Chickadee Chatterlhasct.org/September/October 2013 Litchfield Hills Audubon Society Newsletter !Volume 58 / Issue 5 The mission of the Litchfield Hills Audubon Society is to conserve

Chickadee Chatter • March 2012Chickadee Chatter

September/October 2013 Litchfield Hills Audubon Society Newsletter Volume 58 / Issue 5

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.

President’s MessageBy Fran Zygmont

Audubon — Passion, Action, Network

Thanks to Litchfield Hills Audubon, I was given the opportunity to attend the National Audubon Society conference in Washington state in July along with about 500 Audubon volunteers and paid staff from across the country. I had high expectations that the conference would provide ample opportunities to net-work, learn, and share ideas about how to make Audubon stronger. I was not disappointed.

NAS President David Yarnold provided a “state of Audubon” message and underscored several significant changes the organization has made to renew its focus on birds and conservation since he took the helm three years ago. He said, “We are a hemispheric conservation organi-zation with a distributed network through chapters and state offices — no other environmental organization has this structure.” He noted that Audubon is much stronger now that our regional offices have been reorganized along flyways to better align conservation efforts with the way birds fly (migrating north/south).

Audubon is about passion, action, and network. Several inspiring accomplishments at the local, state, national, and international levels were shared. The countless con-servation achievements across our organization, the per-sonal dedication and persistence, and the millions of peo-ple reached by the collective efforts of individuals in Audubon were certainly motivational to all of us at the conference.

Francis Grant-Suttie, vice president of the Atlantic Fly-way, spoke about planning that is under way to connect chapters, centers, and state offices up and down the East Coast to promote conservation education and public

awareness and to focus our energy on the most critical conservation challenges. He noted two that are close to home: the forested landscapes initiative and Long Island Sound preservation efforts.

The weekend activities included a host of workshops and allowed some time to explore the grounds and enjoy the

ProgramsSeptember 9 — Butterflies, Caterpillars, and the Plants that Feed Them. Speaker: Andy Brand, co-founder and past president of the Connecticut Butterfly Association

October 7 — Member’s Night and Potluck Supper

November 4 — Creating Habitat for New England Cottontail & Other Species. Speaker: Lisa Wahle, New England cottontail project wildlife specialist

December 2 — Wildlife Tracking Stories. Speakers: Deneen Bernier and Andy Dobos, co-founders of Three Red Trees School of Nature Learning

EventsSeptember 14 — Beginner’s Bird Walk at White Memorial. Leader: Fran Zygmont

September 15 — Swallow Spectacle Paddle Trip on the Connecticut River. Leader: David Zomick

September 20 — Harvest Moon Paddle on Bantam Lake. Leader: Robyn Dinda

October 13 — Hawk Watch at Lighthouse Point Park. Leader: Fran Zygmont

Upcoming Programs & Events(See Calendar, pages 6-7, for details)

(continued on page 3)

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Chickadee Chatter2 ! September/October 2013

This newsletter and other LHAS features can be seen IN LIVING COLOR on the LHAS Web page: www.lhasct.org.

LHAS OfficersPresident ! Fran Zygmont ! 860-379-4461Vice President ! Judy Bekasi ! 860-482-0491Treasurer ! Marie Kennedy ! 860-567-5487Rec. Secretary ! Liz Frazier-Zygmont! 860-379-4461Corresp. Secretary Pam Hicks ! 860-491-1417

Board of DirectorsAngela Dimmitt ! 2014 ! 860-355-3429Nancy Nichols ! 2014 ! 860-354-5114Harry Ainsworth! 2014! 860-567-0715John Baker! 2015! 860-567-8427Nicki Hall! 2015! 860-379-8917Heather Shirlock! 2015! 860-307-8347Ray Belding ! 2016! 860-482-4046Susanne Ainsworth!2016! 860-567-0715David Zomick! 2016! 860-584-2824

Committee ChairpeopleBoyd Sanctuary ! Debbie & Rich Martin ! 860-584-5706Conservation ! Nicki Hall ! 860-379-8917Education ! Donna Rose Smith ! 203-706-0474Facebook! Liz Frazier-Zygmont! 860-379-4461Field Trips ! David Zomick ! 860-584-2824Fundraising ! Janet Baker* ! 860-567-8427Historian ! Angela Dimmitt* ! 860-355-3429Hospitality ! Carol Perrault ! 860-589-8023Junior Audubon ! Robyn Dinda ! 860-567-0738Kalmia Sanctuary ! Bob & Doreen Orciari !860-485-1347Membership ! Doreen Orciari ! 860-485-1347Newsletter ! Diane Edwards ! 860-485-9319Program ! Heather Shirlock ! 860-307-8347Publicity ! Shirley Gay ! 860-482-0819Scholarships ! Marcia McGowan ! 860-274-2089Webmaster ! Fran Zygmont ! 860-379-4461Web Page Design !Rich Martin ! 860-584-5706Wigwam Brook Sanctuary ! John Baker ! 860-567-8427

ResearchChristmas Count ! Ray Belding ! 860-482-4046Summer Count ! Dave Tripp ! 860-693-6524* Seeking Replacement

Chickadee Chatter was printed by

959 Migeon AvenueTorrington, CT 06790

860-482-9388www.rainbowpressonline.com

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

The next LHAS Board Meeting will be onTuesday, September 17

at 7:15 PMin White Memorial’s A.B. Ceder Room

The Chickadee Chatter is published in January, March, May, July, September, and November. For the Novem-ber/December issue, all articles must be received by the editor no later than October 1.Please email items for publication 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].

Scan the QR code above with your smartphone to go to www.lhasct.org.

LHAS website QR code

September/October 2013! ! 3Chickadee Chatter

Welcome New MembersBy Doreen Orciari, Membership Chairperson

.........................................Therese Alexson Bethlehem....................................Jane Bergeron* Pleasant Valley

..............................................James Berube Torrington............................Christina Bialobrzeski* Washington

.........................................Warren Braren New Milford..............................Sandra Canning Washington Depot

.................................................Louis Carpino Oakville..........................Charles & Hartley Connell Torrington

...................................................R. Coutant Torrington..................................................Helene Diston Goshen

........................................Francis D’Orazio Thomaston........................................Ellen Drugan* Gaylordsville

......................................Christine Engel* New Preston..................................................Madeline Falk Norfolk

...............................................Greg Gaber* Watertown..................................................Lois Greco Torrington...............................................Pat Gullett New Milford

...........................................Jean Hellyer* New Milford.................................Wayne Hilliar Winchester Center

...........................................Frank Hohmeister Winsted..............................................Polly Hohn New Milford

................................Barrie Johnson Washington Depot............................................Karen Laplante Bethlehem

....................................M. Mandel* Washington Depot...............................................Elizabeth Mark* Goshen

...............................Matthew McDonagh New Milford..........................................Allison Mohagel Harwinton

.......................................Marilyn Orlan* Gaylordsville................................................Gary Packer Thomaston

.............................................Maureen Pratt* Litchfield..........................................Alison Ratliff Gaylordsville

............................................Jean Seymour* Watertown.........................................Margaret Shab New Milford

...........................................Suzanne Sheahan Lakeside.....................................Jean Simaleavich New Milford

...............................................Patricia Sullivan Goshen

.....................................Matthew Valenti New Hartford..................................................Martha Walsh Winsted................................................Grace Yagtug Litchfield

LHAS membership is now 767.

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]. * Welcome back

MEMBERSHIP President’s Message (continued from page 1)tremendous views of Stevenson, Washington. The energy and passion for birds and the environment were resound-ingly evident as I got the opportunity to talk with fellow Audubon members from Connecticut, North Carolina, Arizona, Missouri, Texas, Oregon, and California. Chap-ters across the country face similar challenges as well as some that are unique — such as the chapter from Joplin, Missouri, which was impacted by the tornado a few years back.

This conference was a great forum for collaboration and energy. At the end, I felt like I had reconnected with long-lost friends. We were sad to part and go back to our re-spective areas of the country. I think National Audubon is on the right course and is much stronger now than it has been in quite some time (speaking from 25-plus years of involvement with Audubon). I look forward to what our conservation future has in store.

The Case of the Missing CapitalsBy Diane Edwards, Newsletter Chairperson

If you have an editorial eye, you will probably notice a change in this issue of Chickadee Chatter: No more capi-tal letters for bird names — except, of course, for words like American or European. It has bothered me to see complete bird names capitalized and

partial names lowercased — especially in the same sen-tence. When I read the latest issue of National Audubon’s magazine, I saw that they lowercase them all. Since LHAS is a chapter of National Audubon, I have decided to follow suit. Now, instead of Red-winged Blackbird, you will see red-winged blackbird. And so on, and so on.

Obituary: Our sympathies go to the family of Helene Agnew, a long-time member of LHAS. Helene passed away in July at the age of 93.

Know of an LHAS member who might be cheered by receiving a get-well or sympathy card? Let Cor-responding Secretary Pam Hicks know about it so she can put a card in the mail. Contact Pam at 860-491-1417 or [email protected].

Chickadee Chatter 4! September/October 2013

Pleasures and TreasuresBy David Zomick, Field Trips Chairperson

Third Time’s the Charm

After spring migration, most bird clubs close shop on their field trips till fall. I never understood why a major aspect of birding goes ignored. How disappointing.L I imagine most of us in central and northwestern Con-necticut don’t spend a lot of time birding at the coast, as it is a bit of a schlep!

I had hoped for some excit-ing “bird days” late in July. I had signed up months before for one of the pelagic trips sponsored by the Brookline Bird Club way out to Hy-drographer’s Canyon, leaving out of Hyannis, MA. I had reviewed jaegers, shearwa-ters, storm-petrels, etc., in eager anticipation. We had had a long stretch of sunny warm days, and I sure wanted more of the same. Unfortunately, moody Mother Nature tossed out her threat of thunderstorms and rough, rolling seas that day. Trip canceled. L

OK, there was still the LHAS shorebird excursion sched-uled just three days later. The weather had cleared nicely. I reviewed peeps, plovers, terns, etc. And then “thunder-bolt and lightning, very, very frightening” (apologies to Queen) were forecast for Milford Point. I even called Frank Gallo at the Coastal Center, and he had plans to move all his programs indoors! Trip canceled. L

Well, I was still eager to get down to the sea and shore. I decided to spend a morning with a private birding com-

pany that had shorebird walks in July and August at various Connecti-cut hot spots, with Milford Point, Stratford Point and environs, Short Beach, and Sandy Point among the choices. OK — do the drill: review peeps, read field guides, check weather, etc. Hey, guess what? Forecast

said 40–60% possibility of thunderstorms!

This time, thankfully, the threat dissipated by morning, and we had a clear, lovely, sunny day at the beach, mud-flats, sand spits, and break-waters. We saw seven spe-cies of heron, 12 species of sandpiper, as well as osprey, oystercatcher, least and common tern, purple martin, and more. Happy days are

here again! J I even got to try out my new iPhone 5 Kowa adapter for some digi-scoping — “touched for the very first time” (oops, there I go again; apologies to Madonna). Hopefully by the time you read this, LHAS will have rescheduled our summer shore-bird trip, and a few of you will have

Semi-palmated sandpipersPhoto: David Zomick

I had reviewed jaegers, shearwaters, storm-petrels, etc., in eager anticipation. ... Unfortunately, moody Mother Nature tossed out her threat of thunderstorms and rough, rolling seas.... Trip canceled.L

American oystercatcherPhoto: David Zomick

Join Us at Family Nature DayWhite Memorial’s 32nd Annual Family Nature Day will be held Saturday, September 28, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

As usual, LHAS will have a booth there to let visitors know about our organization and the events and programs we offer. The popular “Irma from Burma” will be there, and the Junior Audubon will have a table for crafts and tattoos. For more information about Family Nature Day, visit www.whitememorialcc.org. If you would like to help staff our booth, contact Judy Bekasi at 860-482-0491 or [email protected].

September/October 2013! ! 5Chickadee Chatter

In My Garden – A Journal – July 30, 2013By Angela Dimmitt

At 7:30 on a beautiful, cool, dry evening, I was leaning on the fence looking at the blueberry bushes — a catbird landed 6 feet from me, picked a ripe berry, hopped onto a post, and swallowed it whole, one eye on me. At least those berries have kept it from the raspberries, of which there are plenty! And while there, I heard faint squeals from the bluebird box nearby, in which house wrens have been nesting. This is exciting because they first occupied the box on June 23, and eggs should have hatched a while ago. The male sings all the time, though less now than in early July when he woke me daily at 5:30, and the female peers out the hole. Otherwise, nada — and baby wrens are very noisy, safe inside their solid nest. In June there were two males singing — dueling — all day, one with a nest up near the house (the babies fledged June 30), the other down by the vegetable garden. I don’t think he had a mate, and I think the family now in that box is the one from the house on their second brood, but that’s only a guess. The first babies screamed around the garden for a few days and then vanished — and the male immediately started trying to lure the female into an-other nest.

The bluebirds hatched and all seemed well — I checked them in that dreadful heat wave, and they were not quite ready to go. I checked them again on day 12-13 because the parents were flying around fussing, the male singing, but there was no sign of the bluelets. The nest was not disturbed. Oh dear. Titmice, chickadees, and chipping sparrows fledged and returned to the feeders I keep up all summer; woodpeckers were there earlier with their young. The Carolina wrens come and go; one day the pair came into the house via the garage, right into the living room. The male is singing a slightly more complicated song now. Or perhaps it is a different bird. The dawn cho-rus is reduced to a single catbird, and the only bird sing-ing consistently now is a red-eyed vireo. One day a worm-eating warbler appeared in the lilac tree, presuma-bly migrating.

Two hen turkeys have wandered through from time to time, most recently with four poults with real feathers and one smaller bird who hangs close to his Mum. One night they roosted nearby, making a lot of noise as they moved through the treetops getting settled, and yesterday they all

took a dust bath in the loose soil around some recently planted shrubs; hilarious to watch.

The only animals this month have been a skunk under the feeders and one small wood-chuck. Not necessarily a welcome sight — it may be the culprit who has been eating certain plants.

What a horrible month we had with all the heat

and humid-ity; just as well it’s over! Warmest month on re-cord. Ever. 108 years. My veg garden suf-fered — and I had to lug buckets of water from the stream (thank goodness for Bul-lymuck Brook!). Some contrast to June, when it was so wet — 10-3/4 inches of rain! Tomatoes and beans shot up, becom-ing tall and scrawny with no flowers. To-matoes in the compost are fine, however!

Now some Italian cucumbers are climbing the fence, happy as could be — thin, crisp, 10-inch cukes. Sadly, the wooly adelgid has appeared on the hemlocks — I’ve had them sprayed with horticultural oil. Cross our fingers!

The flower beds have never looked better. I have hun-dreds of daylilies, all colors, shapes, and sizes, and a new homemade brew has kept the deer away better than all the commercial ones. Saved the many hostas, too, as well as the phlox and wild sunflowers, which the deer love. I’m proud as a peacock at my beautiful garden!!!

In June I went to Brazil’s Pantanal for a 10-day orgy of birding with a group from Connecticut. Seems a dream away now! We had a great time, thrill a minute, no mis-haps (except losing my camera in a river) and about 270 different species of birds. The most exciting was a crowned eagle, beside the hyacinth macaws; Toco tou-cans; jabirus; myriad wading birds, parrots, and hum-mingbirds; and lots of rufous LBJs. And we did see a jag-uar! But that’s all another story …

Gray catbirdPhoto: Diane Friend Edwards

The dawn chorus is reduced to a single

catbird, and the only bird singing consistently now is a red-eyed vireo.

Chickadee Chatter

Meetings, Bird Walks and Activities

NOTES: Unless otherwise indicated, General Meetings are held on the first Monday of each month at the Litchfield Community Center, Route 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 Audubon Sanctuary; it begins at 6 p.m. Board of Directors Meetings are held at the White Memorial Conservation Center (WMCC), located about a half mile south of the Litchfield Community Center just off Route 202.

MEETINGS.......... ....................September 9! “Butterflies, Caterpillars, and the Plants that Feed Them”! Monday, 7 PM

Connecticut is home to more than 100 species of butterflies. But how do we attract these beautiful creatures to our yards and convince them to stay? Learn the importance of including both nectar plants and host plants in your land-scape to entice a multitude of butterflies. Join Andy Brand, cofounder and past president of the Connecticut Butterfly Association, as he shows us many of the species we can expect to attract and the plants they love best.

............... ........................................October 7! Annual Member’s Night & Potluck Supper! Monday, 6:30 PMJoin in on the fun. Show us your best artwork, photos, crafts, or digital slides. It’s an opportunity for our talented and artistic LHAS members to share those creations and accomplishments that they’re so proud of with other LHAS mem-bers and their guests to see and enjoy. See page 11 for the entry form — there’s the dreaded deadline, so make sure you act quickly to ensure your participation. Remember to bring a place setting and your favorite dish or dessert for the pot luck supper, which begins at 6:30 p.m.

........... ..............November 4! Creating Habitat for New England Cottontail & Other Species! Monday, 7 PMNew England cottontails (NECs), once common throughout southern New England and eastern New York, now occur only in five isolated populations and have been designated by the U.S. Fish & Wild-life Service as a candidate for the Endangered Species List. The main reason for the NECs’ decline is disappearing habitat. They need sizable tracts of young forest and/or shrubland. The good news is that our state still has a significant number of the remaining NECs, and there is a regionwide effort to re-store the habitat they need. This will benefit many other species in decline, such as blue-winged and chestnut-sided warblers, Eastern towhees, indigo buntings, and brown thrashers, as well as numerous

reptiles and invertebrates. LHAS plans to make a significant contribution to the restoration effort by creating 13 acres of critical young forest at Boyd Woods. Please come to this meeting to hear about this exciting project and how it fits into the greater initiative to restore habitat for the NEC and other wildlife species. Our speaker will be Lisa Wahle, New England cottontail project wildlife specialist. Lisa is a contractor to the Wildlife Management Institute who is working

LHAS Calendar ! Summer/Fall 2013 !

MEETING CHANGESOccasionally, it is necessary to cancel or postpone a meeting or event due to inclement weather. If that is the case, check with WFSB TV Channel 3 in Hartford and watch for our listing. It is also broadcast on radio station WZBG at 97.3 FM. But, the best way for us to reach you is by e-mail. If you would like to be added to our e-mail list, please send an e-mail to Janet Baker at [email protected]. Then, all you have to do is to remember to check your e-mail.

6! September/October 2013

Photo: Paul J. Fusco, courtesy of CT DEEP

September/October 2013! ! 7Chickadee Chatter

with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the Natural Resources Conservation Service to implement young-forest management in Connecticut.

........... ............................................................................December 2! Wildlife Tracking Stories! Monday, 7 PMJoin naturalists Deneen Bernier and Andy Dobos, co-founders of Three Red Trees School of Nature Learning, as they recount tales of personal tracking adventures. These stories unravel mysteries left in tracks, encounters with wildlife, and discoveries of hidden animals living alongside us.

BIRDING EVENTS AND FIELD TRIPS ....................... .................................................................September 14! Beginner’s Bird Walk! Saturday, 8 AM

Join Fran Zygmont for a beginning birder walk. No experience necessary. If you have always wanted to know more about birds, this is the walk for you. Fran will go over some basics about bird watching and share his knowledge about what to look and listen for. There will be ample opportunity to ask questions and to see a variety of birds. Meet at the White Memorial museum (main) parking lot at 8 a.m. Rain will cancel. For more information, contact Fran at [email protected] or 860-689-5001.

....................... ...................................................September 15! Swallow Spectacle Paddle Trip! Sunday, 3 PMBy popular requests this outing is on a weekend this year! Join David Zomick on the Connecticut River to see the “Swallow Spectacle.” We will first enjoy the scenery while paddling/birding around the Lord Cove marsh. We will then be in place for the breathtaking display at dusk. Sunset is 7 p.m., so be prepared to return in darkness. Bring binocu-lars, a flashlight, a light stick, or a headlamp. Also consider bringing food, water, sunscreen, insect repellent, camera, and, of course, a life jacket (PFD). Meet at Pilgrim Landing in Old Lyme at 3 p.m. Rain cancels. Directions: From the east — Take I-95 South to exit 70. Turn right onto Lyme Street. Then turn left on Halls Road/U.S. 1; follow for 0.6 mile. Turn right onto Route 156/Neck Road. Pilgrim Landing will be on your left. From the west — Take I-95 North to exit 70. Turn left onto Route 156/Neck Road. Pilgrim Landing will be on your left. Please let David know if you plan to attend. Contact David Zomick at 860-584-2824 or [email protected]. Hope you can join us! May the tide be with you … It will be J!

....................... ....................................................................September 20! Harvest Moon Paddle ! Friday, 6 PMMeet at the Morris boat launch on Bantam Lake. Pack a dinner and bring a flashlight. For more information, call Robyn Dinda at 860-567-0738.

............................ ..................................................................................October 13! Hawk Watch! Sunday, 8 AMJoin Fran Zygmont on a trip to Lighthouse Point Park in New Haven to participate in the hawk watch. This is one of the best places in Connecticut to see thousands of hawks and passerines migrating south to their wintering grounds. Plan on spending the morning, so bring a snack and lunch. Rain will cancel. Please meet at the commuter lot off Route 8, exit 42 (Harwinton side) at 7 a.m. OR the com-muter lot off Route 8, exit 39 in Thomaston (across from Dunkin’ Donuts) at 7:15 a.m. For more in-formation, contact Fran at [email protected] or 860-689-5001.

Check our website, www.lhasct.org, for newly scheduled trips.

Many of our members receive our newsletter by email, as well as notices of field trips that may not be listed in Chickadee Chatter. If you are not getting emailed trip notices, special club announcements, etc., please contact David Zomick at 860-584-2824 or [email protected].

Chickadee Chatter 8! September/October 2013

Junior Audubon Calendar 2013Junior Audubon provides an opportunity for grade-school children to learn about nature, the environment, and the creatures that live there. It is sponsored by the Litchfield Hills Audubon Society and is FREE. To get on the Junior Audubon email list or for more information, contact Robyn Dinda at 860-567-0738, or send an email to [email protected].

............ ...............................September 22 Learning About Honey Bees Sunday, 1 PMJohn Baker will tell us all about honey bees and show us his honey bee hives. This activity will take place in the Mott Van Winkle building at White Memorial Conservation Center in Litchfield.

............... ...............................................October 20 Fairy Houses Sunday, 1 PMRobyn Dinda will show the children how to use natural items to make fairy houses at Boyd Woods Sanctuary.

Junior Audubon Update By Cynthia Phipps, JA Chairperson

In June and July, Junior Audubon plans all met with unfa-vorable weather and had to be cancelled. Our bad luck began in May when Fran Zygmont’s Dawn Chorus, an experience that I had been talking about for months, was cancelled due to the unusual cold and stormy prediction. The bird banding activity and the LHAS trip to see shore birds were both rained out. Then for the Critter Catch, it was just too hot to be wading through the tall grass netting insects. Sometimes you just can’t win!

However, there is some good news! Robyn Dinda is our new Junior Audubon Chairperson! She is very excited and full of ideas for nature programs that will be fun and educational.

Robyn has worked with me for many years, offering great advice and assisting with nearly every program. As a talented artist, she encouraged children’s creativity at our fairy house and Nature Day events. Her enthusiasm as we ex-plored the vernal pools and her exclamations of delight as we came upon a snake or a beautiful butterfly were infec-tious. Robyn, a Master Wildlife Conservationist, also has a wealth of knowledge.

Robyn is definitely an outdoor person. She grew up in Litchfield and spent her childhood exploring the White Memorial trails and swimming in Bantam Lake. Hiking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and kayaking are her favorite activities. Kayaking with the Beavers, one of our

most popular events, was her project, and you may see other programs that blend physical activities with learning about nature.

LHAS Nest Box Restoration ProjectBy Marie Kennedy, Treasurer

Earlier this year the LHAS received a grant of $500 from the Connecticut Ornithological Association to restore nest

boxes. The main goal of the project is to provide predator-proof nest boxes for cavity-nesting species that have been in decline due to habitat loss. We are using these funds to purchase materials to repair or replace the older nest boxes that have been on our sanctuaries for years.

Work was started last year on the Wig-wam Sanctuary by LHAS members Alyce Walker and David McCullough. This year nest boxes were refurbished and installed on the Boyd Woods and Kalmia sanctuar-

ies. Six to eight more bluebird boxes as well as a few duck boxes are scheduled to be installed for the 2014 breeding season.

The boxes are typically monitored every two weeks throughout the breeding season. Data are collected on species usage, number of nesting attempts, successes, failures, and you qng fledged. The results will be reported to the Connecticut Bluebird Restoration Project, a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to the man-agement of cavity-nesting birds.

Many thanks to Cynthia Phipps for her years of service as the

LHAS Junior Audubon Chairperson!

September/October 2013! ! 9Chickadee Chatter

Scenes from Celebration of the Bantam River

A joint trip of LHAS and White Memorial, led by Robyn Dinda Clockwise from top right: A deer poses for paddlers on the Bantam River. Ro-byn Dinda and Tom Alena put in on the river. Paddlers pass under the bridge. Diane and Paul Edwards paddle a canoe for two. Colorful craft line Litchfield Town Beach. Carol Perrault paddles over the beaver dam. Most of the group says, “Cheese!” while the rest of the trip members tried rowing with the guid-ance of the Litchfield Hills Rowing Club.

Photo: Robyn Dinda

Photo: Diane Friend Edwards

Photo: Marlow Shami

Photo: Robyn Dinda

Photo: Diane Friend Edwards

Photo: Diane Friend Edwards

Photo: Robyn Dinda

Chickadee Chatter 10! September/October 2013

E8 and the Cubs of BarkhamstedBy Fran Zygmont, President

I wrote a few years ago about a mother black bear — identified by her ear tag as E8 — whose home was very near our backyard. At that time she had two young cubs. I don’t know what became of them, but given the presence of a large male, I could only hope for the best.

Last year, she brought two cubs about one year old into the yard, and they were quite healthy. That time, two large males came into the area and persuaded the cubs to leave so they (the males) could try to spend time with mom and prepare for the 2013 litter.

In May 2013, the female started to return frequently to our yard, but we noticed no cubs. Were they hiding in a nearby tree? Did she have any at all? Well, one day I saw her come into the yard, and I had my answer: one, then two, then three very small cubs! Since mother bears generally give birth in January or February, the poodle-sized black fur balls must have left their den and entered this world in April or May.

One day, E8 and her three little cubs came through the woods and into our yard and climbed our sycamore (sounds like a familiar fairy tale). She left them there and headed off for about a half hour. I was fortunate to be on the deck when she returned and was able to record a precious video of E8 and her cubs coming down the tree and romping across the yard. You can see the video by coming to Member’s Night on October 7th.

What will next year bring … maybe four cubs?

A black bear boar marking his territory by rubbing his back on the tree and biting the end of the limb.Photo: Liz Frazier-Zygmont

Emerald Ash Borer Found in ShermanState and federal governments expand quarantine

The emerald ash borer (EAB) has been found in another Con-necticut county, Fairfield, in the town of Sher-man, according to the Connecti-

cut Agricultural Experiment Station. This invasive insect has now been found in two Connecticut counties (New Haven and Fairfield) and 12 towns: Prospect, Nauga-tuck, Bethany, Beacon Falls, Waterbury, Cheshire, Oxford, Middlebury, Hamden, North Branford, Southbury, and Sherman.

State and federal quarantines restrict the movement of ash logs, ash materials, ash nursery stock, and hardwood

firewood from within New Haven and Fairfield counties to any area outside of those counties.

Regulations are also in effect regulating the movement of firewood from out of state into Connecti-cut or within Connecticut, including the requirement of a permit to bring out-of-state firewood into the state.

“This latest detection and those in an ex-panding area of New Haven County show how invasive this insect can be — putting more of our ash trees at risk,” said State Entomologist Kirby C. Stafford III. “Not moving firewood or ash is the best way to help slow the spread of EAB.”

For more information about the emerald ash borer, visit www.emeraldashborer.info. A fact sheet providing guide-lines on the treatment of ash trees to pro-

tect them from the emerald ash borer is available at www.ct.gov/caes.

Emerald Ash BorerPhoto: Leah Bauer, USDA For-est Service Northern Research Station, Bugwood.org

“This latest detection and those in an expand-ing area of New Haven County show how inva-sive this insect can be

— putting more of our ash trees at risk.”

http://www.emeraldashborer.infohttp://www.emeraldashborer.infohttp://www.emeraldashborer.infohttp://www.emeraldashborer.infohttp://www.ct.gov/caeshttp://www.ct.gov/caes

September/October 2013! ! 11Chickadee Chatter

ENTRY FORMLHAS MEMBER S NIGHT

October Litch!eld Community Center

Member s Night is a non-competitive event that is open to all Litch!eld Hills Audubon Society members.As the main program for the October monthly meeting, members will have the opportunity to share with other LHAS members their artistic and/or photographic works. Help make this a fun-!lled evening and one that will continue on in the years ahead by showing o" those prized pieces of artwork or photos.We invite you to participate by submitting a number of your favorite pieces. You can submit digital photos, photographic prints, paintings, drawings, crafts, scupltures etc. You are free to submit whatever subject or category you wish (family, nature, architecture, etc.).

You can enter up to 10 pieces total for each format type entered ( 10 digital photos, 10 drawings, etc.)Please select from the list below the type of format(s) and the quantity for each you are submitting.

Submission Instructions:

o Digital Photos – e mail your digital photos or burn your high quality images to a CD or DVD (preferred method) and mail to Rich Martin by September 2 , 201 (see address below).

o Photographic Prints – prepare your prints at home as to how you would like to display them( mounted on a mat board, in picture frames, etc.) and bring to the monthly meeting onOct , 201 . Tables and easels will be used to display your photographs.

o Paintings, Drawings and Crafts – prepare your paintings drawings at home as to how would like to display them ( mounted on a mat board, in picture frames, etc.) and bring tomonthly meeting on Oct , 201 .

Note: all artwork and photos will be returned to the owner at the end of the meeting.

* Entry Forms Must Be Received No Later Than September 2 , 201 *

Mail or e-mail to: Your Contact InformationRich Martin Your name: ___________________________283 Main Street Street No. ___________________________ Terryville, CT 06786 City/State/Zipcode ___________________________ Telephone: 860-584-5706 Telephone: ___________________________ e-mail: [email protected] e-mail address: ___________________________

For additional information or questions please contact Rich Martin at the above telephone number or e mail address.

Digital Photos ___________ Photographic Prints ___________ Paintings/Drawings/Crafts ___________ Other _____________________ ___________

Format Type Quantity

MEMBER S NIGHT

Litchfield Hills Audubon Society, Inc.PO Box 861, Litchfield, CT 06759-0861

Address Service Requested

Non-Profit Org.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPermit No. 30

Torrington, CT 06790

Recycled Paper DATED MATERIAL — PLEASE DO NOT DELAY

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Let Teachers Know About ...Audubon Adventures Classroom KitsBy Donna Rose Smith, Education Chairperson

NEW for 2013-2014 "Sharing Our World With Birds!"

Available in SeptemberThis classroom kit can be used across the curriculum and offers correlations to Common Core Standards and National Science Education Standards. It in-cludes student assessment ma-terial.

Student Magazine — The teacher will receive four separate magazine sets (32 of each). Each set has vibrant photos and lively illustrations that bring the natural world to life right in the classroom. This year’s titles are:

• Seabirds: Feathered Ocean Travelers (starring Project Puffin)

• Hooray For Hummingbirds!• Raptors: The Birds of Prey• Caring For Our Planet: Kids Are Taking ActionEducator Resource Materials — The teacher will receive Classroom Guides and online resources for each magazine. This new format will help teachers easily navigate through each topic and present the material to students in an appeal-ing way. Each Classroom Guide includes:

• A step-by-step teaching plan for the topic• Instructions for hands-on activities with easy-to-

remove, reproducible pages• Background facts and information• Interactive student assessments• Plus glossary words, recommended resources, and cor-

relations to national language arts and science stan-dards

Teachers can order this year’s kit or single topics from the wide selection of topics available. To order Audubon Ad-ventures or find out more information, contact LHAS’ Education Chair at [email protected].

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