chickadee chatter chickadee chatter · our annual appeal letter in the mail soon. your donation ....

Chickadee Chatter 13

President’s Message

By Jeanne Woolley

“Tis the season.” November and De-cember usher in all manner of cele-brations and gatherings of friends, including our feathered friends. This time of year we take stock of our bird seed supply and feeders, preparing for the winter ahead. Also, without a doubt, thoughts of gift exchanges with family and friends begin to occupy our thinking.

LHAS offers a suggestion for combining these two ideas! A gift of membership to Litchfield Hills Audubon Society is one that will last all year long. It also provides an opportunity to provide experiences versus things for the recipient. A gift-giving trend that has really taken off recently is to offer an experience rather than physical things, as a conservation

See Calendar on page 7 for our Upcoming Meetings & Field Trips

November/December 2018 Volume 63/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.

Litchfield Hills Audubon Society Newsletter

C h i c k a d e e C h a t t e r

(continued on page 3)

effort. It might offer the recipient an introduction to birding, our sanctuaries, and the camaraderie of our chapter’s mem-bers. Doubling the impact, this gift also would be providing support to our important conservation, education, and research efforts.

Gifts of seeds, feeders, and wonderful books are always ap-preciated! Especially bags of seed! Check with LHAS, Sharon Audubon Center, or Bent of the River for great suggestions.

It is important to mention another way to be supportive of LHAS this time of year: our Annual Appeal. You will receive our Annual Appeal letter in the mail soon. Your donation

Hawk Watching at Lighthouse Point

On September 15 we should have seen lots of migrating Broadwing Hawks, but nary a one showed up at Lighthouse Point Park in New Haven that day. Raptor species we did see included Osprey; Red-tailed, Red-shouldered, Sharp-shinned, and Cooper’s Hawks; Merlin; Bald Eagle; Peregrine Falcon; American Kestrel; and Turkey Vulture.

Above: The prominent bend in the soaring Osprey’s wings is a helpful field mark for identifying this raptor in flight.

Photos: Paul G. Edwards

Chickadee Chatter2

Chickadee Chatter is published in January, March, May, July, Sep-tember, and November. For the January/February 2019 issue, all articles must be received by the editor by November 23.

Please email items to appear 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].

November/December 2018

LHAS OfficersPresident Jeanne Woolley 860-485-9585Vice President Diane Edwards 860-485-9319Treasurer Ed Goodhouse 860-689-6884Rec. Secretary Keith Johnson 860-618-5720Corresp. Secretary Terri Bianchi 860-489-8821

Board of DirectorsJay Coles 2019 860-354-3802Angela Dimmitt 2019 860-355-3429Nancy Nichols 2019 860-354-5114Carol Kearns 2020 860-485-9018Debbie Martin 2020 860-584-5706Carol Perrault 2020 860-589-8023Beverly Baldwin 2021 860-921-7075Vickie Dauphinais 2021 860-361-9051Maria Toth 2021 860-712-6236

Committee ChairpeopleBoyd Sanctuary Debbie & Rich Martin 860-819-7462Communications & Digital Media Rich Martin 860-584-5706Conservation Diane Edwards 860-485-9319Education Donna Rose Smith 203-706-0474Facebook Diane Edwards 860-485-9319Field Trips Pam Hicks [email protected] vacant Historian Maria Toth 860-712-6236Hospitality Carol Perrault 860-589-8023Junior Audubon Donna Rose Smith 203-706-0474 Kalmia Sanctuary Bob & Doreen Orciari 860-485-1347Membership Doreen Orciari 860-485-1347Newsletter Diane Edwards 860-485-9319Programs Angela Dimmitt 860-355-3429Publicity Shirley Gay 860-482-0819Scholarships Carol Kearns & Harry Schuh 860-485-9018Wigwam Brook Sanctuary John Baker 860-567-8427

ResearchChristmas Count Ray Belding 860-482-4046Summer Count Dave Tripp [email protected]

NEW MEMBERSBy Doreen Orciari, Membership Chair

Linda Blakely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LitchfieldBarbara Fox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BethlehemLinda Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HarwintonDaphne Holzman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NorfolkRyan Lamanna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BarkhamstedEdith Milton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WinstedCarol O’Rourke* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GaylordsvilleDorothy Paviol* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . East CanaanDavid Perrotti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TorringtonLynn Peters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LitchfieldRichard Schlosberg* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Washington DepotAnn Sears . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WinstedJohn Sernotti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New MilfordJohn Sheedy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Harwinton

* Welcome back

LHAS membership is at 607.

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].

This newsletter and other LHAS features can be seen IN LIVING COLOR on at www.lhasct.org.

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

Follow us on Facebook:facebook.com/LitchfieldHillsAudubonSocietyLHAS

Chickadee Chatter was printed by Photo Arts Printing Company, 44 Putter Lane, Torrington, CT 06790; 860-489-1170; www.photoarts-ct.com.

Special thanks to Janet Baker and Doreen Orciari for proofreading this newsletter!

Condolences

LHAS extends our sincere condolences to former LHAS President Harry Ainsworth on the death of his mother, who passed away in September.

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The next LHAS Board Meeting will be on Tuesday, November 20, at 7:15 PM in the Litchfield Community Center’s

Learning Center.


President’s Message (continued from page 1)

is crucial to all that we accomplish. Our scholarships are just one example of where your money goes. Through our scholarships, we are helping to build leaders of conserva-tion in the next generation. Because of your generosity, our sanctuaries continue to be places of great importance to our community. They provide great walking trails, habitat preser-vation, and places to spend time in nature.

On behalf of Litchfield Hills Audubon, I wish you the best this season has to offer! Here’s hoping you are the recipient of wonderful experiences and … seeds, too!

Best wishes, Jeanne

Protect Connecticut’s Public Lands! Vote ‘Yes’ on Question 2 on November 6

That question, titled “Connecticut Legislative Requirement to Transfer State Property Amendment,” will appear on the ballot on Election Day. It asks if the state constitution should be amended to require that before state parks, forests, state-owned farmlands, and other valuable public lands could be sold, swapped, or given away by the Connecticut General Assembly, there must be a public hear-ing and a two-thirds majority vote. These modest requirements are similar to those in neighboring states.

Without the constitutional amendment, the public lands we enjoy visiting for birding, hiking, photography, and other activities are vulnerable to being trans-ferred out of public control, without any input from the public — that’s us!

Please be sure to vote on Question 2 when you go to the polls on November 6.

You can learn more about this issue at protectctpubliclands.org.

Above: A Yellow-crowned Night Heron wades through the reeds at Silver Sands State Park in Milford. A few years ago, a section of this park was almost given away to the town of Milford for a municipal parking lot. Fortunately, this proposed transfer was scuttled because the public had an opportunity to object in a public hearing. However, at the very end of each legislative session the legislature often adds new public lands to be transferred, with no public hearing. If Question 2 passes, these last-minute back-room deals that could give away our public lands couldn’t happen without appropriate public input.Photo: Diane Friend Edwards

Attention, LHAS Volunteers ...As a chapter of Nation-al Audubon, LHAS has to submit an annual report on our activities, including the number of volunteer hours members have devoted to LHAS. This year’s report is due to National in November. So, if you have done any kind of volunteer work for LHAS since last November — perhaps you led an outing, monitored nest boxes, helped maintain one of our sanctuar-ies, stuffed envelopes, served on a committee, staffed our table at Family Nature Day, and so on — please send your total volunteer hours

to Jeanne Woolley no later than November 10. Email your report to her at [email protected] or snail-mail them to her at 36 Silo Drive, Harwinton, CT 06791.

Thank you for all you do for LHAS and our wildlife!

LHAS volunteers hang a bird feeder at Boyd Woods Sanctuary.Photo: Debbie Martin

Chickadee Chatter4 November/December 2018

Summer Bird Count Results Submitted by Dave Tripp, Summer Bird Count Chair

Canada Goose....................................................... 298Wood Duck ...............................................................74Mallard.................................................................... 137Hooded Merganser ...............................................16Common Merganser ............................................11Ring-necked Pheasant ...........................................1Wild Turkey .............................................................68Double-crested Cormorant ...............................15Great Blue Heron ...................................................47Green Heron ...............................................................9Black Vulture ..............................................................8Turkey Vulture .......................................................83Osprey ...........................................................................7Bald Eagle ....................................................................5Sharp-shinned Hawk ..............................................1Cooper’s Hawk ..........................................................8Red-shouldered Hawk ........................................21Broad-winged Hawk ............................................24Red-tailed Hawk ....................................................45American Kestrel ......................................................2Virginia Rail .............................................................12Killdeer ......................................................................13American Woodcock ...............................................7Ring-billed Gull .........................................................2Rock Pigeon .............................................................94Mourning Dove.................................................... 330Black-billed Cuckoo .................................................4Yellow-billed Cuckoo ..............................................7Eastern Screech Owl ...............................................7Great Horned Owl ....................................................2Barred Owl ...............................................................34Chimney Swift...................................................... 112Ruby-throated Hummingbird ..........................50Belted Kingfisher......................................................9Red-bellied Woodpecker....................................75Yellow-bellied Sapsucker ................................ 138Downy Woodpecker .............................................62Hairy Woodpecker ................................................38Northern Flicker ....................................................58Pileated Woodpecker ..........................................59Eastern Wood Pewee ........................................ 184Acadian Flycatcher* ................................................6Alder Flycatcher ....................................................73Willow Flycatcher .................................................69

Least Flycatcher .....................................................39Eastern Phoebe ................................................... 188Great Crested Flycatcher ....................................90Eastern Kingbird ...................................................77Yellow-throated Vireo .........................................99Blue-headed Vireo ................................................68Warbling Vireo .................................................... 143Red-eyed Vireo .................................................... 841Blue Jay ................................................................... 153American Crow ................................................... 356Fish Crow .....................................................................4Common Raven ......................................................35No. Rough-winged Swallow ..............................22Tree Swallow ........................................................ 280Bank Swallow ............................................................3Barn Swallow ....................................................... 344Cliff Swallow ...............................................................8Black-capped Chickadee ................................. 197Tufted Titmouse ................................................. 272Red-breasted Nuthatch .........................................9White-breasted Nuthatch ..................................78Brown Creeper .......................................................16Carolina Wren .........................................................13House Wren .......................................................... 236Winter Wren ..............................................................7Marsh Wren .............................................................30Blue-gray Gnatcatcher ........................................45Golden-crowned Kinglet .......................................2Eastern Bluebird ................................................ 116Veery ........................................................................ 552Hermit Thrush ........................................................42Wood Thrush ....................................................... 158American Robin .................................................. 715Gray Catbird ......................................................... 621Northern Mockingbird ........................................14Brown Thrasher .......................................................2European Starling .............................................. 618Cedar Waxwing ................................................... 231Ovenbird ................................................................ 711Worm-eating Warbler ............................................6Louisiana Waterthrush .......................................40Northern Waterthrush ........................................20Blue-winged Warbler ..........................................29Black-and-white Warbler ............................... 186

Common Yellowthroat ..................................... 331Hooded Warbler ....................................................12American Redstart ............................................. 493Cerulean Warbler ..................................................11Magnolia Warbler ....................................................7Blackburnian Warbler.........................................29Yellow Warbler .................................................... 439Chestnut-sided Warbler .................................. 255Black-throated Blue Warbler ...........................63Pine Warbler ...........................................................88Yellow-rumped Warbler .....................................20Prairie Warbler .........................................................5Black-throated Green Warbler ........................82Canada Warbler .....................................................11Eastern Towhee .................................................. 139Chipping Sparrow .............................................. 401Field Sparrow .........................................................16Savannah Sparrow ................................................12Song Sparrow....................................................... 427Swamp Sparrow ................................................. 106Dark-eyed Junco* ..................................................13Scarlet Tanager ................................................... 150Northern Cardinal.............................................. 208Rose-breasted Grosbeak ....................................75Indigo Bunting ........................................................46Bobolink ................................................................. 220Red-winged Blackbird ..................................... 813Common Grackle ................................................ 330Brown-headed Cowbird .................................. 184Baltimore Oriole ................................................. 125Purple Finch ............................................................24House Finch .......................................................... 160American Goldfinch .......................................... 383House Sparrow .................................................... 348No. Goshawk ...............................................................1Northern Parula ........................................................4Orchard Oriole ...........................................................3Ruffed Grouse ............................................................3Spotted Sandpiper ...................................................1Purple Martin .........................................................18White-eyed Vireo .....................................................1Blackpoll ......................................................................3

Total..........................................................16,118

The 2018 Litchfield Hills Summer Bird Count (SBC) was held on June 9th and 10th. Thank you to all the participants for the early hours and hard work they put into this year’s SBC. That work resulted in the teams’ recording 177 hours, 165 during the day and 12 during darkness. The following team participants deserve recognition: Judi Armstrong, Michael Audette, Fabienne Audette, John Baker, Janet Baker, Bob Barbieri, Marcia Barker, Ray Belding, Debbie Bishop, Jay Coles, Angela Dimmitt, Mary Donaldson, Mike Doyle, Evelynn Gelerter, Cathy Glasner, Ed Goodhouse, Greg Hanisek plus six

from his adult-education class, Marianne Horn, Keith John-son, Bill Kennedy, Marie Kennedy, Jim Kolesar, Debbie Martin, Scott Mills, Russ Naylor, Ann Orsillo, Scott Rintz, Susanna Shirlock, Sam Slater, Donna Rose Smith, John Wagenblatt, David Zomick, and Fran Zygmont. Thank you!

A total of 130 species and 16,118 individual birds counted during the count weekend were submitted as record to the Connecticut Ornithological Association (COA). Though our total number of species was at the lower end of our usual summer counts, most annual species were reported. One species was recorded outside of the count weekend: Gadwall (two of them), a rare coastal breeder and very rare inland


Chickadee Chatter 5November/December 2018

Conservation News By Diane Edwards, Conservation Chair

Roseate Spoonbills Visit Our State!

This subtropical species for the first time showed up on the Connecticut coast this fall. Amazingly, spoonbills were also

spotted this year in Maine, Minnesota, Ohio, Iowa, and even Quebec, Can-ada! “Wading birds such as ... spoon-bills are occurring farther and wider than they have in years following an exceptional breed-ing season, thanks to the strongest rains the Gulf Coast has seen in

80-some-odd years,” states an article on Audubon’s website, audubon.org. What drives these birds so far north? “Rather than attributing them to unusual weather or behavior, [ecologist Richard] Veit points to a ‘combination of large production of young, coupled with depletion of resources’ that send birds seeking food in farflung places.”

Two other state-record bird species showed up in Connecti-cut this year: A Black-bellied Whistling Duck was spotted in Essex and a Little Egret visited Stonington.

Shorebird Breeding Bust in the Arctic

While wading birds in the Everglades and Gulf region had a breeding boom this year, shorebirds that breed in the Arctic had a dismal breeding season due to a “quirk of climate change,” according to National Audubon’s website. A weak-ened jet stream, due to warming, has resulted in alternating long spells of cold and warm weather. This spring and sum-mer, the snowpack in the Arctic lingered longer than usual, inhibiting the shorebirds’ reproduction.

Recovering America’s Wildlife Act: Update

From CT DEEP’s October “Wildlife Highlights” e-newsletter:

“The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (RAWA), which was introduced to the U.S. House of Representatives, is a creative bipartisan initiative to conserve at-risk wildlife

species in every state. The bill currently has 100 co-spon-sors. ... A bill has also been introduced in the U.S. Senate.

“The bill empowers state fish and wildlife agencies to proactively protect species and habitat without the costly ‘emergency room’ interventions of the Endangered Species Act. From hikers to hunters, boaters to birders, anglers to archers, as well as farmers, ranchers, and the growing co-hort of businesses engaged in eco-tourism, a broad coalition supports this effort to leverage revenues from federal lands to support state wildlife plans.

“You can support RAWA by writing to your U.S. Represen-tative and U.S. Senators and asking them to co-sponsor this important act.”

Our Congressional Contacts:

U.S. Sen. Dick Blumenthal: 860-258-6940, www.blumen-thal.senate.govU.S. Sen. Chris Murphy: 860-549-8463, www.murphy.senate.govU.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty: 860-223-8412, www.esty.house.gov

You can find more information about RAWA online at ournatureusa.com.

Protecting Plum Island

Members of the Connecticut and New York congressional delegations, along with the Preserve Plum Island Coalition (of which Audubon Connecticut is a member) are working to block the federal government from selling Plum Island, an 840-acre island in Long Island Sound, to a private de-veloper. Plum Island is a critical habitat for more than 200 bird species, including some that are endangered, and is an important winter haul-out site for Gray and Harbor Seals. The Preserve Plum Island Coalition is working to get the federal General Services Adminis-tration to consider a conservation alternative to a public sale. For more information, visit preserve-plumisland.org.

Roseate Spoonbill (photographed in Florida)Photo: Diane Friend Edwards

Harbor SealPhoto: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Headquarters


Christmas Bird Census 2018

By Ray Belding

The Christmas Bird Census this year will take place Decem-ber 16. Below are the names and phone numbers of the area captains. If you want to help, contact one of them directly or phone me at 860-482-4046 and I’ll put you in contact with the appropriate person. As usual, we’ll meet at White Memorial’s Carriage House for compi-lation and pizza around 5 p.m.

Area Captains:

Area A Cornwall Bridge ......................Donna Rose Smith ...........203-706-0474Area B North Corners .........................Dennis Hannon .................860-485-1580Area C Tyler Lake ..................................Sam Slater ...........................860-379-8917Area D Kent Falls ....................................John Marshall ...................................................Area E Shepaug Reservoir North ....John Baker ...........................860-567-8427Area F Woodridge Lake ......................Ann Orsillo ..........................860-491-3618Area G West Torrington ......................Ray Belding .........................860-482-4046Area H Lake Waramaug .......................Dave Tripp ...........................860-693-6524Area I Shepaug Reservoir South ....Ron Pelletier .......................203-597-0089Area J Litchfield North .......................John Wagenblatt ...............860-618-3964Area K Newbury Corners ...................Bob Barbieri .......................860-489-3451Area L Mt. Tom .......................................Angela Dimmitt .................860-355-3429Area M Bantam Lake .............................Marie Kennedy ..................860-567-5487Area N Litchfield South .......................Russ Naylor .........................860-263-2502

Christmas Bird Census 2018Feeder Count Form

On December 16, count the birds listed below, record the numbers, and mail the form to Ray Belding, 1229 Winsted Road, #30, Torrington, CT 06790.

Mourning Dove ____________

Cardinal ____________

Downy Woodpecker ____________

White-throated Sparrow ____________

Chickadee ____________

Tree Sparrow ____________

Titmouse ____________

Song Sparrow ____________

White-breasted Nuthatch ____________

House Finch ____________

Blue Jay ____________

Junco ____________

Crow ____________

Goldfinch ____________

Starling ____________

House Sparrow ____________

Other ____________

in Connecticut. Photographs were taken of these for documentation. Another high note was a Ruffed Grouse with two young. Though it’s a breeder species in our count circle, it’s hard to find them. Another very tough bird that we have missed year after year is Spot-ted Sandpiper, but we counted one this year, returning that species to the list. Not surpris-ing was the absence of Eastern Meadowlark and Whip-poor-will again. And to make misses really hurt, Mute Swan was not seen for the first time!

Summer Count (continued from page 4)

Congratulations to John on being named Conservationist of the Year by the Northwest Conservation District!

John Baker Named Conservationist of the Year

Chickadee Chatter 7

MEETINGSNovember 5 . . . . Fascinating Facts About Fishers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Monday, 7 PM

It’s not a feline and doesn’t fish — so why did the fisher come to be called a fisher cat? And did you know that fishers actually prey on porcupines? (Ouch!) Find out these and other fascinating facts about this mysterious member of the weasel family. Once extirpated from Connecticut, these small, furry animals now inhabit parts of our state. Diane Edwards, a Master Wildlife Conservationist, will present this program, which was created by the Connecticut Depart-ment of Energy and Environmental Protection.

December 3 . . . . A History of the Christmas Bird Count . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Monday, 7 PMLHAS’s Ray Belding, in his usual jovial style, will tell us about the history of the CBC, starting with its inception by National Audubon and covering LHAS’s participation in the count from the mid-1950s. Ray has been involved with the CBC for more than 40 years.

BIRDING EVENTS AND FIELD TRIPSNovember 17 . . . Annual Duck Ramble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Saturday, 8 AM

Noted birder Greg Hanisek will once again help us identify ducks and other birds at Bantam Lake. Meet at the White Memorial Museum parking lot. Heavy rain will cancel. For more information, call Greg at 203-754-4401.

November 24 . . . Boyd Woods/Wigwam Brook Sanctuaries Walk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Saturday, 1 PMFeeling stuffed from all the Thanksgiving feasting? Join Boyd Woods Sanctuary co-chairs Rich and Debbie Martin for a 2.5-mile walk to burn off some of those holiday calories. The trails, which pass through a variety of habitats at Boyd Woods, take us to a “Secret Trail” that leads to our final destination, Wigwam Brook Sanctuary. There will be a few hills and valleys along the way, but overall the walking is easy. The late-fall woodland can appear quite drab, but there will be plenty to see and discuss at our two scenic LHAS sanctuaries. Meet at the Boyd Woods parking lot on Route 254 in Litchfield. No dogs allowed. Rain cancels. For more information, contact Debbie Martin at barnowl524 @hotmail.com or 860-819-7462.

December 16 . . . Christmas Bird Census . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sunday, All DaySee the article on page 6 for details.


MEETING CHANGES OR CANCELLATIONS

Bad weather? Meeting and event cancellations or postponements are broadcast on WFSB TV Channel 3 in Hartford and on radio station WZBG at 97.3 FM. Notices are also emailed to members on our email notification list; if you want to be added to our email list, send an email to [email protected].

Meetings, Bird Walks and ActivitiesLHAS Calendar — Fall/Winter 2018

NOTES: Unless otherwise indicated, General Meetings are held on the first Monday of each month at the Litchfield Community Center, 421 Bantam Road (Rt. 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 every other month at 7:15 p.m. in the Learning Center at the Litchfield Community Center.



Report:

Summer Saunter at Boyd WoodsBy Debbie Martin, Boyd Woods Co-chair

Despite the warmth and mugginess on the morning of Au-gust 18, 11 people arrived at Boyd Woods at 9 a.m. for the Summer Saunter. After a stop at the sanctuary’s kiosk, which is surrounded by lush pollinator-attracting flowers, we pro-ceeded downhill through the hayfield. Milkweed grows along the mowed path, and we were lucky to see several Monarch caterpillars munching on this, their host plant. At the “Plash,” just one tiny Green Frog was found, where recently there had been hundreds — where did they all go? Due to cloudy skies, the dragonflies frequently seen here were also absent.

Passing through a stonewall opening, we entered the 2015 clear-cut on the Windy Woods Trail. Although our Boyd Woods clear-cuts were created to help wildlife, our human visitors benefit from them too. Blackberries, black raspber-ries, and red raspberries are among the first plants to sprout

when new forest openings allow more sunlight in. For those who enjoy these berries (who doesn’t?), the juicy delicacies are an added bonus to a summer visit here. I suspect there are a few Audubon members (Evelyn Gelerter and Gus Moli-tano) who attend my walks specifically for these sweet treats.

Farther down the trail, Keith Johnson spotted a Black and

Yellow Argiope (an orb-weaver) spider in its glistening web. All cameras and phones came out, as our group lined up to pho-tograph this stunning spider. Nearby, a handsome green katydid posed on a yellow trail blaze.

As we strolled along the Mourn-ing Dove Trail, relishing the coolness of our dark, dense pine/spruce plantation, we discussed the success of habitat improvements (such as the planting of these conifers in 2006) that LHAS has imple-mented over the years. Some of our visitors have said they can imagine fairies residing in this magical place. Although we’ve discovered no fairies in the plantation, some interesting birds have been seen. Three

Ruffed Grouse chicks were observed last spring, and a Saw-whet Owl spent the winter in the protection of sheltering pine boughs.

The sky was brightening and it was getting hot as we walked out into another clear-cut. Here was another opportunity to eat black-

berries … and to see birds! Many birds! Towhees, catbirds, flycatchers, waxwings, and more were also finding plenty to eat in this shrubby, open area. A few tall trees, for perching, were left standing when this 8-acre woodland was cleared in 2014. Many ferns are among the new vegetation sprouting up, so I’d brought along a neat little book to identify one I’d recently seen by the trail. This book, Ferns of Northeastern United States, was written in 1936 by Farida A. Wiley. It identifies ferns by looking at the pattern of vascular bundles in the stem when the plant is cut off an inch from the ground. I know it seems quite unbelievable that each type of fern would have a unique pattern in its narrow stem, but with the aid of a magnifying glass, all in our group could see the vas-cular bundle pattern that identified our fern as a Lady Fern. Nature is SO amazing!

Entering the woods we saw a large log that had been dragged and scratched open by a bear looking for a meal. At the pond, one lovely Green Darner soared over the surface. On a sunny day, several varieties of dragonflies would have been observed. Evidence of a beaver family that lived here in 2002 remains still and is most clearly seen in a huge cherry tree that was cut almost through near its base 16 years ago.

Black and Yellow Argiope (a.k.a. Yellow Garden Spider)Photo: Rich Martin

Sauntering through Boyd Woods, observing nature.Photo: Rich Martin

Recent hot, rainy weather had been perfect for the growth of mushrooms. We saw them everywhere, in a wide variety of colors and shapes. AND we smelled them ... that wasn’t a good thing!


Summer Saunter (continued from page 8) Audubon Sharon to Open Butterfly Flight House and Native Plant Garden

Audubon Sharon plans to create a Butterfly Flight House and Native Plant Garden at the Sharon Audubon Center, thanks to a major anonymous gift. The butterfly rearing facility, cater-pillar breeding lab, and adjoining garden are anticipated to open to the public in summer 2019. They will augment the center’s wildflower meadow and two existing gardens for pollinators on the sanctuary’s main grounds.

The flight house will feature a free-flying population of up to five species of native butterflies, including Monarchs, and contain from 100 to 300 individuals at any given time. The project also will show what communities can do to help reverse the drastic decrease in populations of pollinating insects.

The project aligns with National Audubon Society’s Plants for Birds campaign to encourage people to landscape with native plants in order to support our breeding birds, many of whose populations are also declining. The new Native Plant Garden will emphasize the importance of native plants to both birds and insects, and allow members of the community to understand how they can install insect- and bird-friendly gardens at their own homes.

Left: On Sep-tember 15, mycologist Mike Bok (squatting) led 18 foragers on a two-hour walk at Boyd Woods Audu-bon Sanctuary identifying the various types of mushrooms that had emerged from the soil or sprouted on dead trees and logs after the rain we’d had the week before.

Above: An edible Wood Blewit (Clitocybe nuda) mushroom. Native to Europe and North America, it appears in our woodlands from Sep-tember to December.

Photos: Debbie Martin

Foraging for Mushrooms at Boyd Woods

Recent hot, rainy weather had been perfect for the growth of mushrooms. We saw them everywhere, in a wide vari-ety of colors and shapes. AND, we smelled them. I have to admit, this wasn’t a good thing! Some of them smelled like something had died — oh, wait! Something HAD died! The remains of a Gray Squirrel had been left behind on a log by some predator. Could this have been the meal of the young Red-tailed Hawk we saw circling overhead as we walked through the hayfield to our cars?

As our 3-hour walk came to an end, Keith spotted a Galium Sphinx caterpillar inching its way across the wide parking area. This caterpillar would eventually become a “humming-bird moth” (like those we commonly find at our kiosk gar-den) if it didn’t get squished by a foot or a car. Keith thought-fully rescued the caterpillar by moving it to a safer, vegetated spot. Fortunately, he’d been sauntering! Otherwise, he would have missed seeing this interesting insect, and its life might have been ended badly. When we stroll along leisurely, as we did on our Summer Saunter, we notice things that we’d ordinarily miss. As we explore and discover, intimately, each important piece of nature’s puzzle, we can’t help but be more concerned, caring, and appreciative toward other living crea-tures and our environment. Sauntering can be done during any season, and our three LHAS sanctuaries (Boyd Woods, Wigwam Brook, and Kalmia) are great spots to roam around.

We hope to see you on the trails.


Wigwam Brook Wildlife Sanctuary

By John Baker, Wigwam Brook Sanctuary Chair

Eversource has completed their installation of the steel poles, including the new wires; now, they just have to clean up the sites to our liking. They have recommended, for beautification, the grass seeding of the rock roadways, after applying modified soil material to enable their future use for maintenance equipment.

Our chestnut groves look great with many trees laden with burs that should ripen soon. These will be picked and the nuts made available to members — for example, for Thanks-giving turkey stuffing.

We attended the New England Chapters of The American

LHAS Forest Management Plan Update

By Rich Martin, Boyd Woods Sanctuary Co-chair

On August 3rd, Debbie Martin, John Baker, Ed Goodhouse, and I met with Amy Fisher from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Torrington to review the For-est Management Implementation Plan they had developed for LHAS. The plan is based on the woodland management objectives we defined, as a group, with the help and guidance of forester Andrew Bosse, for our Boyd Woods and Wigwam Brook sanctuaries.

Since this was our second attempt at reviewing the contract, our meeting was fairly brief and went as anticipated. Our first go at it, back in June, was deferred until we were able to come up with a more detailed plan that aligned closer to our objectives. This time, we got it right!

The contract was signed with great pleasure and enthusiasm. It states that we will implement and/or maintain all of the specific conservation practices that the NRCS has scheduled for us starting in 2019 and continuing through 2026.

This is a huge commitment for LHAS, not only from a con-tract standpoint, but for the work that we will coordinate and manage over the next eight years as we work toward our goal of creating a healthier woodland to benefit all wildlife, and for the enjoyment of our visitors.

All of LHAS’s three sanctuaries, Boyd Woods, Wigwam Brook, and Kalmia, are wonderful places to visit. Our trails, totaling approximately 5.5 miles, are very well marked and quite easy walking, for young and old alike. We encourage you to visit all of our sanctuaries. Each has a unique environment that will provide many interesting discoveries as you explore their natural beauty.

What’s Happening at Our Sanctuaries?

Rich Martin (left), Debbie Martin (behind Rich), and John Baker discuss our Forest Management Implementation Plan with Amy Fisher of the NRCS.Photo: Susan Balfour

Chestnut Foundation meeting in Portsmouth, NH. The em-phasis was on breeding and selection to accelerate resto-ration of the American Chestnut through backcross breeding and transgenic blight resistance, which shows progress, particularly with small stem assays to speed up resistance evaluation.

In the summer of 2019, our trees in the Wigwam orchard will be tested for blight resistance.

To conserve resistant material and find new sources (older trees) over the next five years, we should be on the lookout for older living American Chestnut trees. We will need the exact locations and some leaf samples to document these trees. Please let me know if you are aware of any of these old trees. You can contact me at [email protected] or 860-567-8427.


In My Garden (And Beyond)A Journal — September 2018

By Angela Dimmitt

What a lovely month — quiet, the garden looking some-times good, others bashed by the rain — lovely rain, do you remember how we cried and danced for it not so long ago? Now we are sodden, the lower lawn spongy and the stream high, dirty brown, washing out all the debris. Walking squish, squish to the vegetable garden; it now is mud, mud, veggies all over except peppers — which have never ever done so well — and kale, which is feeding an army of green caterpil-lars (Cabbage White?). My prized “RAK” beans (aka English White), climbers given to me by my father when he and my mother reluctantly moved back to England and he gave up his garden, were very suddenly over, bloated into ripeness by so much rain and now drying on the vine for next year. I’ve been saving them for over 20 years, and they have changed from all white to all black, but the fruits are just the same, sweet and delicious eaten raw until they plump out and need to be steamed into tenderness. Tomatoes are just about over, and someone is eating them as they ripen. Birds peck, these are tossed to the ground and noshed — chipmunks? I watched a To-mato Hornworm caterpillar growing quickly until a wasp found it and laid its eggs on the poor creature. Cucumbers were also very good this year.

There were also three small milkweed plants among the kale, and one day there were four Monarch caterpillars on them — I was so excited! Of course, they ate all the leaves in no time, growing apace, and disappeared, hopefully to pupate on something nearby. One was on a kale plant, but I doubt it could eat that even if starving. I rescued one and took it out into the pipeline jungle, but it kept falling off the milkweed there. Don’t know if any hatched but I never saw another.

The beaver is back — one day he was sitting on a rock by the bridge cutting forsythia stems where I could not reach them. That made me smile and groan. The ar-

ea where he had eaten all the other for-sythia bushes is now cleared, and I’m planting other native shrubs which hopefully will like the shade adjacent to the stream — and he will not fancy!

After the last big rain, it looked as if he were building a dam under the bridge — the water was standing still, not swirling and eddying, but now it is back to normal. Whew! Wouldn’t it be neat if I could catch him and bring him up to Debbie’s pond at Wigwam!

Very quiet on the bird front! CTBirds says migrants are pouring along the coast in their thousands, but not here, not in my garden anyway, just several phoebes and jays, two Red-breasted Nuthatches, a Chipping Sparrow, and yesterday a singing White-throated Sparrow, the first of the winter birds. No hawk migration here either. Even the high-wire feeders are not attracting much attention. Never heard the Great Horned Owlets again, nor their parents, but a Barred Owl did call the other night. Maybe I’m just not very obser-vant, aware ……

But suddenly it’s fall — three deer were out on the back lawn, a six-pointer, a four-pointer, and a doe — mom and last year’s twin boys perhaps!

There were also three small milkweed plants among the kale, and one day there were four Monarch caterpillars on them — I was

so excited! Of course, they ate all the leaves in no time ...

Monarch CaterpillarPhoto: Katje Schulz, Wikimedia Commons

Red-breasted NuthatchPhoto: Diane Friend Edwards

White-throated SparrowPhoto: Diane Friend Edwards

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Birding at the Nepaug ReservoirRay Belding’s first Wednesday morning bird walk of the fall migration season, on October 3rd, found us strolling along the old road and across the dam at the Nepaug Reservoir in Canton. We saw 19 species. Standouts included a Black-poll Warbler, an American Redstart, a female Scarlet Tanager (who’s bright yellow, not scarlet!), lots of Gray Catbirds, two Sharp-shinned Hawks, and a Cooper’s Hawk. Photo: Gus Molitano

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