Daylight Savings Bird-a-Thon - Sunday - 3/10/2024
2024-03-10
All of Hartford County – All day
Join Hartford Audubon for a fun one-day birding competition to celebrate the return of Daylight-Saving Time! Form teams of 2-4 people, dress up and name them with a smile in mind. Compete and report results. 1 point for every species, 2 points for every species found on a HAS sanctuary and 10 bonus points if you have a new birder on the team. At the end of the day, we’ll get together for a potluck dinner. Maggie will send out an informational e-mail the week before.
Maggie Peretto wings.mp@gmail.com 860-604-4903 T

Annual Spring Census - 4/27/2024 - 3 weeks
2024-04-27 - 2024-05-18
Join fellow HAS members for our annual Spring census which will end on Sunday, May 19th. Unlike our other bird counts, this count is by towns in the greater Hartford area and lasts 3 weeks. Bird as much or as little as you like and report to as many town captains as you wish. A list of captains will be released at a later date.
Jamie Meyers sunnyctredbird@gmail.com 860-693-4497

Annual Summer Bird Count - June 8-9, 2024
2024-06-08 - 2024-06-09
Bird Count Circle
7.5-mile radius from Old State House
Join Hartford Audubon members as we participate in the annual Summer Bird Count. Species and numbers are counted on this two-day tally within our Christmas Count circle. Bird one day or both and help collect breeding bird data and track species trends for Connecticut. Bird for an hour or bird all weekend.
Jay Kaplan jaybrd49@aol.com 860-693-0157 / 860-707-5246 T

Big Sit at Station 43 - October 6, 2024 - All Day
2024-10-06 | S Windsor, 990 Main St., South Windsor, CT, 06074, United States
Oct 6 Big Sit at Station 43 Sun All Day
953 Main St, South Windsor
Corner of Newberry Rd and Main St
Park along road near intersection.
Maggie will cover part of the time. We are hoping others will join and we can have folks there all day so drop by any time. Visit https://www.thebigsit.org to learn more about this national project. It is a day of fun at Station 43 where we count all species we see and hear from a 17-foot circle located at the HAS platform on the southwest end of the marsh. Bring a stool/chair and a scope if you have one. If it’s been wet, wear boots.
Maggie Peretto wings.mp@gmail.com 860-604-4903 T

Annual Holiday Meeting - December 10, 2024 - 6:30 pm
2024-12-10 18:30 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | St. James’s Episcopal Church, 1018 Farmington Ave., West Hartford, CT, 06127, United States
Dec 10 ⛄Annual Holiday Meeting🌲 Tue 6:30 pmPotluck Supper and SlideshowSt James’s Episcopal Church1018 Farmington Ave, West Hartford
Continuing a fun tradition, please wear a favorite holiday, bird tee–shirt, or hat! Following dinner, we’ll have the teacup auction andthe member photo–sharing session. Bring silverware, plates, a dishto share, serving utensils, and something for the teacup auction.Contact Mona Cavallero at mcavallero1@comcast.net for detailson sharing your photos.
Contact Sydnee Foster fostersydnee@gmail.com 203–913–8380

Christmas Bird Count - December 15, 2024 - All Day
2024-12-15
Dec 15 Christmas Bird Count Sun All DayBird Count Circle7.5–mile radius from Old State House
Join Hartford Audubon Members for the nation’s longest runningcitizen science project to assess population trends of birds duringthe winter season. For one day, we count birds in a circle aroundHartford that is divided into specific areas. Bird an hour or bird allday. A list of Captains will be released at a later date.

Contact Jay Kaplan jaybrd49@aol.com 860–693–0157860–707–5246 T

Big January - All Month - All of Hartford County
2025-01-01 - 2025-01-31
It’s that time again! The Hartford Audubon Society (HAS) is pleased to announce our eighth annual Hartford County Big January of Birding birdwatching challenge. The goal of the activity is to encourage folks to get outside during the month of January and see as many species of wild birds in Hartford County as possible. The competition is free to people of all ages. You do not need to be a HAS member or reside in Hartford County to enter.

To participate, birders should enter their daily or periodic observations into ebird.org, the free birdwatching site maintained by the Cornell University Lab of Ornithology. At the end of the month, Hartford Audubon will retrieve all the data and award certificates and prizes. There are four categories:
* Youth (ages 4-10) who must see at least 25 species to enter
* Teen (ages 11-17) who must see at least 35 species to enter
* Weekend Warrior (adults ages 18 and up who can’t get outdoors during the week) who must see at least 50 species to enter
* Adults (ages 18 and up who can get outdoors during the week) who must see at least 60 species to enter.
All entries that meet the minimum number of species for each challenge group will receive a certificate of achievement. A special prize will be awarded for the highest species count for each challenge group, and the coveted “Golden Grebe” award will be given to the birder finding the most unusual bird.

January, 2025 may be a very interesting month and a joyful way to enter the new year.
Please feel free to share this email with all your bird-loving friends. We’d like nothing more than to hand out dozens of certificates!

Contact Sarah Faulkner sffaulkner@comcast.net 860–543–1280 T

Birding With Your Phone - March 5, 2025
2025-03-05 19:00 - 20:30
Mar 5 Birding With Your Phone Wed 7:00 pm
Virtual Workshop via Zoom – RESERVATION REQUIRED
A 1–1/2 hour, virtual hands–on workshop with Ken Elkins ofConnecticut Audubon. Ken will teach attendees how to use andrefine the use of eBird, Merlin, several bird guides, and more.Registration is required, so email Sarah to reserve a space.Participants will be sent a list of apps to download before theworkshop.
Contact Sarah Faulkner sffaulkner@comcast.net 860–543–1280 T

CANCELLED: Daylight Saving Bird-a-Thon Sun All Day - March 9, 2025
2025-03-09
NOTE: THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED
Daylight Saving Bird–a–Thon Sun All Day
All of Hartford County
Join Hartford Audubon for a fun one–day birding competition tocelebrate the return of Daylight Saving Time! Form teams of 2–4people, dress up and name them with a smile in mind. Competeand report results. One point for every species, 2 points for everyspecies found on a HAS sanctuary and 10 bonus points if you havea new birder on the team. At the end of the day we’ll get togetherfor a potluck dinner. Maggie will send out an informational e–mailthe week before.
Contact Maggie Peretto wings.mp@gmail.com 860–604–4903 T

Annual Spring Census starting April 26, 2025 for 3 weeks
2025-04-26 08:00 - 2025-05-17 17:00
Apr 26 Annual Spring Census Sat 3 weeks
Join fellow HAS members for our annual Spring census, which willend on Sunday, May 19th. Unlike our other bird counts, this countis by towns in the greater Hartford area and lasts 3 weeks. Bird asmuch or as little as you like and report to as many town captains asyou wish. A list of captains will be released at a later date.
Contact Doug Beach beachgolfdesign@att.net 860–878–1364

Annual Meeting & Banquet - May 13, 2025
2025-05-13 17:30 - 21:00 | Pond House Cafe at Elizabeth Park, 1555 Asylum Ave., West Hartford, CT, 06117, United States
Pond House, Elizabeth Park1555 Asylum Ave, West Hartford
Dear Hartford Audubon Members:
On behalf of Hartford Audubon, you are cordially invited to our Annual Meeting and Banquet to be held at the Pond House Cafe, 1555 Asylum Ave, West Hartford, CT, on Tuesday, May 13th.
Before dinner we will hold our annual meeting including the treasurer’s report, awards and the election of officers and directors. Following dinner, Brian Hess, DEEP Wildlife Biologist will speak about the “Connecticut Wildlife Action Plan: State of the Birds Address”.
The event will begin with a guided bird walk through Elizabeth Park. This walk has been a successful addition to our annual meeting. There is no need to sign up for the walk. Gather by the Pond House Cafe entrance at 4:30 and the walk leader will take you on your way.
Your cost for the buffet dinner is $35.00 per person. The balance of the cost is subsidized by Hartford Audubon. There will be a cash bar, appetizers, salad, a buffet and dessert. The food has always been delicious, so please bring your appetite! Doors will open at 5:30.
There is a CUT OFF DATE for registering for this event. If you plan to attend, you must register and pay for your ticket by Tuesday, May 6. Therefore, you are encouraged to make your reservations early. No tickets will be sold at the door. The Pond House needs a firm number of attendees one week prior to the event.
Please consider paying online:

Alternatively, you can mail your check to Donna Summers, 6 Pond Side Lane, West Simsbury, CT 06092. If you do plan to register by mail, payment must be RECEIVED by Tuesday, May 6. Checks should be made out to “Hartford Audubon Society”.
I am looking forward to seeing each of you.
Al Gatti,
President, Hartford Audubon Society

Annual Summer Bird Count - June 7-8, 2025
2025-06-07 - 2025-06-08
Jun 7 Annual Summer Bird Count Sat & SunBird Count Circle7.5–mile radius from Old State House
Join Hartford Audubon members as we participate in the annualSummer Bird Count. Species and numbers are counted on this two–day tally within our Christmas Count circle. Bird one day or bothand help collect breeding bird data and track species trends forConnecticut. Bird for an hour or bird all weekend.
Contact Jay Kaplan jaybrd49@aol.com 860–693–0157860–707–5246

Annual Picnic and Birdwalk - June 10, 2025
2025-06-10 18:00 - 21:00 | Northwest Park, 145 Lang Rd., Windsor, CT, 06095, United States
Jun 10 🍉 Annual Picnic and Birdwalk 🍉 Tue 6 pmNorthwest Park, 145 Lang Rd, Windsor
Park in lot, cross bridge to Warming ShedJoin us for a bird walk and the company of our members to kick offthe summer! A bird walk will be held at 5:00 when we hope to seeOrchard Orioles, Indigo Buntings, and Eastern Bluebirds. Thepicnic dinner will begin at 6:00. BYO dinner, utensils, your placesetting, and HAS will provide refreshments and dessert. The picnicwill conclude with a brief meeting.
Contact Sydnee Foster fostersydnee@gmai l.com 203–913–8380 T

Big Sit at Station 43 - October 12, 2025
2025-10-12
Oct 12 – Big Sit at Station 43 All Day
953 Main St, South Windsor
Corner of Newberry Rd and Main StPark along road near intersection.
Annette will be there early by 7am. We are hoping others will joinand we can have folks there all day, so drop by any time. Visithttps://www.thebigsit.org to learn more about this national project.It is a day of fun at Station 43 where we count all species we seeand hear from a 17–foot circle located at the HAS platform on thesouthwest end of the marsh. Bring a stool/chair and a scope if youhave one. If it’s been wet, wear boots.
Annette Pasek apasek@cox.net 860–490–8357 T

Christmas Bird Count - All Day - December 14, 2025
2025-12-14
Dec 14 Christmas Bird Count Sun All DayBird Count Circle7.5–mile radius from Old State House
Join Hartford Audubon Members for the nation’s longest–runningcitizen science project to assess population trends of birds duringthe winter season. For one day, we count birds in a circle aroundHartford that is divided into specific areas. Bird an hour or bird allday. A list of Captains will be released at a later date.
Jay Kaplan jaybrd49@aol.com 860–693–0157860–707–5246 T

Big January Birding Event - All month - Hartford County January 2026
2026-01-01 08:00 - 2026-01-31 17:00
Jan 1 Big January All Month – All of Hartford County
Dear HAS Members,

It’s that time of year! The Hartford Audubon Society (HAS) is pleased to announce our ninth annual Hartford County Big January of Birding birdwatching challenge. The goal of the activity is to encourage folks to get outside during the month of January and see as many species of wild birds in Hartford County as possible. The challenge is free to people of all ages and is not intended to be competitive — please share your findings and encourage new birders.

And this year, the CT Ornithological Association is running an all-CT Big January, so you can do both ours in Hartford County AND the statewide challenge too!

To participate in both challenges, birders should enter their daily or periodic observations into ebird.org, the free birdwatching site maintained by the Cornell University Lab of Ornithology. If you don’t use eBird, you can list your species, date seen, location, and brief description, and send it via email or mail directly to me right at the end of January. It must be received by Wednesday, February 4th. You do not need to be a HAS member or reside in Hartford County to enter. At the end of the month, Hartford Audubon will retrieve all the data and award certificates and prizes. There are four categories:

Youth (ages 4-10) who must see at least 25 species to enter
Teen (ages 11-17) who must see at least 35 species to enter
Weekend Warrior (adults ages 18 and up who can’t get outdoors during the week) who must see at least 50 species to enter
Adults (ages 18 and up who can get outdoors during the week) who must see at least 60 species to enter.

All entries that meet the minimum number of species for each challenge group will receive a certificate of achievement. A special prize will be awarded for the highest species count for each challenge group, and the coveted “Golden Grebe” award will be given to the birder finding the most unusual bird.

January, 2026 may be a very interesting month and a joyful way to enter the new year. There are some rarities showing up this week – I hope they will stay until after January 1st! I’ve never seen a barnacle goose in Connecticut!

Wishing everyone a healthy and birdy 2026,

Sarah Faulkner

Birding with your Phone - March 4, 2026
2026-03-04 19:00 - 21:00
Mar 4 Birding With Your Phone Wed 7:00 pmVirtual Workshop via Zoom – RESERVATION REQUIRED
A 1–1/2 hour, virtual hands–on workshop with Ken Elkins ofConnecticut Audubon. Ken will teach attendees how to use andrefine the use of eBird, Merlin, several bird guides, and more.Registration is required, so email Sarah to reserve a space.
Participants will be sent a list of apps to have before the workshop.Sarah Faulkner sffaulkner@comcast.net 860–543–1280 T

Annual Spring Census - Starting April 25, 2026 - 3 weeks
2026-04-25 08:00 - 2026-05-17 17:00
Apr 25 Annual Spring Census Sat 3 weeksAll Towns in the Greater Hartford Area
Join fellow HAS members for our annual Spring census, which willend on Sunday, May 17th. Unlike our other bird counts, this countis by towns in the greater Hartford area and lasts 3 weeks. Bird asmuch or as little as you like and report to as many town captains asyou wish. A list of captains will be released at a later date.
Bill Asteriades bill.asteriades@gmail.com 860–690–1152 TDoug Beach beachgolfdesign@att.net 860–878–1364

Annual Summer Bird Count: June 13-14, 2026
2026-06-13 - 2026-06-14
Jun 13 Annual Summer Bird Count Sat & SunBird Count Circle. 7.5–mile radius from Old State House
Join Hartford Audubon members as we participate in the annualSummer Bird Count. Species and numbers are counted on this two–day tally within our Christmas Count circle. Bird one day or bothand help collect breeding–bird data and track species trends forConnecticut. Bird for an hour or bird all weekend.
Jay Kaplan jaybrd49@aol.com 860–693–0157860–707–5246
