Category Archives: Bird walks

It’s a robin kind of winter

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Photo by Chris Bosak American Robin in Selleck's Woods in fall 2013.

Photo by Chris Bosak
American Robin in Selleck’s Woods in fall 2013.

I’ve written a lot about American Robins this winter — and do so again in this week’s For the Birds column — but the demand for such information is great as everyone seems to be seeing tons of robins this winter.

Here’s an excerpt from the column: “True, they are known as a harbinger of spring, but American Robins are with us all year here in New England. Some robins migrate south to warmer places, but many robins stick with us throughout winter, too, surviving on berries, crab apples and other natural foods they can find in the woods and our backyards. Robins are usually found in flocks, some rather impressive, during the winter.”

Click here for the rest of the column.

It was really comments and questions from readers that prompted the column. Here are some comments I have received from readers.

Jack from Norwalk, Conn., wrote: “Saw around 10:30 this AM small flock of Robins just 30 yds West from junction of S Continue reading →

Sanderlings and more Sanderlings

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Photo by Chris Bosak A Sanderling runs along with food on the shore of Long Beach in Stratford, CT, Jan. 2014.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Sanderling runs along with food on the shore of Long Beach in Stratford, CT, Jan. 2014.

Photo by Chris Bosak Sanderlings on the shore of Long Beach in Stratford, CT, Jan. 2014.

Photo by Chris Bosak
Sanderlings and Dunlins on the shore of Long Beach in Stratford, CT, Jan. 2014.

A recent trip to Long Beach in Stratford, CT, yielded one Snowy Owl sighting _ it was far in the distance, but still nice to see, of course. It also yielded more close-up views of Sanderlings, another bird that breeds in the Arctic. Sanderlings are small and common shorebirds that are seen along New England coastal areas from fall through spring, and even in summer at times. Sanderlings are the shorebirds you see chasing the fading waves looking for food and running away from the incoming waves. So much fun to watch.

They also make for good photographic subjects. So with that said, here are several Sanderling photos I took earlier this week. Click on “continue reading” for lots more photos. Continue reading →

Towhees and thrasher in the snow

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Photo by Chris Bosak An Eastern Towhee eats a crab apple during a cold winter day at Weed Beach in Darien, CT., Jan. 2014.

Photo by Chris Bosak
An Eastern Towhee eats a crab apple during a cold winter day at Weed Beach in Darien, CT., Jan. 2014.

It was bitterly cold, but bright and sunny. Perfect day for a quick bird walk. Perfect day for a long bird walk, too, but I had limited time before my son Will’s basketball game, so it had to be a quick one.

After seeing a few Fox Sparrows at Weed Beach in Darien, Conn., as soon as the walk started, the only species I could find was White-throated Sparrow. And there were lots of them. I love my White-throated Sparrows, of course, so I’m not complaining. My eyes, however, were darting around the brush for other birding goodies.

Trudging through the snow and doing my best to ignore the

More photos below, click on “continue reading.”

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The latest For the Birds Column: Counting some lucky larks

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Photo by Chris Bosak Peregrine Falcon at Veterans Park in Norwalk, Dec. 2013.

Photo by Chris Bosak
Peregrine Falcon at Veterans Park in Norwalk, Dec. 2013.

Click below to read the latest For the Birds column, which appears every Thursday in The Hour (Norwalk, CT) and Monday in The Keene Sentinel (Keene, NH). I talk about my experiences during the Dec. 15 Christmas Bird Count. Those are some lucky larks!

Click here for story.

Oh, and Merry Christmas, everybody.

Snowy Owls in New England (I’m in, finally)

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Photo by Chris Bosak A Snowy Owl perches on a roof top at Sherwood Island State Park in Westport on Monday, Dec. 23, 2013.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Snowy Owl perches on a roof top at Sherwood Island State Park in Westport on Monday, Dec. 23, 2013.

So I finally got into all this Snowy Owl action.

Snowy Owls are being seen in larger-than-usual numbers along the East Coast this fall and winter. Snowy Owls breed in the Arctic and typically spend their winters well north of New England.

On Monday, a Snowy Owl was spotted at Sherwood Island State Park in Westport. The large birds of prey have been seen up and down the Connecticut coast since early November. 

I found the owl quickly and took a few photos out the passenger’s side window, but a passerby flushed the large bird. (Remember to give them a wide berth if you see one.) I found the bird about half an hour later and snapped a few photos from a sidewalk that dog walkers were using. The owl just watched everybody walk by.

Oh, and the weather was foggy with a steady rain falling. (My excuse for the photos not being so great.)

Experts believe this year’s irruption is due to either a lack of lemmings, their main food source in the Arctic, or a particularly good breeding year for Snowy Owls, or a combination of those factors.

Snowy Owls hunt during the day, unlike many owl species. They are large owls, measuring 24 inches tall.

Photo by Chris Bosak A Snowy Owl perches on a fence post at Sherwood Island State Park in Westport on Monday, Dec. 23, 2013.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Snowy Owl perches on a fence post at Sherwood Island State Park in Westport on Monday, Dec. 23, 2013.

Photo by Chris Bosak A Snowy Owl perches on a fence post at Sherwood Island State Park in Westport on Monday, Dec. 23, 2013.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Snowy Owl perches on a fence post at Sherwood Island State Park in Westport on Monday, Dec. 23, 2013.

 

Purple Sandpipers on Long Island Sound off the coast of Darien

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Photo by Chris Bosak Purple Sandpiper on rocky island off the coast of Darien, CT. (Dec. 2013)

Photo by Chris Bosak
Purple Sandpiper on rocky island off the coast of Darien, CT. (Dec. 2013)

Snowy Owls and a Fork-tailed Flycatcher are grabbing all the headlines in Connecticut this week _ and deservedly so. Snowy Owls are being found up and down the coast and that flycatcher has been entertaining birders in Hadlyme.

I haven’t seen either species yet this fall/winter, but I thoroughly enjoyed a canoe trip on Long Island Sound this weekend. I launched from Pear Tree Point in Darien and canoed over to Green’s Ledge Lighthouse and back along the Darien coast. Common and Red-throated Loons were abundant. Long-tailed Ducks were constant companions and even uttered their unique song over and over.

But, for me, the highlight was Purple Sandpipers. I came across two flocks _ one a sizable flock of about two dozen; the other just two birds. Purple Sandpipers are hearty birds that live on rocky islands and breed in the Arctic. They winter on isolated rocks off the coast of New England, including Long Island Sound. 

(Way more photos below. Click on “continue reading.”)

Continue reading →

Latest For the Birds column: Tracking down a towhee

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Here’s my column from this week in The Hour and Keene Sentinel.

Photo by Chris Bosak An Eastern Towhee at Selleck's/Dunlap Woods in Darien, Nov. 2013.

Photo by Chris Bosak
An Eastern Towhee at Selleck’s/Dunlap Woods in Darien, Nov. 2013.

 

It was one of those walks I probably shouldn’t have taken. I had only a smidgen of wiggle room if I wanted to arrive at an appointment on time. The woods beckoned, however, and I’ve always felt that a few minutes in the woods was better than no minutes in the woods. The danger, of course, is that I find it very difficult to spend only a few minutes in the woods. One good bird to follow and there goes my couple of minutes. Oh well, I figured, it’s cold and breezy. The birds will be hunkered down and making themselves scarce. I can knock out a quick walk no problem. The plan was working Continue reading →

Hooded Mergansers all over

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Photo by Chris Bosak A male Hooded Merganser in Holly Pond in Stamford, CT, Nov. 2013.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A male Hooded Merganser in Holly Pond in Stamford, CT, Nov. 2013.

Hooded Mergansers are usually found in large numbers here in southern New England, but this fall seems to be particularly good for “hoodies.” Hooded Mergansers, which have long been one of my favorite birds, are found on both fresh and brackish water. They eat a variety of small prey, mostly fish, they obtain by Continue reading →

Fall colors for a rainy day

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Photo by Chris Bosak Fall colors abound at a cemetery in Darien, CT, Nov. 2013.

Photo by Chris Bosak
Fall colors abound at a cemetery in Darien, CT, Nov. 2013.

Why we love New England …

With today’s gray, cold weather, I figured I’d lighten up things with a photo I took a mere few weeks ago when the New England landscape was alive with its famous autumn color. Now the trees are bare and the grass is brown. Things change fast in New England. That’s why we love it so much.

Send me your bird and wildlife photos and I’ll put them on my “reader submitted” page.

Two “regulars” converge

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Photo by Chris Bosak A Great Blue Heron rests along the shoreline as Mallards eat in the water at a cemetery in Darien, CT, on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2013.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Great Blue Heron rests along the shoreline as Mallards eat in the water at a cemetery in Darien, CT, on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2013.

I checked out a pond at a local cemetery this morning on my way to work and was pleasantly surprised to see a Great Blue Heron along the shoreline. Sure, Great Blue Herons are not rare and I’ve seen plenty of them in my lifetime, but it’s one of those birds I always enjoy seeing.

I grabbed the camera to capture the moment and, just then, a group of mallards worked their way into the shot. Mallards, of course, are not uncommon either — quite the opposite — but the convergence of the species made for an interesting photograph.

A pair of Red-tailed Hawks, an American Robin, a few Song Sparrows and dozens of Canada Geese were the only other species around on this morning.