Blog & Trip Reports
Lewis Farm Preserve repair work done – Thanks to Bob Winter
The HAS Lewis Farm Preserve was hit by a microburst on July 6th that took down the tops of a number of large trees, blocked the entrance to the preserve, and dropped some large limbs on many of the trails. A very special thank-you goes out to our property steward, Bob Winter, for his extraordinary…
Full Details
A tribute to Stephanie Lovell – Longtime Member of HAS
This June, Hartford Audubon lost a longtime beloved member, Stephanie Lovell. She was a member of HAS since 1995, President of the Society 2003-2005, Member of the Year in 2007, and led 54 trips for HAS. She is remembered for being ardent in her birding and brooking no foolishness when on the prowl. She generously…
Full DetailsHartford Summer Bird Count Summary – June 8-9, 2019
The 2018 Summer Bird Count (SBC) was held June 8th and 9th, 2019 and featured delightful weather on both days of the weekend. Observers totaled 38, two less than the previous year. Party hours also decreased slightly to 127.5 from last year’s 135, and several key areas were lightly covered during the weekend. The Summer…
Full Details
Annual picnic at Northwest Park on June 11th, 2019 – a fun time for all!
What a terrific annual picnic at Northwest Park on June 11th! First a group of members went birdwatching and saw a number of species, then we had a delicious pot-luck supper, then held a short business meeting. It was energizing hearing about recent bird trips and sightings, listening to the stewardship reports for our preserves,…
Full DetailsGreenstone Hollow Nature Preserve – Trails Day/Bird Walk – June 1, 2019
HAS’s Trails Day birdwalk at the Greenstone Hollow Nature Preserve, led by Larry Lunden and Sarah Faulkner, was attended by 12 people on the gorgeous morning of Saturday, June 1st. Highlights included hearing a blue-winged warbler, watching lots of red-winged blackbirds over the marshes, and being serenaded by many catbirds. Huge thanks to Chris Fisher…
Full DetailsGreenstone Hollow Nature Preserve Trip Report -May 25, 2019
The day was clear and sunny. The previous night was rainy, so we had some mud to walk through. The leaves were out, so we practiced birding by ear. Six of us gathered for the Greenstone trip. The roadside started us off with a variety of birds. A Great Blue Heron flew over. We heard…
Full Details
Hartford Audubon Annual Banquet – May 14, 2019
Dear members of Hartford Audubon, It was my pleasure to serve as your president for the past two years. I have gotten to know many of you and hope to stay in close contact. Thank you for your kind words and compliments. You have been very supportive. The banquet tonight was a success with…
Full DetailsTanager Hill May 4 – Trip report
On May 8th, twenty-one intrepid birders ascended the wilds of Tanager Hill and the Owen-Mortimer Trail in Simsbury. Luckily, a changing weather pattern yielded a reasonably good day of birding in an otherwise frustrating season. In all, thirteen warblers species were either seen or heard, including Black-throated Blue, Magnolia, Blackburnian, Louisiana Waterthrush, and our target, the sometimes elusive Hooded Warbler.…
Full DetailsEast Rock Park Bird Trip – May 11, 2019
Saturday May 11 was my annual trip to East Rock Park Hamden/New Haven. Our group assembled among many other birders which helped since there were so many migrants we did not want to miss anything. Also we were helped by the beautiful viewing conditions after so many days of wet or overcast days. The prime…
Full DetailsHartman Preserve Bird Trip – 5/11/19
A sunny cool morning warmed up a bit as nine HAS members roamed these beautiful woods and power line. We started with an open sighting of a Black-throated Blue Warbler after Redstarts and Ovenbirds at the cars. In all we identified 51 species plus a possible Orchard Oriole. The highlight, most likely,-close looks at a…
Full DetailsQuarry Park and Connecticut River Floodplain Trip Report
A cloudy and gray day greeted us as we started out the walk. There had been rain the previous days, and the leaves were coming out. Seven of us turned out to see what was in the park. The upper level had the usual birds. The upper part of the quarry rewarded us with a…
Full DetailsAudibles and Edibles Walk – 4/27/19
Audibles and Edibles’ Trip report-4/27/19 On a just rainy and chilly morning, Kat Conte and Ernie Harris accompanied by Dorina Ademi and Rick Reed had a nice introduction to Burnt Hill Park off East Street in Hebron. The nutritious plants were plentiful. The birds less so but enjoyable- walk up view of Tree Swallow and…
Full Details