Cat Patrol
Why oh why is this cat outside? They kill literally billions of birds across North America each year before we even mention their damage to the small mammal population, the majority of these strikes being for play or to satisfy an instinctual need – not survival. Let us also remember the safety of these furry family members as we enter the cold weather season apart from all of the other threats such as vehicles, chemicals, larger mammalian predators, and so on. Please, please, please keep your cats in your home. They live far longer this way and your vet bills will go down as...
Read MoreField Sparrow
This Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla) actually flew directly towards me and my dog to perch on this white pine branch this morning. It looked us over for a minute and then went back to snacking. It is another great example of a lovely bird that we can still find even in the..uh, cold days of November? It is November, and apart from the low sun angle and early sunset it felt like it could have been late August out there today. This will undoubtedly keep birds with us a little longer with easier to survive temperatures, poor migratory conditions because of the southerly flow, and prolonged...
Read MoreHot Election Day
It’s November…right? It could be snowing right now! Instead we are pushing 70 degrees in Jamestown with it currently in the mid 60s in western New York. Here we have the temperature departures from the 1981-2010 30-year average, the current hourly temperature, and the stations in the warmest 10% vs. the 30-year data. Enjoy it while you’re heading out to vote on this lovely Election Day. Graphic via Penn State Dept. of Meteorology
Read MoreCommon Buckeye
You can still find butterflies like the Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia) even here in November. This individual was sunning itself on a cool morning, still looking like those wings are in great shape in late autumn. Our science and conservation staff surveys and records butterflies across a multitude of sites in New York, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut, helping to increase the knowledge of range and abundance for certain species, discover early or late individuals pushing the boundaries of flight seasons, and adding layers information on the biodiversity at important locations. We also work to...
Read MoreCommon Checkered Skipper
This is the Common Checkered Skipper (Pyrgus communis), a lovely little butterfly that was a life species for Audubon Connecticut’s Director of Bird Conservation Patrick Comins and me this morning at Stratford Point. The early and late dates on the Connecticut Butterfly Association website indicate it is also the latest one has ever been seen in Connecticut with October 26 breaking an October 10 record from 2012. Stratford Point has been known to harbor late individuals thanks to it being a coastal site surrounded by the warm waters of Long Island Sound. We had another late record...
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