Best Bird Watching Area Bridgeport Near Me

4worldlovers:
July 21, 2016 – You may have noticed changes recently at the H. Smith Richardson Wildlife Preserve, on Sasco Creek Road in Westport, with more on the way.

We’re collaborating with a group of enthusiastic neighbors to make big improvements to the preserve, for the birds and other wildlife that rely on it now, and for the many more that will.

A meadow restoration on the 12-acre north parcel is all-but-complete. We’re happy to report that Eastern Bluebirds, Tree Swallows and Eastern Kingbirds are already nesting there. During migration, a pair of Bobolinks – one of the state’s rarest grassland birds – stopped by for several days.

These birds are habitat specialists. The won’t nest just anywhere. They need meadows or open areas with only a few trees. And the work at Smith Richardson has provided them with exactly what they need.

As recently as six or seven years ago, that parcel was choked with invasive vegetation. Asiatic bittersweet. Multifora rose. Mile-a-minute weed. Barberry. Over several years, we removed them and planted a mix of cool-season grasses.

Some small trees and shrubs still must be removed, and we’ll be mowing again later this summer. But the change has been remarkable enough to allow the bluebirds, kingbirds, swallows and Bobolinks to use the preserve.

The south parcel is even more choked with invasives than the north. Our plan is to remove, replant, and restore.

The work started with two community cleanup days organized by the Friends of Smith Richardson neighborhood group.

Next, we will create a meadow of native wildflowers chosen to attract pollinators. Conifers and native hollies will be planted in clusters, to provide cover for the Saw-whet, Barred and Great Horned Owls the sanctuary is known for. The sanctuary’s soils even show that we might be able to create an Atlantic White Cedar Swamp, one of the region’s rarest habitats.

It’s not a quick project. We expect the work to take several years. But it will transform the sanctuary and, we believe, improve the local environment.

4worldlovers:
Habitats: 10% deciduous forest, 10% shrub, 5% field, 10% grassland, 5% non-tidal freshwater marsh, 10% salt marsh, 20% pond/lake, 30% estuary

Site Description: The 83-acre park is owned by the City of Stamford. The park offers swimming, boating, walking, biking, roller-blading, picnicking, ice skating, birding, photography, and fishing. The remarkable thing about Cove Island Park is the diversity of habitats within the park. These include, sandy and rocky beaches, salt marsh, mud flats, estuary, a large pond (Holly Pond), the last undeveloped sand dune in Stamford, woods, cut lawn, fresh water wetlands, meadows, brushy areas, and a planned butterfly garden (29 species of butterflies have been identified here).

IBA Criteria: Rare, Unique, or Representative Habitat; Exceptional Concentrations of Migratory Landbirds.

Birds: The Park is not only unique in its number of habitats, but also its rareness in the Stamford area. There are no similar local habitats. Similar but not as diverse habitat may be found at Greenwich Point Park (5 miles to the southwest), Sherwood Island in Westport (20 miles to the northeast) and Pelham Bay, New York (30 miles to the south). These long distances are critical after a night of migration for migratory songbirds. Flying longer distances could mean death for numerous birds. Many species return year after year during the spring and fall migrations since the park is situated on the coastal migration paths. This is readily evident looking at the checklist, which lists 287 species documented over the last 15 years. Holly Pond provides foraging habitat for wading birds in the nesting, and post-nesting seasons, it also provides habitat for many waterfowl and gulls in the winter and migration seasons.

Non-avian Resources: Over 50 species of butterflies have been recorded in the park. The park is an important recreational resource for Stamford and southwestern Connecticut. There is a nonprofit environmental education center in the park operated by SoundWaters.

Existing Conservation Measures: A 10-acre undeveloped area of the park is being proposed to the City of Stamford as a bird or nature sanctuary. Audubon has teamed up with GE Elfun Volunteers for several conservation and education projects in the park.