Housatonic Community College students continue research at CAS Larsen Sanctuary

The following post and images are contributed by Dr. Tony Pappantoniou of Housatonic Community College:

The summer of 2010 presented a unique opportunity for a group of students from Housatonic Community College in Bridgeport. Although many of our students express an interest in pursuing careers in environmental science and biology, most of our students have never experienced doing biological fieldwork. In cooperation with the Connecticut Audubon Society, a fieldwork experience was undertaken by four students under the direction of Dr. Tony Pappantoniou of the Math and Science Department of Housatonic Community College. The focus of this experience was a biological survey of streams located at the Roy and Margot Larsen Sanctuary.

Students Jason Van Fleet, Jennifer Guime, Melvin Gordils photographing and measuring fish

The summer field experience had a dual purpose: 1) introduce a group of community college students to methods of fieldwork and 2) have the students collect data on stream fish populations. Student volunteers learned techniques of collecting and identifying fish and gathering the data a biologist would require to assess a fish population. Several different species of fish were collected, identified and photographed. A warm-water fish community populates the streams of the Larson Sanctuary. Fish species collected included: largemouth bass, pumpkinseed and bluegill sunfish, redfin pickerel and the american eel. Starting with our first fieldtrip in June and ending with our last trip in August, length data on largemouth bass was collected for population analysis. Data were collected on about 75 largemouth, all young-of-the-year, and it appears that there is a strong breeding population of largemouth at the sanctuary.

Pumpkinseed Sunfish

In addition to our fish collecting, students observed a variety of amphibians and reptiles that form part of the community at the Larsen Sanctuary. Red efts, green frogs (both adult and tadpole), spring peepers, american toads, garter snakes and painted turtles, all crossed our path as we walked through the streams and woods of the Larsen Sanctuary.

American Eel

Fieldwork will continue during summer 2011, with old students coming back for a second summer and some new students joining in. This summer we are expanding our studies to include data on the turtle population(s) of the sanctuary. Opportunities like this offer students an experience collecting biological data with real world applications.

The student research team from HCC: Jennifer Guime, Michael Beletzkie, Melvin Gordils, Jason Van Fleet

I would like to thank Mr. Robert Martinez, President of Connecticut Audubon and Dr. Twan Leenders, Conservation Biologist, for their invaluable assistance and advice in creating this field experience for the students of Housatonic Community College.

Dr. Tony Pappantoniou
Assistant Professor of Biology
Housatonic Community College

Gyrfalcon Insights

Connecticut has several records of Gyrfalcons. It is the largest falcon in the world, and would stand out considerably compared to the more commonly known Peregrine Falcon. There has not been one in the state for 15 years, and obviously they are very rare here. The photos in this entry are of a falconer's Gyrfalcon that was at Stratford Point last year during the Great Stratford Bird Festival.





They spend their lives primarily in the Arctic and Canada. Some of these far-northern species can be somewhat tough to study, with parts of their life history still an unknown to scientists. Nevertheless, this article was an incredible read: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/13791688

The entire life of the Gyrfalcon was apparently very misunderstood as they spend a great deal of time at sea. They travel incredible distances and require a large habitat of ocean and ice. This sort of revelation shows you how much more work needs to be done on countless bird species. Connecticut Audubon Society's Science and Conservation staff works every day to expand the knowledge of our state's habitat and wildlife. This is a terrific, albeit distant, example of what can be found with the proper resources, management, and effort. It is only a matter of time before we can share some of our own amazing discoveries.


Photos © Scott Kruitbosch

Eurasian Collared-Doves breeding

The story of the Eurasian Collared-Doves found in Stratford a couple of weeks ago goes on. The very next day after their discovery they were seen by multiple observers carrying nesting material to one of the pine trees near the entrance to Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford. This would represent the first breeding record for the species in Connecticut, and even more amazingly, for all of New England. Later that week they were seen copulating, confirming the nest-building observations.

We have been watching the birds whenever possible. They still seem to prefer that same stand of pines, and the right-most tree. They are very difficult to see in there, however. Additionally, since we do not want to trespass on to government property, views are limited to the roadway. As of now the doves are seen off and on, most of the time flying in or out of the area to feed in other locations around the airport or nearby neighborhoods.

The man who first found the pair, Frank Mantlik, provided us with these photos of the doves and their efforts at nest-building.







Photos © Frank Mantlik

The Nature Conservancy funds development of adaptive coastal restoration plan for Stratford Point

This week, Connecticut Audubon Society received a contract from The Nature Conservancy to develop an Adaptive Coastal Habitat Restoration plan for the Stratford Point property, owned by DuPont/Sporting Goods Properties but managed by CAS. All summer CAS Science & Conservation staff and graduate and undergraduate research assistants from Sacred Heart University, Connecticut College and UCONN will be working in the coastal grassland management area on Stratford Point to collect baseline data on the physical structure of the site, its vegetation and the animals that utilize the habitat.

Jennifer Gazerro, a graduate student from Sacred Heart University records plant data
from a sample quadrant at Stratford Point.

In addition, similar surveys will be carried out in comparable reference sites such as Milford Point. These studies will provide a series of benchmarks and other success measures that can be used later to gauge whether habitat management practices at Stratford Point provide the desired results.

Students collect baseline data from established coastal habitats, such as at the CAS Smith-Hubbel
Wildlife Refuge at Milford Point for comparison.

Field work for this project has just begun and will continue throughout the growing season and fall migration. Initial plant surveys revealed three patches of Eastern Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia humifusa) in the upland section of Stratford that have really taken off in recent years. This native cactus is included in Connecticut's Endangered and Threatened Species list as a species of Special Concern. Ultimately, our management plan will be tailored to promote the development and management of suitable habitat for conservation concern species like this one. You will undoubtedly hear much more about our findings in the months ahead.

Eastern Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia humifusa) is a native cactus protected under the CT Endangered
Species Act. It can be locally common in coastal habitats but its distribution is highly fragmented.

Photos copyright Twan Leenders

Common Goldeneye and June oddities

There have been a couple of notable rarities seen in Connecticut this June. However, what has interested me even more than that have been sightings of more common Connecticut species…but birds that are not typical in the month of June. One example of this came in the first week of the month when Frank Mantlik reported a Cape May Warbler singing in his yard. This conspicuous bird would have been noticed had it been present before that day. When I checked eBird I saw there were no records of the species in June in Connecticut. Those are “good” birds to find, and it shows us how even after we think the typical songbird migration period is over, there are still individuals trickling through the state.

Twan found a different sort of strange summer bird on Monday at Stratford Point. It was a male Common Goldeneye, an odd duck to say the least.

The species had never been recorded in eBird in Connecticut in June, either. It seems content (for now) in the mouth of the Housatonic River, going between Stratford Point and Short Beach. It did not appear to be injured. While it allowed for close approach, it also did not appear ill – just very tired. Maybe it took a wrong turn and ended up on a long trip in the wrong direction? Quite often you find some unexpected birds that wander after a failed breeding attempt. Finding and recording oddities like these help us piece together the gigantic conservation puzzle.

Photos © Twan Leenders

Anhinga in Hamden

On Saturday morning, Flo McBride and others conducting part of the Connecticut Ornithological Association's New Haven Summer Bird Count discovered an Anhinga on Lake Whitney in Hamden. It was sitting on a snag in the water near some Double-crested Cormorants. I headed over there quickly - this is usually a bird reported flying by a coastal location or a hawk watch, not one that sticks in a specific spot. When I was present only the most distant photos could be taken unless you had a sizable lens, but here is one of mine of the bird.



This is the first fully-documented Anhinga in Connecticut (first photographed). As you can read on the Avian Records Committee of Connecticut website here, four previous sightings have been accepted into record. This Anhinga left us sometime on Sunday.

It seems rather obvious this tremendous bird came all the way up the coast during last week's heat wave and strong southwest winds, just as the Eurasian Collared-Doves had. In New Jersey, there has been a Wood Stork making frequent appearances overhead, and on the weekend a Purple Gallinule was discovered there. There is no easier way to say it than abnormal weather brings abnormal birds.

If you are really interested in rarities you need to follow our Twitter feed located here. It is updated as fast as possible with information about strange sightings and where to see birds like the Anhinga, as it was early Saturday morning.


Photo © Scott Kruitbosch

Legislative Session Closes with the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Here is a message from our Senior Director of Science and Conservation and Conservation Advocate, Milan Bull:

Legislative Session Closes with the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

The Good:

At the eleventh hour, the Legislature passed three very good bills:

Recreational Liability Reform for Municipalities (H.B. 6557): will afford municipalities and municipal entities like water companies, etc. with protection almost as strong as the protection enjoyed by private landowners (individuals, land trusts, corporations, etc.) on recreational lands;

10 Mill Forest Conservation (H.B. 6263): will keep property taxes low (equivalent to the rate enjoyed by property owners in the P.A. 490 program) for landowners of 14,000 acres of forest who made a 100 year commitment to protect their lands as forest; and

Act Concerning Forestry (H.B. 6157): creates a revolving fund mechanism for DEP to recoup revenues from timber harvests on state lands that will be invested into better forest management planning and implementation.

The Bad:

Unfortunately, SB 829 An Act Establishing an Open Space Registry failed. This would have moved forward one of the key recommendations in our Connecticut State of the Birds, 2010 report. We remain undaunted however, and will take it up again in the next session.

Also failing this session was SB 832, An Act Concerning the Protection of Certain Natural Vegetation Near Rivers. We felt this bill was important, as it would have provided a much-needed buffer for migratory birds and other wildlife associated with rivers and streams. It was heavily lobbied in opposition by the homebuilder's industry.

The Ugly:

SB 1196, An Act Concerning the Conveyance of Certain Parcels of State Land (the controversial land swap bill) was passed by both the House and Senate by a considerable margin despite strong objections by environmental groups. This bill gives private developers possession of 17 state-owned acres of open space in Haddam overlooking the Connecticut River in trade for 87 wooded acres the developer owns in the Higganum section of town, away from the river next to Cockaponset State Forest, possibly setting a precedent whereby the state may trade property reserved for the public. This bill could reasonably make it more difficult to obtain private land for public use if the land can be subsequently traded away for private development. It was a bad bill that CAS opposed.