Snowy Owl on Lighthouse
There is a new lighthouse keeper at the Stratford Point light – or at least there was for a little while – as this Snowy Owl sat on duty on the platform. I will trust you to keep it between us when I tell you that, for the most part, the Snowy stayed in the shade and snoozed the day away. There was a little bit of preening and an occasional stretch, but the bird used this great out of the way location as a sleeping spot. It certainly looks valiant and noble perched up there, likely wondering how this wonderful perch was made in such a perfect location along the water with long...
Read MoreSnowy Squinting
Hey, if you were staring into the sun, you would be squinting your eyes, right? It’s no different for a Snowy Owl with those big yellow eyes. No, this bird was not trying to nap, it was just doing what comes naturally. This is the same individual as Monday’s posting and was from the same day, too. This bird has been all over the coast of Stratford and Milford, Connecticut, being very active and enjoying the varied and favorable pockets of habitat. Long Island Sound has a lot of appeal to the species, and I wonder what it is doing at night with all of the ducks we have pouring...
Read MoreSnowy Owl
A Snowy Owl joined us at Stratford Point today after showing up in neighboring Milford, Connecticut yesterday. The species is annual at Stratford Point with the coastal grasslands property, the mouth of the Houstatonic River, the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge and the mile-long Long Beach and Pleasure Beach offering various nearby feeding and resting areas. It is a very attractive section of the Atlantic Coast for Snowys on the move or looking for a place to spend a chunk of their winter. Hoping to keep it around all day (and we were successful!) I kept the picture-taking to a...
Read MoreNorthern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus)
Can anyone say cute?! If you’re a mouse or small songbird, you likely wouldn’t be saying that within ear shot of this owl! The Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus) is a pint sized predator that is actually quite ferocious when it comes to hunting. Thanks to their nocturnal nature and silent strike, prey don’t even hear them coming. Interestingly, once these owls catch a meal, they often don’t eat it all at once. Saw-whets will eat part of their meal and then save some for leftovers… Yummy right? As autumn continues keep an ear out for these little owls, you...
Read MoreFerruginous Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium ridgwayi)
Yesterday RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser stumbled on his wonderful photo of this Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium ridgwayi). He said it instantly brought him back to that night of achievement in Costa Rica. He and Tyler Christensen had been conducting a nightly owl census for over a month but had been unsuccessful in calling in one of these feisty owls. On their last net check of the night they found their first net empty, believing it to be another disappointing evening. When they shined their headlamps on the second net they saw little yellow feet kneading at the net against the pole, and...
Read More
