Ash-throated Flycatcher
Early this morning Tina Green and AJ Hand reported an Ash-throated Flycatcher (Myiarchus cinerascens) at Sherwood Island State Park in Westport, Connecticut, the sixth record for the species in the state. I was able to run over and join our friends to watch this awesome, hungry and active bird as it flew from tree to tree while feeding in lovely sunny, calm weather. Here are some record shots… Birds like this come to us via the same mechanism as those Cave Swallows, as so many November rarities do – steady southerly flow pushing birds through the continental U.S. followed by...
Read MoreCave Swallows
After an enthralling day with the biggest invasion of Franklin’s Gulls across the Northeast and Atlantic coast since at least 1998 (more on that in another entry later this weekend) our collective hopes were high for more sensational rare birds with them. This Friday, one of the most memorable birding days in years, had all available Connecticut birders mobilized along the coast, looking for life and state Franklin’s while trying to remember to watch for many other target species. One of these was the Cave Swallow, a classic November vagrant in the Northeast since the early...
Read MoreMore Frosty Mornings
This autumn has certainly been an interesting one as far as weather goes! Our first frost came rather late and last week we seemed to have had an “Indian Summer” with temperatures in the 60’s and even low 70’s…quite toasty for early November! While winter is still a little ways out, it will be interesting to see how El Niño continues to influence our weather patterns here in the Northeast. This week seems to be back to normal average temperatures, giving us freezing overnight lows and frosty mornings, but next week is forecasted to be warm once again. No matter...
Read MoreRuby-crowned Kinglet
This friendly little Ruby-crowned Kinglet finally let me see why they are so named after I spent so much of the fall seeing “incorrectly” labeled birds. Thanks, man! You can usually see the crown exposed when a bird is agitated or singing, dealing with a potentially dangerous situation or engaged in courtship or territoriality. In this case I was simply lucky to be in a good position with an extra-tame individual. These autumn gems are still passing through as we enter the final week of October. Enjoy some birding before we get to trick-or-treating. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation...
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