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

April 14, 2010, 7:30 pm at the deKoven House, 27 Washington St., Middletown, CT

Mattabeseck Audubon presents award winning journalist Steve Grant discussing his potpourri of adventure experiences in a slide illustrated lecture called "My Office is the Outdoors."

This event is 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. Learn from Steve about 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.

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.)

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.”

Mattabeseck has replaced its old display board and is offering the old one to any educator who would like it. The display consists of 4 hinged panels —each about 36 x 40 inches. There are 2 of these, plus canvas carrying case. Please call Alison Guinness at 860-873-9304 if you are interested.

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

National Invasive Species Awareness Week: (NISAW), January 10-14, 2010, Washington, DC. http://www.nisaw.org/

Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC): Friday, February 12 through Monday, February 15, 2010. The National Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology are calling on everyone to “Count for Fun, Count for the Future!” Last year’s participants turned in more than 93,600 checklists online, creating the continent’s largest instantaneous snapshot of bird populations ever recorded.
http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/

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, however, several lists were not in that species count. Link to Count info.

Sightings at Thompson Hill Rd, Portland
Christmas Count (December '09)
Sparrow Crawl (October '09)
Canoe/Kayak trip Salmon River (June)
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

The deadline for items to be included in the Summer Issue is Wednesday, March 31, 2010. We expect subscribers to receive their copies about Saturday, April 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.

It’s no secret that Maine is one of North America’s great birding destinations. And now, to help you find those great birds, Maine has published the Maine Birding Trail, a compact folder to fit in your pocket and guide you to well-known places like Biddeford Pool, Pemaquid Point, Monhegan Island and also to lesser-known prime spots like Schoodic Point, Bigelow Preserve, the Pine Tree State Arboretum (in Augusta), the Orono Bog Boardwalk, and Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, a little above Bangor. For information, visit www.mainebirdingtrail.com.
If you are hoping to see Puffins while in Maine, I recommend the Puffin Watch, boat trips run by Hardy Boat Cruises out of New Harbor, Maine. The boat circles Eastern Egg Rock, site of the successful re-establishment of a puffin colony by National Audubon. An Audubon naturalist is on board to describe the project, identify the birds, and give helpful clues to help you ID them yourself. The summer of 2009 saw 107 pairs of puffins on the island. Luckily, there were a few left when I took the cruise the second week of August, including two who continually circled the boat! Phone numbers to secure tickets are 1-800-278-3346 or 207-677-2026.

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

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 email our web site. Many thanks to Pat Rasch for putting it all together and Mike DiGiorgio for his beautiful illustrations. This is a very inexpensive way to own some of the best bird art you’ll ever see. The card is extra heavy-duty all-plastic laminate, printed in full color on both sides. Twenty-four birds are identified by common name and Latin name, with the length of the bird and seasons that they are usually seen in our area also given. In species where there are 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.