USCGC Juniper (WLB 201)
This is the United States Coast Guard Cutter Juniper off Stratford Point in Stratford, Connecticut on Thursday, August 20 near 14:30. There are often many great sightings from this point sticking out into Long Island Sound, birds to boats, but this 225-foot vessel was a terrific find and good example of the unappreciated work that helps preserve and protect our waters in a multitude of ways. The U.S. Coast Guard says, “USCGC JUNIPER (WLB 201) is the lead ship of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Seagoing Buoy Tenders. She is outfitted with some of the most advanced technological and navigational...
Read MoreMonk Parakeet
Are we sure Monk Parakeets aren’t native? They certainly look right at home sometimes…and they often make me think of the extinct Carolina Parakeet that we never had the opportunity to see outside of a drawer in the RTPI archives. We as naturalists and conservationists must be working hard every single day so that our currently threatened species do not end up solely as parts of museum collections. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreUnintentional Disturbances Threaten Waterbirds
There are a number of activities that can unintentionally scare, disturb or even threaten the survival of our waterbirds throughout the spring and summer seasons. Even a person with good intentions can fail to realize how sensitive a bird like the Piping Plover is, feeling threatened by dogs on the leash as they still see them as a predator invading their territory, making birds more prone to abandoning the area, wasting valuable energy or separating them from eggs or young, increasing mortality. Most beaches in Connecticut ban all dogs during the warm seasons in consideration of public...
Read MoreCrotalus horridus
Notice anything about the Timber Rattlesnake’s Latin name? Crotalus horridus? The species was named for the undeserved dread it inspired in many of the first colonists 300 years ago and the persecution of apex predators begin as soon as they arrived. The Gray Wolf is another example of a misunderstood and exaggerated fear that has been passed on unnecessarily through generations in America. Thanks to intensive research and a renewed educational media focus (less Little Red Riding Hood and more informative, factual documentaries) they have had a much more positive perception in recent...
Read MoreTimber Rattlesnake near den
After a lot of feedback let’s keep talking about Timber Rattlesnakes today. In the Northeast, Timber Rattlesnakes are extirpated in ME and RI and down to – at best – a handful of populations in NH, VT, MA and CT. They have a severely reduced range in NY. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention a grand total of about five people die per year from any venomous snake bite in all of America. The vast majority of those bitten have been harassing or aggressively attacking the snake without cause. Like nearly any other wild creature if you leave it alone it...
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