Ruddy Turnstone
This beautiful Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) was one of several feeding at Stratford Point in Stratford, Connecticut recently along with a small group of Semipalmated Sandpipers. Migrant shorebirds are now finishing moving north through the state, and it is hard to believe that in two months we will have many flying south. Please keep sharing any Connecticut eBird checklists with shorebirds, terns or long-legged waders with us at ctwaterbirds@gmail.com, thanks!
Read MoreDigging Nests
Could it be that time already?! The abundant warmth and sunshine has been drawing the spiny softshell turtles out to bask, swim and now excavate! This big girl was digging away in the gravel, pitching big clods of dirt and stones with her powerful back legs working to create a safe nest hole to drop her eggs. Once the eggs are laid, the turtles will develop throughout the summer and hatch in late August and early September. Last summer we didn’t witness any little ones hatching as many of the nests were predated. But we’ve got our fingers crossed that this summer will prove to be...
Read MoreSuccessful WAVE Training
We couldn’t have asked for a more gorgeous day to get out into a local stream and evaluate its water quality! Here are some photos from last week’s WAVE (Water Assessments by Volunteer Evaluators) training led by NYS DEC. Using the knowledge and hands-on experiences that was gained through our training, each of us will be able to go out and assess nearby streams to determine if they are impacted by pollutants, sedimentation and so on based on the little critters (macro-invertebrates) we find living beneath the rocks and logs within each. As we work on the Chadakoin River, in...
Read MoreScorching May
The first half of the month of May 2015 was a quietly scorching one, with the heat turned all the way up in the Northeast. You may not believe it based on the outdoor feel of our day to day weather, but the entire region was far warmer than usual. While we did not have the extreme highs or actual heat waves, a stretch or days well into the 90s or anything particularly memorable, we have been consistently warmer than average for our highs and often above the long-term lows. The Northeast Regional Climate Center map here shows us the tale. The coolest part has been sections of Maine which were...
Read MoreAmerican Oystercatchers in Flight
That is one chatty American Oystercatcher! I wonder if the other two had nothing to say or didn’t even bother talking to me, knowing they wouldn’t be heard over their friend…our work in the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds continues seven days a week. We had the first American Oystercatcher chicks of 2015 hatch at Milford Point this week! Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
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