Harlequin Duck Video
Here is some HD video of that drake Harlequin Duck (Histrionicus histrionicus) doing all sorts of preening as he molts into his stunning breeding season shades. He seems content while working away at his feathers on a hot and sunny September day with Herring and Laughing Gulls on the rocks off Stratford Point in Stratford, Connecticut.
Read MoreHarlequin Duck
This is a drake Harlequin Duck (Histrionicus histrionicus) that is in the middle of molting into that gorgeously patterned blue breeding plumage. It may not be winter yet but they do enjoy wintering on rocky, surf-battered coastal shores like this one here at Stratford Point in Stratford, Connecticut. Between the fact it is doing nonstop preening as its fresh feathers come in, thus making a long uncertain flight an unpleasant notion, and the quality of the habitat here we feel like we stand a good chance of keeping this bird for a while. Fingers crossed! He will be a real stunner soon. Scott...
Read MoreYellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus)
This Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) was a spectacular surprise for me this morning after a night of strong passerine migration. Cuckoos are not that uncommon, but getting actually decent and prolonged glimpses at them are! This cooperative bird even let me snap a couple of recognizable photos. It was much more interested in feeding, albeit in the shade of the bright morning sun, than worrying about me watching it. What are some of the highlights of your “fall” birding so far? We are finally saying goodbye to many of our summer birds, on the cusp of welcoming some of...
Read MoreBoothe Park Hawk Watch 2015 Season
We are now well into the fall hawk watch season as sites across the country are staffed by citizen scientists engaged in counting raptors heading south for the winter. Various hawk, falcon, vulture, eagle, and kite species plus birds like the Osprey, Northern Harrier and even some owls can be tallied on conducive flight days at migratory hotspots often situated along ridges or at the edge of a body of water. Counting these birds helps keep track of raptor populations on an international scale, gauging the health of these important predator species that have often been threatened by human...
Read MoreUSCGC 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...
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