American Redstart
This is as good of a photo that I could get this morning of the adult male American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) seen below, and clearly I need to do better! The conditions were brutal with continued rain and some fog moving in on a very dark day, making the bird stand out even more against the drab surroundings. It was foraging and catching quite a bit while showing those bright wings and that flashy tail to help scare up insects. The weather has been uncooperative for birds as the first few days of the May migratory flight has been difficult with variable winds and precipitation making...
Read MoreField Sparrow
The fields are alive with the sound of music…and in this case it was the voices of many Field Sparrows (Spizella pusilla) singing on territory in the grasslands and open country across the region. Let’s all focus on keeping our open habitats healthy and available for birds like this! Development and unchecked regrowth of forests without natural wildfires will all but eliminate them otherwise while invasives, monocultures or chemicals can degrade them further. Sometimes we have to work to preserve nature after all we have done to modify our natural world. Scott Kruitbosch...
Read MoreLittle Rainbow
This little rainbow was a beautiful sight across the way in Milford, Connecticut as seen from Stratford Point yesterday afternoon. Scattered storms and periodic rain this month seems to be taking the place of April showers, and next month we may see May’s flowers thanks to this unbelievably historic and astonishingly warm winter. With that said, is there more snow on the way on Sunday? It’s a wild ride, but we hope you can get outdoors and enjoy nature this weekend. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreBusy Black Swallowtail
After seeing many Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) butterflies and little else on the wing for much of the spring, they have dropped off in number as others increase. What have your observations been? I have been surprised at how (relatively) few Eastern Tiger Swallowtails have been in the air except for a week or two in May. The harsh and historically cold winter likely changed the lepidoptera landscape for us more than usual. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreCommon Yellowthroat
You can see me, but I can still see you, Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) male. Keep working on that hiding game…especially in nesting season! Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
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