Previously, we’ve identified species that it should be possible to confirm as breeders in most blocks. Two of those species are New World sparrows (a third, house sparrow, is an Old World sparrow – a completely separate family). And both begin nesting early enough in the year that confirming them should already be possible in many places. Continue reading
Atlas data
Night birds (part 2)
Yesterday I wrote about night birds, but didn’t mention owls. On my return from whip-poor-will listening last week, though, I also heard a pair of great horned owls calling from my yard. Last summer, I confirmed breeding for this species when I heard both the parents and young owls calling. Continue reading
Night birds (part 1)
Night birds are often among the most under-reported species in bird atlases. Precisely because they are hard to detect, however, they are also among those species we most need to learn about, because there are few other good sources of information about most of them. Continue reading
Expanding woodpeckers
Last spring, Greg Hanisek wrote a blog post about the growing range of yellow-bellied sapsuckers in Connecticut. During the last breeding atlas, in the 1980s, the species was largely confined to the northwest corner of the state, with only scattered records of possible breeding elsewhere. Since then, the species is known to have spread south and east, but exactly how much was unclear. Continue reading
Can we confirm robins in every block?
Last summer I wrote a blog post highlighting 12 species that it should be possible to confirm as breeders in almost all atlas blocks. That list is reproduced here:
1. Song sparrow
2. American robin
3. Gray catbird
4. Black-capped chickadee
5. Mourning dove
6. Northern cardinal
7. Blue jay
8. House finch
9. Common yellowthroat
10. House sparrow
11. Chipping sparrow
12. Tufted titmouse
8. House finch
9. Common yellowthroat
10. House sparrow
11. Chipping sparrow
12. Tufted titmouse
Where have all the parids gone? (Answer: probably nowhere)
The summer of 2018 proved to be a really great start for the atlas, but whenever we present last year’s data we are constantly pointing out that comparisons to the first atlas need to be made with care. In part, we make these cautions because the data are still being reviewed to ensure we’ve made no errors. But, the main reason is simply that the historic data come from five years of field work, not just one. Continue reading
Early spring targets: ruffed grouse
Spring is well and truly here, and there are signs of breeding all around. Species that can be confirmed as breeders should be reported to the atlas, but what about everything else that you see? At this point there are more than a dozen species that are within safe dates, so any time you see any of the species on the list below in suitable nesting habitat, please report them. This week, we are planning a series of posts to highlight some of these species and to contrast the data we gathered last year with information from the first breeding bird atlas in the 1980s. As we’ve cautioned before, all 2018 data are preliminary as we are still checking records and fixing known errors, but the information provides a good snapshot of what we’ve learned so far. Continue reading
The trouble with safe dates …
The single most common cause of confusion during last year’s summer atlas data collection, was the use of safe dates. The important thing to remember is that these dates are based on the timing of migration and other non-breeding season movements, and do not describe the period during which breeding occurs. The goal is to filter out possible and probable records that could involve birds that are just passing through a block and will nest elsewhere. For example, ducks can be seen doing courtship displays right now. Many of these birds, however, will breed 100s of miles from where they are being seen right now and do not represent Connecticut nesting birds. Indeed, some species that are commonly seen displaying in spring have never bred in Connecticut. Continue reading
Check your local swamp for herons
Although great blue herons can be found in the state throughout the year, many migrate south during winter, and those that remain tend to retreat to the coast as freshwater wetlands freeze over. Several posts on the ctbirds listserv this week have shown that great blues are starting to return to their nesting colonies, and the next couple of weeks – before the leaves start to emerge – will be an ideal time to check all the swamps in your atlas block for active nests. Continue reading
Ravens
Over the past couple of weeks, ravens have been a regular sight at UConn. Displaying from the roof of the visitor’s center, wheeling over the parking garage, and yesterday I even heard one while sitting in my office. The species has nested in a farm building near the university’s Depot Campus for a couple of years and is seen throughout the area, but this is the first sign that they might nest right on the main campus. Continue reading