Field Trip – Durham Hotspots – Steve Broker

We visit several hotspots in the Town of Durham, Middlesex County. Durham Skating Pond (south side of Route 68 & west of Maple Street) is on White’s Farm property. Here, we scan the surrounding countryside for vultures, hawks and eagles, woodpeckers, flycatchers, swallows, ravens, sparrows, and blackbirds. Virginia Rail, Marsh Wren, and Swamp Sparrow are target species. A short car ride brings us to the larger portion of Frederick White Farm, where we enjoy views of nesting Bobolinks, Savannah Sparrows, and possibly Eastern Meadowlarks. Read Frank Gallo’s excellent description of Durham Meadows in Birding in Connecticut, Chapter 35, pages 297-302. We then drive through the Durham Historic District to Route 147, where we check briefly for marsh birds at the high-tension line access to the edge of the Coginchaug River. Our last leg of the trip takes us initially to Lyman Orchards Apple Barrel Store for a brief rest stop (& shop?). From there, it’s north on 147/157 to Strickland Road and nearby Peckham Park. At the southeast corner of the park and just behind the ball field is the old raised bed of the ill-fated Meriden, Middletown & Guilford Electric Railway Company (begun in 1909, RIP by 1913). Twenty years ago through the efforts of the Lion’s Club, the rail bed was cleared as a walking trail in Middlefield. This quiet gem of a trail through floodplain forest produces ducks, woodpeckers, chickadees, titmice, wrens, nuthatches, creepers, grackles, and in winter, Rusty Blackbirds. Boots advisable. Meet at Durham Skating Pond, south side of Route 68 just west of Maple Avenue, for the start of the trip.

Leader: Steve Broker, 203-747-6843 or stephenpaulbroker@gmail.com