Scaup Surge
Thanks to recent warm temperatures and favorable winds, Greater Scaup (Aythya marila) like those shown here are now on the move back to the north, and during the past couple of weeks their numbers have been growing across the region. While you can find some throughout the winter in open areas on large bodies of water such as Lake Erie, most members of this species migrate south to evade the cold. We have been able to enjoy several thousand – probably 5,000 or 6,000 and maybe more – in the waters of Long Island Sound off Stratford Point. Most stay rather far offshore and away from...
Read MoreSnowy Owl Season
Welcome back to Snowy Owl season! I took these photographs of a very calm and sleepy Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) today at Silver Sands State Park in Milford, Connecticut. One had been reported about a week ago in the area, though it was not seen again until the last couple of days. I was able to go over and briefly enjoy this bird sitting on a rock jetty along Long Island Sound with a few other birders. It was in the perfect place to be seen and not disturbed, and unknowing folks taking a walk or jogging were mostly on the nearby boardwalk and far enough away from the owl so that it did not...
Read MoreStormy Skies
This late astronomical fall and early meteorological winter has felt a little different than last year’s El Niño conditions to say the least. We are seeing and feeling far more typical weather rather than the much above average temperatures the previous season yielded. Here is a picture of Stratford Point from my archives showing a very stormy sky near sunset in the middle of winter with a fair amount of snow on the ground. How much snow are you looking for this season? We may get plenty across the Northeast and Great Lakes, and that is good news for our “Nature at Your Fingertips”...
Read MoreMapping Global Temperature Changes
This is a sobering graphic via the Twitter feed of Ed Hawkins (https://twitter.com/ed_hawkins), Climate scientist at the University of Reading. He said, “When considering changes in global temperature, it’s always important to look at the big picture, rather than obsess over short-term effects” which is why something like the cold and snowy days in the winter are not an indicator of how the planet is feeling. Our lives encompass a very small span of time compared to that of the Earth itself, and we often do not have an appropriate sense of the environmental and climate...
Read MoreYoung Gray Catbird
The last of our fledglings are finding their way out of the nest now as September nears. This Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) will have to start forging a path in the world shortly, deciding how far south it has to fly in order to survive. It is a difficult choice – migration is the most dangerous part of a bird’s life, and minimizing it is optimal. However, you may end up facing a much harsher winter with frigid temperatures, snowfall, and less food than a more distant tropical climate. Decisions…
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