Gray Hairstreak
This looks like a worn Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus), a butterfly I found recently laying low in the grass. As we enter August we see more and more tattered and torn insects, those strong survivors who have persevered through a tough flight season to feed and reproduce successfully. Between difficult weather, dangerous predators, competition from similar species and human interference it is always special to see the senior citizens of the bug world living on. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreCicada Season
Cicada season has arrived! The first chorus of the season is sounding from treetops across the local landscape. These fascinating insects spend many years subsisting in the subterranean realm feeding on tree sap before finally emerging for their brief nuptial song and dance. Listen for their rattling cacophony and look for their crunchy molts on tree trunks over the next several weeks.
Read MoreButterflies Coming
Butterflies like this Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) will be emerging next month! As we near the end of avian migration and enter their breeding season we will be seeing many more of our insect friends taking flight. I have not had a lot of time to spend surveying for them yet, but butterflies I have seen so far this year include Black Swallowtail, Eastern Tailed-blue, Orange Sulphur, Clouded Sulphur, Cabbage White and Monarch. When June hits our staff will be sure to begin surveying sites from our Natural History Atlas as well as other critical habitats, or locations that...
Read MoreSong Sparrows Singing
Once again, I ask you…why do they call these birds Song Sparrows? Oh, whoops! Forget I asked. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreSpring Bird Forecast #1 – Spring Migration Time!
Here’s the first Spring Bird Forecast brought to you by Audubon Connecticut and the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History. Migration is a go! http://wxedge.com/2015/03/27/spring-migration-time/
Read More
