Greg Hanisek

Waterbury

Columnist at Republican-American

A nature blog written by Waterbury Republican-American columnist Greg Hanisek

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Articles

Gnatcatcher, ibis, other spring arrivals draw birders at Hammonasset Beach State Park

1 week ago | ctinsider.com | Greg Hanisek

Change has accelerated in the avian world and last weekend it washed across Connecticut in the form of new arrivals. Species with little or no presence since last fall made their seasonal return. The concentration point was Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison - not unexpected for a couple of reasons. Not only is "Hammo" the best all-around birding location in the state, it was flooded with birders drawn by an easily found rarity - a white-faced ibis.
Attractive spring wildflowers preceded by a species no one would call beautiful

2 weeks ago | ctinsider.com | Greg Hanisek

It's April and before long the delicate spring wildflowers, waited for with anticipation by nature lovers, will bloom in wooded areas, especially in picturesque stream corridors. These include beauties such as bloodroot, dutchman's breeches and rue anemone. These are attractive and rather widespread, but they are preceded, often before winter is over, by a species that nobody would call delicate or beautiful. The name suggests nothing of the kind: skunk cabbage.
Birds are not nature's only singers this spring in CT. Enter: wood frogs.

3 weeks ago | ctinsider.com | Greg Hanisek

The sounds of nature run the gamut, and in our area the most prominent emanate from birds. As I wrote last week, as spring unfolds, the avian chorus grows, but it won't reach its full volume until mid-May when the last of our long-distance migrants arrive from winter in the tropics. The nature of these bird sounds ranges from the soothingly melodic lays of the wood thrush to the harsh croaking of the northern raven.
An 'uptick in song' as birds show signs of spring in Connecticut

1 month ago | ctinsider.com | Greg Hanisek

The sun is shining, the temperature is rising and birds are singing. It's spring. Of course, we don't have to respond to all those natural clues. We just look at the calendar and right there in the little box marked March 20 we find the answer. While this involves a natural, meteorological event - the spring or vernal equinox - its designation derives from the amazing ability of our very ancient ancestors to discern this as the day when there are equal hours of daylight and darkness.
Bird watching in CT: 500 ring-necked ducks spotted in Southbury

1 month ago | milfordmirror.com | Greg Hanisek

Just because a bird is numerous doesn't mean it's familiar to the general public. If you told your neighbor you'd just seen hundreds of ducks, they'd probably think you were talking about mallards. They'd definitely be surprised that on a recent trip to Southbury you took the time to count ducks below Shepaug Dam. The result? 500 ring-necked ducks.
Merlin species of falcon holding its own in Connecticut

1 month ago | milfordmirror.com | Greg Hanisek

The smallest, the American kestrel, and the largest, the iconic peregrine falcon, the world's fastest bird, fall at the opposite ends of the spectrum. The kestrel, once by far the most common of the three, has been in steep decline because of its reliance on a vanishing habitat — farmland. The peregrine, once on the brink of extinction because of the toxic effects of persistent pesticides, has bounced back thanks to bans on DDT.
Horned larks and other birds flock to Connecticut dairy farms amid cold snap

2 months ago | ncadvertiser.com | Greg Hanisek

No one would question the importance of farmland. The human need for fresh, wholesome food alone would underline that fact. The breadth of its significance extends to the natural world as well. Animals of many kinds thrive in open agricultural spaces, cultivated and fallow. Declining breeding species such as bobolinks and Eastern meadowlarks rely heavily on hay fields as nest sites, but summer isn't the only time birds gravitate to farms.
Horned larks and other birds flock to Connecticut dairy farms amid cold snap

2 months ago | sheltonherald.com | Greg Hanisek

No one would question the importance of farmland. The human need for fresh, wholesome food alone would underline that fact. The breadth of its significance extends to the natural world as well. Animals of many kinds thrive in open agricultural spaces, cultivated and fallow. Declining breeding species such as bobolinks and Eastern meadowlarks rely heavily on hay fields as nest sites, but summer isn't the only time birds gravitate to farms.
Horned larks and other birds flock to Connecticut dairy farms amid cold snap

2 months ago | milfordmirror.com | Greg Hanisek

No one would question the importance of farmland. The human need for fresh, wholesome food alone would underline that fact. The breadth of its significance extends to the natural world as well. Animals of many kinds thrive in open agricultural spaces, cultivated and fallow. Declining breeding species such as bobolinks and Eastern meadowlarks rely heavily on hay fields as nest sites, but summer isn't the only time birds gravitate to farms.
Bird Watch: Catch a peek at rare eiders now at Long Island Sound

2 months ago | ncadvertiser.com | Greg Hanisek

Close up of a male common eider. Dgwildlife/Getty Images/iStockphotoWhen thoughts turn to birds thriving in the world's high latitudes, several groups come to mind. If the group you ponder is waterfowl, a worthy example would be the eiders. These are hardy sea ducks comprising four species. Two of these, the spectacled and Steller's eiders, occur nowhere near New England, but the other two species are present in Connecticut right now.