Chickadee

Chickadee Chatter • March 2012

Chatter

November/December 2014

Litchfield Hills Audubon Society Newsletter

Volume 59 / Issue 6

The mission of the Litchfield Hills Audubon Society is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife and their habitats, for the benefit of the community, through conservation, education and research.

President’s Message By Harry Ainsworth Nature Day, Duck Ramble, and Feeding Birds in Winter

There are lots of things to write about this early October morning. First of all, I want to thank Robyn Dinda, Cynthia Phipps, Carol Perrault, Terri Bianchi, and Marie Kennedy for the outstanding job they did at the White Memorial Conservation Center’s Family Nature Day, September 27. Our Junior Audubon table was very well attended. Junior Audubon provided the materials and the children provided the imagination to make and decorate lots of bird nests. Great job! I also cannot thank Janet and John Baker, and Irma, of course, enough for their participation. It was amazing to watch so many children sit and pose with Irma. For those of you who don’t know, Irma is a Burmese python who I understand is approximately 11 feet long and weighs about 30 pounds. It was really something to see how easily the children handled this marvelous creature. Right now I am sitting in my office looking out the window at the gloomy, rainy sky, feeling a bit sad that fall has arrived. The leaves have turned spectacular colors, and the birds are migrating. I have been away for a couple of weeks and came home with hopes of seeing my treasured hummingbirds but have seen none for the last four days. My hummingbird feeder is still up with fresh nectar just in case some of them need to refuel on their long journey. Just a minute ago, I was in the kitchen and, as good luck would have it, I saw one last hummer. It has made my day. I hope she will stay for a bit so I can enjoy her acrobatics.

Let’s talk about feeding the birds for the next few months. I am a big fan of offering a variety of food over the winter. At least some weather experts expect that we will have a harsh winter. If you are interested in birds, as I hope you are, and want to enjoy seeing them over the winter, it is important to put out seed and suet. The suet is a great source of energy for many birds, including our local woodpeckers. The question of feeding birds up here in the Northwest Hills of Connecticut takes on a new meaning as some of us are occasionally visited by American black bears (Ursus americanus). We have been visited a few times by these magnificent animals and have changed our bird feeding routine to try and discourage more frequent visits. I put our feeders out when I get up in the morning and bring them in just before dusk. This certainly is not foolproof, but it seems to work. (continued on page 3)

Upcoming Programs & Events (See Calendar, pages 6-7, for details)

Programs November 3 — Experience Nature as Healer. Speaker: Marlow Shami. December 1 — Connecticut’s Secretive Wild Cat: the Bobcat. Speaker: Diane Edwards January 1 — All About Livingston Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy. Speaker: Jessica Caton

Events November 22 — Duck Ramble. Leader: Greg Hanisek December 14 — Christmas Bird Census. Chairman: Ray Belding

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This newsletter and other LHAS features can be seen IN LIVING COLOR on the LHAS Web page: www.lhasct.org.

LHAS website QR code

Scan the QR code above with your smartphone to go to www.lhasct.org.

Chickadee Chatter was printed by

959 Migeon Avenue Torrington, CT 06790 860-482-9388 www.rainbowpressonline.com

Special thanks to Doreen Orciari and Janet Baker for helping to proofread this newsletter.

November/December 2014

LHAS Officers President ! Harry Ainsworth! Vice President ! Jeanne Woolley! Treasurer ! Marie Kennedy ! Rec. Secretary ! Liz Frazier-Zygmont! Corresp. Secretary Pam Hicks !

860-777-8012 860-485-9585 860-567-5487 860-379-4461 860-491-1417

Board of Directors John Baker! 2015! Nicki Hall! 2015! Heather Perrault! 2015! Susanne Ainsworth!2016! Ray Belding ! 2016! David Zomick! 2016! Terry Bianchi! 2017! Jay Coles! 2017! Rich Martin! 2017!

860-567-8427 860-379-8917 860-542-7111 860-484-4273 860-482-4046 860-584-2824 860-489-8821 860-354-3802 860-584-5706

Director at Large Fran Zygmont! !

860-379-4461

Committee Chairpeople Boyd Sanctuary ! Debbie & Rich Martin ! 860-584-5706 Conservation ! Nicki Hall ! 860-397-8917 Education ! Donna Rose Smith ! 203-706-0474 Facebook! Liz Frazier-Zygmont! 860-379-4461 Field Trips ! David Zomick ! 860-584-2824 Fundraising ! Harry Ainsworth*! 860-777-8012 Historian ! Angela Dimmitt* ! 860-355-3429 Hospitality ! Carol Perrault ! 860-589-8023 Junior Audubon ! Robyn Dinda ! 860-567-0738 Kalmia Sanctuary ! Bob & Doreen Orciari !860-485-1347 Membership ! Doreen Orciari ! 860-485-1347 Newsletter ! Diane Edwards ! 860-485-9319 Program ! Heather Perrault ! 860-542-7111 Publicity ! Shirley Gay ! 860-482-0819 Scholarships ! Marcia McGowan ! 860-274-2089 Website! Rich Martin ! 860-584-5706 Wigwam Brook Sanctuary ! John Baker ! 860-567-8427 Research Christmas Count ! Ray Belding ! Summer Count ! Dave Tripp !

860-482-4046 860-693-6524

* Seeking Replacement

The Chickadee Chatter is published in January, March, May, July, September, and November. For the January/ February 2015 issue, all articles must be received by the editor by December 1.

The next LHAS Board Meeting will be on Tuesday, November 18 at 7:15 PM in White Memorial’s A.B. Ceder Room

Please email items for publication in the newsletter to Diane Edwards at [email protected] or mail them to her at 68 Shingle Mill Road, Harwinton, CT 06791. Send other business to the appropriate chairperson at LHAS, P.O. Box 861, Litchfield, CT 06759-0861 or [email protected].

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MEMBERSHIP Welcome New Members By Doreen Orciari, Membership Chairperson Anthony & Bernice Amoroso .........................Winsted Patricia Anderson* ..................................New Milford Barbara Cantacuzino ...............................New Milford Gary & Nancy Donovan ............................Thomaston Darlene Eifes ...............................................Harwinton Eileen Field...................................................Litchfield Barbara Fraser ..................................................Goshen Lisa Gibb ....................................................Thomaston Douglas Hook .........................................New Milford Constance Ingram ........................................Litchfield Alex Kearney .......................................................Kent Alan Newman* ..............................Washington Depot Elizabeth Nordell ............................Winchester Center Elizabeth Rea .................................Washington Depot Sally Roscoe .................................................Terryville Joe & Lee Rush* .....................................New Milford Susan Stern* ..........................................New Hartford * Welcome back LHAS membership is now at 700. If your newsletter is addressed incorrectly or if you fail to receive one, send a postcard to LHAS, P.O. Box 861, Litchfield, CT 06759-0861 or send an email to Doreen Orciari at [email protected]. A Bitter(n) Mistake My apologies to Dennis Larkin, who took the photo of the American Bitterns on page 4 in the September/October issue of Chickadee Chatter. I mistakenly said Angela Dimmitt took the photo. — The Editor

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President’s Message (continued from page 1)

A couple of years ago while I was at work, my wife called me and asked if I put the feeders out before leaving the house. I said that I had and was quickly informed that the feeders were not hanging in the backyard. When I returned home that afternoon, I carefully ventured into our woods and found all of the feeders except for my cherished Squirrel Buster Plus. As I recall, it was full and probably held close to 10 pounds of seed. I ordered another one so as not to interrupt the regular bird feeding. Some months later, in the spring I think, I found it about 50 feet into the woods. The bear managed to take the top off the feeder and empty it. Amazingly, the feeder did not have a single mark on it. Now I have two Squirrel Buster Plus feeders, a win for the birds, I would say. It was recently suggested to me that a good way of avoiding regular visits from bears is not to fill the feeders to capacity. I’ve tried it and have not seen a bear, nor signs of bears, since doing so. We shall see. Please provide food and water for our winter birds, if you are able. We focus on feeding the birds, especially in the winter, for a number of reasons. I worry, however, that many of us forget that the birds also need a source of water. There are many birdbaths available with small-wattage heaters. I can attest to that and highly recommend that you get one. I have not been able to get out to a hawk watch this year but still hope to do so. The birding is definitely not over, and there will be many good birding days ahead of us. As the migration wanes, we can look forward to birding for something a bit different, that being ducks. If you don’t know much about the varieties of ducks, get out your iBird Pro app on your cell phone or your Sibley guidebooks and check them out. My personal favorite is the Wood Duck (Aix sponsa). This brings me to an important event that deserves your attention. Mark your calendars for our November 22nd Duck Ramble. We will meet at the White Memorial Conservation Center parking lot at 8:30 a.m. There is a special guest leader for the event. I have only birded once with him and enjoyed it immensely. For further details, see page 6. I hope to see you there.

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In My Garden – A Journal – September 2014 By Angela Dimmitt September 30 — and fall is here! Many leaves are already down and many have turned color, though I suspect that is more the result of the drought than shortening days. It came so suddenly, this change — one week ago everything was green and summery; now it is yellow, orange, red, purple, definitely autumnal. Snowball hydrangeas are now pink. Phlox, so vibrant a week ago, is now completely over, and I have cut down most of it. The dogwood tree outside this window is amazing — and the birds have already eaten all the berries, even before the ravening hordes of grackles arrive to strip it. A few days ago, 25 or so robins, all females and young, hit on the Ilex verticillata (winterberry) and got a bit drunk on the berries (have you ever seen drunken robins falling out of bushes and staggering on the ground? Autumn olive berries also do that to them).

November/December 2014

backed off a few yards. Last week three Rose-breasted Grosbeaks came briefly to the feeders; tanagers ate dogwood berries; and a few miChipping Sparrow grating warPhoto: Diane Friend Edwards blers, vireos, and Ruby-crowned Kinglets flitted through the trees, but the goldfinches have gone, so now the only songs come from the Carolina Wren and sometimes a Red-eyed Vireo. I miss the goldfinches singing! The catbird mews to wake me at dawn but remains hidden. Several hummingbirds entertained all month, the last seen September 28. One strange phenomenon — a Wood Thrush scolds from the wood most evenings around dusk, but I never see him. Blue Jays have been particularly noisy, screaming away and squabbling. I hope they migrate soon!

My big thrill: A new “garden bird” was a Connecticut Warbler on September 20, right outside the kitchen window.I nearly dropped my coffee!

The birds, too, have changed: a week ago a dozen or more “little brown jobs,” Chipping and Song Sparrows, House Finches, mostly young but a few adults, and half a dozen goldfinches were at the feeders all day, easily emptying them. Now only six or seven titmice, a couple of chickadees, nuthatches, and Downy Woodpeckers come, plus a few Mourning Doves on the ground. And, of course, squirrels and chipmunks. The bear struck two weeks ago, so the feeders have to come in at night; rather a nuisance. Today I added a suet cage. Early in the month, a troupe of 16 turkeys visited the feeders almost every day, then Gray Catbird took a dust Photo: Diane Friend Edwards bath. Eventually they got used to me coming to throw corn for them and no longer took off in panic: One big hen would stand guard while the rest

My big thrill: A new “garden bird” was a Connecticut Warbler on September 20, right outside the kitchen window. I nearly dropped my coffee! The first juncos appeared on the 27th but have moved on. White-throated Sparrows came on the 28th, and I heard them singing their off-key autumn song today. None have come to the feeders yet. Putting the garden to bed is a sad business and a lot of hard work. Only a few annuals are flowering now: nicotiana, feverfew, cleome. The last daylily died two days ago. Asters both wild and Blue Jay Photo: Diane Friend Edwards “tame” are holding court, quite lovely in a vase with the very last pink phlox. A friend gave me a thousand or so daffodil bulbs (continued on page 5)

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LHAS Annual Appeal is Coming Soon By Harry Ainsworth, President The Litchfield Hills Audubon Society Annual Appeal will be coming soon. As we approach our 60th anniversary next spring, it would be reasonable to take a few minutes to review what we have accomplished over the years. You are members of a great Audubon organization. I recently had the opportunity to compare our chapter with 19 others. What I found was that all of the chapters had exactly the same concerns about such things as membership, activities, Junior Audubon, field trips, property management, etc. Some chapters are much larger and some are smaller than LHAS.

LHAS has been very fortunate in having some very dedicated volunteers who work hard on a variety of projects from property management to local birding trips to Junior Audubon and beyond. If it were not for these volunteers, we would be just another Audubon chapter, but we are not. We are Litchfield Hills Audubon, and we have a mission: to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife and their habitat, for the benefit of the community, through conservation, education, and research.

All these activities require funding. Without your donations we will not be able to continue doing what we have done.

LHAS was founded in 1955. The first meeting was held May 9, 1955, with 82 people attending. Over the years we have acquired three properties that each require some level of maintenance and associated expenses. Boyd Woods and Wigwam Brook Sanctuaries are located on Route 254 in Litchfield. Kalmia Sanctuary is located at 183 Laurel Road in Harwinton. These are wonderful properties. If you have not visited them, take a walk at one or all of them.

In My Garden (continued from page 4)

— they will go amongst the shrubs in front of the wood if I can find the strength to dig and dig and dig. Have to move some hostas around too; they do very well and need dividing, as do several daylilies. I’ve also been clearing the stream bank and am quite pleased with how it is evolving since we banished the multiflora rose, bittersweet, and general jungle a few years back. The stream is reduced to a trickle at the moment, the dry shingles now covered with fallen leaves. Thank goodness nothing on the lower garden needs watering any longer — the vegetable garden is almost done: Only the magnificent kale is left and a couple of tomatoes which refuse to ripen. Today I removed the tomato and pepper hoops and took down the beans’ netting. Mint has spread everywhere, really a pest. I stripped the basil plants for one last

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As you can imagine, these activities require funding. Without your donations we will not be able to continue doing what we have done.

We are working on our Annual Appeal right now. Soon you will receive our letter with additional details on what we do. At the October general meeting, I was elated to see we had a number of people sign up to help with this drive. It is an enormous amount of work. To those who are willing to help, I say “thank you” from the bottom of my heart. When you receive our letter, please take a moment to read it and reflect about what LHAS means to you. When you have done that, please make a tax-deductible donation to help our cause. It will be greatly appreciated and will benefit our chapter and its members — and, of course, birds.

batch of pesto. Now no excuse not to scuffle-hoe the weeds. Interesting: I read you should not rototill the vegetable garden because that only “plants” the weeds, etc., whereas left on the surface they might not germinate. Certainly saves a lot of work! Can’t believe it is dark by 7 p.m. now. However, my cat Lucy refuses to understand that since it is still dark at 6:30 a.m., I should be left to sleep. Her tummy says it’s breakfast time; that’s all that matters. We do have a nice little cuddle though — she nestles close to my face and purrs loudly, very loudly. One hand comes out and scratches her forehead, nose, and behind the ears, and my fat little cat becomes as cute as a kitten again. And I do get up and stagger to the kitchen ….

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Meetings, Bird Walks and Activities LHAS Calendar — Fall / Winter 2014 NOTES: Unless otherwise indicated, General Meetings are held on the first Monday of each month at the Litchfield Community Center, Route 202, Litchfield, CT. When the first Monday of the month falls on a holiday, the meeting is held on the second Monday. Refreshments are served at 7 p.m. The meeting starts at 7:30 p.m and the program follows. The April and October meetings are Potluck Dinners starting at 6:30 p.m. The June meeting is the Annual Meeting and Dinner held at a local restaurant; it begins at 6 p.m. Our August meeting is the annual Picnic at Boyd Woods Sanctuary; it begins at 6 p.m. Board of Directors Meetings are held the third Tuesday of the month at 7:15 p.m. in the Ceder Room at the White Memorial Conservation Center (WMCC), located about a half mile south of the Litchfield Community Center just off Route 202.

MEETINGS November 3!...........Experience Nature as Healer !....................................................................Monday, 7 PM Marlow Shami will present this program. Studies over the past 20 years confirm that contact with the natural world and meditation can lift your spirits, reduce anxiety, alleviate pain, increase brain function, and help cultivate a sense of belonging and compassion. Discover how nature can guide, calm, inform, and restore you. Beautiful, compelling images support Marlow’s focus on the challenges and rewards of connecting with nature in a technological culture. December 1!...........Connecticut’s Secretive Wild Cat: the Bobcat !........................................Monday, 7 PM Northwestern Connecticut has more bobcats than any other part of the state. What kinds of habitat do these cats prefer? What do they eat? When do they mate? Learn all about these beautiful animals when LHAS member and DEEP Master Wildlife Conservationist Diane Edwards presents DEEP’s new program on bobcats. January 5!...............All About Livingston Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy!.............................Monday, 7 PM Jessica Caton, Livingston Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy’s new director of education, will present an in-depth look at the conservancy, a local Litchfield nonprofit dedicated to the protection of waterfowl and wetland habitats through education, conservation action, and research. There will also be special appearances by the Conservancy’s Avian Ambassadors, live imprinted education birds that audience members can touch and look at up close. Come for the presentation and stay for the birds!

BIRDING EVENTS AND FIELD TRIPS November 22!.........Duck Ramble !.......................................................................................Saturday, 8:30 AM Our annual Duck Ramble promises to be quite an excellent experience this year. The esteemed local birding expert and instructor Greg Hanisek has generously agreed to share his valuable time and keen knowledge with us. Meet at the White Memorial Conservation Center Museum parking area at 8:30 a.m. Preregistration is a must for this terrific trip. Contact David Zomick to sign up ASAP and for any questions: home — 860-584-2824; cell — 860-513-8600; email — [email protected]. We will proceed if there is light rain; heavy rain cancels. After our birding (time and circumstances permitting), please join us for “Lunch with our Leader.” MEETING CHANGES Bad weather? Our meeting and event cancellations or postponements are broadcast on WFSB TV Channel 3 in Hartford and on radio station WZBG at 97.3 FM. To get added to our email notification list, send an email to [email protected].

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WANT TO KNOW ABOUT NEWLY SCHEDULED FIELD TRIPS? PLEASE GIVE US YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS If you want to get emailed trip notices, special club announcements, etc., contact David Zomick at 860-584-2824 or [email protected]. You can also check our website, www.lhasct.org, for newly scheduled trips.

Christmas Bird Census 2014 By Ray Belding

Christmas Bird Census 2014 Feeder Count Form

This is one of those rare years when the LHAS count occurs before the Roxbury count, meaning that all of us who do both counts won’t be exhausted when Sunday, December 14th, rolls around. Compilation, with pizza, will be held at the Carriage House at White Memorial. I’ll be there at 5 p.m.

On December 14, count the birds listed below, record the numbers, and mail the form to Ray Belding, 1229 Winsted Road, #30, Torrington, CT 06790.

If you would like to help out with the count, contact me at 860-482-4046 or one of the captains listed below. You can also contact me at my email address: [email protected].

Mourning Dove Cardinal Downy Woodpecker White-throated Sparrow Black-capped Chickadee Tree Sparrow Tufted Titmouse Song Sparrow White-breasted Nuthatch House Finch Blue Jay Junco Crow Goldfinch Starling House sparrow Other

If you live within our count area, you are more than welcome to fill in the feeder count form at right and mail it to me. Feeder counts should be done on December 14th. Area A .......Cornwall Bridge....................Donna Rose Smith ............203-706-0474 Area B .......North Corners ......................Cheryl Barker ....................860-489-6292 Area C .......Tyler Lake .............................Sam Slater..........................860-379-8917 Area D .......Kent Falls ..............................Kevin Finnan .....................860-491-1181 Area E .......Shepaug Reservoir North ......John Baker.........................860-567-8427 Area F .......Woodridge Lake....................Ann Orsillo ........................860-491-3618 Area G.......West Torrington ....................Ray Belding.......................860-482-4046 Area H .......Lake Waramaug ....................Dave Tripp.........................860-693-6524 Area I ........Shepaug Reservoir South ......Ron Pelletier ......................203-597-0089 Area J ........Litchfield North ....................John Wagenblatt ................860-618-3964 Area K .......Newbury Corners ..................Bob Barbieri ......................860-485-1236 Area L .......Mt. Tom ................................Angela Dimmitt .................860-355-3429 Area M ......Bantam Lake .........................Marie Kennedy ..................860-567-5487 Area N .......Litchfield South ....................Russ Naylor .......................860-263-2502

____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____

Calling All Nature Photographers ... Don’t be shy about sending me photos you’ve taken of birds or other aspects of nature in Connecticut. When I’m working on an issue of Chickadee Chatter, I often wish I had more photos to feature. Please send me high-resolution images (in your camera’s set-up menu, select “high” or “best” quality. While other quality settings might look OK on a monitor, they won’t look good in a print document). Email them to me, Diane Edwards, at [email protected].

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The Little ‘Drummer Boy’ By Diane Friend Edwards Loons were what I expected to see on a September canoe-camping trip in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northern Minnesota. Throughout the five-day trip, however, not a single loon made an appearance, although we did hear several calling. But another treat awaited us: Alerted by the sound of drumming wings behind our campsite, I crept, camera in hand, into the woods. There in a small clearing stood what looked like a grouse, but a type I’d never seen before. He was gorgeous — and knew it! I snapped away as he proudly displayed first his front, then his back, then his profile. He would drum his wings, then fly over to a boulder, where he would again strut his stuff. Back he went to the clearing for a repeat performance; then he did the same thing along a downed log.

Spruce Grouse Photo: Diane Friend Edwards

Who was he trying to impress? The only female in sight was me — and he “ain’t my type”! Guess I wasn’t his either, because at one point he flew right at me — my cue for backing off. I didn’t want to hassle him. Back at the campsite, I pulled out my cell phone to check iBirdPro: He was a Spruce Grouse!

Junior Audubon Update By Robyn Dinda, JA Chairperson JA Helps Kids Have Fun at Family Nature Day

Cynthia Phipps, right, helps children make bird nests at White Memorial’s Family Nature Day. Photo: Robyn Dinda

The JA table at White Memorial’s Family Nature Day on September 27 was a hit! Throughout the day, 67 children made bird nests out of Spanish moss and decorated them with flowers, twigs, feathers, yarn, leaves, and artificial birds. Marie Kennedy, Carol Perrault, and Terri Bianchi kept busy helping the children, while Cynthia Phipps and I passed out rack cards, flyers, and our calendar of upcoming programs. Fourteen parents with a total of 20 children signed up for the JA contact list.

Junior Audubon Calendar — Fall/Winter 2014 Junior Audubon provides an opportunity for grade-school children to learn about nature, the environment, and the creatures that live there. It is sponsored by the Litchfield Hills Audubon Society and is FREE. To get on the Junior Audubon email list or for more information, contact Robyn Dinda at 860-567-0738 or [email protected]. November 2 ................Nature Walk and Rock Study .............................Sunday, 1 PM Tom Alena, a geologist and meteorologist, will lead us on a nature and rock study walk to White Memorial’s Boulder Field. Tom will supply us with rock hammers and goggles to study rock formations along the way. Meet at the parking area at the intersection of Routes 63 and 61 in Morris. December 7 ................Make Your Own Bird Feeder ..............................Sunday, 1 PM Meet at White Memorial’s Mott Van Winkle classroom to construct a bird feeder you can hang in your yard. Bring a liter soda or water bottle. Afterwards we will walk to the nearby bird blind to watch the birds.

Check our website, lhasct.org, for other upcoming Junior Audubon activities.

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Trip to the Shore — September 21, 2014 By Angela Dimmitt What a bunch of non-birding, unadventurous couch potatoes LHAS has become! Only three people showed up for this trip despite much advance notice by David Zomick — and, boy, did you miss a great day! The weather was perfect, although the tide was not, being high mid-morning, so we went first to a great new-to-me marsh, Leetes Island, in Guilford. Flocks of “peeps” were wheeling around in tight little masses, and sure enough, a Merlin was chasing them. He did not catch one and disappeared over the trees. Everywhere were egrets, Great and Snowy; a couple of Great Blue Herons, and shorebirds all over: Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Killdeer, Semipalmated Sandpipers, Least Sandpipers (are you non-birders’ eyes glazing over?), Semi-palmated Plovers, even Sanderlings and Black-bellied Plovers. Mallards and Black Ducks, of course, and Greenwinged Teal. A Belted Kingfisher rattled across. And what we came for: Pectoral Sandpipers, a Stilt Sandpiper, and a Shortbilled Dowitcher. This is a truly amazing spot!

Next, the Great Meadow in Stratford, hoping for the reported Whimbrel — no luck, but a Common Loon was spotted off Long Beach, and Sanderlings scampered with the lapping waves. At Birdseye Boat Ramp, the jungle has been cleared, “sanitized,” and too many fishermen spoiled that locale.

Black-crowned Night Heron Photo: Diane Friend Edwards

On to Milford Point, the tide now receding. Ospreys; Willets; Double-crested Cormorants by the hundreds out on the rocks and breakwater, together with Herring, Ring-billed, and Great Black-backed Gulls. One Laughing Gull, but no terns. Twenty-five to 30 American Oystercatchers! What gorgeous birds they are with their handsome black-and-white plumage, brilliant long red bills and legs! Two Brant (geese smaller than herring gulls); Ruddy Turnstones; Black-billed Plovers, but no American Golden Plovers that we could determine. Peeps again, plenty of them flying out from the marsh towards the emerging sandbars and shingles. We had a close look at a Savannah Sparrow, and a Clapper Rail swam across the inlet and vanished in the reeds. The tide was out, so there was no danger of being cut off, as can happen at high tide, but our heads were surely swimming as we headed back to the car. It was a glorious day!

Flocks of “peeps” were wheeling around in tight little masses, and sure enough, a Merlin was chasing them.

We next checked out a couple of ponds in Stratford where egrets and herons roost, dozens of them, plus Black- and Yellow-crowned Night Herons, both adult and immature — we had good looks, noting the differences between the very-similar young. A Green Heron fished below the roosting Night Herons, so well-camouflaged it was hard to spot till it moved. The railroad track trail proved fruitless, although you never know what might show up there (beyond the resident population of starlings).

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Oystercatcher

Sanderling

Photo: Diane Friend Edwards

Photo: Diane Friend Edwards

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Boyd Woods Update By Rich and Debbie Martin, Boyd Woods Chairs Mike Barry and his team from Bay State Forestry were at Boyd Woods on September 10th treating the invasives in preparation for the second clear-cut, which is part of the New England cottontail initiative. The clear-cut, consisting of 3.8 acres, will take place later this fall when all the leaves are off the trees and the ground is dry and firm, if not frozen. The Martin family spent many, many hours this past month clearing the trails from a storm early in September that took down many trees. The trails are now in great shape. Anchors away! On September 24th, Bob Gambino and a co-worker were at Boyd Woods treating the phragmites. John Baker, Tom Traver, and Rich Martin had treated the phragmites at the pond 8 years ago. As the years went by, the phragmites reappeared — and in different locations. We brought in the experts this time. Hopefully, this will be the last time we’ll see them at Boyd (the phragmites, that is). On September 27th, we held an Autumn Walk, led by Debbie. We visited both the Boyd Woods and Wigwam Brook Sanctuaries. The group followed a secret trail, bordered by ancient maples, to an area at the Wigwam Brook Sanctuary where beavers have been very busy building dams. We learned a lot about these two sanctuaries, we had a lot of fun, plus it was a perfect day to be out for a walk in the woods. Volunteers Needed. We’re always looking for people to help clean up at Boyd after storms. Anyone interested in pitching in, please contact Debbie Martin at [email protected] or 860-819-7462.

Left: Bob Gambino and a co-worker treat phragmites at Boyd Woods. Top right: Debbie Martin, right, leads an early-autumn walk. Center right: The “secret trail” from Boyd Woods to Wigwam Brook Sanctuary. Bottom right: Curtis Martin, cleaning up the Pond Trail at Boyd Woods following a storm.

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November/December 2014!

LHAS Cottontail Project to Be Featured at Conference! New England Cottontail Wildlife Specialist Lisa Wahle has asked Debbie Martin to talk about our Boyd Woods New England cottontail habitat enhancement project (our “bunny clear-cut”) at the 31st Annual Connecticut Land Conservation Conference, March 21, 2015, at Wesleyan University. Only two projects will be highlighted at this event, and Boyd Woods is one of them! The state wants to encourage the more than 300 landowners who typically attend this conference each year to engage in land enhancement projects (especially for the cottontails) on their properties.

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on their properties. We are so fortunate to have this opportunity to use our sanctuary and the work we have done there to inspire others.” Debbie and Rich Martin will put together a 20-25 minute digital slide presentation for the conference. “But, to show that our clear-cut is really “working,” we need your help,” she said. “Many of you are better birders than we are. We’d like you to go out to the clear-cut once in a while and let us know what you see there. We’ve seen coyotes and snakes and all sorts of interesting plants. We want to hear about everything you see there: birds, animals, reptiles, plants! We’d like to tell about as many sightings as possible in our presentation.”

“Please spend some time at the Boyd Woods clear-cut, share your observations with us, and become a part of this exciting project.”

New England cottontail habitat projects usually require cutting 25 or more acres. Our smaller project is sort of an experiment. In 2005 we cut 5 acres. Adjacent to that area, we cut 8 acres last year and will cut another 3.8 this winter, for a total of about 17 acres. “At first, many of us strongly objected to the cutting of our beloved Boyd woodlands, but after doing lots of research, we decided to go for it,” said Debbie. “And we are so glad we did! Already, we are seeing an increase in the numbers and species of birds in this area. I am amazed by the plants that are showing up there. Lisa sees that there is a story here that should be shared with other landowners and land trusts in our state. Our Boyd Woods clear-cut can inspire others to create similar attractive wildlife habitats Connecticut Creating ‘Important Bird Areas’ Advisory Committee

The governor is forming a panel of experts to serve as an advisory committee to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection on the creation of an Important Bird Area Program. The committee chair will be Stewart Hudson, executive director of Audubon Connecticut, who noted that “many prime locations are owned by the state and managed by DEEP. This has been a longtime priority for Audubon Connecticut, and we commend Governor Malloy for stepping up to recognize the ecological value of these lands — some of them globally significant habitat for birds .... The good news is that protecting important places for birds also protects important places for people. Where birds thrive, people prosper.”

Debbie added, “We have an opportunity here to promote the creation of beneficial habitats for Connecticut’s wildlife. Please spend some time at the Boyd Woods clear-cut, share your observations with us, and become a part of this exciting project.”

Wigwam Brook Sanctuary Update     By John Baker, Wigwam Brook Sanctuary Chairman The Litchfield Garden Club toured the LHAS/TACF American chestnut orchard at Wigwam Brook Wildlife Sanctuary on September 18th to learn about The American Chestnut Foundation’s restoration project. The meeting was well-attended with about 30 garden club members present who also got a chance to see the new panels, provided by TACF, that tell the chestnut story.

John Baker (center) explains the chestnut plantation project to members of the Litchfield Garden Club. Photo: Marie Kennedy

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