A roseate spoonbill was far, far away from its usual home when it was photographed recently in Connecticut. It's possible that warmer northern weather offered the tropical bird a comfortable climate to explore new territory.

The spoonbill showed up alone on Raven Pond in Stratford in late September, glowing pink in the midst of an urban neighborhood. Delighted locals lined the fence that surrounds the pond to watch the unusual-looking bird preen and fish before it departed a few weeks later.

Photographer Lesley Roy captured pictures of the bird, which she nicknamed Spoonie. “At one point after I spent several hours snapping every move, Spoonie burst into a dance of feathers flying, wings up to the sky, that took