Tag Archives: #birdsofnewengland

For the Birds: Spring birding and reader insights

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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

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A few birds from this weekend …

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

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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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Successful day finding migrants

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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.

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

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.

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

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

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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

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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.

Photo by Chris Bosak
A male piping plover (back) pursues a female at Milford Point in New England, April 16, 2026.
Photo by Chris Bosak
A male piping plover (back) pursues a female at Milford Point in New England, April 16, 2026.
Photo by Chris Bosak
Piping plovers copulate at Milford Point in New England, April 16, 2026.
Photo by Chris Bosak
Piping plovers copulate at Milford Point in New England, April 16, 2026.
Photo by Chris Bosak
Piping plovers copulate at Milford Point in New England, April 16, 2026.
Photo by Chris Bosak
American oystercatcher pair at Milford Point in New England, April 16, 2026.
Photo by Chris Bosak
Brant at Milford Point in New England, April 16, 2026.
Photo by Chris Bosak
A male piping plover (back) pursues a female at Milford Point in New England, April 16, 2026.

For the Birds: Keeping up with species in peril

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Photo by Chris Bosak
Monarch, Brookfield, CT, summer 2019.

Too often, the perils facing a species in serious decline rise to the top of our consciousness through extensive media coverage or other means only to fade into the backs of our minds over time.

Is progress being made to help the species? Has the decline worsened, gotten better or stayed the same?

Here is a look at a few species in peril that were all over the media years ago, but not so much in recent years. 

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For the Birds: Spring waterfowl migration never disappoints

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Photo by Chris Bosak – A male common merganser swims on a small pond in New England.

There is a pond 20 minutes from my house that I pass frequently. For 50 weeks of the year, the pond holds little interest for me other than being an aesthetically pleasing landmark to look at as I drive past.

In the summer, a few mallards and Canada geese are the only birds present. It being a small pond in New England, it is frozen for most of the winter, which is great for the skaters who have fun on the ice, but not so much for birdwatchers.

However, during one week in early spring and one week in late fall, the pond holds a surprisingly solid variety of migrating ducks. 

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For the Birds: Finally, a column on old bird names

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Photo by Chris Bosak
The eastern towhee used to be called chewink.

Many months ago, or maybe it was years at this point, I promised to do a column on old bird names. 

Quite frankly, I forgot about it and never got around to doing the column. I can’t even remember what inspired me to consider such a column, but I must have been writing about a bird with a relatively new name and thought it would be a good idea to look at other somewhat recent bird name changes. Perhaps I wrote about a long-tailed duck and recalled the old name of oldsquaw. Regardless of the impetus, here’s that column I promised so long ago.

Now, I did write a column last summer about the most recent name changes by the American Ornithological Society. In that column, I relayed that the powers that be changed the name of the house wren we see in New England to northern house wren. A year earlier, I wrote that the three redpoll species were lumped into a single species called redpoll. 

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For the Birds: Mixed blackbird flock points to spring ahead

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Photo by Chris Bosak
A female red-winged blackbird perches in a tree.

As far as I’m concerned, it’s never too early to talk about signs of spring.

Not that I’m rushing winter. There is plenty to do in winter, and I appreciate all of New England’s seasons for what they offer birdwatchers. But when a sign of spring presents itself, even with several inches of snow still on the ground, it’s hard to ignore.

Unlike plants that may be popping up through the ground but remain unseen due to the snow, birds offer visible and reliable signs of spring. The other day, as soon as I started my walk, I spied several birds flying overhead. In the distance, I heard the familiar and unmistakable songs of red-winged blackbirds.

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