2015 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 MoreCommon Merganser
This Common Merganser was a recent sighting off the mouth of the Housatonic River via Stratford Point where it meets Long Island Sound, typically a point too far for the species. Several individuals had been hanging out here which was a little strange considering how warm it has been with completely open rivers – we do not even go below freezing at night! Birds are doing all sorts of odd things during this stretch, and we are only getting started…the Christmas Bird Count results are starting to come in with equally unique and surprising data.
Read MoreBrant
Very few waterfowl species have been seen in any sizable numbers consistently in Long Island Sound in November and early December. Some of the chillier night air, along with the calendar, is finally pushing additional birds more to the south. One exception has been the Atlantic Brant, with hundreds of birds being seen on many days. They are starting to dwindle as they head for even warmer quarters as finally more American Black Duck, Gadwall, Red-breasted Merganser, Red-throated and Common Loons, American Wigeon and others arrive. Even while noting additional species their overall abundance...
Read MoreGull Feeding Frenzy
There have been enormous numbers of gulls feeding in Long Island Sound over the past few months with sizable numbers of bait fish and schools of other species to prey on. This is before today’s mega and historic weather-based Franklin’s Gull invasion of the Northeast! More on that later…but going back to this summer and early fall, the busy food web has even attracted several whales into the waters. Laughing Gulls, absent for much of the summer, have been seen in great abundance since late summer. Their activity, along with that of Ring-billed and Herring Gulls, brought in...
Read MoreElyse’s Coastal Adventure
Here are a couple #TBT Throwback Thursday photos of RTPI Conservation Technician Elyse Henshaw on her Coastal Adventure in August. It is hard to believe but one could comfortably wear shorts yesterday here on the shore of Long Island Sound! We will get our snow, but for now? Love it!
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