Buntings Beach
Can you detect the beachgoers in this photo? There are several Snow Buntings (Plectrophenax nivalis) very well camouflaged against the grass, stones, and sand as seen on the shore last week. Unfortunately there is also plenty of garbage in the shot, and let’s make another New Year’s resolution to clean up our waterways and habitats like this one as much as possible. This pollution has to end one of these years! We at RTPI certainly like Talkin’ Trash, and our Project Wild America Youth Ambassadors plus the Bridgeport WildLife Guards stay engaged in cleaning up our waterways...
Read MoreLong-tailed Ducks
Happy New Year! We hope you are flying into a wonderful 2016 like these gorgeous Long-tailed Ducks (Clangula hyemalis), and we at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History wish you a happy and healthy New Year. Good birding to you and good luck assembling your Big January list this month. Share your sightings and your stories as you tally your list and get outdoors with your friends and family. Don’t forget your Peterson Field Guides, of course, and be sure to show us how much you are putting them to use!
Read MoreOrange-crowned Warblers
As I mentioned previously my first bird of 2015 was the Blue Jay, one of the most well-known species in all of North America. They even have their own team thanks to Toronto. On the opposite end of the spectrum would be a bird like the Orange-crowned Warbler, an uncommon warbler even in some of the more common parts of its range, and a tough one to find in the Northeast in the winter (or any time, really!) regardless of their seemingly higher than average numbers this year. The species has a rather quiet and unassuming behavior and appearance with mostly drab colors, the orange crown being...
Read MoreExpect the Unexpected
Winter Birding Forecast #2 is brought to you by Audubon Connecticut in partnership with the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History. The relatively mild December is making for great birding opportunities as we close out 2014. So called “half-hardy” birds such as Gray Catbird, Pine Warbler and Common Yellowthroat are putting in appearances on Christmas Bird Count (CBC) checklists and birds like Hermit Thrush, Winter Wren and Eastern Bluebird are being found in good numbers as are Yellow-rumped Warblers at some coastal locations. One of the biggest surprises of the week was the...
Read MoreWinter Bird Forecasts with Audubon Connecticut
Please be sure to visit this link on the Audubon Connecticut website to learn more about the Winter Bird Forecast that we at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History are creating with our friends and partners at Audubon Connecticut. These weekly updates will keep you apprised of what avian wonders have been seen recently and what we expect to find in the upcoming period, from Snowy Owls to rare or important waterfowl, gulls, shorebirds, landbirds, waterbirds and other raptors. Birding over the holiday season can be a terrific way to get outdoors and spend time with family and...
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