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N.W. CONN. NATURE NOTES.





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Click for New Preston Marble Dale, Connecticut Forecast




This page will be updated as often as time permits with what is going on in the world of nature in my neck of the woods. Come back and visit frequently.

Updated February 24, 2010

days 'til Summer Bird Count.
Click Here for information.


Thrasher imageBluebird imageLitchfield County and Connecticut offer a wealth of nature related activities throughout the year.Most all of the nature centers and organizations offer workshops, walks, and field trips featuring, but not limited to, birds, wildflowers,butterflies and amphibians. Join your fellow nature enthusiasts by attending one of these functions or better yet, attend one of their monthly meetings. Visitors are always welcome Please consult the relative web site found on my "Links" page for particular details and my "Commentary" page for some over all suggestions.

For information and to view photographs of many of the birds found in Connecticut, please visit my "Birdland" web site at:
https://ibird.tripod.com/birdland.html

To view photographs of many of the wildflowers found in Connecticut, please visit my "Wildflower" web site at:
https://ibird.tripod.com/wldflwrindex.html


One final note. With the increase in the number of people interested in nature and getting outdoors to enjoy it today, we are unwittingly having a serious impact on the environment. Please, when you go out, keep dogs on a leash, don't let your children run wild and throw rocks at the wildlife, and act responsibly when viewing nature's wonders. You will probably be rewarded with a lot more sightings if you do.
Thanks for letting me put my two cents worth in.



Here are a few recommended annual events.

WINTER

SPRING

SUMMER

FALL





WINTER ACTIVITIES

Early November and throughout the winter is a good time to go to the shore to look for Horned Lark, Snow Bunting and an occasional Lapland Longspur. The parking lots at Hammonasset State Park are a reliable place to find these birds as well as various Gulls. While there,check out the pond just west of the rotary for winter ducks, and Long Island Sound for sea ducks and Loons. Scoter are frequently found here and and in the East Wharf area. The Pines near the headquarters building have had Red Crossbills for an extended period the last few years.

One of the premier events of the year are the Audubon Christmas Bird Counts. Individual counts are held by each chapter during the last two weeks of December and New Years weekend. Teams of volunteers go out during a 24 hour period and count all of the birds in an assigned area, then gather together at the end of the day and tally the results. This is a fun event that also provides valuable year to year data on bird populations. To participate in one or several of these counts, start by visiting the web site of the group that you are interested in joning. From there you should find information on who and how to contact the count chairman for that area. In addition to the local Audubon Chapters, other counts and furher information may be found by visiting the Connecticut Birding Web Site or the C.O.A. web site. Count results can obtained throughout the country by going to BirdSource,CBC in season.

Late December thru mid March, consider going to the Shepaug Dam in Southbury to view Bald Eagles and other bird species. A visit can produce everything from Bald Eagles and hundreds of Common Mergansers to a large flock of American Robins. The observation area is open on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. through mid-March, 2010. Reservations are required and it is recommended that you call 1-(800)368-8954, Tuesdays through Fridays between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Check the local papers or Northeast Utilities web site at, http://www.nu.com/environmental/steward/shepaug.asp for more information.
If you are unable to get to Southbury, you might try this. FirstLight Utilities and others have a "web cam" that is mounted above an eagles nest in western Massachusetts. When the eagles are nesting, usually beginning in mid-February,the camera is activated and you can see live pictures of the activity.

Be sure and mark your calendars for the "Great Backyard Bird Count" to be held in February. This is an event where you count your "Backyard" birds at designated times and submit the results over the internet to the Cornell Laboratory of Orinthology. This is a great way to contribute information that is then available for research.

If you would like to take part in a winter bird walk, the Sharon Audubon Center has just the thing one you. They take place each month at 9:00 AM and are free.
Another event at the Center that might be of interest, particularly if you have children,is their "Maplefest", (March 21, 2010 from 10:00am to 4:00pm). You may tour their working sugar house and see maple syrup being made and even get a taste of the golden liquid. A real treat on a cold winter day. Please call the Center at (860-364-0520 for details or visit their web site at http://www.audubon.org/local/sanctuary/sharon/pages/calendr.htm.

Eagle Festival: CANCELLED FOR 2010. The good news is that in 2010 EcoTravel program is again offering its very popular "Eagle-Viewing Boat Tours" on the Connecticut River. Reservations are required. DATES for Eagle-Viewing Boat Tours: February 6 through March 21, 2010. For more information, please consult the Connecticut Audubon web site at: http://www.ctaudubon.org/about/eaglefestival.htm
The Connecticut River Eagle Festival will be held the weekend of February 16-17, 2008 in Essex, Connecticut. The Festival features a wide variety of free environmental education activities. The focal points for these activities being two large, heated tents within walking distance of each other on Main Street. Festival activities in past years have included lectures by noted environmentalists and authors, live birds of prey presentations, guided boat and land-based eagle viewing tours, nature exhibits, nature classes for children, bird carving exhibits, ice carving exhibits, craft-making activities, musical entertainment, nature-related retailers and horse-drawn carriage rides down Main Street. For more information, please consult the Connecticut Audubon web site at: http://www.ctaudubon.org/about/eaglefestival.htm

Feeling like an adventure ? How about joining the Litchfield Hills Audubon Society on a field trip to Newburyport and Cape Ann Ma. to search for coastal birds ? This popular trip always turns up unusual birds like Barrows Goldeneye, Boreal Chickadee, Black-headed Gull or perhaps a Snowy Owl. This is a good opportunity to add to your life list of birds. The trip takes place around the third or fourth week of February (Feb. 12-14 2010). For more information visit the L.H.A.S. web site at http://www.lhasct.org/

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SPRING ACTIVITIES

If you haven't taken part in a spring bird walk, I would recommend that you give it a try this year. Even if you are an experienced birder the additional eyes generally enable you to see more birds than you would alone and the camaraderie is always enjoyable. Litchfield Hills Audubon Society, White Memorial Conservation Center, Sharon Audubon Center and the Flanders Nature Center all offer many walks particularly during the spring. Please check the organization's web site found on my "Links Page" for specific details.

If you are really challenged, join Dave Rosgen in April for a walk around White Memorial or in case of rain, a talk and slide show. Look and listen for rails, woodcock, amphibians, and mammals. Check the White Memorial Conservation Center, web site for more particulars.

Whether you are on a "Birdwalk" or just out for a stroll, be sure to pause and admire the wildflowers. They are spectacular during the spring months and many times overlooked. To view more unusual species you may want to take a short trip up to Bartholomews Cobble in Ashley Falls Ma.,just north of North Canaan Ct. If you have enough time for a day trip, I highly recommend going to the Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary in Wales Ma. which is just north of Stafford Springs, Ct. This sanctuary is very much like the White Memorial Conservation Center, except that it features the propagation and cultivation of a wide variety of wildflowers.

NOTE- Click on BIRDS or WILDFLOWERS for my photo index of many of the species found in Connecticut.

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SUMMER ACTIVITIES

Various walks every weekend all year long by the White Memorial Conservation Center, Sharon Audubon Center, Litchfield Hills Audubon Society, and many others.Please consult their "Events" or "Newsletter" page on their web sites or check the local newspapers.

Audubon Summer Bird counts- generally occurring during the middle of June. Consult the Litchfield Hills Audubon Society or Connecticut Ornithological Assoc. web sites.

Connecticut Butterfly Association - annual butterfly count in early July. See the Connecticut Butterfly Atlas web site for details.

Shorebird migration- Beginnng in md-July, through August and into September is a good time to observe the southward movement of shorebirds. Recommended viewing areas are The Coastal Center at Milford Point and Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison. Click here for a list of birds that can be seen at Hammonasset.

Sharon Audubon Festival- walks, talks, exhibits, live animals and music. August 14th and 15th, 2010. See the Sharon Audubon Center web site.

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FALL ACTIVITIES

Hawk Migration- Visit a "Hawk Watch" site and possibly view thousands of Broadwing and other hawks as they pass overhead. Although the migration continues for two months or more, the peak time for Broadwings is generally mid- September. See National Audubon, Quaker Ridge, Litchfield Hills Audubon Society and Sharon Audubon Center newsletters for particulars.

White Memorial Family Nature Day- Falconry demonstration, Ct. bear lecture, as well as crafts, walks, live animals, drummers, insects and butterfly displays, hayrides and food will provide an activity for everyone. Saturday, September 27, 2008. See the White Memorial Conservation Center, website for more details.

Field Trips- Journey to southern New Jersey with the Litchfield Hills Audubon Society for a late October weekend of birding. Over 100 species are usually seen. Consult the Litchfield Hills Audubon Society web site for particulars.

"Duck Ramble"- Explore Bantam Lake and surrounding areas for migrating waterfowl. Join L.H.A.S. and others for a fun Sunday afternoon in November followed by a "Pot Luck" supper. See the Litchfield Hills Audubon Society web site for information.

Stop back again for updates in the world of nature in Northwest Connecticut.

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