Sunday, March 10, 2013

Christmas in March?

During the snowfall on Friday, March 8 our friend Tina Green sent me the following photo that she took while taking a walk through the Connecticut Audubon Society H. Smith Richardson Wildlife Preserve and Christmas Tree Farm on Sasco Creek Road in Westport.


This gem of a sanctuary consists of three parcels: a 24-acre Christmas Tree farm, a 14-acre field habitat, and a 36-acre evergreen plantation that has remained virtually undisturbed for the last 30 years. Many residents from as far away as New York know about how great a spot it is to come and select a Christmas tree each season, but few birders realize how tremendously full of avian life it is throughout the year. Tina also mentioned seeing dozens of Dark-eyed Juncos plus a Field Sparrow and a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, both tough to find species at this part of the season. I bet they were wonderful to watch in the picturesque snow. Later this week I will write a full account of what exactly happened after one of the (yet again!) most memorable winter weather weeks across the eastern seaboard in some time. I hope everyone enjoyed the snow while it lasted because the rest of the weekend sure felt like the beginning of spring!


Scott Kruitbosch
Conservation Technician

Photos by Tina Green

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