Walks

NOTE: THIS IS A DATE CHANGE FROM THE YEARBOOK.  MAY 19 CHANGED TO MAY 11 The New Haven Bird Club traveled to River Road in May 1991 and documented the first nesting of Yellow-throated Warbler in Connecticut. Subsequent NHBC trips to River Road have produced a nice variety of Northwestern Connecticut nesting species. We return this year to River Road

Read More

Join us at the peak of spring migration on this moderately strenuous and long hike in a fine birding location. We’ll search for migrants and residents. We often see more than fifteen species of warblers on this trip, including resident Hooded, Chestnut-sided, Prairie, and Worm-eating Warblers. Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Scarlet Tanagers, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, and many other birds are residents

Read More

Join us for a walk on Regional Water Authority properties in Woodbridge and Bethany, some of which are off-limits to the public. Pat Leahy has been maintaining a bluebird trail on several of the properties surrounding the reservoirs. Please be prompt! It will be difficult to join the group on route. We will carpool and proceed to trails on Lake

Read More

Change to the venue We will move the walk scheduled on May 18 at 7:30 to Julius M. Hansen Park in North Haven. With its rich meadows and fields, forested wetlands, trap rock ridge and riparian woods this park holds promise of becoming a prominent birding destination for the Club.  We will meet at the parking lot on Patten Rd. 

Read More

Join us on a visit to this excellent birding location where we look for late spring migrants and early nesting species. The center and park have open fields, woods, ponds, and streams.  Meet at Kellogg Environmental Center/Osbornedale State Park, 500 Hawthorne Avenue, Derby m.stockmal@snet.net  home phone 203-305-3728

This will be our 15th annual trip to this excellent birding spot. We’ll meet at the commuter lot at Exit 57 off I-95 and carpool to Barn Island. The area consists of large expanses of salt marsh, tidal pools, wetlands, woodlands, and open fields. We should see wading birds, shorebirds, and area residents such as Saltmarsh Sparrow, Marsh Wren, White-eyed

Read More

CT Trails Day is organized and produced by the Connecticut Forest & Park Association. NHBC sponsors hikes along the West River in New Haven on both days (Pond Lily Preserve, Edgewood Park, and West River Memorial Park), in cooperation with the West River Watershed Coalition and the Connecticut Fund for the Environment. Details for these and other sponsored hikes at

Read More

Visit this first-rate birding spot to look for fall migrants and resident species. The area has varied habitats with woods, shrubby areas and a powercut. A variety of waterfowl can be found in the ponds.  Meet at Branford Supply Ponds parking lot, Chestnut Street, off Rte. 1, Branford. m.stockmal@snet.net  cell 203-305-3728

Greg Hanisek, one of the best birders in the state, will lead the walk in this scenic and spacious forest in the northern part of the state. Nesting species here include Blue-headed Vireo, Hermit Thrush, Canada Warbler and Black-throated Blue Warbler.  Meet at the entrance to Mohawk Mountain State Park on Route 4 in Cornwall, four miles west of Goshen. ctgregh@yahoo.com

The West River Memorial Park is a designated IBA (Important Bird Area) and is part of the New Haven Harbor Urban Refuge Partnership. The Urban Oasis here improves annually, and the osprey platform has been active with the same male-female pair for many years. By this time in June, the chicks will have hatched and be visible on the nest,

Read More

Jack Swatt, New Haven Bird Club member and DEEP volunteer Whip-poor-will monitor, will lead a walk to listen and look for Whip-poor-will at the Naugatuck State Forest. Jack will give a short talk on the status of Whip-poor-wills in the northeast and Connecticut. We will then wait for dusk to fall while we listen for the distinctive call. A sighting?

Read More

This trip has been cancelled   Salt Meadow Unit is the Refuge headquarters for the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge, the only NWR unique to Connecticut. We'll walk 2.5 miles at most to see the birds and the plants; some hills are present. Meet at the entrance to Salt Meadow Unit, 733 Old Clinton Road, Westbrook, CT. Take Exit 64

Read More

We’ll walk out on the sandbar at near high tide to see the variety of shorebirds and terns, which will begin feeding as the tide falls. We’ll also check the Coastal Center grounds for songbirds. Meet at the CT Audubon Coastal Center, 1 Milford Point Road, Milford. Leader: Frank Mantlik, 203-984-9410 or mantlik@sbcglobal.net

Join Park Ranger Dan Barvir on a late summer bird walk at Lighthouse Point Park on New Haven Harbor. Then, beginning around 9:30 a.m., we’ll perform some light trail maintenance and cleanup. This is a great way to enjoy looking at birds and at the same time help preserve their habitat. Meet at the Hawk Watch parking lot, Lighthouse Point

Read More

This walk may be rescheduled but is cancelled for now. This small waterfront park on the Quinnipiac River is part of the New Haven Harbor Urban Refuge Partnership. Native trees, shrubs, and flowers have been planted to provide cover, food, and habitat for wildlife and a place to learn, relax, and connect with nature. We’ll see summer resident birds and

Read More

Join us as we look for shorebirds and terns at this excellent local birding location. We should also find raptors, waterfowl, long-legged waders, and migrating passerines. Ten or more species of shorebirds are possible, including American Golden-Plover. Meet at the CT Audubon Coastal Center, 1 Milford Point Road, Milford. Leader: Milan Bull, 203-610-5097 or mbull@ctaudubon.org

Edgewood Park and West River Memorial Park make up an Important Bird Area and include a two mile section of the West River. These parks look particularly “hot” on the radar maps for New Haven that show which areas are most used by birds in fall migration. We will see what we can find! The walk is open to birders

Read More

Join us on a visit to this premier local birding location, renowned for its migrating raptors and passerines. If the weather conditions are favorable, we may see hundreds of hawks in flight over the park. Meet at the Hawk Watch parking lot, Lighthouse Point Park, 2 Lighthouse Road, New Haven. Leader: Frank Gallo, 203-644-2163 or peeplo@aol.com

This walk was originally scheduled for Oct 20th.  It will now be held on Oct 6th. Osbornedale State Park offers a variety of habitats for a fall bird walk, from fields to ponds and woodland streams to deciduous forest. On this walk we explore these habitats in search of sparrows, kinglets, late migration warblers, woodpeckers, and more. The walk is

Read More

The golf course is located on more than 700 acres, with woods and ponds surrounding the course. It’s a great place to see birds year-round. We’ll be visiting the course when there are no golfers, so we’ll be able to walk the cart paths and wooded trails without being disturbed or disturbing others. We’ll be looking for fall migrants such

Read More

Visit one of our state’s best fall birding spots, where the abundance of some migrants and sightings of less common species can make for a truly memorable trip. The walking is easy, all on level ground. Meet outside the park at the new parking lot on the Post Rd. Directions: Take Exit 62 off I-95 (the usual Hammonasset exit). At

Read More

Join a fall walk to see what can be found at these picturesque locations. The group will explore trails at Lake Bethany, then proceed to properties not open to the public, Lake Watrous and Lake Dawson. Fall migrants should be working their way through the area and the scenery will be breathtaking. Meet at Lake Bethany Regional Water Authority parking

Read More

Thursday, October 31, 2019, 3 p.m. & Saturday, November 2, 2019, 8:30 a.m. Two opportunities to explore Town Center Park in Hamden—Thursday October 31 at 3 p.m. (to coincide with the final Farmer’s Market of the season), plus the following Saturday morning, November 2, 2019, at 8:30 a.m., to allow for comparison of what’s seen at different times of day.

Read More

Fargeorge Preserve is always full of surprises. We have seen everything from woodcock to eagles to snow geese, lots of fall migrants, wintering ducks, and more. It is a varied habitat with excellent view of the lower Quinnipiac River. Directions: Go South on Quinnipiac Avenue from Rt. 80. Make a right just past the railroad overpass. Drive through the open

Read More

Thursday, October 31, 2019, 3 p.m. & Saturday, November 2, 2019, 8:30 a.m. Two opportunities to explore Town Center Park in Hamden—Thursday October 31 at 3 p.m. (to coincide with the final Farmer’s Market of the season), plus the following Saturday morning, November 2, 2019, at 8:30 a.m., to allow for comparison of what’s seen at different times of day.

Read More

This walk was postponed to November 3 due to weather. We bird several hotspots in the Town of Cheshire, including Boulder Knoll, Broad Brook Reservoir and associated trails, Fresh Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary (Cheshire Land Trust), and the Farmington Canal Lock 12. Boulder Knoll is good for sparrows in fall. Broad Brook Reservoir annually hosts 200–400 Ruddy Ducks, one of the

Read More

Join a midweek trip to this outstanding Long Island Sound birding spot. We check for loons, grebes, goldeneye, and other sea ducks. The fields are a good place to look for Snow Buntings, Horned Larks, and sparrows. Meet at Sherwood Island State Park: take Exit 18 off I-95 in Westport and head south on the Sherwood Island Connector. Drive into

Read More

At any time of year, Hammonasset is a true gem. Enjoy a mid-week trip to explore this birding hotspot for fall migrants. The varied habitat attracts shorebirds, waterfowl, raptors, and songbirds. Meet at Hammonasset Beach State Park parking area on Boston Post Road, Madison, just left (east) of main entrance road. Leader: Jerry Connolly, 203-421-4128 (home), 203-710-2011 (cell), or birdshop@sbcglobal.net

We survey Area K the weekend prior to the Saturday, December 14 New Haven Christmas Bird Count. This highly productive area includes Ora Avenue / Proto Drive / Morris Creek Marshes, Cosey Beach, Lighthouse Point Park, Beacon Hill and the Trolley Line, Furnace Pond, and the lower Farm River. Area K typically produces 75–80 species on count day, including waterfowl,

Read More

Join a midweek trip to this outstanding Long Island Sound birding spot. We check for loons, grebes, goldeneye, and other sea ducks. The fields are a good place to look for Snow Buntings, Horned Larks, and sparrows. Meet at Sherwood Island State Park: take Exit 18 off I-95 in Westport and head south on the Sherwood Island Connector. Drive into

Read More

Come out for a walk at Lake Saltonstall to look for winter birds. We will search the lake for wintering eagles. We will also walk the woods roads and powerline cuts for other birds that over-winter in the area. Meet at the fishing parking lot nearest the fish shack, 100 Hosley Avenue, Branford. Leader: John Triana, jtriana1@sbcglobal.net

We’ll look for waterfowl, birds of prey, and winter passerines as we visit Milford hotspots that will likely include Milford Point, Mondo Ponds, and Caswell Cove. Dress warmly and plan to carpool. The trip ends by noon. Inclement weather will probably cancel the trip. Check with the leader if you have weather concerns. Meet at the commuter lot, Exit 35

Read More

Enjoy a mid-week field trip to Hammonasset Beach State Park, one of the state’s best birding locations in any season of the year. We will look for sea ducks, grassland species, and rarities. Meet at Hammonasset Beach State Park parking area on Boston Post Road, Madison, just left (east) of main entrance road. Leader: Greg Hanisek, ctgregh@yahoo.com

This all-day trip includes stops at Sachuest Point NWR, Beavertail State Park, Moonstone Beach, Trustum Pond, and other great birding sites on the RI coast. We will see lots of sea ducks including all three scoter species, Common Eider, and Harlequin Duck. We’ll look for birds of prey, including Rough-legged Hawk and several owl species. We’ll also be on the

Read More

White Memorial Foundation is a 4,000 acre nature preserve. The diverse mixture of habitats includes mature deciduous and evergreen forests, as well as fields of tall grass, weeds, and shrubs that are managed for various stages of succession. As one of the best birding sites in the state and an Important Bird Area, White Memorial Foundation has approximately 35 miles

Read More

Join us on a visit to this excellent birding area. We’ll look for oceanic birds such as Long-tailed Duck and scoters, as well as raptors and shorebirds. Meet at the Dunkin Donuts parking lot at 60 Access Road, Stratford, near the intersection with Main Street (Rt. 113); we carpool from there. Leader: Frank Mantlik, 203-984-9410 or mantlik@sbcglobal.net

Due to the current situation, THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED. Join Bill Batsford for a late winter walk at this urban park with varied habitat including woodlands, fields, streams, and ponds. Wood Duck, Hooded Merganser, Kingfisher, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, and Brown Creeper are all possible. We will make a side trip to Evergreen Cemetery if the Bald Eagles are again nesting

Read More

Enjoy an early spring trip to one of the best local birding spots. We look out into the marsh and along the shore for waterfowl, shorebirds, waders, and raptors. Meet at the Coastal Center parking lot, 1 Milford Point Road, Milford. Leader: Jalna Jaeger, 203-246-0885 or jalnabird@gmail.com

Meet for a bird walk from 8–9:30 a.m., then join Park Ranger Dan Barvir to help with light trail maintenance along the river until noon. Bring work gloves and pruning shears if you have them. Meet at the Eli Whitney Museum parking lot, 915 Whitney Avenue, Hamden. Leader: Dan Barvir, 203-946-6086 or dbarvir@newhavenct.net

We first bird the harbor shore for gulls, loons, ducks, and early returning shorebirds. We then proceed to the Richard English Bird Sanctuary at the Deer Lake Scout Camp in Killingworth. We then proceed to Hammonasset Beach State Park. This is an all-day trip; bring lunch and dress warmly. This trip almost always has a high species count. Meet at

Read More