By Anne W. Semmes
The Audubon Bird Breakfast returned on a dazzling bright Saturday last at the Audubon Center. Promptly at 7 a.m. some 50 birders showed up to be divided up into 3 groups by Senior Education Coordinator Ryan MacLean, with one group led by Cynthia Ehlinger to check out the neighboring Fairchild Gardens Sanctuary, with the other 2 groups to be led throughout a few of the Center ‘s 285 acres by MacLean and Matt Popp.
Many of the migratory birds we found out were simply touching down at the Center on their method north to the boreal forest “nursery” informed MacLean to the event, while others may “still be in Brazil.” Overlooking the crowd atop a tree was identified the Eastern Kingbird. “He’s in the flycatcher family,” informed MacLean,
“And likes to be at the top of trees to hunt insects.”
Following MacLean’s group down behind the Center building we see a Goldfinch with our field glasses. “The Goldfinch turns into a neon yellow color in spring,” he informed, “and he has an up and down flight, and a song that sounds like “potato chip, potato chip.”
We were dealt with to a variety of tune descriptions of discovered birds on our trip: “The Common Yellowthroat sings, “Witichi, witichi, witichi…The warbling vireo sings, “I will squeeze you; I will squeeze you, till you squeak…The Yellow Warbler sings “trees, trees, whispering trees.” And the number of bird tunes does a Mockingbird sing? “Two hundred – including a car alarm, a Carolina Wren and an Eastern Phoebe.”
A preferred among lots of, a Baltimore Oriole was seen high up in a tree. “It arrived two or three days ago,” said MacLean. “Some will return to their hanging nests while others must build their own.” He shared a surprise finding of a getting here Eastern Bluebird set. “They are making their nest in their traditional hole in a tree in the apple orchard,” he revealed, and not going back to their bluebird boxes so typically taken away by other types.
But then it was time for our complimentary Bird Breakfast after our complimentary bird trip that had actually brought into view some 19 migratory birds, consisting of a Coopers Hawk flying overhead.
We went into the historical Asnes Barn with its classic wood walls and were invited by a crackling fire and the odor of bacon. Standing by the fireside was Gary Palmer, remembering those early Bird Breakfasts going back 60 years or more when Roger Tory Peterson had actually gone to. Gary had his own take on a Mockingbird’s collection: “The Mockingbird sings three songs, a Catbird once and a Brown Thrasher twice.”
Already delighting in their breakfast of pancakes, eggs and bacon were a number of birders in-the-making, four-year-old Marianna Popp, and her sis Julianna Popp, age 7, there with Audubon teenager board member Grace Popp. Also bringing breakfast to table was Christina Buccieri, age 14, having actually matured at Audubon, sharing that her butterfly garden is on its method to ending up being a signed up Monarch Way Station.
With all 100 participants enjoying their breakfast Ryan MacLean offered initial remarks advising us that the Audubon Center is the oldest Audubon education center in the U.S. And he included that the Spring Bird Breakfast, though missing out on for the last 3 years, is the Center’s longest running yearly occasion. “So, we cannot be more grateful to have all of you here.”
A shoutout of thanks was provided by MacLean to those in the cooking area. “We want to thank our Facilities Manager, John Fairty, our amazing volunteers, and teen board members who are assisting with the food. And it is our wonderful pleasure to also introduce many of you to our newest member of the Audubon family, our new Center director, Rochelle Thomas.”
Thomas remembered MacLean concerning her in her very first number of weeks, stating, “Hey, there used to be this really fun day we would have, would you consider returning the Bird Breakfast?” “Sure,” she responded.
“What makes this event even more special,” continued MacLean, “is this event has morphed and evolved over the years into becoming not only a day for us to come together, to celebrate our birds, but to raise awareness for the Jurassic issues that they’re facing. Nearly 300 species of our birds are in danger of extinction over climate change. And over the last 30 years, this event is also centered around World Migratory Bird Day, which is run in partnership with many organizations in collaboration with Environment for the Americas. Every year they have a conservation theme to raise awareness for how simple things we can do in our lives affect bird’s lives. This year’s theme is water and how water is so crucial to all of our native and migratory bird species.”
MacLean likewise invited members of the recently partnering Connecticut Ornithology Association, then shared that likewise present was “someone pivotal in the organization of this event since its early inception, not to mention shaping the amount of bird community science we do on our property today – Gary Palmer. Whether it’s founding our Quaker Ridge Hawk Watch, our summer bird counts, compiling our Christmas bird counts, and breeding bird surveys.” Gary, he informed would quickly be commemorated on June 8 with the Audubon Connecticut Lifetime Achievement Award at the Audubon’s Environmental Leadership Awards supper.
Add to that occasion the existence of another previous life time accomplishment award winner, “our dear friend and former head naturalist of 43 years, Ted Gilman” who will provide the award to Gary,. “So, we hope you can join us for what will be a very, very special day.”
Finally came MacLean continuing with the bird list, calling out each types whether spotted. The overall? “That is 62 bird species in the morning. And we could still add more if you come and sit outside, get more coffee, keep listening, keep watching.”
For those who lost out, he informed, “We’re going to have another spring migration bird trip on Saturday May 20 followed by 2 sessions where the National Audubon Society’s Director of Bird Conservation Corrie Folsom-O’Keefe will be doing live bird banding. “To register, see
