WildLife Guard Crew Leader Summer Job Openings
In 2014, Bridgeport, Connecticut’s Pleasure Beach reopened to the public after nearly 20 years. The barrier beach is home to the federally threatened Piping Plover and state threatened Least Tern, among other imperiled waterbirds, as well as four state endangered plant species. To ensure that these birds have the opportunity to nest successfully and to maintain the barrier beach, a rare habitat in Connecticut, Audubon Connecticut created the WildLife Guards Program. The program trains, mentors, and employs 10 local high schools students and 2 crew leaders to monitor nesting birds and...
Read MoreThrowback Thursday-MYN
Throwback Thursday! I took this photo of our President, Twan Leenders, photographing a Dragon’s Mouth Orchid (Arethusa bulbosa) this past spring Meet Your Neighbours style. This particular flower is quite a sight as it only exists in very rare habitats and is one of only two species of Arethusa on the planet! It is an imperiled species throughout much of its range and can be easily overlooked due to its small size. As you can see here, it took Twan a bit of contorting to get an eye level view of the flower in order to get the perfect shot. Meet Your Neighbours is an international...
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 MoreRed-eyed Tree Frog (Agalychnis callidryas) hanging out
The Red-eyed Tree Frog (Agalychnis callidryas) is what RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser calls the “unofficial national mascot” of Costa Rica. These photos of an individual that spent a bit of time hanging out before returning to its breeding pool shows you why they have attained such legendary underground status. Stunning. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreAmerican Coots (Fulica americana)
Here is a series of photographs recently taken of two American Coots as they were swimming and feeding on a sunny day. The lovely weather permitted me to snap off some shots while they eagerly dived for food. Watch how one bird gets a sense of the snack it wants, some delicious aquatic vegetation, circling with its head facing downward. They must have some sensational, well-tuned sight to be able to see so well down through the water column. Once it decides what to grab…down it goes in a splash! The other bird, having followed the first nearly the entire time, circling in the same...
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