Following the Fishers in Connecticut
May 31, 2021Katerina “Kat” Gillis has dedicated the last two years of her life on a mission to help Connecticut wildlife officials prevent the loss of fishers, a medium-sized animal that inhabits our forests....
Searching for Spruce Grouse
May 31, 2021What a striking bird against the boreal forest greenery. His black breast feathers dipped in pearl white. His back vermiculated with petite black and white stripes that accented the contrast with his mottled brown wings lying flat against his body....
Underwater Frenzy
May 28, 2021It seemed like just another spring day when we stopped at the Salmon River, a tidewater tributary of the Connecticut River that splits the towns of Haddam and East Haddam, Connecticut....
Spring Stunners
March 1, 2021Few birds can match the eye-popping beauty of the male Baltimore oriole or the flying prowess of the ruby-throated hummingbird....
Up and Over, Clearing Obstacles to Reach Habitat
March 1, 2021Historically, each spring throngs of migratory fish from the ocean surged up the Connecticut River and its tributaries as far inland as they were able....
Introducing a Regular Column About Migratory Fish in the Watershed
November 29, 2020Some of the most historical and ecologically-significant migrations of the Connecticut River are missed by most. These are the annual migrations of fish—specifically diadromous fish....
The Elusive Bobcat
November 29, 2020Meet the bobcat, an elusive, captivating animal that is prevalent in the Connecticut River Valley, yet one that many of us—myself included—have rarely seen in the wild....
Living Fossil
September 1, 2020Few fish can rival the longevity or storied ancestry of shortnose sturgeon, a primitive animal that can live up to seven decades or more, and whose ancestors literally swam with the dinosaurs. “Recently, paleontologists found a fossil record, showing remnants of a mass dinosaur killing, and there were sturgeon and paddle fish carcasses, stacked together,” Micah Kieffer, a fisheries research biologist said....
A Great Gathering
September 1, 2020In countless numbers they assemble in the sky, in the quickening September dusk, to perform a swirling synchronized ballet. It is mesmerizing and indescribable; words cannot prepare the viewer....
Lonely Hunter
September 1, 2020Their insistent “KEE-aah” has woken us up at daybreak as they screech across the hayfield trying to scare up breakfast. They’re noisy neighbors, our resident pair of red-shouldered hawks....
The Many Gifts of a Crow
June 1, 2020There are not many creatures in the animal world that can outwit a crow. For that matter, humans have had a tough time outsmarting them, too....
Wildlife Wonders
March 1, 2020As black bear populations continue to grow in the Connecticut River Valley and beyond, now more than ever there’s a need for people and public officials to work together to sustain a healthy bear population....
In Awe of the Osprey
March 1, 2020During the month of March, the onset of spring in New England is revealed by the arrival of a conspicuous coastal and estuarine raptor—the Osprey. It may be blowing hard on Connecticut salt marshes with temperatures hovering in the 40s, but for Osprey, this time is ripe for reproduction....
Bald Eagles of the Connecticut River
March 1, 2020Dead drifting my canoe along a stretch of the upper Connecticut River a few miles upstream of the Wilder Dam, a flash of white against the dark green pine background revealed the perching spot of an adult Bald Eagle....