it is closer than we think. This white earth will reveal so much life before we know it. These shadows will become cracks in the arctic cover as nature explodes with renewed energy once again.
Read MorePeregrine Falcon on Wire
This Peregrine Falcon was stretching its wings while hanging on the wire. It was looking around for some food on this dark, dreary day, ready to explode after prey at any moment. I would not have minded if it flew off to chase a Gyrfalcon… Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreSavannah Sparrows Eating Driveway Grass
In this classic winter tradition we see Savannah Sparrows feeding on grass growing in and around a driveway that has been plowed, taking advantage of some of the only uncovered earth in the immediate area. Other uncommon species that often enjoy this method of obtaining uncovered food are the Snow Bunting, Horned Lark, Lapland Longspur, and White-crowned Sparrow. Checking out the side of roadways in the middle of winter can often yield some small gems like these all the way to birds like the American Woodcock or multiple species of owls. Birds are very creative and adaptable, often able to...
Read MoreRough-legged Hawks Irrupting
This is a companion blog entry to the Winter Bird Forecast by Audubon Connecticut and the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History. Be sure to watch for our fifth forecast, coming soon! Wherever you are across the Northeast you have likely seen or read a report about a Rough-legged Hawk nearby this winter. This beautiful raptor, available in both a light and dark color morph, has irrupted across a broad swath of the upper parts of the Lower 48. The wintering specialty is at home in open and coastal areas such as marshes, grasslands, airports – hey, a lot of the same places the...
Read MorePileated Woodpecker Visit
I was thrilled to add this Pileated Woodpecker to my January 2015 bird list as I saw it yesterday in between bouts of snowfall. It was pecking its enormous bill at some of the dead bark and holes on this tree, hoping for some insects and having a taste – you can see its tongue in one of the photos! I ended up with all five expected woodpeckers at home to start the year with the others being Downy, Hairy, Northern Flicker and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. My “best” find this January was probably still the two Orange-crowned Warblers I enjoyed on New Year’s Day. What was...
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