Mattabeseck Audubon Society: Welcome!

Our Mission: The Mattabeseck Audubon Society, a chapter of the National Audubon Society, is committed to environmental leadership and education for the benefit of the community and the earth's biodiversity.

deKoven House, 27 Washington Street, Middletown, Connecticut 06457

Mattabeseck Audubon presented award-winning journalist Steve Grant discussing his potpourri of adventure experiences in a slide illustrated lecture called "My Office is the Outdoors." This event was part of the global celebration of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, which began on April 22, 1970. Be a part of “A billion Acts of Green” taking place around the world. Steve talkedabout the wonders of our part of the Earth that need our acts of green to preserve them for Earth Days to come.

Steve Grant is a freelance journalist with more than 35 years experience writing on politics and the environment in Connecticut and New England. For 29 years, he wrote for The Hartford Courant, most of those years writing about nature and outdoor recreation. He has canoed the entire Connecticut River, circumnavigated Long Island Sound in a sea kayak, hiked hundreds of miles of the Appalachian Trail and recreated the 360-mile circuit of the legendary Old Leatherman. Call 347-8464 for details. More about Steve: www.thestevegrantwebsite.com—see About Steve

Directions to the deKoven House: From Route 9, Take Washington Street Exit in Middletown onto Washington Street; Turn LEFT into parking lot. (27 Washington St.) Map

Mattabeseck will hold our annual meeting on May 19th at the deKoven House in Middletown at 7:30 p.m. Nominations for the board of directors should be given to Marcy Klattenberg, the chair of the committee, at 860-347-8464. Changes to the By-laws will also be voted on.

Taken behind the capitol in Bushnell Park, the Red Tail Hawks return each year to feast on Gray tree Rats … aka. Squirrels and sometimes legislators. (Photo: Joe Morin)

May 221 (Saturday 7 a.m.)
Portland Reservoir/Meshomasic Forest (with Hartford Audubon)

Friday, May 28 (8 a.m.) / Rain: Sat., May 29
Canoe Trip Poquetonock Cove, Norwich

Echo Farm Eagle trip, (February '10)
Sightings at Thompson Hill Rd, Portland (December '09)
Christmas Count (December '09)
Sparrow Crawl (October '09)
Canoe/Kayak trip Salmon River (June '09))
Breeding Birds of Wangunk Meadows
Dave Titus Memorial Warbler Walk
Wildflowers of Early Spring
Echo Farm Eagles
Sparrow Crawl
Flutes, Feathers, and Fine Art
2008 Christmas Count (preliminary)
Pecausett Pond Canoe Trip
Wildflower Walk
Titus Memorial Warbler Walk
Portland Reservoir Walk
CT Water Trails Day

Earth Day: April 22, 2010 will mark the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. Mark your calendar to participate in the billion acts of green and the global celebration. Events happen over several days. http://www.earthday.net/earthday2010

The deadline for items to be included in the Summer Issue is Wednesday, June 30, 2010. We expect subscribers to receive their copies about Saturday, July 24. Please send items to Pat Rasch, 24 Elm Road, Cromwell, CT 06416, or email to <mattabeseck@mac.com>

The Board of Directors will meet at 7:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month at deKoven House, 27 Washington Street, Middletown.

A Sand Hill Crane spent most of the winter in farm fields on Johnson Lane in Durham. The bird is occasionally being seen into late March.
I wonder if Bohemian Waxwings are pursuing an education—seems they frequent college campuses. In April of ‘08, many birders enjoyed seeing them on the UConn campus. High numbers are reported annually on the University of Maine campus at Orono. There were up to 200 at Orono this past winter. Actually, it is the abundance of crab apple trees and other berried shrubs that attract them.
Birds Here and There—As of Easter Weekend
The Woodcocks are displaying, Wilson’s Snipe are in the Portland Meadows, Pine Warblers have been seen in Portland, Ovenbirds are reported in several Connecticut locations. Even a Hooded Warbler was spotted at Hammonasset this weekend. Some people are watching the migration of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and putting their feeders out. Bluebirds are nesting--hope folks got their bluebird boxes cleaned out in time. In mid-March, we watched two Sharp-shinned Hawks diving, circling, and heard them screaming here in the north end of Portland. I suspect this was a courtship routine. The Pileated Woodpecker seems to have moved to a better location. The tree on Isinglass Hill Rd. in Portland where it was working is right beside the road. Perhaps the spectacular bird realized it wasn’t a safe location for a nest.
Both Great Egret and Snowy Egret are now at Hammonasset. A Pectoral Sandpiper was also spotted there last week. The bird sightings are increasing daily with this early spring migration.

Across a woodland stream, rapidly flowing, the spring sun glinting off its sinuous surface like a smile uplifted, through a field of little bluestem gathered under eastern red cedar, bristling sentinels standing silently, a vernal pool, like a dark, tannic acid-clouded eye sat in the middle of the wood.

Kneeling like wondering supplicants before an altar, we gave praise to all below:
An under water metropolis where avenues of waving fronds of grasses met clouded boulevards of winter’s detritus. Backswimmers and diving beetles busily traveled in single - minded locomotion. There, like some dark phantom, a larval marbled salamander hovered over an oak leaf, then sank into oblivion. The newts swam with legs folded onto their yellow, spotted sides in an aquatic ballet. The orange fairy shrimp, too, as if in a pas de deux, propelling their delicate legs in an upside down pose, floated like pleasant imagery in a dream. Mosquito larvae wriggled with malicious anticipation. The copepods sped towards one another like random neutrons and then separated in a frenetic burst of determination. Globes of translucent wood frog eggs clung like purple clouds to under water branches, punctuated by the opaque spawn of spotted salamanders, surreptitiously deposited in the dark, in the rain.

Mesmerized by this magical civilization we then rose up into a different world, and the sun, higher now than in winter, threw our shadows before us and within those shadows…a universe as wonderful, yet more terrifying, than the pool we had just left behind.

Very heavy rains that brought havoc to other parts of Connecticut, brought a Spring freshet to the Connecticut River. Unusually warm temperatures for April gave the perfect opportunity to paddle through Wangunk Meadows on April 3rd.

Water was about 4 feet deep over most of the meadows, swamps, and woods. Paddling as silently as possible let us sneak up on many of the creatures of the swamps and woods.

A Northern Water Snake, twisted into a bunch, sunned in the center of an alder bush. A Garter Snake rested on floating weeds.

Plenty of Muskrats were seen swimming, and many others were relaxing on floating vegetation or on logs. We were able to get within a few feet of many of them, without spooking them.

A beaver, relaxing on a grass pad on a log, did get spooked by our presence and dove out of sight, re-emerging a distance away and slapping his tail to object to our presence. Tow more beavers, a pair, were seen near the old roadway along the river.

A large stick-nest in the wooded swamp was occupied by a great horned owl—its cat-eared head watching us. Also seen: Bluebirds, Kingfisher, Tree Swallows, a Red-tail hawk on its nest, various woodpeckers, and myriad Great Blue Herons on their nests.

Helen Carlson Sanctuary News
Helen Carlson's Family Visits / Corn Crib moves to Historical Society
Click here to go to Carlson Sanctuary page

Because of the massive storm predicted (and received in some areas) on Dec. 20, the Annual Salmon River Christmas Bird Count was postponed until Dec. 27. Stalwarts were out on the 27th, in spite of steady light rain, and mud just everywhere. Fog from warm rain hitting frozen ground reduced visibility to maybe 100 yards. The fog, rain, and mist did not lift until about noon-time, therefore, the morning yielded few birds, and our numbers, especially species, were way down. Ponds and lakes were frozen solid, with a coating of rainwater on top, so ducks were in short supply. Hawks, also, were not around because the weather had reduced the availability of prey.

Tally was held at the Cypress Restaurant as planned. Preliminary count at the tables was 58 species, same as final count total. Link to Count info.

At the State Capitol in December, Mattabeseck received the Green Circle Award from the CT DEP for its sustainable viewing platform at the Helen Carlson Wildlife Sanctuary.

Alison Guinness, president of Mattabeseck, accepted the award certificate for the organization from Commissioner Amey Marrella, as well as a statement signed by Governor Rell congratulating Mattabeseck and commending us for our “energy, enthusiasm and hard work in leading the way in preserving our natural resources.”

According to Julie Victoria, Wildlife Biologist, CT DEP Wildlife Division, there has been an increase of birders approaching active Bald Eagles nests too closely. By CT law, persons must stay at least 700 feet away from active bald eagle nests. It is illegal to disturb any bald eagle and persons shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than thirty days or both. Any person who enters a posted no access area for a bald eagle or a posted no access area for an active bald eagle nest shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than thirty days, or both. (CT Statue Sec. 26-29)

MAS is in search of an engineer who can design an effective beaver baffling system for our Helen Carlson Wildlife Sanctuary. We’ve had 2 systems installed by Skip Hilliker and Friends of Animals, but neither has worked. We’re hoping to find someone with experience with drainage systems. We do not want to completely drain the beaver pond, but we would like a system that allows us to lower the water level periodically in order to keep the trail open and grow a few cranberry plants. Please call Alison Guinness at 860-873-9304 if you know someone or have any ideas.

Carlson Sanctuary Platform is subject of article in Landscape Architecture magazine

In an article titled "Decked Out" in the February issue, author Angus McCullough outlines the story of building "SplitFrame", the multi-level viewing platform at the Helen Carlson Sanctuary built last year by Wesleyan students as a course project.

On Sunday, Oct. 19th, Mattabeseck held a dedication ceremony for the new viewing platform. Here are some photos from the event.

This beetle is a serious pest in other parts of the world and can kill hardwood trees in roadside plantings, shelterbelts, and plantations. In the United States, the beetle prefers maple species.

ALB typically does not spread quickly on its own, but it can easily be inadvertently transported in untreated firewood and other forest products. Trees affected include: Boxelder, Norway, Red, Silver, and Sugar maples, Alders, Birches, Elms, Horsechestnut, Poplars, and Willows. A complete list of host trees in the United States, however, has not been determined. Previous infestations have occurred in New York, Illinois and New Jersey.

Residents suspecting they have seen ALB should report their findings to CAES at (203) 974-8474 or (203) 974-8485. Residents can also report sightings to APHIS via their website at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/.

The David Titus Memorial Bird Card is now available for a $3 donation. We will have them at MAS activities or request by email to mattabeseck@mac.com. Many thanks to Pat Rasch for putting it all together and wildlife illustrator, Mike DiGiorgio, for his beautiful illustrations, many of which were painted specifically for this bird card. The card is a very inexpensive way to own some of the best bird art you’ll ever see. It is extra heavy-duty, all-plastic laminate, printed in full color on both sides. Twenty-four birds are identified by their common name and Latin name, along with the length of the bird and the seasons that they are usually seen in our area. In species that have visual differences between the sexes, both sexes are portrayed.

If you find a baby bird or other animal, it's best to leave it alone. Chances are the parent is nearby and will take care of the baby when you leave the area. If not or you have some other wildlife problem, contact the CT Wildlife Rehabilitators Association at http://www.cwrawildlife.org/ where you can find a rehabilitator in your area or someone to address your problem.

We encourage everyone to buy Duck Stamps each fall. The funds the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the State of Connecticut receive from the sale of Duck Stamps goes directly to conservation of habitat that supports not only waterfowl but many other species of birds and other animals and indigenous plants. You may purchase Federal Duck Stamps at the Post Office, and State of Connecticut Duck Stamps at your local town hall.

Yellow lampmussels (Lampsilis cariosa) were identified in the sandy bottom of the upper reaches of the Connecticut River near South Windsor in 2006. This find established these mollusks, although still rare, as firm residents of Connecticut, and restored the species to the Endangered Species List. (Extirpated species are taken off that list.)

The drought from July-August 2007 left river flows precariously low in the Yellow lampmussel’s upper Connecticut domain. Their ingenious method of survival is to bury themselves down into the moist sand and mud. Some species of mussel, such as the Eastern elliptio, have been found buried like stacks of cordwood as deep as two feet, with not a drop of river water flowing above them. Held in a sort of suspension, they await the return of normal river flows.

TheConnecticut River in Windsor, looking North to Bissell Bridge, and then South. The critter is a Yellow lampmussel, very rare in Conn.