Snowy Owl December Update
If you are in Connecticut please be sure to check out winter birding forecast #1 brought to you by Audubon Connecticut and the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History. We will have more information on that new aspect of our partnership effort soon! In the month since I last posted an extended update about the 2014-2015 Snowy Owl irruption we have had a great number of additional birds coming south into the continental United States. Southern parts of Canada are also recording more owls at expected locations. The most intriguing part of their movement, in my opinion, is how Snowy...
Read MoreMute Swans (Cygnus olor)
If you live in the Chautauqua-Allegheny region of Western New York you are far more accustomed to spotting Tundra Swans rather than these Mute Swans (Cygnus olor), a beautiful species that likely takes the title for most attractive non-native invasive bird in North America. Mute Swans call Eurasia their homeland but were brought to North America by humans and have taken up residence in a number of areas since the late 19th century, especially those in the east and near suburban areas and cities. They are a threat to native waterfowl because of how aggressive they are, a behavior I can attest...
Read MoreSnow Goose (Chen caerulescens)
I recently spotted this odd-looking periscope coming out of the…grass of a golf course. As it came out of the green it revealed itself as a blue/dark morph, or “Blue Goose” Snow Goose (Chen caerulescens). The Snow Goose has rapidly increased in abundance in the last few decades in part due to their ability to use farm fields and other agricultural areas. This is another case of how easy it is for the species, along with the Canada Goose, to find a place to hang out thanks to the intensely manicured golf course. These are the same reasons why it seems silly to me to keep...
Read MoreEurasian Wigeon (Anas penelope)
Can you identify the rarity in this photo? It is a distant record shot of five birds with the one in the upper right being of the most interest. There are four American Wigeons (Anas americana) and one Eurasian Wigeon (Anas penelope), the latter species being a rare but regular find in the United States. This was the cloudy scene on a small and otherwise unremarkable pond behind a high school in Connecticut earlier this week as the male Eurasian has been hanging out with this American group for a few weeks. All of the ducks were very busy feeding. You never know where unusual birds will...
Read MoreWood Duck Pair
If you live in or near wet woodlands, or even in a neighborhood with some forest habitat and a small pond, perhaps you will be fortunate enough to have Wood Ducks frequenting the area. During the winter months it is a good time to consider what you want to do with your yard and home to help birds. Determining what nest boxes you can erect in a few months for the spring arrivals and local breeding species can be a great activity on a quiet day. Wood Ducks like the cute couple pictured will already be pairing up next month!
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