For the Birds: Fox sparrows back in force

Posted on November 30, 2018 by Chris Bosak

Photo by Chris Bosak
A fox sparrow perches on the snow in Danbury, Conn., Nov. 16, 2018.

Here is the latest For the Birds column:

Last week I wrote about winter finches and how birds that aren’t even finches can easily be lumped into that broad category.

I mentioned a few examples and, of course, as soon as I hit the “send” button, an example that I failed to mention showed up in my backyard. It was a fox sparrow. Well, more specifically, two fox sparrows.

Fox sparrows aren’t finches, naturally, they are sparrows, just as their name suggests. But because they are small (relative to all birds) and show up at feeders throughout New England sporadically during certain winters, I think they can be mentioned under the very broad and nonspecific category of winter finches.

Winter finches, just to review quickly, are the northern birds that show up at New England feeders some winters, only to not be seen again for several years. Pine siskin is the prime example and this year seems to be another good year for siskins. Continue reading →

Connecticut’s State of the Birds 2018

Posted on November 29, 2018 by Chris Bosak

Photo by Chris Bosak A Snowy Owl sits on an old telephone pole at The Coastal Center at Milford Point in early March 2014. Smoke stacks in Bridgeport loom in the background.

Here’s the 2018 State of the Birds report from the Connecticut Audubon Society. (Press release shamelessly copy/pasted here.)

November 29, 2018 — For the scores of migratory and nesting bird species in Connecticut to survive and thrive, the state’s cities and suburbs must create, maintain, and improve their local habitats in everything from small neighborhood parks to larger nature preserves.

That’s the key finding of the Connecticut Audubon Society’s 2018 State of the Birds report, released today at a news conference at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven.

Titled “In Cities and Suburbs: A Fresh Look at How Birds Are Surviving in Connecticut,” the report shows how the state’s most heavily-developed areas are crucial to the survival of the state’s and the region’s birds. Some of the most vulnerable species nest in Continue reading →

Deer jumps over guard rail

Posted on November 28, 2018 by Chris Bosak

Photo by Chris Bosak A white-tailed deer seen at Sherwood Island State Park in Westport, Conn., fall 2018.

I was hoping to come up with a more exciting headline for this post, but alas, I gave up before inspiration hit me. Besides, the headline kind of says it all.

Here’s a series of photos showing a white-tailed deer buck leaping over a guard rail dividing the access road to Sherwood Island State Park in Westport. I saw the deer walking across the road and figured, why not, let’s document him jumping over the barrier. The obvious unanswered question is: Why did it cross the road? (Sorry, bad joke.)

Here’s the entire series:

Continue reading →

Not just birds out there

Posted on November 27, 2018 by Chris Bosak

The name of this site may be birdsofnewengland.com and the hobby may be called birding, but most birdwatchers, myself included, are always on the lookout for any type of wildlife. In fact, my interest in this hobby got its start by my fascination with a non-bird wildlife species: moose.

Some of the interesting non-bird wildlife frequently encountered while roaming New England’s woods, fields and bodies of water include beaver, mink, otter, muskrat, and fisher — just to name a few. Oh, and white-tailed deer, of course. In some areas of New England, such as southwestern Connecticut, deer are so plentiful they are seen as pests by some residents. In most areas of the region, they are revered as the magnificent animals they are.

I came across this handsome fellow the other day while looking for birds at Sherwood Island State Park in Westport, Conn.

A few more northern shoveler photos

Posted on November 25, 2018 by Chris Bosak

Photo by Chris Bosak A northern shoveler seen at 14-Acre Pond in Norwalk, Conn., fall 2018.

You didn’t think I’d post only one full photo of a northern shoveler, did you? Here are a few more. I tried digiscoping for one of the first times, so the quality of the photos are not great. I’ll keep practicing that skill.

Great-looking bird, regardless. Here’s more info on the northern shoveler, from AllAboutBirds.org

Bird ID quiz answer

Posted on November 24, 2018 by Chris Bosak

Photo by Chris Bosak
A male northern shoveler seen at 14-Acre Pond in Norwalk, Conn., fall 2018.

Matt (and probably many others) got it right from the start: Northern shoveler.

Thanks for playing along and supporting http://www.birdsofnewengland.com

Its shovel-like bill is its most distinguishing feature. Both males and females have that flattened bill, but only the male (drake) features this bright plumage. Females are mottled tan or brown, like many female ducks.