For the Birds: A worthwhile detour

Posted on May 23, 2026 by Chris Bosak

Photo by Chris Bosak
A female Baltimore oriole brings material back to her nesting site this spring.

On my way to visit my family in Pennsylvania, I decided to stop at the Bashakill Wildlife Management Area in Sullivan County, New York, to see what birds might be in and around the giant marsh.

I used to canoe there frequently when I lived closer to that spot, but I hadn’t been there in many years. I didn’t have my canoe with me this time, but luckily there is a trail that follows the edge of the water and offers many expansive views.

As a bonus, the trail is wooded, so you get the shallow water on one side and the woods on the other. The Bashakill has a navigable channel winding through the middle, but the surrounding area is shallow water with thick aquatic vegetation where wood ducks and other birds find refuge.

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For the Birds: Don’t miss the action this spring

Posted on May 14, 2026 by Chris Bosak

Photo by Chris Bosak
Yellow warbler at Huntington State Park, Redding, CT, May 2026.

Spring migration continues to work its magic.

My walks have been filled with migrants, including a few FOYs (first of years) each time I go out. On one recent walk, I saw a veery, red-eyed vireo, and American redstart, all firsts of the year. It’s always nice to see birds for the first time since last spring, summer or fall.

The feeling is a little different for birds that we know are just passing through and won’t nest here. Of course, it’s always nice to see the first rose-breasted grosbeak, scarlet tanager, Baltimore oriole or ruby-throated hummingbird, but we know they will nest locally, and we will have plenty more chances to see them over the next several months.

Some birds, however, especially select warblers, will not nest locally, so if we miss them during their short window of passing through New England, we have to wait until fall to try to catch a glimpse of them as they pass through during their southern flight. If we miss that opportunity, our next chance will be the following spring.

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A few birds from this weekend

Posted on May 10, 2026 by Chris Bosak

Photo by Chris Bosak
A veery at Huntington State Park in Redding, CT, May 2026.

Here are a few shots I got this weekend while out and about.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A blue-winged warbler at Huntington State Park in Redding, CT, May 2026.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A black-capped chickadee at Huntington State Park in Redding, CT, May 2026.

For the Birds: Spring birding and reader insights

Posted on May 9, 2026 by Chris Bosak

Photo by Chris Bosak
Blue-gray gnatcatcher at Huntington State Park, Redding, Conn., April 24, 2026.

For many birdwatchers, this is the best time of year. Breeding season has begun in earnest, and the spring migration is in full swing.

Every walk in late April and early to mid-May has the potential to yield something that wasn’t there the day before. The other day, I took a quick walk and spotted my year’s first wood thrush, blue-gray gnatcatcher, blue-winged warbler and black-and-white warbler.

It’s also a busy time for my email inbox, as spring’s increased activity brings many exciting bird observations and raises some questions too.

Nancy from Keene shared that a pileated woodpecker made holes from top to bottom on a snag (dead tree) in her yard. She mentioned that she hears the large woodpeckers every year, but this was the first time she was able to get a video with her phone. Now, the moment has documentation that she can enjoy at any time.

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A few birds from this weekend

Posted on May 3, 2026 by Chris Bosak

A few birds from this weekend …

Photo by Chris Bosak Black-and-white warbler at Huntington State Park, Redding, CT, May 2026.

Photo by Chris Bosak Eastern towhee sings at Huntington State Park, Redding, CT, May 2026.

Photo by Chris Bosak – Field sparrow, Huntington State Park, May 2026.

Photo by Chris Bosak Female common merganser on small pond in Newtown, CT, May 2026.

For the Birds: Nesting season has its ups and downs

Posted on May 2, 2026 by Chris Bosak

Photo by Chris Bosak
A northern flicker hollows out a hole in a snag for a potential nest site, New England, April 2026.

While the majority of spring migrants are still working their way north, many of New England’s year-round birds are already getting down to the business of nesting.

I’m sure I’ll see plenty of nesting activity as the spring progresses, but last week I witnessed two interesting scenes related to nesting.

The first was in my backyard. As I approached one of my birdfeeders to throw in a handful of safflower seed, I noticed a northern flicker dart off into the woods. Its white rump patch gave away its identification. I was fairly certain the flicker had been clinging to a topped-off dead tree a dozen or so yards away from the feeder, and I made a note to approach the feeder more carefully next time.

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For the Birds: The shore comes through again

Posted on April 25, 2026 by Chris Bosak

Photo by Chris Bosak – A male piping plover (background) moves toward a female plover at Milford Point, April 2026.

The spring migration has certainly begun, but it is still in the building-up phase.

I took a few walks in the woods over the last few days and saw some very welcomed migrants, such as pine warbler, palm warbler, yellow-rumped warbler and Louisiana waterthrush.

When migration is just picking up, however, the action can be hit or miss. In a few weeks, the action will be all hits all the time, and I’m sure we are all looking forward to that.

While those first migrants are great to see after a long winter, they also whet the appetite to see more spring migrants. The woods will be hit or miss for the next several days anyway, so the other day I went to a spot where I knew I would see a few old feathered friends that I hadn’t seen since last summer.

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Successful day finding migrants

Posted on April 24, 2026 by Chris Bosak

Photo by Chris Bosak
White-eyed vireo at Huntington State Park, Redding, Conn., April 24, 2026.

I got up early and headed to Huntington State Park in Redding, Connecticut, and was rewarded with a good mix of migrants I hadn’t seen since last year.

Fun, feisty little bird.

Photo by Chris Bosak
Yellow-bellied sapsucker at Huntington State Park, Redding, Conn., April 24, 2026.

Not exactly a migrant, and I had seen sapsuckers all winter, but I had to include this handsome bird anyway. This is a male as indicated by the red throat.

Photo by Chris Bosak
Louisiana waterthrush at Huntington State Park, Redding, Conn., April 24, 2026.

I’ve been seeing these for a few weeks now.

Photo by Chris Bosak
Hooded warbler at Huntington State Park, Redding, Conn., April 24, 2026

Not the best photo, of course, but this was as close as I could get. Cool bird though.

For the Birds: How are moose doing these days anyway?

Posted on April 18, 2026 by Chris Bosak

Photo by Chris Bosak – A cow moose in Pittsburg, NH, in the early 2000s.

I was lucky enough to live through New Hampshire’s golden age of moose.

The moose population in the state peaked at somewhere around 7,000 to 8,000 in the mid- to late-1990s. At the time, I worked a four-day week and had Sunday, Monday and Tuesday off each week. Working until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays wasn’t great for my social life, but it was ideal for camping trips. As I headed to northern New Hampshire on Sunday afternoons, most people were packing up and going back home to start the workweek.

I had my choice of campsites at Deer Mountain State Park in Pittsburg, and I had my choice of ponds on which to canoe. Rarely did I see other paddlers on the ponds. But I saw plenty of moose. I won’t exaggerate and say I saw dozens on each trip, but I certainly saw four or five either on the ponds or along the roads each time I went. I can’t recall a trip where I didn’t see at least a few moose.

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Piping plovers and oystercatchers highlight trip to shore

Posted on April 16, 2026 by Chris Bosak

Photo by Chris Bosak
A male piping plover (back) pursues a female at Milford Point in New England, April 16, 2026.

I took a trip to the Connecticut Audubon Society Coastal Center at Milford Point today to see piping plovers, American oystercatchers, and whatever else may be around. I timed it nicely, as I found several piping plover pairs doing their mating ritual and even saw one pair copulating.

The male plovers followed the females around the rocks and sand, standing tall and performing a type of stomp dance with their feet and legs. It was quite entertaining.

While the plovers and oystercatchers were the highlight, there were dozens (hundreds maybe) of brant still hanging around New England.