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 →

Snowy Owl contest launched by CT Audubon

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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.

Here’s a copy/pasted press release about a fun contest from Connecticut Audubon.

Good luck!

…

This has been an incredible winter for Snowy Owl sightings in our area. Connecticut Audubon Society is looking to you to help us celebrate and raise awareness of these beautiful birds.

Now Connecticut Audubon Society is inviting birders to enter its Snowy Owl Observation Contest by sharing their experiences. First prize is  Continue reading →

CT DEEP commissioner Daniel Esty talks about climate change

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A little off topic, but not really considering the link between climate and birds — and all wildlife (including humans.) I

I covered the Norwalk Land Trust’s Annual Meeting on Monday (Jan. 13, 2014) and the guest speaker was Daniel C. Esty, the commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.  He had some very interesting things to say about climate change and how to combat it and adapt to it. Here’s an audio clip of Esty talking about the “game changer” when it comes to climate change.

The full story is available at http://www.thehour.com. (Search for “Esty” in the search field if it’s not still on the home page.)

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.”

Continue reading →

Hooded Merganser courting display video

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Here’s a video I made of the courtship display of Hooded Mergansers. Remember, I’m not a professional videographer, but this one came out OK, I think. Anyway, how can you go wrong with video and photos of Hooded Mergansers? Such a cool bird.

Thanks for checking it out.

Latest For the Birds column: Birding highlights of 2013

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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.

Here’s my annual look back at my own personal birding and wildlife highlights of the past year. Bonus photos, too.

Click here for the column.

Happy birding in 2014

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Photo by Chris Bosak A Carolina Wren visits a feeder during a snow storm in New England, winter 2013-14.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A Carolina Wren visits a feeder during a snow storm in New England, winter 2013-14.

A new year is upon us and let’s hope it’s one that is full of birds.

Please feel free to share your 2014 bird sightings and photos by either commenting on a link, or sending me an email to bozclark@earthlink.net. I’ll post the photos on my “reader submitted photos” page, which can be found in the menu at the top of this page.

I look forward to sharing more bird stories and photos with you in the new year. My next column, by the way, will be a look back at my personal birding highlights of 2013. That will be posted shortly. In the meantime: happy new year; send me your comments, stories and photos; and thanks for checking out http://www.birdsofnewengland.com

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.

 

Story about Sunday’s Christmas Bird Count

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Photo by Chris Bosak A White-throated Sparrow rests on a log this spring.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A White-throated Sparrow rests on a log this spring.

Here is the link to the Christmas Bird Count story I wrote for today’s The Hour newspaper. I participated Sunday in the count. A more detailed and personal account coming in a few days.
Click here for the story.