Chickadee Chatter Chickadee Chatterlhasct.org/ · 2 Chickadee Chatter The Chickadee Chatter is published in January, March, May, July, September, and November. For the March/April

Chickadee Chatter 13

President’s Message

By Harry Ainsworth

In the midst of the holiday season, I hope you are not forgetting our little feath-

ery friends and are stocking up your bird feeding supplies. We have been fortunate enough to have a large number of robins and Cedar Waxwings cleaning up the bright red berries on our bushes in the backyard for the last several days. I estimate there were 40 Cedar Waxwings sitting in the treetops, then swooping down to the bushes for

a snack and quickly returning to the trees. The dozen or so robins were doing the same thing. This went on yesterday (November 30) for about 30 minutes. What a great way for me to start the day.

We have not been able to feed the birds since spring because of the bears. Since I stopped feeding the birds, including my beloved hummingbirds, I have not seen a single bear in the

yard. It is fun to see the magnificent creatures lumbering out of the woods in search of birdseed, peanuts, or hummingbird food. I get an incredible rush when I see the bears up close. However, I know that “fed bears” typically become nuisance bears and often wind up being put down. Hence, no feeders yet. The minute I hear that hibernation has started, the feed-ers will be out there. I cannot wait.

Some of you may recall that in February 2016 a Hermit Warbler was seen in Barkhamsted. As I recall, the word went out very quickly. We had company who happen to be avid birders the day we heard about the sighting. Our lunch plans were interrupted upon hearing the news, and we bolted for Barkhamsted and found the warbler. What a treat. The ques-tion now is, what are the odds of a Hermit Warbler return-

ing? Slim, I would guess, but I am hopeful.

What is in store for us in 2017? Good question. I believe we can look forward to continuing our long-term projects on our properties. We will also be looking for ways to attract more members. If, by chance, you have any ideas, please con-tact a board member or committee chairperson. We would love to hear from you. The board will be discussing a number of topics, possibly including increasing the size of the schol-arships we give to high school students entering college and getting our newsletter to you electronically.

I mailed 42 Annual Appeal letters today. Tomorrow a group of us is meeting at the Litchfield Community Center to prepare more letters and get them mailed. I hope that by the time you read this, you will have received our appeal letter and will have sent us your tax-deductible donation. We really appreciate your support.

Our Program and Field Trips committees have done stel-lar jobs this year in securing wonderful speakers for our meetings and connecting with other like-organizations in exploring the state to see what can be found. Twenty-six people took part in the Cape May weekend in October. The event was led by Dave Tripp, and I heard that it was excel-lent. Thanks, Dave. Can’t go without thanking David Zomick, Angela Dimmitt, and Janet Baker for all of their hard work in the chapter.

Kudos to Doreen and Bob Orciari for their management of Kalmia and to Debbie and Rich Martin for all they have done at Boyd Woods. John Baker, I haven’t forgotten about you, Jay Coles, Ed Goodhouse, and Keith Johnson for everything happening at Wigwam Brook. Great job.

Carol Perrault, I’m saving the best for the last. It is not easy trying to stay slim when you arrange for all those great munchies at our meetings. Thank you so much. I mean it.

See Calendar, pages 6-7, for our Upcoming Meetings & Field Trips

Cedar WaxwingPhoto: Harry Ainsworth

January/February 2017 Volume 62/Issue 1

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

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

Chickadee Chatter2

The Chickadee Chatter is published in January, March, May, July, September, and November. For the March/April 2017 issue, all articles must be received by the editor by February 1. Please email items for publication in the newsletter to Di-ane 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].

This newsletter and other LHAS features can be seen IN LIVING COLOR on the LHAS Web page: 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 helping to proofread this newsletter!

January/February 2017

LHAS OfficersPresident Harry Ainsworth 860-777-8012Vice President vacantTreasurer Marie Kennedy 860-567-5487Rec. Secretary Janet Baker 860-567-8427Corresp. Secretary Pam Hicks [email protected] of DirectorsTerri Bianchi 2017 860-489-8821Jay Coles 2017 860-354-3802Rich Martin 2017 860-584-5706Janet Baker 2018 860-567-8427Ed Goodhouse 2018 860-689-6884Fran Zygmont 2018 860-379-4461Angela Dimmitt 2019 860-355-3429Keith Johnson 2019 860-618-5720Nancy Nichols 2019 860-354-5114Director at LargeJohn Baker 860-567-8427Committee ChairpeopleBoyd Sanctuary Debbie & Rich Martin 860-819-7462Conservation Diane Edwards 860-485-9319Education Donna Rose Smith 203-706-0474Facebook Diane Edwards 860-485-9319Field Trips David Zomick 860-584-2824Fundraising vacantHistorian vacantHospitality 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 860-485-9018Website Rich Martin 860-584-5706Wigwam Brook Sanctuary John Baker 860-567-8427ResearchChristmas Count Ray Belding 860-482-4046Summer Count Dave Tripp 860-693-6524

NEW MEMBERSBy Doreen Orciari, Membership Chair

Karen Anderson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New MilfordJulie Andring* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NorthfieldJeanine Audette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TerryvilleWendy Berg* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RivertonFlora Biddle* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New PrestonSusan Bridges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WatertownAngela Grano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NorfolkSusan Innes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TorringtonJohanna Kimball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GoshenMr. & Mrs. Kenneth Lukowski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .OakvilleMichael Mastrobattisto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HarwintonAnne & James Orsi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .WashingtonMr. & Mrs. Ethan Ram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New MilfordKathleen Rich . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New MilfordWilliam Rolls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New MilfordMargaret Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Barkhamsted

LHAS has 595 members.

* Welcome back

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].

Note: The list of new members includes those who have joined through October 2016.

Chickadee Chatter 3

The next LHAS Board Meeting will be onTuesday, January 17, at 7:15 PM

in the Litchfield Community Center’s Education Room.


absolutely flat calm, surely a first — we saw that huge moon rising to the east as the sun set in a blaze of streaky clouds. There were thou-sands of gulls at the water’s edge, too far out for me (even with binoc-ulars) to be sure which, but many were also flying around, mostly Black-headed and Herring Gulls. A Little Egret, which appeared in England about 30 years ago and is now quite common, was fishing at the water’s edge, together with a Great (White) Egret. Every book gives it a different name: It may be our Great Egret, but

the European one has a black beak. Oh dear — what was it?

We climbed a hillfort, its huge earthworks of ditches and mounds built to protect against marauding hordes (and later the Romans), apparently all dug using deer antlers, etc. We could see the countryside for miles around, below us the ancient city of Arundel with its cathedral built above the Norman castle; far out across the English Channel, and to the west, the Isle of Wight (under black rain clouds). A herd

Robin — the English version!Photo: Angela Dimmitt

(continued on page 4)

In My Garden (And Beyond)A Journal — November 2016

By Angela Dimmitt

Ten days in England in early November! Decided to forgo Christmas travel this year but wanted to see my family.

This seemed like a good time — warmer? Drier? Cheaper air fare? What to expect? It was rather amazing — they don’t usually have an autumn to boast of, but this year, after various flood and drought, it was a bit late and everywhere was golden, England’s oaks ablaze. Driving through Surrey to West Sussex, one went through picturesque villages, of course, tunnels of golden trees meeting overhead, then out onto the South Downs with their Iron Age hillforts. One brother’s garden was full of birds coming to his one feeder in an old apple tree, and many of them were singing, Robins for sure, Great and Blue Tits, even a Wren (our Winter Wren but a little dif-ferent, and they may have split the species). Collared Doves invaded from mainland Europe a couple of decades ago and are now everywhere — we should be on the lookout for them in Connecticut sooner or later. I saw one House Sparrow — they are endangered in England, and Starlings are not pests.

My other brother lives on the South Coast, and one afternoon we walked along the shore. The sea was half a mile out and

One brother’s garden was full of birds coming to his one feeder ... and many of them were singing, Robins for sure, Great and Blue Tits, even a Wren (our Winter Wren, but a little different ...).

Below: Collared Dove. Below right: Black-headed Gull.Photos: Angela Dimmitt

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of 40 rusty-brown cattle ignored us as we carefully avoided their pats, and a flock of Meadow Pipits flirted and twit-tered around us. It was spectacular! A troop of local school kids was running up and down the steep pathway, a cadet training exercise, as we huffed and puffed our way up. A dog stopping to sniff every delicious smell would have been nice — we stopped for birds instead.

Another surprise was the local Wetlands and Wildlife Institute — my brother thought it was just a marsh, but for £10 we followed a boardwalk through ponds and marshes teeming with hundreds of ducks, geese, and swans, many from around the world (wings clipped, of course), as well as native birds which stopped in at feeding time. Away from the “feeding pond,” it was hard to know if some of the ducks, many recognizable to me, were wild or European visitors. Wood Ducks (ours!) we all would have recognized, plus Mal-lards and Canada Geese. In Philip’s garden, everything was bright green — grass (“I had to cut it yesterday”), evergreen shrubs, some bushes, and several pots were flowering and a camelia was just opening — later Philip said it had over a dozen blossoms….

…..back in the U.S., all the leaves had come down and the scene was bleak and gray, except for the rusty oak leaves everywhere on the ground, tossing in the wind and laughing at me to rake them away. Winter overnight! The stream was still the barest trickle despite some rain, but the Kingfisher did rattle by once. However, two little English primroses are flowering to cheer me, also forsythia, and incredibly, the white rhododendron by the house, not fully open but trying.

I rushed to fill the bird feeders, hoping the bear is now in hibernation, or if not, has found comfort elsewhere. Quickly


Blackbird (UK)Photo: Angela Dimmitt

In My Garden (continued from page 3)

How Did Our Nest Boxes Do Last Season?

By Marie Kennedy, LHAS Treasurer and Nest Box Chair

The cavity nesting birds were very busy at our sanctuaries in 2016. Between April and July, Eastern Bluebirds, Tree Swallows, and House

Wrens surveyed our boxes for an appropriate “home” to build their nests. Some of LHAS’s volunteer nest box committee members were busy with building and installing new boxes, while others monitored the boxes throughout the season and recorded nesting results. LHAS has 35 boxes distributed over the three sanctuaries. Not all boxes were used, while there was more than one nest in some boxes. Our boxes produced 222 fledglings. Here is the breakdown by species:

• Tree Swallows — 17 nests with 102 fledged• Eastern Bluebirds — 10 nests with 50 fledged

• House Wren — 14 nests with 70 fledged

House WrenPhoto: Alex Kearney

the locals returned, plus briefly the Carolina Wren I so hoped would stay (someone has been roosting in “his” straw basket) and a very late Chipping Sparrow. Two bluebirds ate their fill on the Winterberry (ilex verticilla-ta) outside the den, a favorite too of robins. Otherwise it’s been quiet: early morning feeding frenzy, a few birds all day, then another rush at dusk, Mourning Doves, lots of juncos, a few White-throated Sparrows; and squirrels. I’m keeping records for Cornell’s Feeder Watch and hoping for some excitement like Pine Siskins or Evening Grosbeaks, which have been reported elsewhere. Now dreaming about the Christmas Bird Counts coming up and then a trip to the shore January 22 to look for rarities as well as ducks and seabirds and land birds long gone from Litchfield County. Who will join me?

Chickadee Chatter 5

Report: Boyd Woods/Wigwam Brook Sanctuaries Walk

By Debbie Martin, Boyd Woods Co-chair

Saturday, November 26, was cool, breezy, and mostly cloudy, but thankfully, the 4-plus

inches of snow that had covered the trails after last week’s storm had melted away. Ten of us, needing fresh air and exercise after Thanks-giving’s hearty feasting, hit the Boyd Woods trails at 2 p.m. After checking out the birds at the feeders, we stopped beside Margery Boyd’s Picnic Rocks to study the identifying bark and fallen maroon-hued leaves of the Scarlet Oak. I was glad we’d stopped here because many in our group had never even heard of this oak, which is one of my favorites.

Another tree, a huge old Pignut Hickory, was our next des-tination. Although totally hollowed out, this ancient giant is still alive and produces a bounty of nuts for wildlife each year. I squeezed my hand into a triangular hole at the tree’s base and pulled out a metal container, a geocache, that some-one had hidden there more than a decade ago. The contents of the box, an assortment of small treasures deposited by geocaching enthusiasts over the years, were examined by our group. Also inside was a notepad, signed by visitors. Leafing through it, I found my own thoughts, scribed during a visit to this tree five years earlier, which I read aloud now to those discovering this sanctuary secret for the first time.

Further along, we stepped off the trail to ponder the isolated location of a mysterious yellow brick fireplace that peeked out from decades of composted leaf litter at our feet. Turning


back toward the path, we came face to face with a charac-ter straight out of a comic book. A slim maple, sporting a bulbous nose, gaping toothless mouth, and sparkling eyes, seemed to be smiling at us. We couldn’t resist taking a group photo with this welcoming Boyd Woods resident.

Passing Margery’s Bird Pond, all were saddened to see the state of this formerly beautiful wetland. Once the highlight of the sanctuary, our picturesque pond is now reduced to two small puddles, one on each end of a big mud pit, due to the extreme drought conditions. It’s sad to witness the effects of the ongoing lack of rain and to think about the loss of the abundant amphibians and reptiles that had thrived here not so long ago. Walking downhill to Wigwam Brook, we were pleased to see some water still flowing there.

FAR out into the property, everyone wondered how a com-fortable (heavy!) bench had been delivered to a little knoll overlooking a wooded valley. It

Keith Johnson relaxes after helping Rich Martin put the new bench in place.Photo: Rich Martin

“A slim maple, sporting a bulbous nose, gaping toothless smile, and sparking eyes, seemed to be smiling at us.”Photo: Rich Martin


One of two small ponds that are all that’s left of Margery’s Bird Pond, thanks to the drought.Photo: Gus Molitano

Chickadee Chatter6

Meetings, Bird Walks and ActivitiesLHAS Calendar — Winter 2017

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 Education Room at the Litchfield Community Center.

MEETINGSJanuary 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Helping the Monarch Butterfly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Monday, 7 PM

Eric Rahn, a Connecticut Master Wildlife Conservationist, has been raising monarch butterflies for more than 15 years. He will talk about the life history of monarchs and a monarch rescue initiative he has started to help monarchs and their habitats. His presentation will touch on the monarch’s life cycle, fun facts, migration, diseases, rearing tech-niques, as well as things we all can do to help the monarch butterfly.

February 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . What Is a Rain Garden? And Why Create One? . . . . . . . . . . . . Monday, 7 PM

Our presentation this evening, by Karen Griswold Nelson, program manager for the Northwest Conservation Dis-trict (NWCD) in Torrington, will enlighten us about those questions. It will cover what a rain garden is; how it helps protect water quality and manage storm water; the proper siting of a rain garden; the components of a rain garden, including plantings; and how these structures are being made part of land use permitting. NWCD works to conserve local natural resources by delivering technical services and educational programs in northwestern Connecticut.

March 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CT’s Native Americans and Their Natural World . . . . . . . . . . Monday, 7 PM

Lucianne Lavin, director of research and collections at the Institute of American Indian Studies in Washington, CT, will describe how CT’s Native Americans became experts in their natural environments, a necessity for their physical survival. (More details about this fascinating program will appear in the March/April issue of Chickadee Chatter.)

BIRDING EVENTS AND FIELD TRIPSDates TBD . . . . . . . . . . . . Hiking, Snowshoeing, or X-C Skiing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TBD

If you might be interested in winter hiking, snowshoeing, or cross-country skiing, let Diane Edwards know and she’ll contact you when the going looks good. Call 860-485-9319 or email [email protected].

January 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . Shorebirding for Waterfowl and Rarities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sunday, 8:30 AM

Sandhill Cranes? Harlequin Ducks? King Eiders? Let’s see what unusual birds are showing up at the shore — January is always full of surprises. We may go to the Stratford area or Hammonasset or Sherwood Island, all of which host some of the “usual” species of waterfowl as well as rarities. Land birds too. It will be cold, so prepare for that! We will meet at 8:30 a.m. at the shore, but depending on who calls in advance, we can arrange where to meet. To register or for more information, contact me in advance: Angela Dimmitt, 860-355-3429 or [email protected].

MEETING CHANGES

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. To get added to our email notification list, send an email to [email protected].


Chickadee Chatter 7

PLEASE GIVE US YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS ... ... if you want to get trip notices, special club announcements, etc. Contact David Zomick at 860-584-2824 or

[email protected]. You can also check our website, www.lhasct.org.


hadn’t been easy, but two strong men, Keith Johnson and Rich Martin, balanced the bench atop a wheelbarrow, maneuver-ing their load around rocks and in between trees to reach this peaceful, distant spot.

Anticipation was building as we neared our final destination, the beaver pond. A short stroll through the lovely Milano woodlot along “The Secret Trail” brought us to the Wigwam Brook Sanctuary. To see the extent of all that the beavers (eight or more of them) have accomplished in just one year, we followed a path through an uncut field to a high vantage point. The area below us had been a large shrubby meadow before the beavers took up residence in October 2015. Now, we looked out over an amazing wetland habitat: several small ponds held back by dams, two large stick and mud lodges, a maze of water-filled canals......Oh! And we could see beavers swimming around! We hurried back down to the best viewing spot near the biggest lodge and were thrilled to

Boyd Woods/Wigwam Brook (continued from page 5)

At the best viewing spot at the pond at Wigwam Brook.Photo: Rich Martin

see six beavers. Despite our lively conversations and clicking camera shutters, these large rodents came in close to munch on apples that were tossed to them. Still, they were a little more wary than usual, not used to such a large audience, and had had enough of us after about 20 minutes. They disap-peared into the lodge, and some of us turned and started the long trek back to our cars at the Boyd Woods parking area. Others, who were getting cold as dusk arrived, were happy to accept Terri Bianchi’s offer of a ride in her car, which was conveniently parked at Wigwam Brook. Four of us, not yet ready to end this outing, enjoyed dinner together at Litch-field Pizza Restaurant.

It had been a memorable afternoon, and as always, when I lead walks like this, I’m thankful for our amazing LHAS sanctuaries and the opportunities they provide to share and introduce others in our community to the wonders of nature.

Beavers munch on apples.Photo: Anna Buczniewicz

February 24–26 . . . . . . . . Birding in Newburyport and Cape Ann, Mass. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Friday–Sunday

Dave Tripp will escort LHASers around the Newburyport, Amesbury, and Salisbury niches in search of winter-ing northern birds. In the past this trip has seen rare birds like Great Gray Owl, Boreal Chickadee, Varied Thrush, Townsend’s Solitaire, and Harris’ Sparrow. The more uncommon birds encountered are Snowy and Short-eared Owls, “white-winged” Gulls, Barrow’s Goldeneye, Rough-legged Hawks, and Northern Shrike. An added bonus is a day trip to Gloucester and Rockport on Cape Ann, which may add Razorbills, Thick-billed Murres, Harlequin Ducks, Black Guillemots, and more gulls and waterfowl. If you are interested, email Dave Tripp at [email protected]. Lodging should be booked at the Fairfield Inn at Amesbury. Rooms are approximately $110 per night for two double beds and continental breakfast each day. Be sure to ask for the Birder or Senior Discount, and then compare that to rates on websites like Kayak or hotels.com to find the best rate.

Chickadee Chatter8

Junior Audubon Calendar — Winter 2017

Junior Audubon provides an opportunity for grade-school children to learn about nature, the environment, and the crea-tures that live there. It is sponsored by the Litchfield Hills Audubon Society and it is FREE. Children of all ages and their parents have enjoyed Junior Audubon activities, but we plan events for children in grades 2 through 5. To get on our email list or for more information, contact Donna Rose Smith at 203-706-0474 or [email protected].

January (date TBD) . . . . Eagle Watch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TBDParticipants will meet at the Shepaug Bald Eagle Observatory in Southbury. Last winter the eagle viewing was good and should be good again this year. Check the LHAS website, www.lhasct.org, for the date.

January 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . CBC 4 Kids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sunday, 10 AMThis international event is open to children ages 7–16 years old. It is held between the second weekend in De-cember and the third weekend in January. It is a half-day event to involve young people interested in birds. Adult mentors are needed to help the teams of young people out in the field. There will be pizza and hot cocoa after-wards for all the participants.

February 18 . . . . . . . . . . Become a Bona Fide Backyard Bird Counter! .......Saturday, 10 AM-NoonFebruary 17–20 is the Annual Great Backyard Bird Count, coordinated by The Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society, among others. Want to take part in this nationwide citizen-science effort? It’s easy! Join us on Saturday morning for a brief lesson, led by Junior Audubon leader Donna Rose Smith and White Me-morial’s education director, Carrie Szwed, on how to identify some common birds that visit our yards and feed-ers during winter. Then, we’ll practice our newfound ID skills by observing what birds come to the bird-feeding station outside the windows of White Memorial’s Nature Museum. Lastly, we’ll officially record our observations by reporting our data to eBird. There you have it — you’ll be a bona fide backyard bird counter! Once you’ve learned these steps, you can participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count at home too! Bring your own binocu-lars if you have them. If not, you can borrow a pair from the conservation center. Meet in the A.B. Ceder Room on the lower level of the Nature Museum.

Check our website, lhasct.org, for other upcoming Junior Audubon activities.


Junior Audubon Update

By Donna Rose Smith, Junior Audubon Chair

Junior Audubon visited our fairy house village at Boyd Woods Sanctuary to get it ready for winter. Fairies like to live in quiet places away from roads,

rock walls, and major trails, and Boyd Woods is a great place for them to live. The fairy houses were built out of natural materials that we found at Boyd Woods. We hope you can join us next year if you missed this fun event.

A Junior Auduboner works on a fairy house at Boyd Woods.

Photo: Donna Rose Smith

Chickadee Chatter 9January/February 2017

Cape May Trip Report

By Russ Naylor

Back by popular demand! In a resurrection of an old LHAS tradition that would have done Lazarus proud, 26

weather-hardy LHAS feather-questers embarked October 21 on a wild, wet, and windy migration down to that mecca of aves and aviophiles alike, Cape May, New Jersey, courte-sy of master wing nut Dave Tripp. He had able help from flight squadron leaders Fran Zygmont and Ray Belding, and logistical support from Janet Baker. Over a three-day peregri-nation below the peregrines, we tallied 125 species in spite of blustery gusts.

Friday’s start at Higbee Beach was a tad slow, with not too much more than a few thrashers. But in the ensuing days, between the rains, we racked up a selection of plumaged treats even though the passerine migration was sparse. Cape May Point turned up scoters; skimmers; a rapacity of Par-asitic Jaegers pirating grub from the gulls (Fran once more

proved himself a real jaeger meister!); wigeons, both regular and irregular (which one that Eurasian drake was depends on which side of The Pond you’re from!); a colorful array of ducks, herons, gulls, and other water birds scared up by sev-eral obliging Bald Eagles; and a wayward meadowlark.

South Cape May Meadows brought us more gadwalls, shov-elers, and other ducks; Bald Eagles; Tree Swallows aswarm; and a cryptic-colored young Common Gallinule. Stone Har-

bor Wetlands Institute bestowed on our optics Tricolored Herons; both dowitchers hunkered down amidst the Willets and yellowlegs; Clapper Rails; and good views of a White-

crowned Sparrow on stopover. Stone Harbor Point turned up, among other wings, a wayward young eider drake; an early Long-tailed Duck; Marbled Godwits sparring for space with Oystercatchers; and Caspian Terns in faded, post breeding glory. Nummy Island provided fine views of Boat-tailed Grackles silhouetted in profile, plus a steady flight

of Common Loons. Lily Lake did not disappoint, with Black Vultures, falcons, and steady flocks of pre-antediluvian ptera-dactyloids in the form of Great Blue Herons — all buffeted by pounding gusts. Wood and Ruddy Ducks wisely stayed down on the water.

We all took in the annual Cape May Birding Festival exhibi-tion, checking out books, optics,

Dave Tripp leads fellow birders at Cape May’s Higbee Beach Wildlife Management Area.Photo: Diane Friend Edwards

Left: Searching for seabirds and shore-birds near the Cape May Lighthouse.Photo: Paul Edwards

Above: Dunlin.Photo: Alex Kearney

... 26 weather-hardy LHAS feather-questers embarked October 21 on a wild, wet, and windy migration down to that

mecca of aves and aviophiles alike, Cape May, New Jersey ...


Chickadee Chatter10 January/February 2017

Above: Double-crested Cormorant.Photo: Alex Kearney

Below: The “official” group shot, minus the photographer.Photo: Sandy Slemmer

Brown Thrasher.Photo: Alex Kearney

Cape May (continued from page 9) Also Seen at Cape MayWooly Bear Caterpillars: Is Folklore True?

By Beverly Baldwin

Wooly bears, also known

as fuzzy bears or hedgehog caterpil-lars, are seen in au-tumn as they search for dark, sheltered spots where they can hibernate for the winter. There is much folklore sur-rounding their sup-posed ability to predict the length and severity of the coming winter. But is folklore true?

Folklore: The longer a wooly bear’s black bands, the colder the winter; if the middle band is wider, the winter will be milder. It is also believed the position of the longest dark band is an indicator of the severity of winter. If the head end is darkest, the beginning of winter will be severe; if the tail end is darkest, the end of winter will be cold. A second ver-sion of the folklore says if the wooly bear’s coat is very wooly and thick, winter will be severe.

Fact: Folklore has it wrong. A wooly bear’s coloring actually indicates how long the caterpillar has been feeding, its age, and species. The better the growing season, the longer the caterpillar. This will result in narrow orange bands and wid-er dark brown or black bands. The coloring also indi-

birding gear, travel destinations (did I hear of a jaunt to Cuba? Have a Havana for me!), plus the exhibit of live raptors — from slim little Aplomado Falcons and a nonchalant Black Vulture, to a Gyrfalcon, a Eurasian Eagle Owl, and a Golden Eagle — was, as always, a special display! The New Jersey Audubon Center, also as usual, enthralled us with birds aflit near the center’s new blind — nice parula, folks! — plus a great selection of feathery tomes and gear to bemuse the hardest-core bearer of bins.

We savored birding places too long unvisited; cherished past memories of Cape May jaunts gone by (may we see more to come!); wined and dined to our hearts’ content (just don’t tip back too much of that merlot, folks!). We finished off at Brigantine with a flutter of kinglets, harriers acruise, Bald Eagles majestic, a dabble of ducks, and trees festooned with holidaying herons. Our Tripp topped off his flight duty with great looks at a fishing bittern. A tip of the binocs and a salute to our leader for a journey well spent! (Thanks for the Leicas, Dave!)


Wooly bear caterpillarPhoto: Rich Martin

Chickadee Chatter 11January/February 2017

Above: A Ring-billed Gull catches a crawdad. Below: American Pipit.Photos: Alex Kearney

“... our storm-hardy band of bird-smitten wayfarers quacked the weather barrier in grand style ...”Photo: Alex Kearney

By Russ Naylor

On November 20, Old Man Winter made a “blovacious” and bombastic debut on the LHAS Duck Ramble, buffeting us

with frigid winds, slush, and endless snow squalls — all this after balmy temperatures the previous day! Nonetheless, our storm-hardy band of bird-smitten wayfarers quacked the weather barrier in grand style to tally at least 45 species at Bantam Lake, aided and abetted in their wild-goose chase by intrepid fowl-weather explorer Greg Hanisek.

Point Folly and environs produced Bufflehead, Ruddy Duck, three species of merganser (including Red-breasted Mergan-ser) close together for a good comparison, Pied-billed Grebe, and Fish Crow acallin’. The Litchfield Town Beach hosted Green-winged Teal, Northern Pintails, four wayward Amer-ican Pipits, a raft of Scaup sharing dining experiences with Buffleheads and a Horned Grebe, plus a party of loafing gulls — including one Ring-billed Gull chowing down on a hefty crawdad breakfast. The Morris boat launch and south side of Bantam Lake didn’t disappoint, either; we tracked down Gad-walls, mergansers, an adult Bald Eagle in stately flight, plus more pipits gleaning tidbits from the shoreline in spite of icy winds. White Memorial’s feeders hosted Red-breasted Nut-hatches, American Tree Sparrows, and a young Red-winged Blackbird. Let’s not forget to stock up those feeders, folks!

Thanks once again to Greg for tempting us all afield into a mini-frostbite special — a cool preview to prepare us for Dave Tripp’s February frostbiter! (See Calendar, page 7.) Stay tuned for further details, and sign up ASAP!

Duck Ramble — A ‘Blovacious’ and Bombastic Snow Job!

Wooly Bears (continued from page 10)

cates the age of the wooly bear. The wooly bear sheds its skin, or molts, at least six times before reaching adulthood. Each successful molt results in less dark color and more orange.

The woolly bear’s coat helps it hibernate, not by keeping it warm but by helping it freeze. The caterpillar awakens in early spring and starts to feed again. The caterpillar stage can last many seasons. In the Arctic, it can take up to 14 years before the caterpillar successfully molts six times. The wooly bear eventually forms a cocoon and pupates. In about two weeks, an Isabella tiger moth emerges. The moth is not near-ly as impressive as the cute little wooly bear.

Source: National Weather Service (National Oceanic and Atmo-spheric Administration)

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Ready to Ramble at White Memorial’s Haight Parcel

Eight of us (counting Gus Molitano, who took the photo above) enjoyed gorgeous weather for our walk along the Vinyard Trail on November 13. The highlight of the outing was the small flock of bluebirds flitting near the grapevines close to the trailhead. Photos: Above, Gus Molitano; right, Diane Friend Edwards

Chickadee Chatter Chickadee Chatterlhasct.org/ · 2 Chickadee Chatter The Chickadee Chatter is published in January, March, May, July, September, and November. For the March/April

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