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The Connecticut River is home to a tree swallow phenomenon

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The Connecticut River is home to a tree swallow phenomenon


It’s September and that means everyday tree swallows are putting on their spectacular autumnal avian display near the mouth of the Connecticut River.

Hundreds of thousands of the birds come from all over New England and the Canadian Maritimes to roost in the marshes just south of Essex before they head south for the winter.

These tiny native birds, with an iridescent dark blue top and white underbelly, weigh about 17 grams. Matthew Bell from the Connecticut Audubon Society said that’s about the weight of three quarters.

Raquel C. Zaldívar

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Len Calbo, center, looks through binoculars to Goose Island in Old Lyme, Conn., as tree swallows make their way to their roosting spot on the island on Sunday, August. 31, 2025.

Bell says it’s a good idea to use binoculars to really appreciate the show which “looks like TV static or spilled cracked pepper all over your counter.”

Once they gather by the hundreds of thousands over the marshes, the tree swallows then quickly descend to pick an individual reed where each bird will spend the night.

“Sometimes it’s a plummet where every bird disappears in 30 seconds, the sky just empties out completely, other nights, it looks like a dramatic tornado,” Bell said.

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He says scientists can’t say exactly why the tree swallows pick this spot every year to roost right before their migration south.

“We assume that they pick it in part, strength in numbers. Most of their predators probably can’t swim out here to get them, raccoons, skunks, stuff like that,” he said.

Pat Decarli, right, looking through binoculars, and Dennis Decarli, to her left, look out to Goose Island in Old Lyme, Conn., as tree swallows make their way to their roosting spot on the island on Sunday, August. 31, 2025.

Raquel C. Zaldívar

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Pat Decarli, right, looking through binoculars, and Dennis Decarli, to her left, look out to Goose Island in Old Lyme, Conn., as tree swallows make their way to their roosting spot on the island on Sunday, August. 31, 2025.

Boaters and kayakers gather in the river daily right before sunset to watch the birds arrive. The Connecticut Audubon Society and the Connecticut River Museum offer boat tours to experience the event but tickets often sell out quickly.

The bird numbers peak in mid-September and disappear in late October when the swallows head south for the winter.





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Connecticut Sun Must Improve One Key Metric to be Competitive in 2026

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Connecticut Sun Must Improve One Key Metric to be Competitive in 2026


The Connecticut Sun went into somewhat of a rebuild phase throughout the 2025 season, with much of their roster being tailored towards younger players and ensuring they had the opportunity to develop and get accustomed to the WNBA level. With that said, the record they put out is certainly something they will be looking to improve upon in 2026.

With two first-round picks, they are able to make some more additions to the roster that should help out with the depth of the squad. To do so, they will need to analyze what the team needs, and in 2025, it became abundantly clear what the franchise needed heading into their next campaign.

On the bright side, they were one of the better defensive teams in the league throughout the year, which is enormously impressive from a roster that mostly consists of younger talent. Showing that level of tenacity early in their careers will be crucial down the road to building success and competing with some of the best rosters in the league. There is still a long road to get there, though, and one of the key issues was one of the most obvious.

Connecticut Sun center Tina Charles and forward Aaliyah Edwards celebrate a basket, wearing orange jerseys.

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The biggest struggle for the Sun compared to the other teams in the WNBA was their 3-point shooting, as in the year they ended up with only a 30.2% rate on 3-point shots. The only other team within a similar range was the Dallas Wings, who hit 30.4%, but otherwise every team was at 32.5% or above.

It is no coincidence that two of the three worst teams in the league were at the bottom of the leaderboard in three-point shooting, as it has become more and more vital to the game of basketball over the years. It wasn’t just a three-point shot issue for Connecticut, though, as they were also last in two-point shot rate at 45.9%, which is brutal.

Shooting efficiency is one of the simplest statistics to look into and define, but one of the most difficult to get right for any roster. It isn’t just as simple as making more shots; it becomes an analysis of schematic decisions and how the team is able to generate scoring chances with assists and open looks.

This will be a huge point of emphasis for coach Rachid Meziane heading into year two as the team works through the offseason to try and build off their success on defense. Bringing in some veteran talents to help provide some scoring opportunities may help as well, which may be under consideration.





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Man arrested for string of home burglaries in East Lyme

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Man arrested for string of home burglaries in East Lyme


A man has been arrested in connection to several home burglaries in East Lyme in September, police said.

The police department said a New London man was arrested on Friday and he is facing 17 charges.

Police said they were able to identify a suspect due to more patrol officers and investigative work by their detectives.

The man faces charges including 12 counts of burglary, attempted burglary, larceny and criminal mischief.

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He was held on a $770,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 1.



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Veterans serve sailors away from home for Thanksgiving

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Veterans serve sailors away from home for Thanksgiving



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