Return of the Osprey Party 2013

Below is an invitation from Connecticut Audubon Society Coastal Center Director Frank Gallo to the third annual Return of the Osprey Party at Milford Point! You can view the details and a form to RSVP or donate in this document. We hope to see you there!

Connecticut Audubon Society Coastal Center

Presents Our Third Annual

Return of the Osprey Party

 Saturday, April 20

  5:30 p.m.

Great Friends, Live Music, Beer, Wine, Hors d’oeuvres, Exciting Raffle and Auction!

$40/Person $75/Couple

Proceeds to Benefit 

The Coastal Center at Milford Point’s

Osprey Nest  and  Educational Programs

A Select Sampling

From Silent Auction

Ferry Tickets

Assorted Gift Baskets

Lovely Works by Local Artists

Gift Certificates to Local Businesses

Private Bird Walks with Local Experts Patrick Dugan,

Miley Bull, Jerry Connolly, Frank Gallo, and Others

Ski Lift Tickets, Signed “Night Sounds” Book by Frank Gallo

Tai Chi Classes, Zoo and AquariumPasses

Theater Tickets, Canoe Tour

Autographed Poster of MVP Darrelle Revis

Science Birthday Party for 16 children

Pre-K Summer Camp Week

&

Original Artwork by:

David Sibley, Mark Szantyr, Frank Gallo, AJ Hand,

 Michael DiGiorgio, Tom Mihaylo, Jim Zipp and Others…

Thank you!

RSVP to Louise  Crocco:  203-878-7440 x 502

Connecticut Audubon Society

Coastal Center at Milford Point

1 Milford Point Road, Milford, CT06460

Scott Kruitbosch
Conservation Technician

Rusty Blackbird work continues

I wanted to point your attention to this eBird piece on the Rusty Blackbird. It summarizes some of the incredibly important work being done by members of the International Rusty Blackbird Working Group (IRBWG) in order to save a species that is falling in numbers as fast as any in North America.

Have you heard the creaky rusty-hinge song of the Rusty Blackbird lately? Historical accounts paint pictures of an abundant species, easily observed in boreal forest wetlands during the breeding season and wooded wetlands throughout the winter. These days, birders are lucky to catch a glimpse of these often-overlooked birds; Rusty Blackbirds have experienced one of the steepest population declines of any once-common North American bird.  Estimates from the last decade suggest that Rusty Blackbirds have experienced an 85-99% population drop over the past 40 years. For the past decade, scientists have been seeking to unlock the secrets of the enigmatic Rusty Blackbird population crash.

IRBWG members like me have spent time examining migration and movement of the species, breeding behaviors and nesting data, habitat usage in all seasons, and outside pressures from pollution to predators to other competing species. Connecticut is only a migratory and limited wintering region for the species but there is still plenty to document. We often still do not know the basics such as what other species they associate with, what they are feeding on, which habitats and locations are the most productive in the winter, significant stopover sites, the sex and age of birds at these various times and places, and so much more. I have recorded all that is possible about the species whenever I have encountered it and continue to try to bring attention to their decline. The Rusty Blackbird Winter Blitz was run in a two-week period in 2009-2011, and we will once again be asking for the public's help in March and April 2014 during the Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz.

One part of the eBird piece that I feel is important to discuss here involves a great insight made by Sam Droege of USGS within the discussion list of the IRBWG. Above you can see I quoted that it is believed, "Rusty Blackbirds have experienced an 85-99% population drop over the past 40 years", a staggering number in itself. However, this is really underestimating their plight and discounting their nearly unfathomable downfall. The key part is "over the past 40 years" as it excludes everything prior to about 1970 and the era of the Breeding Bird Survey. In the late 19th century the species was far more common than the mid to late 20th century. I would speculate that we are probably looking at drop near 99% if one was to go back 100 or 125 years in the history of the species. Sam is right in that we often incorrectly have a tendency to discount any data or information much older than a generation. While it may be much more abstract in nature all of those scientists writing down their observations a century ago should not be forgotten, and we should remember that we are dealing with a bird that is in an extremely treacherous and perhaps fatally silent spiral towards extinction.

Scott Kruitbosch
Conservation Technician

Fox Sparrow migration

Despite the cold and the snow one species has been on the move as always - the Fox Sparrow. They can be found in sizable numbers certain seasons in exposed or favorable feeding areas when Connecticut sees major snow in March as they push through the conditions and head up the coast seemingly no matter what. They are able to survive here and overwinter and as such are capable of dealing with a winter blast as we enter spring. During some convective snow showers earlier this week I found at least four of them at my feeders.

I had Fox Sparrow with me at home for most of the winter and apparently the new arrivals also enjoyed the dining selections. I was outside in the early morning without binoculars and thought I had seen one from a distance, but after another similar bird and another went after it I figured I was tired and somehow making Song Sparrows into Fox Sparrows. You do not expect to see bunches of them flitting around your yard. Once I woke up a little more and got a little closer (and remembered the date) I figured out what I was watching.

Here is a wide shot of three of the four (if not five or six or more around).

Take a look at this photo and see if you notice what was helping to trick me.

That is one small Fox Sparrow. Species can always be variable in size for reasons from geographic origin and subspecies to sex to purely individual differences but in this photo you can see the bird behind it appears much larger than the one closer to me. I think, apart from fatigue, this is what helped fool me at first.

Scott Kruitbosch
Conservation Technician

Photos by Scott Kruitbosch © Connecticut Audubon Society and not to be reproduced without explicit CAS permission

Cedar Waxwings but no Bohemians

Prior to the last couple of months we had been enjoying one of the best irruption years in recent memory with Red-breasted Nuthatches, Pine Siskins, Purple Finches, Common Redpolls, Evening Grosbeaks, Red Crossbills, White-winged Crossbills, Hoary Redpolls, and even Pine Grosbeaks making at least a brief appearance in Connecticut. Most avid birders had been able to see nearly that entire list of species if they put a little effort in, and many had spotted half of those at their own feeders. Hopes were high that we would continue this through the spring of 2013 and maybe add Bohemian Waxwings to the list. They are one of the toughest ticks in Connecticut.

Unfortunately they have avoided our state and a grand total of zero has been seen. It is not just us, though - essentially none have passed below the northern border of Massachusetts so far in 2013. The southernmost bird anywhere in the northeast region looks like it was one individual in Broome County, New York. Apparently they have found enough to dine on to our north. Nevertheless, at least Cedar Waxwings have begun to rise in sightings, and here are a couple photos of two of seven birds I found at Stratford Point on St. Patrick's Day.

They are definitely on the move and filtering back into the state. While some stay the entire winter feeding on our berries many Cedar Waxwings do migrate south. The birds I found seemed to be resting in what was a strong north wind. If you come across some Cedar Waxwings be sure to check them out so you do not miss a Bohemian mixed in the flock! It seems unlikely we will have any at this point but it is the time of year where turnover in individuals is high and birds are moving great distances.

Scott Kruitbosch
Conservation Technician

Photos by Scott Kruitbosch © Connecticut Audubon Society and not to be reproduced without explicit CAS permission

Eagles and minks

I wanted to share some more great reader submitted photos, this time from Alex Kearney. They were taken in February and March in inland Connecticut near one of our major rivers. These first images of the Bald Eagles were shot during the Blizzard of 2013 during what must have been a really enjoyable time to watch these raptors.

Alex shot these photos of the minks without knowing two were in the photo at first because of the distance from subjects. They were actually in the act of mating. This helped to further obscure these already inconspicuous creatures.

Mink can be seen at a variety of locations in Connecticut. I have even seen them myself at the Connecticut Audubon Society Center at Fairfield in the Roy and Margot Larsen Wildlife Sanctuary. Our thanks to Alex for sharing the photos!

Scott Kruitbosch
Conservation Technician

Photos by Alex Kearney (ackbluefish@yahoo.com)

Migratory trickle

I am sure everyone is aware that it has been chilly so far this March. There have been plenty of days below freezing with a significant snow event occurring earlier in the month. We have had more days with flakes in the air even if they have not accumulated and a brisk northerly flow in place keeping the wind chill rather unpleasant. What if I told you that we were actually still above average in temperatures for the month in Connecticut? As of March 17 Hartford was about 2.2 degrees F above long-term averages and Bridgeport was at 1.6 above. That goes to show you how traditionally cold March is for our region. Personally I think I still have a memory of the gorgeous weather (for people, not for our environment!) we had in March 2012 with the temperature pushing past 70 degrees on multiple days that is making me think this is colder than normal when it is not.

Birds have begun to return but for the most part migration has been slowed by the uncooperative flow and poor conditions. While we may think they are "behind" they are probably right on track compared to the long-term arrival dates. We had a Piping Plover show up very early in Connecticut on March 5 at Long Beach in Stratford, but that has been the only bird in the state! Last year we had multiple birds and pairs beginning breeding season at Long Beach, the CAS Coastal Center at Milford Point, Sandy/Morse Points in West Haven, Harkness Memorial State Park, and Bluff Point State Park, all before March 20. That does not seem likely to happen in the next couple of days, and it was probably helped a great deal by the warm conditions in place in 2012.

Ospreys and Tree Swallows are among some of the other birds that have trickled in and been reported infrequently. They are far from widespread as of yet but both should be soon enough. Swallows in particular have to be careful during freezing conditions or else they will have very little prey available. Other early migrants like Killdeer have popped up in inland areas and some of the more rare species like the Northern Shoveler or Short-eared Owl have done the same. CAS Senior Director of Science and Conservation Milan Bull spotted a first of year Yellow-crowned Night-Heron in Stratford's Great Meadows Marsh last week, but even the waders have been slow in returning. Great Blue Herons seem relatively widespread but Great and Snowy Egrets still have yet to arrive in appreciable numbers. The remainder of March should be near climate averages and, for us, rather cold. We will see what the birds think of it.

Scott Kruitbosch
Conservation Technician

Northern Gannets coming by

Last Thursday, March 8, the Connecticut coast was being whipped by winds and waves ahead of the coastal system that was failing to provide much precipitation yet. Sustained winds on the immediate coast were easily over 30MPH and gusts were pushing into the 40s. With temperatures in the upper 30s it was a very frigid day. I was moving through a waterfowl survey at Stratford Point rather quickly because of this and because of the fact there were very low numbers of waterfowl in the survey zone with whitecaps filling Long Island Sound. I did enjoy seeing a couple of Bonaparte's Gulls among the typical Herring and Ring-billed Gulls feeding in the Stratford Point cove.

As we pass through March we typically begin to see an uptick of Northern Gannets at Stratford Point. In the fall we usually have them often in beginning in November and continuing into December, with sightings dropping in January and February, and then picking up again right about now. These kind of large low pressure systems and powerful winds help to push them closer to the coast as well. In this case one bird came right by the edge of the bluff providing great looks for myself and Anthony who joined me momentarily at just the right time. Carrying my equipment with my camera slung over my shoulder as usual in case of some extreme rarity I was not prepared to take any shots, but here are a couple I managed to snap off while being pushed over by the wind.

At least you can actually see the bird in these crops instead of only the water as I managed to take a few of the waves only. If you stop by Stratford Point to look for some search everywhere - occasionally one passes by very close, some are often found to the east closer to shore, while others are miles out in the open water only viewable by scope.

Scott Kruitbosch

Conservation Technician

Photos by Scott Kruitbosch © Connecticut Audubon Society and not to be reproduced without explicit CAS permission