NATURE'S NOOK COMMENTARY


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Flying Canada Goose










Click for New Preston Marble Dale, Connecticut Forecast

Food for thought.

Wildlife parents teach their offspring the rudiments of survival in an often hostile world. It is interesting to contemplate how we humans would make out if we had to find our own food in the wild, had no shelter, and had to be constantly alert for predators. I doubt that many of us would survive very long. Keeping this in mind, I ask that when you are viewing wildlife, please be considerate of their well being and stay a safe distance away so they are not disturbed. Quite possibly you might be rewarded by observing some interesting activities that you would not have seen if the subject had fled.

Do you keep a journal of your sightings whenever you go out watching wildlife ? If not, you should consider doing so particularly if you are a beginner. It is interesting to be able to go back a few years and see what date it was when that Rose-breasted Grosbeak arrived or when we saw that Bobcat at White Memorial. As the years go by and the information accumulates, you begin to notice definite cycles and patterns in nature. It has been my experience, that although it may not seem so, the birds arrive on nearly the same date each year. Whether it be birds or flowers, once you have built up a database, you can predict quite accurately when to go look for that species that you wanted to see again. As a photographer, I find it useful to be able to look at my past notes and determine the best time and place to go and find that particular species that I wanted to photograph. The journal doesn't have to be elaborate, but it does take a bit of time and discipline. The benefits can be well worth the effort.

If you are going to be visiting Northwestern Connecticut, I highly recommend a visit to the White Memorial Conservation Center in Litchfield. The W.M.C.C. has over 4000 acres of various types of habitat protected for wildlife. Their extensive network of boardwalks, some over a quarter of a mile long, provide an excellent opportunity to view wetland habitat and it's inhabitants without the necessity of sloshing through the mud. Over 35 miles of well maintained trails crisscross the upland areas. In the late winter, early spring and fall, Bantam lake offers an exceptional area to see migrating waterfowl. The Point Folly area can usually be counted on to produce a number of different species of ducks and the resident Mute Swans. On one occasion an escaped Flamingo was sighted there. Be sure not to miss the newly renovated "Museum" and "Gift Shop" while you are here. It would be worth a special trip. The W.M.C.C. web site can be found on my "Links" page.

Hammonasset State Park in Madison is another excellent area for viewing wildlife at almost any time of year particularly for birds. Generally I check out the pond west of the rotary when I arrive and then go out to the Nature Center area. At this point, a trip to the "Sightings Book" on the right side of the steps to the Nature Center is in order. You can tailor your itinerary based on what you find in the book. The parking lots often yield Killdeer, gulls and sometimes "Peeps" in late summer and Horned Lark, Snow Bunting and an occasional Lapland Longspur in the winter months. Often a visit to the park right after a rain will find shorebirds bathing in the parking lot puddles. Megs Point is usually my next stop before all of the beach crowd arrives or if you arrive early, a walk out to Cedar or Willard Island is worth while for migrating songbirds. I take some time to scan the marsh each time I am passing by during the day as this is one of the most productive areas. In addition to the birds, there is an abundance of rabbits along the roads in the park particularly early and late in the day. Hammonasset is always good for a full day and seldom disappointing at any season.
Other good places to visit are the Sharon Audubon Center in Sharon, Connecticut and the Connecticut Audubon Coastal Center in Milford, Ct.

Links to web sites for all of the above locations can be found on my "Links" page.

I hope this "Commentary" has provided some useful ideas for you to explore. Thanks for stopping by.


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