Cactus collection at Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo greenhouse.
Look, but don’t touch!
Category Archives: Nature
Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo
We read some tips on taking photos through fences and headed out to the zoo in Bridgeport to try our hand at some different wildlife.
The Amur Tiger and Amur Leopard are both part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Species Survival Plan, where endangered animals are part of a captive breeding program to help ensure their survival.
The zoo is home to a number of un-releasable birds, including this Bald Eagle and Barn Owl. Both quite distinctive, Guinea Fowl  and Peafowl roam free around the zoo grounds.
Click on any photo for a larger view or slide show.Â
Barn Owl
Bald Eagle
A colony of Prairie Dogs was quite comical.
Peacock
Guinea Hens roam free.
Pygmy Goat
Amur Tiger laying in pool
Amur Leopard
Rock for a pillow.
Spurred Toroise
Peacock
A fast approaching thunderstorm shortened our visit so we’ll have to go back to see the Toucan, Ocelot, and the not yet open Pampas Plains exhibit that was having some finishing touches worked on the day we were there.
Meadow Walk
AÂ Bluebird invited us to “come on in” as he flitted off into the meadow at the entrance to the Audubon Center at Bent of the River in Southbury.
Butterflies proved elusive  as they examined the blooming milkweed, with seemingly random flight patterns.
We were last here in March when there was a foot of snow on the ground. On Sunday the meadow was overrun with flowers reaching for the sun.
Red-winged BlackbIrds
A small pond at the rear of Cedar Hill Cemetery in Hartford is hosting a growing flock of Red-winged Blackbirds. I was drawn in by the racket they were making then an adult male worked to divert my attention away from his family.
(Click any photo for larger view or slideshow.)
Last year’s cat-tails make good camouflage for the drab females and young.
Small Things: Elizabeth Park
Hartford’s Elizabeth Park is full of delightful images everywhere you turn.
Roses, of course, are the most well known flowers there but plenty of other specimens vie for attention.
And there are plenty of small critters running about.
Found something!
Great form and color.
Moving Up
Last week I photographed Swallows feeding their young at a nest box. At Hammonasset Beach State Park the Menunkatuck Audubon Society has placed nesting boxes with the openings facing away from the path where human visitors are invited to observe.
Yesterday, the young from one of those boxes had made it to the roof. At the neighboring boxes all of the activity was on the side away from observation, with the parents bringing a steady supply of food. (Click photo for larger view.)
Heron in the Swamp
The duck seemed oblivious to what was going on around him. At first it looked like a piece of trash when his head was tucked under his wing,  but then his head popped up.
The Heron kept busy going back and forth, with graceful take-offs and landings. 
The turtles seemed to be looking up at him, but the didn’t seem to care either. 
Nice, easy touch down. 
An extra shake for good measure.Â
Before taking off again.
Click on any photo for a larger view.
Birds At The Edge of The River
I spent an enjoyable morning yesterday watching birds along the lower Connecticut River in a few spots from Essex to Deep River. There was a lovely breeze bringing cool air off the water and keeping the mosquitoes at bay.
This Snowy Egret plodded back in forth in an inlet swamp, constantly poking into the undergrowth. I didn’t see the meal but there was some swallowing going on.
Undeterred by the breeze the Swallows were in nearly constant motion gathering bugs from the air, both over the water and a nearby cemetery. A hungry mouth alerted to an incoming parent.
The parents were harder to catch but they stopped long enough to drop off a snack.
This industrious fellow gathered and then dropped little bits of dried grass, over and over. I had looked away when he took off so don’t know if any of his efforts made it to his nest.
A Day At The Shore
On a trip to the Connecticut shore last week we started at Harkness State Park. We almost skipped it because we hadn’t seen much activity the last time we were there. This day there was plenty of ruckus with six school buses of middle-schoolers on a field trip.
Walking away from that crowd down to the marsh I was rewarded with a glimpse of this colorful fellow, oblivious to the din from the picnic area..
Further along, there was this fleeting view. The underbrush there is dense, with new growth coming up through last year’s left overs. The park service mows a wide path which allows human visitors to avoid the prickers.
The marsh inlet was alive with activity: Geese, Mallards, an active Osprey nest, and an elusive green Heron.
A Snowy Egret gave a good show hunting for lunch, then we moved on to Rocky Neck State Park where the Egrets were even more plentiful and active.
Raptors
In early May I had the opportunity to photograph a group of raptors that are cared for by Horizon Wings Raptor Rehabilitation and Education. These particular birds are not candidates for release due to the nature of their injuries.
Click any photo to enlarge or see slide show.
It was a beautiful spring day and we were able to take advantage of the blossoming trees as backgrounds.