Aggressive swan killed by state; local man says pair were friendly

By John Penney

Posted Apr 20, 2016 at 5:08 PM

Updated Apr 21, 2016 at 11:50 AM 

KILLINGLY — State wildlife officials killed a swan on Wednesday after the animal reportedly attacked several people on a Danielson waterway, an outcome a local man said could have been handled in a much more humane manner.

The male swan was protecting a nesting area on Five Mile Pond, said Dennis Schain, spokesman for the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

“Earlier this week, we were notified that a husband and wife out on the water were attacked by the swan, but were able to make it to shore,” he said. “A short time later, the same swan went after two boys in a canoe, causing the boat to tip over."

State employees caught the animal on Wednesday and snapped its neck, a widely used euthanizing technique in such situations, Schain said.

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Connecticut Audubon Society: No drones in sanctuaries

By Ryan Blessing 

Posted Feb. 7, 2016 at 3:55 PM

Connecticut’s Audubon Society has grounded man-made drones in all of its 19 sanctuaries, including ones in Montville and Pomfret.

The move comes out of concern the mechanized flying craft are likely to disturb wildlife and annoy visitors, the society said.

"No creature visits our sanctuaries hoping to be buzzed by a drone," Connecticut Audubon Society President Alexander Brash said.

The society believes it’s the first organization in the state and one of the first in the country to ban drones, which have exploded in popularity in the past few years. It’s instituting the ban proactively because it anticipates more drone use nationwide.

The Federal Aviation Administration announced last week almost 300,000 drone owners registered their unmanned aircraft in the first 30 days after the FAA's new online registration system went into effect last year.

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Special bird species makes Hammonasset home

MADISON, CT (WFSB) -

Dozens of bird lovers flocked to Hammonasset State Park in Madison on Wednesday to help track a special  species of bird, the Purple Martin.

East of the Mississippi, the winged wonders totally rely on humans for housing and need special care.

Colonies of the Purple Martins have made Hammonasset State Park their home, even though the species is originally from Brazil.

On Wednesday, members of the Menuntuck Audubon Society continued a decade-old tradition of banding the very young days-old chicks from the nests they installed in 2005.

"We're going to ban all the chicks that are between 10 days and 22 days old,” said Terry Shaw, of the Menuntuck Audubon Society.

Each colony in Connecticut will get a different colored band so when spotters see their band color they will know exactly what colony they came from.

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Loss of meadow habitat bad news for birds

The open spaces that humans think are wonderful places for wildlife are, more often than not, better suited to people.

The Connecticut Audubon Society, in its State of the Birds 2014 report, issued a scathing assessment of how open spaces are managed in Connecticut, noting that the population numbers of some bird species are in a tailspin because their traditional habitats have all but disappeared. The report also notes there's no accurate count as to how much bona fide open space really exists in the state.

The reasons for the loss of the meadow environment are many, but the fact that birds aren't allowed to vote is part of it, according to Stephen B. Oresman, chairman emeritus of the Connecticut Audubon Society. Oresman, who wrote the opening essay in the report, notes that support in the state Legislature is scant for preserving habitats that humans don't find attractive or valuable, such as scrubland and meadows.

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To keep peace, Bristol considers ban on roosters

OCTOBER 1, 2013 : Updated: October 1, 2013 6:00am

BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) — Bristol officials are considering banning roosters to end the birds' early-morning wake-up calls.

The Bristol Press reports (http://bit.ly/18o2UlS ) that the city's Zoning Commission is responding to a rising number of complaints. It's considering the ban in residential areas.

Farmers would not be affected by new rules being considered. And those who now own roosters would be allowed to keep the birds, but not replace them when they die.

The city lets residents keep up to a dozen chickens in many residential areas with no specific wording in regulations about roosters.

City Planner Alan Weiner said the zoning enforcement officer typically speaks with the owner of a rooster subject of complaints. He said most understand the problem and get rid of the bird, but some refuse.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/article/To-keep-peace-Bristol-considers-ban-on-roosters-4858959.php