Tailless Song Sparrow
Considering it is migration time for our sparrows that usually means they are not undergoing a molt. They need those feathers to fly! This Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) looked like it was losing a few, though, and it certainly lost a tail. This can happen after a near miss from a predator… Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreFlicker vs. Kestrel
Feathered friends! Ehhhh…not so much. These boys were not getting along as well as this photo may suggest. The Northern Flicker was slowly chasing the American Kestrel while I looked on in the early morning. Amazingly, despite their relative sizes, Kestrels will prey on Flickers. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreCooper’s Hawk
I have been posting many photos of migrant songbirds lately, and here is one of their predators – the Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii). This raptor of the forest is an extremely agile and talented flier, able to navigate through thick woodlands in pursuit of prey. You may recognize them from your yard as they are frequent bird feeder guests, targeting hungry passerines. They seem to be less adept at capturing prey in open areas like this one, unable to fully utilize their maneuverability and relative speed as they do in more dense habitat to surprise and outwit songbirds. This...
Read MoreNo Vandalism
This…no one needs this! This was not an accident, and the “NO DOGS” sign on many of Connecticut’s beaches are often vandalized. This was the remains of one that had been split at Bluff Point State Park in Groton. For the most part dogs are not allowed on state and municipal beaches as a public health and safety hazard – in other words, it has nothing to do with birds. However, these signs are posted by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to remind people who are otherwise disobeying the law that unleashed and even leashed dogs are...
Read MoreStriped Skunk Digging
Better late than never! Here is that Striped Skunk frenzied grub feeding video that I promised you. That HD footage is in normal speed…they are just that fast with those claws! Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
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