Monarchs & Monarchs!
Keep the Monarchs coming! These “fall” cold fronts with helpful north winds will be pushing them to migrate just like the birds, so if you have not seen any lately you may end up with some very soon.
Read MoreMore Monarchs
Monarch migration season is heating up! Having an office at likely the best site in all of Connecticut for the species, and one of the best across the Northeast region – Stratford Point – really helps to give us a glimpse of their population. I will be watching them pour through in the next two months while showing you the highlights whenever I can capture them with my lens. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreMonarch Profile
No matter the wind or the weather the Monarch (Danaus plexippus) butterflies seem to keep on making a decent flight right now. This one provided me a lovely profile shot while feeding on some ever-popular Eastern Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) in a city garden. You can almost feel the texture of those papery wings. I keep appreciating each and every one I find! Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreMonarchs Moving
It is really starting to turn into a good couple of weeks for Monarch butterflies in their expected migratory hotspots, especially along the Atlantic coast, with more individuals like this one being seen feeding and flying every day. Whether it is on a clover, some goldenrod, a sunflower, coneflowers or many more pollinator plants not coated in chemicals these insects are getting the fuel they need to keep moving south. Sunny and calm weather means conducive conditions for flights, and likely means more of them survive their journey. I don’t know about you but the fact they have become...
Read MoreDragonfly Swarm!
On the evening of July 21, 2015 a cold front was rapidly advancing through Stratford, Connecticut from the northwest, bringing showers and thunderstorms to the tri-state area. This video was taken at Stratford Point, a peninsula that stretches far into Long Island Sound and harbors migratory insects and birds throughout the year. These Swamp Darners (Epiaeschna heros) and Common Green Darners (Anax junius) suddenly swarmed the site, seeking refuge from the rain and storms in this corner of the building and covered porch. Some literally flew into me while I filmed. This behavior has been...
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