A few birds from this weekend …
A few birds from this weekend
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Tag Archives: #birdsofnewengland
For the Birds: Nesting season has its ups and downs
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.
Continue readingSuccessful day finding migrants
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.
Blue-gray gnatcatcher at Huntington State Park, Redding, Conn., April 24, 2026.
Fun, feisty little bird.
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.
Louisiana waterthrush at Huntington State Park, Redding, Conn., April 24, 2026.
I’ve been seeing these for a few weeks now.
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.
White-eyed vireo at Huntington State Park, Redding, Conn., April 24, 2026.
For the Birds: How are moose doing these days anyway?
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.
Continue readingPiping plovers and oystercatchers highlight trip to shore
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.
A male piping plover (back) pursues a female at Milford Point in New England, April 16, 2026.
A male piping plover (back) pursues a female at Milford Point in New England, April 16, 2026.
Piping plovers copulate at Milford Point in New England, April 16, 2026.
Piping plovers copulate at Milford Point in New England, April 16, 2026.
Piping plovers copulate at Milford Point in New England, April 16, 2026.
American oystercatcher pair at Milford Point in New England, April 16, 2026.
Brant at Milford Point in New England, April 16, 2026.
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
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.
Continue readingFor the Birds: Spring waterfowl migration never disappoints
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.
Continue readingFor the Birds: Finally, a column on old bird names
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.
Continue readingFor the Birds: Mixed blackbird flock points to spring ahead
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.
Continue readingFor the Birds: Bird sighting sparks memory of the past
When you have done something for so long, sometimes it is hard to remember what it was like at the beginning. The other day, however, I came across a scene that reminded me of one of my early birdwatching experiences.
The recent prolonged cold spell we endured froze or kept frozen most of the water throughout the region. That makes for a great time to check the areas where water does not freeze, such as dams or fast-moving streams.
I drive past a large dam frequently and always look at the bottom where the water is constantly flowing. I do this especially during the winter to see if any ducks are gathered in the open water. In the right season and under the right conditions, there are usually several common mergansers in the pool created by the flowing water.
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