Chickadee Chatter · Historian Maria Toth 860-712-6236 Hospitality Carol Perrault 860-589-8023...

Litchfield Hills Audubon Society Newsletter

The mission of the Litchfield Hills Audubon Society is 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.

Volume 64/Issue 6 November/December 2019

ChickadeeChatter

What gorgeous weather and a wonderful turn out we had for Family Nature Day at White Memorial

on September 28th! Families enjoyed learning about LHAS sanctuaries; children enjoyed creating origami birds and getting chickadee ‘tattoos’. Fran Zygmont and Kristi Dranginis led a bird walk and later in the day Fran spoke about how to ‘talk’ to birds, by learning bird songs. Scores of people lined up to take photos with Janet and John Baker’s python Irma. Special thanks to Carol Perrault for coordinating LHAS’ participation at family day and organizing LHAS volunteers, and a big thank you to all our volunteers: Janet and John Baker, Beverly Baldwin, Ed Goodhouse, Keith Johnson, Marie Kennedy, Gus Molitano, Ann Orsillo, Carol Perrault, Irek Rychlik, and Maria Toth.

An important facet of LHAS’ mission is education. LHAS received a special contribution from the Raven Lunatics, earmarked specifically for educational purposes. The LHAS Board was able to use this special contribution to provide a scholarship to freshman Brennan Wilkins, to attend the Coastal Maine Bird Studies for Teens at Hog Island Audubon Camp in Maine this past summer. The program focused on seabird restoration and was attended by 21 teen campers from around the country. Brennan is an avid birder who has participated in numerous educational programs at Audubon Sharon, and assists Laurie Doss with bird banding for his community service.

LHAS was contacted by the science teacher at Litchfield

President’s MessageBy Vice President, Maria Toth

Intermediate School and will be providing Audubon Adventure Classroom Kits to Litchfield Intermediate School, for all the science classes there, grades 4-6. Audubon Adventures was developed by the environmental education experts at National Audubon Society and introduces young people to the world of nature through colorful magazines, online features, interactive games and puzzles plus activities, and offers guidance and resources for teachers. The kits this year focus on birds as a way to teach about adaptation, pollination, migration and the interdependence of living things in our ecosystem. The kits are NGSS and Common Core aligned and do not require previous knowledge on the topic for classroom implementation. Audubon Adventures is available to elementary teachers, as well as home school settings, in the LHAS service area (Litchfield County). For questions or to order kits for your classroom/home school, please contact us at [email protected].

Looking ahead, we have a number of upcoming field trips: Wednesday Morning Bird Walks with Ray Belding (through the month of October), a tree ID walk, October 12th at Boyd Woods led by Debbie Martin; the annual birding weekend at Cape May, October 18-20, and so much more. See the calendar section for details on these and other events.

Take a look at the list of committees on page 2. If there is anything you would like to help out with, whether once or on an ongoing basis, please let me or the appropriate chairperson know.

Meanwhile, enjoy the upcoming fall migration!

Photo Gus Molitano

November/December 20192 Chickadee ChatterLHAS OfficersPresident Diane Edwards 860-485-9319 Vice President Maria Toth 860-712-6236 Treasurer Ed Goodhouse 860-689-6884 Record. Secretary Marie Kennedy 914-393-6270 Corresp. Secretary Terri Bianchi 860-489-8821Board of DirectorsCarol Kearns 2020 860-485-9018 Debbie Martin 2020 860-819-7462 Carol Perrault 2020 860-589-8023 Beverly Baldwin 2021 860-921-7075 Vickie Dauphinais 2021 860-361-9051 Keith Johnson 2021 860-618-5720Michael Audette 2022 860-388-7874 Karen Nelson 2022 860-309-9018 Irek Rychlik 2022 860-480-6685Committee ChairpeopleBoyd Woods Debbie & Rich Martin 860-819-7462Communications & Digital Chair Rich Martin 860-736-7714 Conservation Diane Edwards 860-485-9319 Education Donna Rose Smith 203-706-0474 Facebook Diane Edwards 860-485-9319 Field Trips Debbie & Rich Martin 860-736-7714 Fund Raising Vacant Historian Maria Toth 860-712-6236 Hospitality Carol Perrault 860-589-8023 Kalmia Sanctuary Bob & Doreen Orciari 860-485-1347 Membership Records Doreen Orciari 860-485-1347 Newsletter Diane Edwards 860-485-9319 Programs Angela Dimmitt 860-355-3429 Publicity Shirley Gay 860-482-0819 Scholarships Carol Kearns & Harry Schuh 860-485-9018 Wigwam Brook Sanctuary John Baker 860-567-8427

ResearchChristmas Count Ray Belding 860-482-4046 Summer Count Dave Tripp [email protected] Nest Box Program Rebecca Purdy 860-485-8530

Chickadee Chatter is published in January, March, May, July, September and November. Submission deadline for the January/February 2020 issue is December 1.

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]

Chickadee Chatter newsletter was printed by:

The next LHAS Board Meeting will be on Tuesday, November 19, 2019

at 7:15 PM in the Litchfield Community Center’s Learning

Center.

Special thanks to Doreen Orciari and Janet Baker for helping to proof and edit the newsletter.

This newsletter and other LHAS features can be seen IN LIVING COLOR 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/LitchfiledHillsAudubonSocietyLHAS

DUCK RAMBLE

11/17/19

2:00 P.M.

November/December 2019 3Chickadee Chatter

On one of the hottest days of the year on July 24 nine

people launched kayaks at 7 a.m. hoping to beat the extreme heat forecasted for the day. As we gathered our group around the Little Eft a juvenile Great Blue Heron foraged in the Pickerelweed and Arrow Arum. We quietly floated within a few yards of him and clicked off a few photos. No fear exhibited. Some other birds encountered were kingbirds, Common Yellowthroat and Yellow Warblers, Cedar Waxwings, Willow Flycatchers and Red-bellied and Downy Woodpeckers. White Waterlilies were everywhere. A breeze cooled us upon reaching Bantam Lake. Refreshed after a drink and snack we paddled back up the river and avoided the extreme heat of the day.

In contrast, the September 7th paddle was one of the coolest mornings of the season. The four of us were dressed for the weather but soon shed sweatshirts as we welcomed the warming sun. River water was still warm enough for our feet. The Beaver dam on the route to Little Pond was overwhelming. Those creatures really know something about engineering! We abandoned our plan and turned around. It was very quiet on the river. An osprey flew over our heads and landed in a dead snag right next to us. Upon reaching Bantam Lake we were

Kayaking on the Bantam River

By Ann Orsillo

NEW MEMBERS

If your newsletter is addressed incorrectly or if you fail to receive one, please send a postcard to LHAS, P.O. Box 861, Litchfield, CT 06759-0861 or send an email to Doreen Orciari at: [email protected]

F. Allen Blagden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SalisburyBarbara Canary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New MilfordLauren Casey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SharonPatricia Curtin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New PrestonAnthony Debany. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WatertownH. Dienstfrey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SharonSusan Firmender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .RoxburySusan Ebersol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LitchfieldJoseph Gangi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TorringtonElizabeth Hall-Abeel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SharonGeorge Hardman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New MilfordJohn Isler. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SalisburyDeborah Jacobson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GoshenAlison Jassen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ColebrookC. Kisselburgh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ThomastonFrancois Knight. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HarwintonMaxine Koether. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New HartfordMark Lamos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ShermanHeidi Lindy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SalisburyLinda Lucas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New MilfordLauren McCary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BristolJessica McLean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NorfolkKenneth Merrifield* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TerryvilleDaniel O’Meara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New HartfordKenneth Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SharonKathleen Pajer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HarwintonPatricia Platt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NorfolkJohn Renzulli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BethlehemMelissa Robinson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NorfolkPeg Roy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New HartfordElizabeth Sayre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BethlehemNancy Smith* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TorringtonNathaniel Stein . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MorrisEdward Truszkowski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BristolTerry Vance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SharonEva Von Ancken . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ShermanJanet Walker* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GoshenJoan Wallace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SalisburyMichelle Weik . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LitchfieldKelly Whelan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SalisburyTracey Wiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Litchfield

Janet Williams. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SharonMarion Williams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SharonMatthew Yeaman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bristol

LHAS Membership is at 775

Welcome Back *

Welcome New Members By Doreen Orciari

(continued on page 5)

November/December 20194 Chickadee Chatter

CONSERVATION NEWS

Birds across the U.S. are disappearing, though many of us probably haven’t noticed.

Over the past half century, North American bird populations have undergone a quiet crisis, with scientists estimating the continent to have lost 29% of its total avian population, as revealed in a new paper published recently in the journal, Science. That’s a loss of nearly 3 billion birds in the last half century.

“I would call it an imminent disaster,” says Ken Rosenberg, a conservation scientist at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the American Bird Conservancy, and the lead author on the paper in Science. “We need to do something about it now, and we need to pay attention.”

Scientists have been tracking populations of threatened and endangered birds for years, and noted that some populations were in decline. But they assumed that those threatened species were being replaced by “generalist species,” or more adaptable birds that were better suited to deal with man-made changes to their environment.

What’s stunning in these newest findings is the fact that broad population declines are being recorded across North American birds as a whole, in a trend not confined to any one species or ecological niche.

“The bulk of that loss is occurring in the common species,” says Rosenberg. “It’s across every habitat.”

Grassland bird species showed the largest impacts, with more than half their number, over 700 million breeding individuals across 31 species, lost since 1970. Birds living in forests also showed massive hits, with total losses of more than a billion birds.

“Birds are really facing an unprecedented crisis due to human activity,” says Nicole Michel a senior quantitative

ecologist with the National Audubon Society. “We really need to take action quickly.”

Scientists believe that the loss of bird populations is due to a variety of factors, chief among them habitat loss, intensifying agricultural production and disruption of coastal ecosystems, all of which are exacerbated by the intensifying impacts of anthropogenic climate change. In particular, the authors of the paper believe that the stunning losses of grassland bird populations are driven in large part by increased pesticide usage and habitat loss due to agriculture.

Not all species showed population declines, and many even showed gains over the decades, but the overall drop in bird populations was startling. Those broad declines may not be readily visible to the average bird watcher, but over decades of data the devastating trend becomes all too clear.

“The loss of that magnitude could signal an unraveling of ecological processes,” says Rosenberg. “People need to start paying attention to the birds around them, because if the loss continues we’re really going to notice it and feel it.”

To compile the report, Rosenberg and his colleagues looked at data from sources that tracked 529 species of birds in the continental United States and Canada, spanning far flung geographic areas and habitats. The scientists relied in large part on information gathered through the North American Breeding

Birds Survey, a long-standing partnership between scientists and amateur bird watchers. Those efforts showed persistent declines in bird populations. And when the scientists used supercomputers to examined data from weather radar, which for the past decade has recorded the biomass of migrating birds passing overhead at night, they discovered similar population declines.

North America Has Lost Nearly 3 Billion Birds Since 1970


CONSERVATION NEWS (continued from page 4)

“This is ground-breaking because of the incorporation of the radar data,” explains Michel. That information, Michel explains, allowed scientists to count bird populations that breed in sparsely populated northern regions where people aren’t necessarily able to reach them, and also enabled the report authors to independently verify the survey data that showed massive population losses.

There was one ray of hope in the paper’s overall gloomy findings — wetland birds showed gains in population, probably due in part to the billions of dollars in investment that have been poured into wetlands protection and restoration. For the authors, those gains show that this crisis does not necessarily need to become a full-blown catastrophe, assuming government and citizens take action to protect bird species from further impacts.

“We’re at a point where we can reverse these declines,” says Rosenberg. “We need to be acting now.”

Public action is urgently needed, but Rosenberg also notes that there are measures that individual citizens can take to help sustain bird populations, like planting native species in gardens and keeping cats indoors.

For Michel, successes like the recovery of raptor populations after DDT, a potent pesticide, was banned show that we have not yet reached the point of no return for North American birds.

“This is a crisis and a warning call,” she says. “But birds are resilient if you give them a chance.”

Article source, Time magazineBy Alejandro de la Garza

September 19, 2019

Chipping SparrowPhoto By Robert Benson Audubon GBBC 2017

How is Litchfield Hills Audubon Society Helping?

Many of our members from the Litchfield Hills Audubon Society have been participating in the CT Bird Atlas project since 2018, documenting the distribution, abundance and breeding activities of birds at sites throughout Litchfield County and surrounding areas. The data they submit will be used to document changes in breeding distribution since the last comprehensive survey of the state’s birds, which occurred in the early 1980s.

Our organization has also provided financial support for the CT Bird Atlas Project.

At our three LHAS sanctuaries, we’re involved in Audubon’s “Plants for Birds” initiative, planting flowers, shrubs and trees to help attract pollinators, (such as bees and butterflies) birds and other wildlife, knowing that their habitats have been diminishing throughout the state over the past 20 years.

(Kayaking continued from page 3)

treated to two Ospreys diving for fish and circling. We watched as they settled at the top of a tall pine near a Great Blue Heron perched in the same tree. A Wood Duck swam with a few Mallards at the mouth of the river. A Painted Turtle sat high upon a rock and dove into the water. A kingbird seemed to be playing with us as it flew ahead, perched, flew ahead again and perched again on our return trip.

We enjoyed two great paddles along the peaceful Bantam River. We shared life on and around the river with a background of crystal blue skies and puffy white clouds.

Won’t you join us next year?

November/December 20196

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 7:00 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 6:00 p.m. Our August meeting is the annual Picnic at Boyd Woods Sanctuary; it begins at 6:00 p.m. Board of Directors Meetings are held on the third Tuesday of every other month at 7:15 p.m. in the Learning Center at the Litchfield Community Center.

LHAS Calendar — Fall/Winter 2019CONSERVATION

RESEARCH

FOUNDED 1955

EDUCATION

MEETINGS:

Chickadee Chatter

December 2 . . . Discover the Owls of New England . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Monday, 7 PM

November 4 . . . The Return of the Sea Otter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Monday, 7 PM

In this captivating presentation, Peter Christoph delivers stunning photographs of his favorite owls combined with stories that entertain, educate and inspire the audience. You’ll learn the secrets Peter uses to find and photograph these same owls in the wild in their natural habitat! Eight species of expected owls in New England include: Great Horned,

Barred, Eastern Screech, Long-eared, Short-eared, Snowy Owl, Northern Saw-whet and the very elusive Barn Owl - the toughest of all to find. Why are all these owls so successful at hunting? Peter provides the answer with his beautiful images. He’ll wrap up this exciting program with stunning photos of a rare visitor from the North called the Great Gray Owl.

Peter is a well known wildlife advocate, naturalist and award-winning bird photographer based in Lancaster, MA. Peter is also responsible for publishing three bird photography books, including his latest “The Art of Bird Photography.”

Nature writer Todd McLeish documents the surprising resilience of the sea otter and its unlikely comeback along the Pacific Coast. The audience tonight will learn tons about sea otter behavior, their role as a keystone species in kelp forests, and their often contentious relationships with humans. Todd McLeish journeys along the Pacific Coast from California to Alaska to track the status, health, habits, personality, and viability of sea otters – the appealing animals unique to the Pacific that were hunted to near extinction in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Rhode Island-based science writer Todd McLeish has been writing about wildlife and environmental issues for more than 25 years. While earning degrees in communications at Ithaca College and Emerson College, he developed a passion for wildlife, natural history and environmental protection. Rather than pursue a biology degree, he immersed himself in the natural world by volunteering to help biologists with their wildlife research and writes about these experiences.

“Todd is an expert birder, a frequent leader of natural history walks, a popular public speaker, and a former world joggling champion (juggling while jogging).”

November/December 2019 7

MEETING CHANGES OR CANCELLATIONSBad 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]

Chickadee Chatter

November 17 . . . Annual Duck Ramble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sunday, 2 PM

November 30 . . . Boyd Woods/Wigwam Brook Sanctuaries Walk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Saturday, 1 PM

December 22 . . . Shepaug Dam Bald Eagle Observation Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sunday, 9 AM

December 15 . . . Christmas Bird Census. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sunday, All Day

Noted birder Greg Hanisek will once again lead LHAS’s Annual Duck Ramble to help us identify ducks and other birds on Bantam Lake. After our Ramble, we plan to relax in friendly conversation and to have dinner at a local pizza restaurant, all are welcome. Meet at the White Memorial Museum parking lot at 2 p.m. Heavy rain will cancel. For more information contact Greg at: 203-754-4401.

Feeling 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, the wetlands at 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. Wear sturdy walking shoes and bring water to drink. No dogs allowed. Rain cancels. For more information, contact Debbie Martin at: [email protected] or 860-819-7462.

Join us on Sunday, December 22, as we visit Shepaug Dam in Southbury, on Lake Zoar, to observe our National bird, the Bald Eagle, in its full glory, plus rafts of Common Mergansers and Black Ducks, with various other avian treats thrown in. Reservations are required to visit the Eagle Observatory (Russ Naylor will make the reservations for the group). Group size is limited to 15 or so, on a first-come, first served basis. Meet at 9 a.m. at the Canfield Corner Pharmacy, 2 Main St. N (junction of Rt. 6 (Main St.) and Rt. 47, in Woodbury. Rain or Snow cancels. For details and to reserve your place for this event, contact Russ Naylor at: 203-841-7779.

BIRDING EVENTS AND FIELD TRIPS:

See article on page 8 for details.

The nest boxes are checked on a weekly to bi-weekly basis from April until September. Checking the boxes at a sanctuary takes a volunteer monitor about an hour to an hour and a half. Volunteers have to carry tools to open the

boxes, see into the nest, clean out a nest, and record their observations. Different birds make different nests. Bluebirds are very neat nest makers. Typically made out of grass. Tree Swallows prefer grass or pine needles with the addition of feathers. Whereas a House Wren will fill the entire box with twigs. The twigs make it difficult to open the box and even harder to see the reddish brown eggs. LHAS members, Beverly and George Baldwin, have been monitoring boxes at Wigwam for three years. Through their familiarity of the sanctuary, plans have been made to improve the blue bird

Bluebird Nest Box Monitoring By Becky Purdy

(continued on page 9)


The Christmas Bird Census this year will take place on Sunday, December 15. The more avid will be out

listening for owls. I USED to be one of them. 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 the Carriage House at White Memorial for compilation and pizza around 5 p.m.

Area A Cornwall Bridge . . . . . . . . . . Donna Rose Smith . . . . . . 203-706-0474 Area B North Corners. . . . . . . . . . . . Dennis Hannon. . . . . . . . . 860-485-1580 Area C Tyler Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sam Slater . . . . . . . . . . . . . 860-379-8917 Area D Kent Falls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Marshall Area E Shepaug Reservoir North. . . . John Baker. . . . . . . . . . . . . 860-567-8427 Area F Woodridge Lake . . . . . . . . . . Ann Orsillo . . . . . . . . . . . . 910-880-1518 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 . . . . . . . . . . . 860-489-3451 Area L Mt. Tom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Angela Dimmitt . . . . . . . . 860-355-3429 Area M Bantam Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . TBA Area N Litchfield South. . . . . . . . . . . Russ Naylor . . . . . . . . . . . . 860-263-2502

Area Captains:

Christmas Bird Census 2019

Boyd Woods Sanctuary

By Ray Belding

By Rich Martin

Christmas Bird Census 2019 Feeder Count Form

On December 15, 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 _______

By the time you receive this newsletter, Autumn will be nearly half over. The fall colors will be a distant

memory. It’s late September as I write this report and I’ve just returned from Boyd Woods Sanctuary after walking a number of its trails. The leaves on the red maples are turning a vibrant red, birches and spice bush leaves are turning a brilliant yellow, and there’s an abundance of different types of asters and goldenrod in full bloom attracting many pollinators before they either head south or turn in for the winter. I’m enjoying the change from months of hot and muggy weather. Not to mention, that I’ll definitely not miss the mosquitoes and gnats trying their best to get into your eyes, nose and ears while trying to enjoy my walk…UGGHH. It’s a great time of (continued on page 9)

year though, to be out at our sanctuaries capturing the moment with either your sketch pad or camera or just wandering along observing what Mother Nature has to offer and enjoying the day. By the way, all of the trails at Boyd Woods Sanctuary are in great shape, just waiting for all to come out to take a walk.

To date, we’ve had a fairly busy year at Boyd Woods Sanctuary. We held seven walks. Notably and well attended were the Great Backyard Bird Count Walk held in February, the Woodcock Walk held in April, and the Boyd Woods History Walk held in July. Past


newsletters provide highlights and photos on these events. Unfortunately, we had to cancel the Annual Picnic due to the weather. It turned out to be the right decision, with torrential rains and lightning and thunder happening just as the event would have started.

In addition to our many walks, we still had time to accomplish a few projects. In April, an assortment of plants and shrubs, purchased at the Northwest Conservation District’s annual plant sale, were planted at the Plash. A donation box was constructed and installed near the kiosk. I would like to thank Joe Bianchi for supplying the metal and his welding talents used in its construction. Another project seeing completion was the replacement of a short temporary boardwalk that helped us navigate, at times, a very wet and icy area along the backside of the pond. The new boardwalk is considerably longer, sturdier and a lot safer. Again, I would like to thank Joe Bianchi for his help with its construction. His jeep really came in handy for transporting the heavy lumber from the parking lot down to the Monarch Meadow. From there, the lumber had to be either carried or wheelbarrowed to where the boardwalk was constructed.

We began work on our Forest Management Program this fall by tackling the invasives, mostly bittersweet, that are taking over our conifers at both Boyd Woods and Wigwam Brook sanctuaries. This is just the beginning of many other tasks that will take place at these two sanctuaries over the next 8 years.

Wrapping up the year at Boyd Woods, there will be a post turkey day walk on Saturday, November 30, at 1:00 p.m. Details are in the calendar section of the newsletter.

We hope to see you then!

(Boyd Woods continued from page 8)

nesting habitat. Many of the boxes were originally placed in the Chestnut grove when the trees where just saplings. Now they are hidden within the grove. Ideal for House Wrens but not for the Bluebirds. LHAS members, Irek Rychlik and Janice Jankauskas, joined the monitoring program this season. They took care of the boxes at Kalmia. A nice surprise at Kalmia this season was to find a moss made Black Capped Chickadee nest with successful fledglings. Janice donated her time to build and install nest boxes for all three sanctuaries. Additional boxes have been made by one of my family members for future use. I oversee the program and check boxes at Boyd Woods. It was a busy season of repairing, replacing, and relocating nest boxes at Boyd Woods. Eleven boxes were repaired, two were relocated and replaced with a slot style box. One slot style box was removed to accommodate parking for the Boyd Woods History Walk. It will need to be replaced before the next season. Changing the style and location of the nest boxes did show a decrease in House Sparrows and mice. There was an increase in Bluebirds nests and successful fledglings. It was a great season. Thank you monitors.

(Bluebird continued from page 7)

Photo Rich Martin


20 YEARS AGO!

I should have made a double batch. When I went up for dessert, someone was actually scraping the dregs from the bottom of the casserole dish. Jennie Belding’s world famous casserole was once again a smashing success. As a matter of fact, it may have been the highlight of the entire day.

The weather was the best we’d had in recent years. Bright sun accompanied by unseasonably warm temperatures. It must have been in the mid-sixties when sixteen cars followed me out of the Grange parking lot and over to Cemetery Pond where we got our only Green-winged Teal of the day. A few Mallards, a couple of Blacks and a handful of Canada Geese were the only other waterfowl so we headed toward the old Girl Scout Camp.

Our luck wasn’t much better there. Goldeneye, Common and Hooded Mergansers, and mainly in poor light. A late Osprey entertained us as he dove for unseen fish.

From the Canoe Club we had more of the same. In addition, a Loon caused a big controversy between me and everyone else. I’m still not convinced that it was a Common.

A swing around Brown’s Pond in Lakeside proved fruitless, also duckless.

Pt. Folley is usually our most productive area. It was on this day as well. From the parking area we had a multitude of Coots and Ruddy Ducks. They were joined by a few Bufflehead, a lonely Pied-billed Grebe and three Redheads. The latter are always a treat to find on Bantam Lake. It seems to me that I counted 37 Swans from the observation tower. Did someone see Ring-necked Ducks?

Of the forty plus people that traversed the lake, about half stayed to enjoy my mom’s casserole and all the other goodies. Once again we were joined by Eleanor Loft and friends from Sharon and Bob Hollister from Lillinonah. How many years have they been joining us?

Now we should be so lucky with the weather on Christmas Count Day.

Duck Ramble November 21, 1999 By Ray Belding

Birds seem to flock to Boyd Woods when the suet feeders are out during the winter months. There’s

a debate as to what suet recipe attracts the most birds, Debbie Martin’s or Irek Rychlik’s.

In this newsletter issue we will feature Irek’s bird-loving Peanut Butter Suet (makes about 7 suet cakes).

Ingredients: 2 cups of peanut butter 1/4 cup of honey roasted peanuts 2 cups of lard 4 cups of oats 4 cups of cornmeal 2 cups of white flour 1 Tbsp of honey

Directions: * In a saucepan over low heat, melt the lard and peanut butter. * Stir in the remaining ingredients, mix well. * Fill empty store-bought suet containers or any similar-sized container. * Cool and then freeze until ready to use.

Peanut Butter Suet By Irek Rychlik


Wow - this month flew by and apparently a lot of migrating birds also flew by, huge numbers of

warblers and thrushes reported along the coast, but not many through my garden in New Milford. Now only Blue Jays seem to be passing, with much raucous calling. My resident Red-shouldered Hawks are also screaming loud and often, the young expecting their parents to

feed them, even now. And the Barred Owl family is still here, occasionally hooting together in the late afternoon or around 11 at night.

But I did have one truly magical moment in late August – driving home across my bridge at 2:30, I glanced at the stream and saw a bird splashing in the shallows. My bins were on the front seat – it was a goldfinch – and almost immediately a

Song Sparrow joined it, then a bright male redstart; a yellowthroat took a drink, another goldfinch, a female redstart and suddenly in the bushes all around there were more birds – a Black-and-white Warbler, a Worm-eating Warbler, 2 Red-eyed Vireos, 2 wood pewees, 2 titmice, 3 chickadees, a female cardinal, a Hairy Woodpecker, catbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker and Carolina Wren. Whew! All within about 5 minutes! Then they disappeared until 5 minutes later, a Yellow-throated Vireo sang nearby and Chipping Sparrows appeared. Then all was quiet…..

The lilac bush outside my den window often attracts passing birds, not sure why – a few days ago a parula and a redstart came together with a titmouse. A small flock of turkeys, two hens and four young, has visited a few times. Once my Siamese, Star, was outside and decided to check them out – staying well away – they just sauntered on, unconcerned as he crept towards them on his tummy. A kitty can dream, can’t he? In fact, he’s never looked at another bird, let alone chased one. His toy mouse is as feral as he gets, and he still hides under the bed whenever someone comes to the house, a real scaredy-cat, a Momma’s boy!

In My Garden A Journal — September 2019 By Angela Dimmitt

What beautiful weather we’ve had day after day, although now we really need a good long rain as the ground is very dry – not that plants really mind now they are shutting down anyway, but shrubs need it. We should now water any shrubs and perennials planted this year. Trees probably have roots deep enough still to be benefitting from the big rains earlier this year. But Fall’s glorious colors are starting! Spice bushes are golden everywhere, dogwoods and red maples just beginning to turn, lots of others yellow/brown – and fallen leaves are already covering the lawn.

The bear went into the garage last week - luckily the bird seed bins he opened were all empty. A doe had eaten the last few morsels in the feeder – but perhaps it’s too soon to re-stock.

Why are the deer eating my flowers, not gorging on all those yummy acorns falling so copiously? A deep purple potato vine spilling half across the patio went like candy, also red impatiens. Must be careful walking down the slope – not to skid on the acorns which are like ball-bearings, very treacherous – had a nasty fall last year. Watching a doe with two fawns and a young buck, so beautiful. Ah well!

Photo: Angela Dimmitt

Red-Shouldered Hawk Photo: Gouldingken

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