Mattabeseck Field Trips

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

Learn the birds that come to your feeders. We will meet at Joanne Luppi’s home at 205 Thompson Hill Rd. at 10 a.m. After checking the bird feeders in the neighborhood, we will gather at Joanne’s to warm our toes and have coffee or cocoa while watching the birds at her many feeders. We will learn what bird fare attracts which species, the importance of offering water in winter, and what to plant in our gardens to offer winter food and shelter to our feathered friends. Numbers are limited, so please call 860-342-1326 for directions and to be assured of a spot.

Join Larry Cyrulik for a winter trip through the woods to the cliff above Salmon River Cove. In the past, Bald Eagles have swooped over close enough for birders to hear the beats of their wings. Dress warmly. Meet at the parking lot at the corner of Lawn Ave. and High St. Call Larry for info 342-4785.

The 15th annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is coming up. The four-day event is free and is open to bird watchers of all ages and skill levels. Participants watch birds for any length of time on one or more days of the count and enter their tallies at www.birdcount.org. (For more information: www.birdsource.org/gbbc/)

This is a replication of Dave Titus’s favorite duck migration trips. We will start at the ponds along Research Parkway in Meriden, then go (around the corner) to North Farms Reservoir. If time allows, we will backtrack to Cromwell Meadows. Dress for the weather—usually raw and chilling. Meet at the parking lot at the corner of Lawn Ave. and High St. Call Larry Cyrulik for info 342-4785.

We expect to see mergansers, cormorants, eagles, and a mix of other birds. Wear boots and bring your scope if you have one. Trip should end by noon, and is offered to Mattabeseck Audubon and Hartford Audubon Society. Meet in the Brownstone Intermediate School Parking lot (314 Main Street in Portland) at 8:00 a.m. Bad weather reschedules to March 25th. Leader: Larry Nichols, e-mail lvn600@hotmail.com or cell# 860-304-5240.

Discover early-blooming wildflowers with Larry Cyrulik among the fractured basalt of Giuffrida Park, as well as other bits of biodiversity. Meet at Cromwell Stop & Shop Plaza at 8:00 a.m. in front of the former Hollywood Video. Call Larry Cyrulik for more information at 342-4785. The bloom-time for various species is dependent on temperatures, as well as on time of year. Every year is a little different. For a captioned photo preview of what we may find, click Wildflowers.

Meet at 8:00 a.m. at the Blowhole State Park parking lot on Field Road, Cromwell. This has been a premier spot for neo-tropical migrants—warblers: Pines, Blue-wings, Ovenbirds, and many more—and often some surprises. Call Larry Cyrulik 342-4785 for more information.

We will start at Cromwell Meadows if it is not flooded (otherwise somewhere else in greater Middletown). Meet at the Stop and Shop parking lot in CROMWELL at 7:30 a.m. on the side of the building between Sleepys and McDonalds. Contact Joe Morin for details joseph.mor@sbcglobal.net.

Along with Hartford Audubon Society, we will be looking for breeding birds at both parks. Wear hiking boots and insect repellent. Trip will end at noon. Meet at Machimoodus Park parking lot at 7:30 a.m. Leader: Larry Nichols, e-mail lvn600@hotmail.com or cell# 860-304-5240.