Change in Seasons Brings Plenty of Birds
Winter Bird Forecast #7 is brought to you by Audubon Connecticut in partnership with the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History. It is hard to believe that for some birds spring is already here. Waterfowl and diving birds like loons and grebes are already heading north and we are starting to get some northbound migrant shorebirds, including a Black-bellied Plover seen in Stratford last week. Brant geese are piling into Long Island Sound with rapidly increasing numbers. Within a few short weeks some of our nesting shorebirds, such as Piping Plover and American Oystercatcher, will be...
Read MoreLapland Longspur (Calcarius lapponicus)
I recently took the photo of the flock of birds, including mostly Snow Buntings and Horned Larks, mostly for a record-type shot of a Lapland Longspur (Calcarius lapponicus) mixed in. They were enjoying some exposed grass to feed on with snow still covering so much of the earth. However, when looking at the photo I noticed I actually had two Longspurs, with a second mixed in behind it. They are in the right center of the shot. Thankfully I was able to photograph one of them a few days later while sitting on this roof with a Horned Lark sitting behind it, the heat haze from the strong sun ever...
Read MoreSnow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis)
This Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis) was being blown around by the wind, as seen by those feathers flapping in the breeze. It is a beacon of white on beautiful sunny days against the blue sky. Have you been fortunate enough to find any this winter?
Read MoreHorned Lark (Eremophila alpestris)
The Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris) is a species of open areas – the tundra, grasslands, fields, beaches and dunes and even the desert. Unsurprisingly they feed on the ground on insects and seeds and often take advantage of human activity disturbing areas such as mowed airports or piles of plowed earth or snow that expose more food. When it comes to the winter you will find them wherever it is the most bare. You can frequently spot them with Snow Buntings and, more rarely, the Lapland Longspur. They are also another species decreasing across much of their range and are listed as...
Read MoreBird in the brush
Take a look at this bird hidden in some brush in Connecticut this week. Any clue as to what it may be? Let me assure you that it is in there! In the center you’ll find a bird that you should be able to get a relative sense of size for. Think of the season and time of year, mid-March. What could be lurking in Connecticut feeding on seeds on the ground? That narrows the field. You should be able to see it is white, brown, and black. There’s a chance you may see the orange-yellow bill obscured by some of the brush. I will add that this was one of well over one hundred individuals of...
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