Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus)
We had a very welcome late morning visitor at Stratford Point today in the form of this Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) as it searched out tent caterpillars on the bluff. The American Robins and Common Grackles were not as welcoming, thinking this bird was going to go after their nests and little ones. The light was not the best for photography, but it is hard to get better views of a cuckoo than this! Stratford Point keeps bringing in the migrants even as we near the end of May. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreBlack-and-white Warblers
Black-and-white Warblers (Mniotilta varia) were the most common migrant this spring in Connecticut for RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser, and he even thinks that breeding individuals may stick around at Audubon Greenwich. This is male on the left and female on the right. Only now is their migration finally winding down after a tremendous season for the species.
Read MoreRuby-throated Hummingbird
I photographed this hummingbird feeding on some crabapple flowers on the “best” day of Ruby-throated Hummingbird migration earlier this May. Obviously this is a female/immature type without that ruby throat, but it was a delight to see it fueling up in the midst of a certainly epic journey. This individual likely crossed the entire Gulf of Mexico as most of the species does…I mean, how can you even begin to process that? Unreal. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreHouse Wren
The incomparable and iconic House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) is a star of the screen with its cheery, chattering call reverberating through the background of countless TV shows and movies. It is one of our most geographically widespread songbirds with a huge range across the Americas. A true sign of spring, this May arrival gets right to making a nest in boxes or any other container in and around yards. I have always loved these friendly little birds, but this one definitely went the extra mile in allowing me a couple of close photos on a nest box and a blueberry bush. If you have a yard with...
Read MoreYellow-billed Cuckoo
The ghosts of the forest, the cuckoos are as tough to actually see as any bird of their size and habitat can be. They may be all around us but they move so silently and sit perfectly still to elude detection, even at eye level. For a bird as apparently common as they are they certainly know how to keep a low and hidden profile. This Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) was one a few that I heard yesterday, and these were the best shots I could manage before this bird vanished again. I heard at least 10 Black-billed Cuckoos but saw only one as it flew from one tree to another while...
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