tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73798521546320839112024-03-14T06:19:23.555-04:00Connecticut Audubon SocietyAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853275809222555789noreply@blogger.comBlogger734125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379852154632083911.post-4372913444068270152014-04-02T13:42:00.002-04:002014-04-02T13:45:34.283-04:00Piping Plovers are back at Milford Point<br />
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Not only are they back, but males are already setting up territories.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8ozZdP3PDcI/UzxLnuufDzI/AAAAAAAACCk/2yG23KvzYeg/s1600/IMG_1332+(1)+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8ozZdP3PDcI/UzxLnuufDzI/AAAAAAAACCk/2yG23KvzYeg/s1600/IMG_1332+(1)+copy.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male Piping Plover<br />
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Read more about it on the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds blog: </div>
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<a href="http://ctwaterbirds.blogspot.com/2014/04/territories-already-occurring-at.html">http://ctwaterbirds.blogspot.com/2014/04/territories-already-occurring-at.html</a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18px; text-align: start;">Sean Graesser</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18px; text-align: start;">Conservation Technician</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small; line-height: 12px;">Photo by Sean Graesser/ Copyright </span><span style="font-size: xx-small; line-height: 12px;">Connecticut Audubon Society</span><span style="font-size: xx-small; line-height: 12px;">.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17310582320144941231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379852154632083911.post-55755126214218763632014-03-09T12:26:00.001-04:002014-03-09T12:26:03.871-04:00Connecticut Audubon Bird Finder for March 9, Special Edition: Passenger Pigeon<div dir="ltr">
<a href="http://www.ctaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/IMG_0504-Version-2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="IMG_0504 - Version 2" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-17394" src="http://www.ctaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/IMG_0504-Version-2-265x353.jpg" height="353" width="265" /></a><b>Passenger Pigeon</b><br /><i><b>Ectopistes migratorius</b></i></div>
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<b>Where to find it:</b> Passenger Pigeons have been extinct for exactly 100 years but on March 12 Connecticut Audubon Society and the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies<a href="http://www.ctaudubon.org/" target="_blank"> are presenting a talk by Joel Greenberg,</a> author of the new book <a href="http://www.bloomsbury.com/us/a-feathered-river-across-the-sky-9781620405345/" target="_blank"><i>A Feathered River Across the Sky: The Passenger Pigeon’s Flight to Extinction,</i></a> at Kroon Hall.<br />
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The talk is free and open to the public. One or two preserved Passenger Pigeon specimens from the collection of the Yale Peabody Museum will be on display, to give you a chance to see what they looked like.<br /><br /><strong>How to find it:</strong> Kroon Hall is at <a data-mce-href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/195+Prospect+St/@41.3168007,-72.9233421,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x89e7d9b83f828467:0x869fdeb374452e70" href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/195+Prospect+St/@41.3168007,-72.9233421,17z/data=%213m1%214b1%214m2%213m1%211s0x89e7d9b83f828467:0x869fdeb374452e70" target="_blank">195 Prospect St., New Haven.</a>
The talk starts at 7 p.m. and will be held in the Burke Auditorium, on
the third floor. Parking is available on the street. RSVP to <a data-mce-href="mailto:tandersen@ctaudubon.org" href="mailto:tandersen@ctaudubon.org">tandersen@ctaudubon.org</a>.Tom Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00624482065925540547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379852154632083911.post-19173637306979778162014-03-06T20:33:00.003-05:002014-03-06T20:33:34.901-05:00Connecticut Audubon Bird Finder for March 7: Great Cormorant<a href="http://www.ctaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Great-Cormorant-Mindy-Hill.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Great Cormorant - Mindy Hill" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-17451" src="http://www.ctaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Great-Cormorant-Mindy-Hill-265x274.jpg" height="274" width="265" /></a><b>Great Cormorant<br /><i>Phalacrocorax carbo</i></b><br /><i>By Andrew Griswold, director of Connecticut Audubon Society's <a href="http://www.ecotravel.ctaudubon.org/" shape="rect" target="_blank">EcoTravel </a>program</i><br />
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The Great Cormorant is the largest North American cormorant and is found on nearly all continents. In the States, it is restricted to the east coast, where it breeds on a just a few rocky island colonies in Maine. It is a regular winter visitor to Connecticut where it replaces the more commonly found summer resident, the Double-crested Cormorant.<br />
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The Great Cormorant is known by many other common names across the globe including Great Black Cormorant, Black Cormorant, Large Cormorant, and Black Shag.<br />
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<a href="http://www.ctaudubon.org/?p=17450" target="_blank">Read the entire post here...</a><br />
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Photo by Mindy Hill. Tom Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00624482065925540547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379852154632083911.post-9701638275353922962014-02-28T21:45:00.005-05:002014-02-28T21:45:48.941-05:00Connecticut Audubon Bird Finder for February 28: Winter Wren<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-2560fea9-73e9-e25e-4fe3-cb50edb954ac">
<a href="http://www.ctaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Wren_Winter_KellyAzar2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="STATE_Wren,_Winter_KellyAzar2" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-17379" src="http://www.ctaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Wren_Winter_KellyAzar2-265x175.jpg" height="175" width="265" /></a><b>Winter Wren</b><br /><i><b>Troglodytes hiemalis<br /></b></i></div>
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<i>By <a href="http://www.ctaudubon.org/2012/05/connecticut-audubon-society-staff/#andy" target="_blank">Andy Rzeznikiewicz,</a> the land manager at our Pomfret and Trail Wood Preserves.<br /></i></div>
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<b>Where to find it:</b> Winter Wrens can be found throughout the state at this time of year although they are usually hard to find because of their secretive habits. The best place to look is in thick brush near streams. In breeding season, their song is quite loud and distinctive but sometimes in winter one will sing a little bit to make its presence known. <br /><br />To read the rest of this post, click <a href="http://www.ctaudubon.org/?p=17377" target="_blank">here</a>...<br /></div>
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<i><i><i><i><i><i>Connecticut Audubon Bird Finder is edited by Tom Andersen</i>.<br />Photo by Kelly Azar, <a href="http://carolinabirds.org/">Carolinabirds.org</a>.<br /></i></i></i></i></i>
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<i><i>To receive future Connecticut Bird Finders by email, send your name and town to <a href="mailto:tandersen@ctaudubon.org" target="_blank">tandersen@ctaudubon.org</a>.</i></i> <i><i></i></i><i><i><i><i></i></i></i></i></div>
Tom Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00624482065925540547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379852154632083911.post-61724158015259728352014-02-26T16:48:00.002-05:002014-02-26T16:48:36.400-05:00On the 100th Anniversary of the Extinction of the Passenger Pigeon, Author Joel Greenberg to Talk at Yale<h3 align="center" style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.ctaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/P3-book-cover-1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="P3 book cover-1" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-16927" src="http://www.ctaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/P3-book-cover-1-265x402.jpg" height="402" width="265" /></a><b>The March 12 Presentation Will Be Based on His New, Acclaimed Book<i>, A Feathered River Across the Sky</i></b></h3>
Nowhere was nature’s abundance more evident in 19th century America than in the incredible number of Passenger Pigeons. Flocks were so huge that they clouded the sun and took days to pass over villages. These birds fed the colonists and the nation’s westward expansion. They were critical to health of the eastern forests. One such flock, in 1860, encompassed an estimated 1 billion pigeons.<br /><br />
But by 1914, the Passenger Pigeon was gone, driven into extinction.<br />
<br />Introducing the author, and marking the 100th anniversary of the Passenger Pigeon’s demise, Connecticut Audubon Society and the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies will present Joel Greenberg, author of the acclaimed new book <i>A Feathered River Across the Sky: The Passenger Pigeon’s Flight to Extinction</i>, on Wednesday, March 12, at Kroon Hall in New Haven.<br />
<br />The talk starts at 7 p.m. and is free and open to the public. Kroon Hall is located at 195 Prospect Street, New Haven.<br />
<br />Greenberg, the author of three previous books, is a research associate of the Chicago Academy of Sciences Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum and the Field Museum. His presentation, including a selection of photos and illustrations, will compare the extinction of the Passenger Pigeon to the extensive effort being made to save two contemporary birds – Whooping Cranes and Kirtland’s Warblers – from extinction.<br />
<br />In addition, the Peabody Museum will display the preserved skins of Passenger Pigeons in its collection. The March 12 talk will be Greenberg’s only appearance in Connecticut.<br />
<i><br />A Feathered River Across the Sky</i> has been extensively praised by reviewers. The New Yorker called the book “equal parts natural history, elegy, and environmental outcry… A painstaking researcher, Greenberg writes with a naturalist's curiosity about the birds… Answering even basic questions about the passenger pigeon requires a sort of forensic ornithology, which <i>gives Feathered River Across the Sky</i> an unexpected poignancy at the very points where it is most nature-nerdy.”<br />
<br />The Wall Street Journal said, “Joel Greenberg has done prodigious research into the literature of the passenger pigeon and lays much of it out in this book. For that effort, all who care about the living world owe him a debt of gratitude.”<br />
<br />The fate of the Passenger Pigeon holds important lessons for conservationists today.<br />
Alexander Brash, president of Connecticut Audubon Society, notes: “In the 21st century, as natural habitats are destroyed and bird populations decline, the story of the Passenger Pigeon is a stark reminder of what can happen even to the species that we take most for granted. Joel Greenberg’s dispatch about the passenger pigeon is a stark reminder about the importance of conservation today. Extinction disrupts ecosystems, permanently removes genetic opportunity from the world, and dramatically marks human impacts on planet earth, our only home.”<br />
<br />Copies of <i>A Feathered River Across the Sky</i> will be available for sale and to be signed by the author at the conclusion of the presentation.<br />
<br />Although the talk is free, space is limited. Please RSVP to <a href="mailto:tandersen@ctaudubon.org">tandersen@ctaudubon.org</a>.Tom Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00624482065925540547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379852154632083911.post-14389176214875360382014-02-19T14:06:00.000-05:002014-02-19T22:15:31.154-05:00Whats out and about at Stratford PointDuring weekly waterfowl surveys I usually always have my camera with me to capture some of the other species in the area.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vq-9Hnbh6XQ/UwT9XhhgZXI/AAAAAAAACB4/BHU1Ls9_Q68/s1600/IMG_6159+(1)+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vq-9Hnbh6XQ/UwT9XhhgZXI/AAAAAAAACB4/BHU1Ls9_Q68/s1600/IMG_6159+(1)+copy.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: start;">Northern Harrier <span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-align: start;">(</span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-align: start;">Circus cyaneus</i><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">), this individual a young Gray Ghost</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t4vxjMjkXrI/UwT9a08DCiI/AAAAAAAACCA/24W70SsKvwQ/s1600/IMG_6286.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t4vxjMjkXrI/UwT9a08DCiI/AAAAAAAACCA/24W70SsKvwQ/s1600/IMG_6286.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">American Wigeon <span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-align: start;">(</span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-align: start;">Anas americana) </i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-align: start;">f</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-align: start;">eeding on vegetation on an offshore rock</span></td></tr>
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And of course our amazing friends the Snowy Owls are still being seen from time to time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7Gn_0k0Xo34/UwT_qmlvP2I/AAAAAAAACCM/vdapryXILNQ/s1600/IMG_3215.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7Gn_0k0Xo34/UwT_qmlvP2I/AAAAAAAACCM/vdapryXILNQ/s1600/IMG_3215.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snowy Owl <span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-align: start;">(</span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-align: start;">Bubo scandiacus</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-align: start;">)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snowy Owl <span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-align: start;">(</span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-align: start;">Bubo scandiacus</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-align: start;">)</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18px; text-align: start;">Sean Graesser</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18px; text-align: start;">Conservation Technician</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small; line-height: 12px;">Photo by Sean Graesser/ Copyright </span><span style="font-size: xx-small; line-height: 12px;">Connecticut Audubon Society</span><span style="font-size: xx-small; line-height: 12px;">.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17310582320144941231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379852154632083911.post-83158316708977840502014-01-30T20:10:00.000-05:002014-01-30T20:10:48.341-05:00Connecticut Audubon Bird Finder for January 31: Snow Goose<div dir="ltr">
<a href="http://www.ctaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Snow-Goose-Cedits-to-Cephas.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Snow Goose - Cedits to Cephas" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-16992" src="http://www.ctaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Snow-Goose-Cedits-to-Cephas-265x176.jpg" height="176" width="265" /></a><b>Snow Goose</b><br /><i><b>Chen caerulescens</b></i></div>
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<b>Where to find it:</b> Snow Goose occurs each winter in Connecticut but only in limited numbers, unlike the massive flocks found on the Delmarva Peninsula and the rice fields of Arkansas. Read the rest of this post <a href="http://www.ctaudubon.org/?p=16990" target="_blank">here</a>...<br />
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Photo by Cephas.Tom Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00624482065925540547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379852154632083911.post-44015173018817808522014-01-23T19:59:00.003-05:002014-01-23T19:59:46.662-05:00Connecticut Audubon Bird Finder for January 24: Brown Creeper<div dir="ltr">
<a href="http://www.ctaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Creeper_Brown_AlanVernon.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Creeper,_Brown_AlanVernon" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-16920" src="http://www.ctaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Creeper_Brown_AlanVernon-265x327.jpg" height="327" width="265" /></a><b>Brown Creeper</b><br /><i><b>Certhia americana</b></i></div>
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<b>Where to find it</b>: Brown Creepers are found throughout Connecticut in mature woodlands. In the winter, they frequent deciduous forests, often in with mixed flocks of chickadees and titmice. Their main diet consists of insects and larvae that they probe out of deep grooved bark.<br />
<br />To read the full entry, click <a href="http://www.ctaudubon.org/?p=16917" target="_blank">here</a>. <br /><br /><em><em><em><em>Photo by Alan Vernon.</em></em></em></em>Tom Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00624482065925540547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379852154632083911.post-27605360785952655662014-01-22T16:23:00.006-05:002014-01-22T16:28:39.672-05:00A Reminder Of SpringWith all of this snow and cold temperatures I thought everyone could use a little reminder of spring.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ma4krq4U6HU/UuA0tMX6sWI/AAAAAAAACBQ/NB1X3SVqkp4/s1600/IMG_5953.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ma4krq4U6HU/UuA0tMX6sWI/AAAAAAAACBQ/NB1X3SVqkp4/s1600/IMG_5953.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Eastern Tailed-Blue <i>(Cupido comyntas)</i></span><i> </i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Zd82OJZ-erk/UuA0ruK4xMI/AAAAAAAACBI/N01ITBeyeDQ/s1600/IMG_6010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Zd82OJZ-erk/UuA0ruK4xMI/AAAAAAAACBI/N01ITBeyeDQ/s1600/IMG_6010.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Viceroy <i>(Limenitis archippus)</i></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-91PTomAJONE/UuA1DLYWbGI/AAAAAAAACBY/YHispCvrrVo/s1600/IMG_9866.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-91PTomAJONE/UuA1DLYWbGI/AAAAAAAACBY/YHispCvrrVo/s1600/IMG_9866.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span class="style_2" style="background-color: white; color: #212121; line-height: 25px; opacity: 1; text-align: left;">Unicorn Clubtail</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #584d4d; line-height: 25px; text-align: left;"> (</span><span class="style_3" style="background-color: white; color: #584d4d; font-style: italic; line-height: 25px; text-align: left;">Arigomphus villosipes</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #584d4d; line-height: 25px; text-align: left;">)</span></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-meUuLQlGt28/UuA1HOZ5AdI/AAAAAAAACBg/k1YnKdVjX7A/s1600/IMG_9408.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-meUuLQlGt28/UuA1HOZ5AdI/AAAAAAAACBg/k1YnKdVjX7A/s1600/IMG_9408.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Chinese Mantis <i>(Tenodera sinensis)</i></span><i> </i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HU_LGIyP1IQ/UuA1YzoGonI/AAAAAAAACBo/q8uHo8R6REs/s1600/IMG_6413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HU_LGIyP1IQ/UuA1YzoGonI/AAAAAAAACBo/q8uHo8R6REs/s1600/IMG_6413.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Painted Lady <i>(Vanessa cardui)</i></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 20.53333282470703px;">
<span style="line-height: 18px; text-align: start;">Sean Graesser</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18px; text-align: start;">Conservation Technician</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small; line-height: 12px;">Photo by Sean Graesser/ Copyright </span><span style="font-size: xx-small; line-height: 12px;">Connecticut Audubon Society</span><span style="font-size: xx-small; line-height: 12px;">.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17310582320144941231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379852154632083911.post-60393516366515454462014-01-16T21:42:00.001-05:002014-01-16T21:42:07.649-05:00Connecticut Audubon Bird Finder for January 17: Rough-legged Hawk<a href="http://www.ctaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/roughleggedMorgan.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="roughleggedMorgan" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-16838" src="http://www.ctaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/roughleggedMorgan-265x281.jpg" height="281" width="265" /></a><b>Rough-legged Hawk</b><br /><b><i>Buteo lagopus</i></b><br />
<br /><b>Where to find it</b>: When this species leaves its tundra breeding grounds it looks for areas with the most abundant food source. In Connecticut this mean marshes and open field areas. Right now one of the best sites to see Rough-legged Hawks seems to be S<a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?q=short+beach,+stratford&oe=utf-8&client=firefox&ie=UTF-8&ei=wG7YUt_HO-PhsASbq4GQDQ&ved=0CAoQ_AUoAg">hort Beach in Stratford</a>, where they have been spotted for the last two months. <a href="http://www.ctaudubon.org/?p=16836" target="_blank">Read the rest here...</a><br />
<br />Photo by Don Morgan. Tom Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00624482065925540547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379852154632083911.post-62816695031794944792014-01-14T09:30:00.001-05:002014-01-14T09:30:16.016-05:00Enter the Great Connecticut Audubon Snowy Owl Observation Contest<a href="http://www.ctaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Snowy-on-the-gourds-3.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Photo by Anthony Zemba/Copyright Connecticut Audubon Society" class="size-medium wp-image-16377" height="179" src="http://www.ctaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Snowy-on-the-gourds-3-265x179.jpg" width="265" /></a><br />
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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.</div>
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<b>Enter our Snowy Owl Observation Contest by sharing your experience with us, and you could win a first prize of $300 or one of two $100 honorable mention prizes!</b><br />
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Here's how to enter:<br />
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Submit a photo, video, or written piece about your experience. Bonus points will be given for creativity! At the end of the season, we will pick a $300 grand prize winner and two $100 honorable mentions. Just post your submission to Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram using the <b>#CTSnowyOwl</b> hashtag!<br />
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When you use #CTSnowyOwl, your post will automatically be <a href="http://www.ctaudubon.org/2014/01/ct-snowy-owl/" target="_blank">published on our website</a>.<br />
Here are some Tips & Guidelines:<br />
<ul>
<li>Don't forget to include where and when you saw the bird.</li>
<li>If you're submitting a photo, don't limit yourself to close-ups: a shot of a landscape with a Snowy Owl in the distance would be great too! The photo above would be a perfect entry. Anthony Zemba, our director of conservation services, took it in December at Stratford Point.</li>
<li>If you haven't seen a Snowy yet, it's not too late. Snowies have been seen across our shoreline, including at our Milford Point Coastal Center; the beaches and marshes in Stratford; Long Wharf in New Haven; and Great Island in Old Lyme.</li>
<li>It is very important that you take photos from afar, to avoid disturbing the birds. The best locations are often where you see other birders gathering to observe.</li>
<li>If you're not a social media user, you can email your submission to tandersen@ctaudubon.org, and we will post your submission for you.</li>
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Thank you, and good luck! Remember: #CTSnowyOwl!</div>
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Sorry, employees and their families aren't eligible to win (but we hope they'll enter anyway). Winners will be chosen at staff discretion. Contest winner decisions are final.Tom Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00624482065925540547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379852154632083911.post-9414648605223988212014-01-10T11:31:00.001-05:002014-01-10T11:32:33.160-05:00Connecticut Audubon Bird Finder for January 10: Lapland Longspur<a href="http://www.ctaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Lapland-Longspur-21.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lapland Longspur 2" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-16768" src="http://www.ctaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Lapland-Longspur-21-265x179.jpg" height="179" width="265" /></a><b>Lapland Longspur<br /><i>Calcarius lapponicus</i></b><br />
<br />Each winter, uncommon avian visitors from the north appear in open habitats such as fallow farm fields, coastal beaches, grasslands, and dunes. Among these winter visitors may be the Lapland Longspur, a small songbird in the family <a href="http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=178838" target="_blank">Emberizidae</a> – a taxonomic category composed of certain finches, American sparrows, towhees, buntings, and New World sparrows. Lapland Longspurs breed in wet meadows and grassy hummocks of the Arctic tundra of Nearctic and Palearctic regions. Their winter range extends much wider – in North America it covers most of the lower 48 states but is very rare in the southern reaches of the border and Gulf states. They typically begin to appear in Connecticut by mid to late October, stay through much of the winter, then depart by the end of March.<br />
<b><br />Where to find it:</b> Those searching for Lapland Longspurs should visit ... click <a href="http://www.ctaudubon.org/2014/01/connecticut-audubon-bird-finder-for-january-10-lapland-longspur/" target="_blank">here</a> to read the full post.<br />
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Photo by Anthony Zemba/Connecticut Audubon SocietyTom Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00624482065925540547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379852154632083911.post-21252862765544134092014-01-02T23:26:00.000-05:002014-01-02T23:26:38.268-05:00Connecticut Audubon Bird Finder for January 3, 2014: Long-billed Dowitcher <a href="http://www.ctaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/DowitcherIMG_9113.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Long-billed Dowitcher standing on one leg in Stratford. Photo courtesy of Donna Caporaso." class="size-medium wp-image-16686" height="174" src="http://www.ctaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/DowitcherIMG_9113-265x174.jpg" width="265" /></a><br />
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<b>Long-billed Dowitcher</b><br />
<i><b>Limnodromus scolopaceus</b></i></div>
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<b>Where to find it:</b> A single Long-billed Dowitcher has been present at the Birdseye Street boat ramp in Stratford for the past two weeks where it has been roosting along the shoreline. For a map, click <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-8&client=firefox&q=main+and+birdseye+street.+stratford&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x89e80d019417cd91:0xd30414475d6bdad5,Main+St+%26+Birdseye+St,+Stratford,+CT+06615&gl=us&ei=f5bFUp3UDKuhsATn44G4DA&ved=0CC4Q8gEwAA" target="_blank">here</a>; for the Connecticut Coastal Access Guide, click <a href="http://www.lisrc.uconn.edu/coastalaccess/site.asp?siteid=331&maptool=3" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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<b>How to find it:</b> Look for a larger-sized sandpiper sitting along the shoreline on the left (western) side of the boat ramp near the water’s edge. For the rest of this week's Bird Finder, click <a href="http://www.ctaudubon.org/?p=16685" target="_blank">here</a>...<br />
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Photo of Long-billed Dowitcher standing on one leg in Stratford by Donna Caporaso.
Tom Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00624482065925540547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379852154632083911.post-50839336727667586152013-12-27T08:20:00.002-05:002013-12-27T08:20:31.994-05:00Connecticut Audubon Bird Finder for December 27: Long-tailed Duck<div dir="ltr">
<a href="http://www.ctaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Long-tailed-Duck-Andrew-Griswold.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Long-tailed Duck - Andrew Griswold" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-16607" height="160" src="http://www.ctaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Long-tailed-Duck-Andrew-Griswold-265x160.jpg" width="265" /></a><b>Long-tailed Duck</b><br /><i><b>Clangula hyemalis<br /></b></i></div>
<b>Where to find it:</b> Look in shallow, sandy bottomed, salt water areas of Long Island Sound, at the mouths of rivers and occasionally inland on larger rivers and lakes. Specific likely locations for finding Long-tailed Ducks include <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-8&client=firefox&ie=UTF-8&q=Greenwich+Point+Park&fb=1&gl=us&hq=greenwich+point+park&cid=2013385613476528636&ei=3Z65Us7HI8fmsATDi4Bo&ved=0CMEBEPwSMA8" target="_blank">Greenwich Point Park</a>, <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-8&client=firefox&ie=UTF-8&q=calf+pasture+beach&fb=1&gl=us&hq=calf+pasture+beach&cid=218807692103625785&ei=Bp-5UpzEIqbesAS4vYHwAw&ved=0CKoBEPwS" target="_blank">Calf Pasture Beach</a> in Norwalk, <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-8&client=firefox&q=penfield+reef&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x89e81050f31dc34d:0xffe09592485bb60b,Penfield+Reef&gl=us&ei=LZ-5UsKpJ-mnsQTi7IH4Cw&ved=0CMMBELYD" target="_blank">Penfield Reef</a> in Fairfield, and Stratford Point. Further east, the parking lot at <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-8&client=firefox&ie=UTF-8&q=Dock+%26+Dine+Restaurant&fb=1&gl=us&hq=dock+and+dine,+old+saybrook&cid=5632611921431382111&ei=Vp-5Up-bI8fJsQT464CgDw&ved=0CLIBEPwSMAo" target="_blank">Dock & Dine</a> Restaurant in Old Saybrook is a fairly reliable location; also check <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-8&client=firefox&ie=UTF-8&q=harkness+memorial+state+park&fb=1&gl=us&hq=harkness+state+park&cid=9648949106338081846&ei=iJ-5UpvmD6K2sAS03YCoCg&ved=0CKgBEPwS" target="_blank">Harkness Memorial State Park</a> in Waterford, and <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?q=avery+point+groton&oe=utf-8&client=firefox&ie=UTF-8&ei=FjW8Ut6tMoGzsATNiYEQ&ved=0CAoQ_AUoAg" target="_blank">Avery Point</a> and <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-8&client=firefox&ie=UTF-8&q=bluff+point+state+park&fb=1&gl=us&hq=bluff+point+groton&cid=2029254809226531939&ei=uze8UpebGYrNsQTzooCICA&ved=0CLgBEPwS" target="_blank">Bluff Point State Park</a> in Groton.<br />
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To read the full post, click <a href="http://www.ctaudubon.org/?p=16606" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Photo by Andrew Griswold/Connecticut Audubon Society Tom Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00624482065925540547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379852154632083911.post-90584427056036863902013-12-20T08:28:00.001-05:002013-12-20T08:28:17.131-05:00Connecticut Audubon Society Bird Finder for December 20: Yellow-bellied Sapsucker<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yaWKg5x9Jyk/UrRFjtxJCpI/AAAAAAAABAs/EJBn3pizSrc/s1600/Sapsucker_Yellow-bellied_DominicSherony-265x198.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yaWKg5x9Jyk/UrRFjtxJCpI/AAAAAAAABAs/EJBn3pizSrc/s320/Sapsucker_Yellow-bellied_DominicSherony-265x198.jpg" /></a></div>
<b>Yellow-bellied Sapsucker </b><br />
<i><b>Sphyrapicus varius </b></i><br />
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<b>Where to find it:</b> Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers can be found throughout the state in winter. In spring and summer these woodpeckers can more commonly be found nesting in the northwest corner of the state although they are becoming increasingly more common in the northeast corner. Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers are most often associated with a mix of conifer and maple forests. They drill shallow, horizontal holes in a circular pattern around the trunks of trees.<br />
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Read the rest of this week's Bird Finder <a href="http://www.ctaudubon.org/?p=16552">here</a>.<br />
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Photo by Dominic Sharony.Tom Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00624482065925540547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379852154632083911.post-18622862836387090522013-12-13T07:21:00.000-05:002013-12-13T07:21:08.214-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oODDTYZ-ozM/Uqo6eZaE_WI/AAAAAAAABAc/xSgyl1Y0KAc/s1600/Ipswich+Savannah+Sparrow+-+Andrew+Griswold.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oODDTYZ-ozM/Uqo6eZaE_WI/AAAAAAAABAc/xSgyl1Y0KAc/s320/Ipswich+Savannah+Sparrow+-+Andrew+Griswold.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>The Ipswich Savannah Sparrow<br /><i>Passerculus sandwichensis princeps</i></b><br />
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<b>Where to find it:</b> An Ipswich Sparrow has appeared at our <a data-mce-href="https://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-8&client=firefox&q=1207+prospect+drive,+stratford&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x89e80d441f803555:0xf53c5b69579c54e8,1207+Prospect+Dr,+Stratford,+CT+06615&gl=us&ei=fi-qUrK0GdSksQTD5IHgAw&ved=0CC4Q8gEwAA" href="https://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-8&client=firefox&q=1207+prospect+drive,+stratford&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x89e80d441f803555:0xf53c5b69579c54e8,1207+Prospect+Dr,+Stratford,+CT+06615&gl=us&ei=fi-qUrK0GdSksQTD5IHgAw&ved=0CC4Q8gEwAA" target="_blank">Stratford Point Coastal Grassland Conservation Area </a>this
winter. It has been seen a handful of times on the outer bluffside
trail, and is typically spotted by walking the trail until you note a
very pale colored sparrow that may pop up onto one of the bluff
boulders. We expect one or more individuals to remain with us at
Stratford Point throughout the winter.<br />
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To read the entire Bird Finder post, click <a href="http://www.ctaudubon.org/?p=16396" target="_blank">here</a>. <br />
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Photo by Andrew Griswold.Tom Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00624482065925540547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379852154632083911.post-34317017020920177552013-12-06T10:55:00.000-05:002013-12-06T10:55:06.942-05:00Snowy Winter, Continued<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e-cvh8e2vWM/UqHzKYv_L2I/AAAAAAAABAM/Ffxka00RgDo/s1600/Snowy+on+the+gourds+(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e-cvh8e2vWM/UqHzKYv_L2I/AAAAAAAABAM/Ffxka00RgDo/s320/Snowy+on+the+gourds+(3).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-41649881-c89e-dbf8-b73d-c4f6392749a4" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“There has been an unbelievable push of birds heading to the south and concentrated in the Great Lakes to Northeast and the Atlantic Coast and continuing south by the day. Two years ago we had a similar burst of Snowy Owls pour down into the U.S. but it was more uniformly spread across the upper half of the country. Many Central and Northwest areas had sizable numbers of birds while the Northeast and Atlantic Coast had fewer. Why is there such a difference in geography? We don’t know, at least not yet …”</span></div>
<br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Thus wrote Scott Kruitbosch, our former Connecticut Audubon Society colleague who left last summer to work for another former colleague, Twan Leenders, at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute, in Jamestown, N.Y.</span></div>
<br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If you’re interested in a close look at the Snowy Owl numbers this year, read Scott’s post on the RTPI blog, </span><a href="http://rtpi.org/snowy-owl-sightings-and-statistics/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">here</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The photo above was taken by Anthony Zemba/Copyright Connecticut Audubon Society </span></div>
Tom Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00624482065925540547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379852154632083911.post-41341533528627862302013-12-05T22:49:00.000-05:002013-12-05T22:50:04.081-05:00Connecticut Audubon Bird Finder for December 6, 2013: Snow Bunting<a href="http://www.ctaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Snow-Bunting-March-2009-by-Twan-Leenders-11.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Snow Bunting March 2009 by Twan Leenders (1)" class="alignright size-large wp-image-16340" height="300" src="http://www.ctaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Snow-Bunting-March-2009-by-Twan-Leenders-11-420x300.jpg" width="420" /></a><b>Snow Bunting<br /><i>Plectrophenax nivalis</i></b><br />
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<b>Where to find them:</b><br />
Snow Buntings are commonly found in large flocks during fall migration at open coastal fields and parking lots, and in agricultural fields inland. The Connecticut Audubon Society’s Coastal Center at Milford Point is a good starting point, as is our Stratford Point coastal restoration site, across the Housatonic River.<br />
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Click <a href="http://www.ctaudubon.org/2013/12/connecticut-audubon-bird-finder-for-december-6-2013-snow-bunting/" target="_blank">here</a> for more. Tom Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00624482065925540547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379852154632083911.post-41097773361602961352013-12-04T14:19:00.002-05:002013-12-04T14:19:38.478-05:00Snowy WinterIt's official: We've declared 2013 to be a terrific year for Snowy Owls in Connecticut. We wanted you all to be among the first to know. Click <a href="http://www.ctaudubon.org/?p=16349" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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The Snowy pictured here distracted our director of conservation services, Anthony Zemba, who abandoned his desk to take this terrific shot at Stratford Point.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TYnF4mSbzfs/Up9_3qTVN-I/AAAAAAAAA_8/rVFzO2TEzK0/s1600/DSC05308+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TYnF4mSbzfs/Up9_3qTVN-I/AAAAAAAAA_8/rVFzO2TEzK0/s320/DSC05308+(1).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Tom Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00624482065925540547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379852154632083911.post-8196617868921060112013-11-28T08:00:00.002-05:002013-11-28T08:03:53.128-05:00Snowy Owls in Milford and Stratford<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q_5SPGs-nd0/Upc95f0oIAI/AAAAAAAAA_s/peir_yS_lMQ/s1600/Snowy+Owl+Stratford+Point+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q_5SPGs-nd0/Upc95f0oIAI/AAAAAAAAA_s/peir_yS_lMQ/s320/Snowy+Owl+Stratford+Point+(2).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Snowy Owls have moved into Connecticut. One has been at our <a href="http://www.ctaudubon.org/coastal-center-at-milford-point/" target="_blank">Milford Point Coastal Center</a> and at least one other, and maybe two, has been across the Housatonic in the Sikorsky Airport area.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Here are excerpts from the Connecticut Ornithological Association’s daily compilation of bird sightings in the state:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“11/27/13 - Milford, Milford Point -- 9:00 AM; Snowy Owl out on the tip of Milford Point, visible by looking west from the tower.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">11/27/13 - Milford, Milford Point -- 10:00 AM; visible from the Stratford side of the river.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">11/27/13 - Milford, Milford Point -- 11:30 AM; one Snowy Owl visible from Knott's Landing in Stratford.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Stratford, Sikorsky airport -- another Snowy Owl.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">11/27/13 - Stratford, Long Beach -- 1:00 PM; Snowy Owl.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">11/27/13 - Stratford, Sikorsky Airport -- 2:30 PM; Snowy Owl (1) behind airport fence near the spot where the northern wheatear was a few years ago.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">11/27/13 - Stratford, Sikorsky Airport -- 2:50 PM; 1 Snowy Owl visible in the large field on the western side of the airport. It was quite far out and could not be seen from the pullover out on the road. It was seen from the pullover within the airport. The eastern side of the airport was checked with no luck. I checked Milford Point from Sniffen's Lane in Stratford, as well as from Short Beach in Stratford, but could not spot a Snowy from either location.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">11/27/13 - Stratford, Sikorsky Airport, Eastern Side -- 3:45 PM; 1 SNOWY OWL on the edge of the tarmack. We first viewed it from Oak Bluff ave, then closest view was from Lordship Blvd. Still being seen at 4:15 PM.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The photo above was taken at Stratford Point two years ago and is copyright Connecticut Audubon Society. </span></div>
Tom Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00624482065925540547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379852154632083911.post-64481463756092157302013-11-27T13:29:00.001-05:002013-11-27T13:29:09.681-05:00Connecticut Audubon Bird Finder for November 27, 2013: Eurasian Wigeon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.ctaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/EurasianAmericanWigeons.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Eurasian&AmericanWigeons" class="alignleft size-large wp-image-16295" height="115" src="http://www.ctaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/EurasianAmericanWigeons-420x152.jpg" width="320" /></a><b id="docs-internal-guid-439082c9-1f66-3f29-97b3-d5ce3447fa99" style="font-weight: normal;"></b><b>Eurasian Wigeon</b><i><i><b>Anas penelope</b></i></i>
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<b>Where to find it:</b> Eurasian Wigeons (up to four males) have been visiting Milford in recent weeks, at the Mondo Ponds Nature Preserve and Education Center and Jonathan Law High School pond. Eurasian Wigeon can occur anywhere in Connecticut but are often found with concentrations of American Wigeon and Gadwall. Like any migratory waterfowl, they can depart without notice but often Eurasian Wigeons settle in for a while, as long as there is open water and they have a steady food source. The parking lot at Mondo Ponds is <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-8&client=firefox&ie=UTF-8&q=Mondo+Pond+Parking&fb=1&gl=us&hq=mondo+ponds,&hnear=0x89e87460a6f831db:0x40f9029978d74083,Milford,+CT&cid=0,0,16360217317001300258&ei=xqyTUoWqIvXasASy34HgBA&ved=0CKgBEPwSMAs" target="_blank">on Naugatuck Avenue</a>; the high school is <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-8&client=firefox&ie=UTF-8&q=jonathan+law+high+school&fb=1&gl=us&hq=jonathan+law+high+school&hnear=0x89c2ba7d29e357e3:0xf293aca15c82309f,Mount+Kisco,+NY&cid=0,0,2036555844774153014&ei=K62TUpmhBY_lsATYpYH4BQ&ved=0CLYBEPwS" target="_blank">on Lansdale Avenue</a>. Some winters, a male Eurasian Wigeon or two spend time in the mouth of the Housatonic River, often commuting between the Stratford Point and Short Beach area of Stratford, and the Wheeler Marsh and sandbars at Milford Point. Read the rest of this week's Bird Finder<a href="http://www.ctaudubon.org/?p=16070" target="_blank"> here...</a><br />
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<i>This week's Connecticut Audubon Bird Finder was contributed by <a href="http://www.ctaudubon.org/2012/05/connecticut-audubon-society-staff/#gallo" target="_blank">Frank Gallo</a>, director of Connecticut Audubon Society's Milford Point Coastal Center.</i><br />
<i>Photo courtesy of Frank Mantlik</i><br />
<i>To sign up for future Connecticut Bird Finder emails, send your name and town to <a href="mailto:tandersen@ctaudubon.org" target="_blank">tandersen@ctaudubon.org</a></i>Tom Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00624482065925540547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379852154632083911.post-65067402270558224322013-11-22T06:24:00.000-05:002013-11-22T06:24:37.942-05:00Connecticut Audubon Bird Finder for November 22: Rusty Blackbird<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.ctaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Blackbird-Rusty-male2-SouthportNC_carolinaBirds.org_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Blackbird, Rusty male2 SouthportNC_carolinaBirds.org" class="alignleft wp-image-16173" height="221" src="http://www.ctaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Blackbird-Rusty-male2-SouthportNC_carolinaBirds.org_-420x315.jpg" width="294" /></a><b>Rusty Blackbird</b></div>
<i><i><b>Euphagus carolinus</b></i></i>
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<b>Where to Find It:</b> Rusty Blackbirds are now seeking out their wintering range. They are not common but you can find them in Connecticut, mixed in as individuals in flocks of other blackbirds species, or as small flocks of up to 30-plus individuals.<i><b></b></i><br />
<b><br />How to Find It:</b> Look for them in farm fields and wooded swamps, or even occasionally at backyard feeders.To read the rest of this week's Connecticut Audubon Bird Finder, click <a href="http://www.ctaudubon.org/?p=16066" target="_blank">here</a>...<br />
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<i>Photo by Dick Daniels, <a data-mce-href="http://carolinabirds.org/" href="http://carolinabirds.org/" target="_blank">Carolinabirds.org.</a> </i>Tom Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00624482065925540547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379852154632083911.post-65368577322311188042013-11-15T17:35:00.004-05:002013-11-15T17:35:55.853-05:00Introducing 'Connecticut Audubon Bird Finder,' A Weekly Guide to the State's Birds and its Great Outdoor Places<a href="http://www.ctaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/rsz_miley.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="rsz_miley" class="alignleft wp-image-16212" height="140" src="http://www.ctaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/rsz_miley.jpg" width="177" /></a>November 15, 2013 – Connecticut Audubon Society is launching a new weekly guide today, called <a href="http://www.ctaudubon.org/2013/11/connecticut-audubon-bird-finder-for-november-15-black-scoter/" target="_blank"><b>Connecticut Audubon Bird Finder</b></a>, to help birders plan weekend trips to great outdoor settings throughout the state.<br />
Connecticut Audubon Bird Finder is a carefully curated guide to an unusual or interesting bird that has been sighted that week in a publicly-accessible location.<br />
The bulletins will be compiled by the expert birders on Connecticut Audubon's staff, including Milan Bull, Frank Gallo, Sean Graesser, Andy Rzeznikiewicz, Andy Griswold, Anthony Zemba and Alex Brash. <br />
Each <a href="http://www.ctaudubon.org/2013/11/connecticut-audubon-bird-finder-for-november-15-black-scoter/" target="_blank">Connecticut Audubon Bird Finder </a>will tell you where that week's bird is located, how to find it and, for those who might not be experts, what it looks like.<br />
And because birds sometimes leave before you arrive, we'll try to compensate by giving ideas of what else to look for if that week's bird has flown.<br />
Each week by Friday morning we will post a new Connecticut Audubon Bird Finder on our blog. If a truly special bird arrives, we'll publish a special edition.<br />
<ul>
<li>You can visit<a href="http://www.ctaudubon.org/blog-ct-audubon/" target="_blank"> the blog</a> every Friday.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>You can subscribe to get blog posts by email (the links are on the right side of the blog page).</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>You can go to our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Connecticut-Audubon-Society/157272804378761?ref=hl" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>, where we will post each week's guide.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>You can follow us on <a href="https://twitter.com/CTAudubon" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, where we will tweet links to each guide.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>You can send us your email address and we'll notify you each time we post a new weekly guide (send your name and town to <a href="mailto:tandersen@ctaudubon.org">tandersen@ctaudubon.org</a>).</li>
</ul>
The first Connecticut Audubon Bird finder features Black Scoters, by Milan Bull, our senior director of science and conservation. You can read it <a href="http://www.ctaudubon.org/2013/11/connecticut-audubon-bird-finder-for-november-15-black-scoter/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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We hope you enjoy it! Send us your feedback and let us know what we can do to make it better.Tom Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00624482065925540547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379852154632083911.post-19895255787347021482013-11-12T15:54:00.000-05:002013-11-13T11:02:18.291-05:00A Rare and Unusual Hybrid Duck in Stratford<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-08893c23-4e07-7bd1-04fe-62514edba933" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OqZlLSrkNzg/UoKSqwaMB3I/AAAAAAAAA_U/VW0C6Q1X_ys/s1600/MALL-X-NOPI2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OqZlLSrkNzg/UoKSqwaMB3I/AAAAAAAAA_U/VW0C6Q1X_ys/s320/MALL-X-NOPI2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">For several years this adult male Northern Pintail X Mallard (the bird on the left in the photo to the left) has returned to Wooster Pond on Freeman Avenue in Stratford where locals provide food for wintering waterfowl.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1b1b1b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Waterfowl crossbreed more often than any other family of birds. Scientists have recorded more than 400 hybrid combinations among waterfowl species. Mallards crossbreed with nearly 50 other species, and Wood Ducks hybridize with a surprising 26 other species. Nearly 20 percent of waterfowl hybrid offspring are capable of reproducing, unusual in nature where hybrids are commonly sterile.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1b1b1b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1b1b1b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In general, hybridization is rare because each waterfowl species has unique characteristics that serve as barriers to interspecies mating. These characteristics include distinct physical attributes, behaviors, life-history requirements, and the unique ecological niche the species occupies. But on the breeding grounds, territories of many waterfowl species overlap, and barriers occasionally break down, presenting opportunities for interspecies mating.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1b1b1b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1b1b1b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Although this bird seems strange and unique, in North America one of the most common wild hybrids results from Mallard/Pintail breeding. Mallards also commonly crossbreed with Black Ducks, American Wigeon, Northern Shovelers, and Gadwalls.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1b1b1b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1b1b1b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Beyond creating interesting-looking ducks, hybridization can potentially lead to the extinction of a species. When individuals of two species mate and produce fertile offspring, which then mate with the parent species, this essentially contaminates the pure genes of that species. Mallards are highly aggressive breeders, and several cases involving Mallard hybridization with closely related species present waterfowl biologists with conservation challenges.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1b1b1b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1b1b1b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This really hits home in Connecticut where Mallards often breed with Black Ducks, which have been on a long-term decline throughout their range. Habitat loss due to agriculture and forestry practices have altered much of the Black Duck’s original breeding habitat and has allowed Mallards to move east (they were originally a western species) where they now frequently interact with Black Ducks. This alteration has allowed Mallards to expand their range, leading to more interaction with Black Ducks and increasing opportunities for hybridization.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i3jwefYlTHw/UoKS948wj1I/AAAAAAAAA_c/66qnvwiePM4/s1600/Mallard-X-Northern-Pintail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i3jwefYlTHw/UoKS948wj1I/AAAAAAAAA_c/66qnvwiePM4/s320/Mallard-X-Northern-Pintail.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1b1b1b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Changes to Black Duck migration and wintering habitat have also fostered encroachment by Mallards. Forests that once separated these species have been cleared, giving Mallards more opportunities to interact with Black Ducks during the nonbreeding season. Interspecies interactions on the wintering grounds are important because this is when waterfowl form pair bonds for the upcoming breeding season. This interaction could lead to mixed-species pairing and contribute to the hybridization problem.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1b1b1b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Although Mallard/Black Duck hybridization is an ongoing issue, the two species coexist for the most part in Connecticut and by far the greatest threat to Black Duck survival is the loss of suitable nesting and wintering habitat.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1b1b1b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This beautiful, but strange looking hybrid reminds us that the fascinating world of birds is a complex and ever-changing natural system. -- <i>Milan Bull, Senior Director of Science and Conservation</i></span></div>
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<i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1b1b1b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Top photo by Frank </span></i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1b1b1b; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Mantlik</span></div>
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Tom Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00624482065925540547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379852154632083911.post-69780614718401283792013-10-30T16:00:00.003-04:002013-10-30T16:00:50.726-04:00Conservation Education: Bridgeport 8th Graders Help Mark Second Year of Science in NatureA great group of eighth graders from Bridgeport's Curiale School helped us mark the second full academic year of Science in Nature yesterday at our Larsen Sanctuary in Fairfield.<br />
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They spent the morning searching the sanctuary's freshwater wetlands for invertebrates, and determining the pH and dissolved oxygen concentrations. The Connecticut Post was there to cover it (click <a href="http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Audubon-teaches-students-field-biology-4936989.php" target="_blank">here</a>) and we have more on our <a href="http://www.ctaudubon.org/" target="_blank">homepage</a>.<br /><br />
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<br /><br />Tom Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00624482065925540547noreply@blogger.com0