Rusty Blackbird Blitz Continues
Citizen scientists – the 2016 Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz is ongoing across North America! Have you been reporting your sightings? I am the statewide Connecticut coordinator for the Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz, running from March through mid-June across the continent and focused in Connecticut from mid-March through April. This effort to save the one of the fastest declining once-common landbirds in North America needs your help. You can see more about the species in the below two-page informational document about the Rusty Blackbird (PDF downloadable here) and on...
Read MoreBird Migration on Radar – March 31
Here is a radar grab of the eastern United States from just after midnight today with light bird migration occurring from the deep south all the way through Maine. A warm front had lifted through the Northeast while areas of heavy rain and thunderstorms associated with a soon to come cold front stretched across the Midwest. Areas near Georgia into the Carolinas and Delmarva appear to have had moderate migration occurring. At this time of the year we have everything from ducks to wintering friends like the Dark-eyed Junco to early arrivals like Pine Warbler, both kinglets, Chipping Sparrow,...
Read MoreMagnolia Warbler
It is nearly time for birds like this Magnolia Warbler (Setophaga magnolia) to be making their way back to us! Spring has arrived and the big push of spring migration is only a month away for us in the Northeast. Are you ready? RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser is, and he will be supplying us with images like this beauty as photographed for the Meet Your Neighbours global biodiversity project.
Read MoreTree Swallow
Happy Easter! This Tree Swallow is one of many returning individuals migrating north this March, heading back to your yard or patch for the spring nesting season. I thought I would show you this bird from last week instead of showing you some eggs from past years and remind everyone to clean out their boxes now! Birds will be pairing up and starting to build those nests next month. After a cool start to April the long-term forecasts for spring look very warm, and there will be plenty of bugs for these birds to eat. Don’t forget to help them out with the spring cleaning… Scott...
Read MoreWinter Raptor Internship
There are a number of bird species that call Chautauqua County their home. In particular, there are two species, Northern Harriers (Circus cyaneus) listed as ‘threatened’ and Short-eared Owls (Asio flammeus), listed as ‘endangered’ in New York. The Roger Tory Peterson Institute is now in its third year of helping the DEC conduct surveys for these birds. The primary focus of these surveys is to determine where Northern Harriers and Short-eared Owls are spending their time to roost and feed during the winter months. The Northern Harrier is rather distinctive from a long distance with a slim,...
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