Shorebirds are arriving
Shorebirds are finally beginning to arrive in Connecticut after a continually cold winter and now early spring have meant the Atlantic Coast has been slow in seeing their usual March residents. Piping Plovers showed up across the state in the last week. American Oystercatchers have been around for about a month but in very low numbers. They are now finally becoming common on beaches, salt marshes and coastal waterways. This pair was photographed by RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser at Milford Point today. All of this activity is very important to us at RTPI as we are partners in the Audubon...
Read MoreSanderlings (Calidris alba) by Scott Kruitbosch
These Sanderlings (Calidris alba) were feeding along the gentle waves of Long Island Sound today in Stratford, Connecticut. Note that the bird on the far right has a silver federal band that I unfortunately could not read. They were part of a group of over 100 combined Sanderling and Dunlin (Calidris alpina). The two species are typically found together in Connecticut through the winter but I was excited to see any shorebirds and many other spring waterbirds will be arriving shortly.
Read MoreSemipalmated Sandpipers (Calidris pusilla) by Twan Leenders
You can see the differences in plumage in this mass of migrant Semipalmated Sandpipers. Flocks of the species can have several thousand birds moving, feeding and resting together depending on the date and location.
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