Events


For past COA Events click here


Upcoming COA Events

Saturday, May 4, 2024

COA/Greenwich Audubon:
Spring Bird Tours and Bird Breakfast

FREE. Bird Tours 7 AM. Breakfast 9 AM, plus bird banding.

Advance registration required. Details here.

Greenwich Audubon Center
613 Riversville Rd, Greenwich, CT, 06831, CT

This event is co-sponsored by the Connecticut Ornithological Association and Greenwich Audubon Center.


Thurs., May 23, 2024 @ 6:00 PM

COA Workshop (online): Birding Connecticut’s Marine Islands

FREE

90-120 minute Zoom exploring the islands of Connecticut’s Long Island Sound.

Hosted by Rick Gedney with guest speakers discussing six island groupings known as excellent bird habitats –  from Greenwich islands in the west to eastern LIS and Fishers Island. Learn when to go, what to see, and how to get there.

Check back later for the Zoom link. 

PAST EVENTS (in reverse chronological order)

Sat., March 9, 2024
COA’s 40th Annual Meeting

In Person at CT State Community College, Middlesex in Middletown

COA Business Meeting, Three Speakers, Birding Vendors, Raffle

Admission includes: three excellent speakers, refreshments, and a delicious buffet lunch. Admission is only by payment in advance, no walk-ins. Details here.


Mega Bowl of Birding
February 3 & compilation dinner Feb. 4

The Mega Bowl is a celebration of birds, birders and birding. The idea is to go birding in a specific area in CT (a count circle with a 5-mile diameter that includes your residence, or any town, or any county in CT), either on your own or preferably with a small group of your birding friends. You look for as many bird species as you can and are awarded points for each species you find. The less common the species, the more points you acquire. Prizes will be awarded to groups in several categories AND the points you attain will be converted to a monetary donation to the CT conservation organization of your choice.

COA is pleased to partner with the New Haven Bird Club’s Mega Bowl to offer one COA membership and one COA Annual Meeting ticket as additional prizes for select event categories selected by Chris Loscalzo.

Birders of all experience levels are welcome.

See additional details here.


COA Wild Goose Chase Workshop

Zoom session Thurs., Feb. 1 at 6:30 PM
Field portion Sun., Feb. 4

The Zoom presentation will be given by COA board member Joe Attwater, who is also a Conservation and Education Coordinator for the Connecticut Audubon Society. Joe will cover the history of wintering geese in Connecticut, species identification for some of the more rare species, and where to find your own rarities throughout the state. At the end of the presentation you’ll be given a chance to join our COA Wild Goose Chase GroupMe chat, where you can access the latest rare goose sightings in the state leading up to Sunday.

For details click here.


COA’s Fall Workshop: Bluff Point State Park’s “Hot Corner” — Online and limited in-person experience

ZOOM Orientation 9/13/2023

COA hosts a virtual “orientation” on Wednesday, September 13, at 6:30 pm to introduce Bluff Point State Park’s “Hot Corner”– the location, its history, and what to expect on morning flights. All are welcome to sign up at the link below and attend this Zoom meeting.

Note: The Zoom recording is available on the Members Only page of our website .

In-Person Saturdays – Sold Out

(This Workshop also offered limited In-Person Saturdays on 9/16, 9/23, 9/30 and 10/7/2023, but they have all sold out.)

Black-throated Green Warbler, in fall plumage. Photo by Chris Wood

Click for Summer Bird Counts in June 2023.


Saturday, May 6, 2023

COA/Greenwich Audubon:
Spring Bird Tours and Bird Breakfast

Bird Tours @ 7:00 AM
Breakfast @ 8:30 – 10:30 AM

FREE. Advance registration required for Tours and Breakfast separately.

Greenwich Audubon Center
613 Riversville Rd, Greenwich, CT, 06831, CT

Bird Tour attendees will have the option to be led on guided tours at either the main Sanctuary or Fairchild Gardens on North Porchuck Road. 

This event is co-sponsored by the Connecticut Ornithological Association and Greenwich Audubon Center.


Friday, March 31, 2023 @6:30 PM

COA Gull ID Workshop via Zoom by Stefan Martin

Plus

April 1 & 2 In-Person Guided Field Trips

with Frank Mantlik, Patrick Dugan and Frank Gallo

Advance registration for the field trips and online workshop are independent and must be made separately.

Zoom Workshop Presenter: Stefan Martin is the Conservation Manager at the Connecticut Audubon Society, joining the staff in 2018. His current role involves habitat restoration and enhancement to sanctuary properties with a focus on increasing biodiversity. He also leads guided bird walks and actively contributes to eBird.

He is a past board member of the Connecticut Ornithological Association and is vice president of the Connecticut Butterfly Association. Stefan is well-known and respected in birding and butterfly communities.

Log in and go to the Members Only tab for the recording of the Zoom presentation.

Field Trips

Begin: 9:00 AM (goes until 11 AM or 12 PM)

Meet: Lordship Seawall (near Riley’s Restaurant, 14 Beach Drive, Stratford)
We’ll start there, then likely carpool to other shore spots including Long Beach, Short Beach, etc. Heavy rain cancels.

Saturday leader: Frank Mantlik

Sunday leaders: Patrick Dugan and Frank Gallo


Saturday, March 25, 2023

COA’s Annual Meeting Online Event 
With award-winning author Jennifer Ackerman

6:30pm Business Meeting

7:30pm Featured Speaker Jennifer Ackerman

Science writer and author of The New York Times bestseller The Genius of Birds, The Bird Way, and the forthcoming What an Owl Knows (2023)

Click here for details.


Wed., February 15, 2023 @6PM

Bird-Braniancs Trivia Night

A Lights Out CT Fundraiser

Match your wits and birding abilities at this bird-themed trivia night fundraiser featuring fun bird facts, visual IDs, & questionable bird sounds. The winning team will take home a $25 gift certificate to The Fat Robin Wild Bird & Nature Shop. Order beer, wine, soft drinks, and snacks from the Best Video bar.

All ticket sales will benefit Lights Out Connecticut, a nonprofit project of the Connecticut Ornithological Association, organizing communities to dim excess nighttime lights to help migratory birds and other pollinators.


Sun., Feb. 5, 2023

Annual Mega Bowl of CT and New Haven County

WHO:  Any birder in CT can participate, either individually or as a member of a team.  Team size should range from 1-5 birders. Ideal is 2-4.

WHAT: MEGA BOWL VII: an all-day birding extravaganza where you and your teammates go out in the area of your choice and observe as many bird species as you can.  You work off a checklist (either coastal or inland) wherein you are awarded points for every species you see.  The rarer the bird, the more points you get. 

WHEN:  Due to the frigid weather forecast for Saturday, the Mega Bowl will be held on Sunday, February 5, from 6 am to 5 pm

Register by Feb. 3.

Mega Bowl of Birding 2022

January 1 – 31, 2023

Big January

Enjoy a friendly competition based on the total number of species seen during the month of January 2023 within Connecticut. Species that qualify are those species that currently are accepted to the state list or are observations of birds during January that would represent first state records for Connecticut. Let’s hope we have some of those! The current list of species accepted for the state of Connecticut can be found here.

For details click here.


December – January

123rd ANNUAL NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT


CONNECTICUT CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT 2022-2023 SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2022:
New Haven, CT (CTNH) Compiler: Chris Loscalzo, 67 Wepawaug Road, Woodbridge, CT 06525 closcalz@optonline.net 203-389-6508
(New Haven Bird Club)

Storrs, CT (CTST) Compiler: Steve Morytko, 288 Varga Road, Ashford, CT 06278 smorytko@yahoo.com (M) 860-680-5728
(Natchaug Ornithological Society)

Woodbury-Roxbury, CT (CTWR) Compiler: Ken Elkins, Milford Point Road, Milford, CT, 06460 kelkins@ctaudubon.org 203-623-6625 (cell)
(Western Connecticut Bird Club)


SUNDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2022:

Greenwich-Stamford, CT (CTGS) Compiler: Cynthia Ehlinger, 27A Sheephill Road, Riverside, CT 06878 cynthia.ehlinger@gmail.com 203-219-1963
(Audubon Greenwich)

Hartford, CT (CTHA) Compiler: Jay Kaplan, 71 Gracey Road, Canton, CT 06019 jaybrd49@aol.com 860-693-0157 (H), 860-707-5246 (cell)
(Hartford Audubon Society)

Lakeville-Sharon (Trixie Strauss CBC), CT (CTLS) Compiler: Zachary Adams, za4250@hotmail.com   Sharon Audubon Center/National Audubon Society, 325 Cornwall Bridge Road, Sharon, CT 06069 http://sharon.audubon.org/
860-364-0520 or 717-926-3926

Litchfield Hills, CT (CTLH) Compiler: David Tripp, Jr., 97 Hunter Court, Torrington, CT 06790 dtrippjr@gmail.com
(Litchfield Hills Audubon Society)

Oxford, CT (CTOX) Compiler: Roy Harvey, 320 South Meriden Road, Cheshire, CT 06410-2962 rmharvey@snet.net 203-651-9818 (cell)

Napatree, RI-CT-NY (RINT) Compilers: Shai Mitra, Biology Department, College of Staten Island, 2800 Victory Blvd, Staten Island, NY 10314 shaibal.Mitra@csi.cuny.edu and Glenn Williams, 221 Pequot Avenue, Mystic, CT 06355 gswilliams9@yahoo.com

Norwich, CT (CTNO) Compiler: Allison Black, NorwichCBC@gmail.com , 860-334-9959 Oxford, CT (CTOX) Compiler: Roy Harvey, 320 South Meriden Road, Cheshire, CT 06410-2962 rmharvey@snet.net 203-651-9818 (cell)

Quinnipiac Valley, CT (CTQV) Compilers: Melissa Baston, mbaston@gmail.com 860-995-0656 and Corrie Folsom-O’Keefe, cfolsom.okeefe@audubon.org 203-233-0535
(Quinnipiac Valley Audubon Society)

Salmon River, CT (CTSR) Compilers: Sharon Dellinger, rsdell@comcast.net 860-803-1626, and Doreen Jezek, dajezek@gmail.com 859-492-1656
(Mattabeseck Audubon Society)

Westport, CT (CTWE) Compilers: Mardi and Townsend Dickinson, 20 Blake Street, Norwalk, CT 06851-3007 mardi1d@gmail.com 203-846-0359 and
http://kymrygroup.com (Kymry Group)

MONDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2022:

Barkhamsted, CT (CTBA) Compiler: David Tripp, Jr., 97 Hunter Court, Torrington, CT 06790 dtrippjr@gmail.com
(Litchfield Hills Audubon Society)

Stratford-Milford, CT (CTSM) Compiler: Steve Mayo, 27 Tuttle Court, Bethany, CT 06524 rsdmayo@sbcglobal.net 203-551-1707

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2022:
Guilford-Long Island Sound, CT (CTGU) Compiler: John Picard, Madison, CT johnpicardiwcc@aol.com 203-645-8959
(Menunkatuck Audubon Society)

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2022:

New London, CT (CTNL) Compiler: Robert Dewire, 9 Canary Lane, Pawcatuck, CT 06379 robertdewire9@comcast.net 860-333-2309

SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2023:

Old Lyme-Saybrook, CT (CTOL) Compiler: Matt Bell, mbell@ctaudubon.org

Pawling (Hidden Valley), NY/CT (NYHV) Compilers: Carena Pooth,
carena@prodigy.net and Angela Dimmitt, P.O. Box 146, Sherman, CT 06784 angeladimmitt@aol.com , 860-355-3429
(Ralph T. Waterman Bird Club)

MONDAY, JANUARY 2, 2023:
Bristol, (CTBR) Compiler: Jack Swatt, 209 Deerfield Terrace, Colchester, CT 06415 jswattbirds@gmail.com 203-592-4686

Edwin Way Teale, Trail Wood Sanctuary, Hampton, CT (CTEW)
Compiler: Sue Harrington, 28D Anton Road, Storrs, CT 06268 hoopoe@sbcglobal.net 860-429-6257.
(Natchaug Ornithological Society)

Wild Turkeys, 03.15.2019, C. Ehlinger

Saturday, November 5, 9:30 am – 3:00 pm

COA Science Conference 2022 (Online)
Long Island Sound: Restaurant for Birds

Tom Robben, coordinator

An informative and engaging series of presentations about current bird-related research and scientific activities. Organized by COA President Tom Robben.

Click here for the Zoom recording.


Sparrow Workshop

October 14, 7:00 – 8:15 PM. Sparrow ID with Chris Loscalzo via Zoom (online)
October 15 or 16, 8:00 – 10:00 AM. Field Trips

Chris Loscalzo, former COA president and workshop maven, presents his sparrow class on Friday evening online by Zoom, followed by several field workshops around the state led by experienced birders. The Zoom meeting is available to current COA members on our Members Only page; sign in to your account for access.

COA Sparrow Workshop Field Trips were limited to ten participants.

Saturday, October 15 at 8 AM
Bauer Farm in Madison. Leader Chuck Imbergamo.
Silver Sands State Park in Milford. Leader Frank Mantlik, Tom Murray.
Woodbridge Country Club in Woodbridge. Leader Chris Loscalzo.


Sunday, October 16 at 8 AM
Allen’s Meadows in Wilton. Leader Joe Bear. 
Settlers Park in Southbury. Leader Greg Hanisek.


COA Days at the Hawk Watch
October 8 – Quaker Ridge
October 9 – Lighthouse Point

Review Ryan McLean’s presentation on Hawk ID on the Members’ Only tab of this website, then come out to test your skills and get some pointers in the field at two of Connecticut’s premier hawk watching sites. Quaker Ridge is located at the Greenwich Audubon Center at Riversville Road and John Street in backcountry Greenwich, while Lighthouse Point Park is a coastal site at 2 Lighthouse Rd, New Haven, CT. Chose your site or come to both. A seasoned hawkwatcher will be on hand from 9 am-12 pm to help you learn the fine points of raptor identification.


August 31, 2022. 7:00-8:30 pm

Shorebird ID Zoom Meeting
with Patrick Comins

COA Shorebird ID Workshop co-sponsored by CAS

The workshop begins with a Zoom meeting that provides a classroom-like presentation of the tips, tricks, and techniques that shorebird identification requires. Learn about plumage variation between adults and juveniles as well as breeding and non-breeding birds. Discover the clues that bill length and leg color play. Registration in advance is required for the Zoom presentation. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Field Trips, Sept. 1 & 3 – Full

Field Trips led by Frank Mantlik have been organized separately and are fully subscribed.


August 24, 2022, 7:00-8:30 pm

Lights Out Connecticut Action Meeting

Join us for an evening of LEARNING & ACTION as we kick off our first Lights Out Connecticut Action Meeting. Find out how YOU can help our feathered friends fly safely through our state.

During this event, you will learn about our statewide strategy to turn off excess lights during peak migration to save Connecticut birds and hear plans for community science projects to monitor window strikes.

Co-hosted by the Connecticut Ornithological Association & the Connecticut Audubon Society.

In person and on Zoom. Learn more here.

Lights Out CT Action Meeting

COA’s Warbler Workshop

Friday, May 6, 2022, at 6:30 pm. Online via Zoom

Zoom Presenter: Chris Wood

In-person Field Trips

dates in May at various locations and times 

The Spring Workshop on Wood Warblers, this year with guided field trip, featured one of North American birders’ favorite bird families, displaying a fascinating variety of plumages, songs, behaviors, and character. 

An online Zoom presentation by Chris Wood with tips and tricks for finding and identifying warblers took place on Friday, May 6. 

Expert-guided field trips at locations throughout the state will take place later in the month. Each field trip was be limited to the first 8 registrants. Email Chris Wood at cwood022@gmail.com to select your preferred field trip, indicating a first and second choice. Chris will then confirm your walk and let you know of the more exact meeting location.

  • Allen’s Meadows, Wilton. May 10, 7:30 AM Leader: Joe Bear
  • East Rock Park, New Haven. May 13, 7:30 AM Leader: Steve Broker
  • Racebrook Tract, Orange. May 14, 7:30 AM Leader: Chris Loscalzo
  • Selleck’s Woods, Darien. May 14, 8 AM Leader: Cynthia Ehlinger
  • Flanders Nature Center, Woodbury.  May 14, 8 AM Leader: Chris Wood 
  • River Road, Kent. May 18, 8 AM Leader: Angela Dimmitt
  • Hammonasset (Willard’s Island), Madison. May 21, 8 AM Leader: Greg Hanisek
  • Barn Island, Stonington May 28, 7:30 AM  Leader: Glenn Williams

Presenter: Chris Wood is a birder, naturalist, photographer, COA Vice President and founding member of the Western Connecticut Bird Club. He contributes articles and photographs regularly to The Connecticut Warbler and chaired the Breeding Bird Atlas steering committee for the first Atlas project in the 1980s. His talk will include a review of selected warbler songs, his insights on habitat and color patterns, and a list of resources to learn more. 

About COA Workshops. The live COA Workshops are free to all. A recording of the Zoom presentation will be available to COA members with a registered account on the COA website ctbirding.org under the Members Only tab a few days after the event. 


March 19, 2022

COA Annual Meeting – Online Event

Keynote Speaker:
George Divoky, PhD
Director, Cooper Island Arctic Research

A Seabird Responds to a Melting Arctic: Observations and Insights from 50 Years of Study

The COA business meeting was followed by keynote speaker and renowned sea bird researcher George Divoky from Seattle, Washington, and Cooper Island, Alaska. Dr. Divoky discussed his long-term study of Mandt’s Black Guillemots, an ice-obligate seabird, on Cooper Island, 35 km east of Point Barrow, Alaska. Begun in 1975, his research offers the longest continuous seabird study in the Arctic and its findings on the consequences of reductions in snow and sea ice to seabird demographics and breeding provide some of the best examples of the long-term biological consequences of climate change.

cooperisland.org

Learn more here.


Saturday, February 5, 2022. 7 am to 5 pm

Mega Bowl of Birding in Connecticut

Chris Loscalzo, coordinator

The basic concept is to go birding, either individually or as a member of a team, in the county of your choice,  looking for as many species as you can.  Participants are awarded points from 1-5 for each species they observe.  The rarer the species, the more points are awarded.  Prizes are given to the highest scoring teams in each county.  Additional prizes will be given to other participants based upon the birds they have seen. 

RESULTS:

70 CT birders comprising 30 teams went out to see how many species they could observe either in an entire county or in a circle with a 5-mile radius that included their residence. 

The highest scoring teams were:

– The CT Young Birders’ Club Darth Waders (for the sixth year in a row) achieved the highest totals as they observed 90 species and garnered 202 points

-Turdus non-migratorius (birding within a circle) observed 78 species and attained 156 points

– The UConn Yellow-Rumps saw 74 species and achieved 153 points 

Inland, the highest scoring teams were:
– Flock of Smeagols with 64 species and 129 points
– Woodbury Warblers with 47 species and 89 points

The 30 teams combined to see a total of 130 species in CT. 

The 5-point (rare) birds were: Harlequin Duck, Eared Grebe, Thick-billed Murre, and Northern Gannet (all seen in New London county), Northern Saw-whet Owl, Eastern Phoebe, American Pipit, Eastern Meadowlark and Vesper Sparrow. 

Prizes were awarded to the members of the winning teams as well as to five participants selected randomly.  $10 is being donated to each participant’s CT conservation organization of their choice.  These include: A Place Called Hope ($140), DEEP Endangered Species/Wildlife Fund ($80), Sharon Audubon Center ($70), Save the Sound ($50), Bent-of-the-River Audubon Sanctuary ($50) and lesser amounts to nine other organizations.

The participants met via a Zoom meeting on Sunday evening where the results were reviewed and the prizes were awarded. 

Mega Bowl of Birding 2022

January 1 – 31, 2022

Big January

This year we returned to the traditional format of a friendly competition based on the total number of species seen during the month of January 2022 within a specific area within our state. Birders can submit lists for the entire state of Connecticut and/or any counties within Connecticut. Species that qualify are those species that currently are accepted to the state list or are observations of birds during January that would represent first state records for Connecticut. Let’s hope we have some of those! The current list of species accepted for the state of Connecticut can be found here.

RESULTS

For the entire State of Connecticut:Connecticut Counties
– Ryan Maclean 155
   – Frank Mantlik 152
   – Phil Rusch 142
   – Sara Zagorski 141
   – Dave Mathieu 135
   – Abby Sesselberg 133
   – Steve Mayo 132
  – Aidan Kiley 121*
   – Carol Lemmon 120
   – Gary Lemmon 120
   – Paul Cashman 114
  – Severin Uebbing 113*
   – Paul Smith 105*
   – Thera Bowen 102
   – Andy Stack 102
   – Patrick Tamborra 99
   – Sarah Faulkner 95
   – Barbara Scavotto 62


*Total represents single county effort
For Fairfield County:
   – Aidan Kiley 121
For Hartford County:
   – Sarah Faulkner 73
For Tolland County:
   – Dave Mathieu 88
For Windham County:
   – Phil Rusch 100
For New London County:
   – Phil Rusch 119
   – Patrick Tamborra 98
For For New Haven County:
  – Severin Uebbing 113
– Paul Smith 105

Thanks to everyone who submitted, and if I missed anyone’s numbers
please let me know. These numbers are outstanding by the standards of two or three decades ago, which reflects not just the increased information available now, but also the skill, determination, and the undeniable generosity of the CT birding community.


Saturday, November 27, 2021 at 7 pm – Online
Sunday, November 28 at 8 am – In-the Field
Winter Waterfowl Workshop

Chris Loscalzo presented “The Wintering Waterfowl of Long Island Sound” on November 27 at 7:00 pm online via Zoom.

Learn how to identify the different waterfowl species that are present in and near the LI Sound in winter. Differentiate among species of Loon, Grebe, Scoter, Eider, alcids and others. 

The recording is available for a limited time to paid members who log in to the Members Only tab.

People who participate in the Zoom meeting on Saturday evening were invited to attend a sea watch the following morning at any of several locations along the CT coast.

  • Greenwich Point Park at Eagle Pond with Cynthia Ehlinger
  • Sherwood Island State Park with Tina Green
  • Stratford Seawall with Frank Mantlik
  • Hammonasset State Park at Nature Center parking lot with Chris Loscalzo
  • Harkness Memorial State Park with Dave Provencher and Glenn Williams

Redhead.. December 2020. Greenwich, CT. Photo by C Ehlinger

Saturday, November 6, 2021
9:30 am -3:15 pm
Birds and the Environment
Science Conference – Online


This Birding Conference was held online via Zoom. It featured 17 short talks, each about 15 minutes in length, on bird science topics and projects conducted by a wide spectrum of birders, from professional ornithologists to young students.

This link to the recording will provide more information on the presenters and their topics as well as timings to be able to easily locate each one.

Science Conference

Sat. & Sun., October 16 & 17, 2021

Sparrow Identification Workshop

Online via Zoom, Saturday, October 16 at 6:30 pm

Plus In-person field trips, Sunday, October 17 at 8:00 am & 1:00 pm

Zoom Presenter: Chris Loscalzo, former COA president

Chris Loscalzo reviews the salient points of identification for all of the sparrow species that can be seen in CT. If you know a little about sparrow ID, you’ll learn a lot. If you know a lot about sparrow ID, you’ll learn a little more.

All meeting attendees can then participate in a bird walk on Sunday morning, October 17, at any one of several birding locations throughout the state.

Joe Bear at Allen’s Meadow in Wilton -8 am

Ken Elkins at Bent-of-the River Sanctuary in Southbury – 8 am

Greg Hanisek at Hop Brook Lake in Middlebury -8 am

Chris Loscalzo at Hammonasset SP in Madison – 8 am

Chris Wood at Sherwood Island SP in Westport – 8 am

Chris Loscalzo at Country Club of Woodbridge -1 pm

Angela Dimmitt at Sunny Valley Preserve in New Milford – 1 pm

COA members will be able to view the Zoom presentation by logging in and accessing the Members Only tab on this website.


Hawk Watch Workshop

Thurs., October 7, 2021

Webinar via Zoom

Presenter: Ryan MacLean, Bird Education Specialist at the Greenwich Audubon Center

Learn about the incredible migratory journeys that remarkable raptors take each year and how people across North America count them for research. Review the identification basics of CT’s common hawks, falcons, and eagles in flight. You’ll be ready to head out to a hawk watch near you to use these new-found skills!

Ryan MacLean conducts in-person programs at the Greenwich Audubon Center for school groups, bird tours and private adventures as well as virtual webinars on natural history subjects. He was the official hawk counter for Quaker Ridge Hawk Watch for six seasons and has counted hawks professionally at the Braddock Bay Spring Hawk Watch in Rochester, NY.

COA Members can log in and view the Zoom recording in the Members Only tab.


A Special Event for New Birders

COA Cruise in Long Island Sound

August 28, 2021

Due to the choppy waters, the Cross Sound Ferry Company offered a more limited Classic Lighthouse Cruise route out of New London. The principal birds were gulls, terns and cormorants, plus eiders closer to shore and in the harbor 3 ospreys and one coyote on the shore.

Trip Leaders:  

  • Frank Gallo – Naturalist and bird tour leader for Sunrise Birding, LLC and author of Birding in Connecticut.
  • Patrick Dugan – expert on Long Island Sound birds of all kinds.
  • Tom Robben – COA president

Photo by Christina Cole


COA/CAS Shorebird Identification Workshop

Recording now available from

Zoom Meeting held Friday, August 13, 2021

*This online Shorebird ID Workshop was recorded is available to COA members on the Members Only section of our website (https://www.ctbirding.org/members-only/) through September 30, 2021. You must log in to access the Members Only content.*

Presenter: Patrick Comins is Executive Director of the Connecticut Audubon Society. He is a graduate of Trinity College in Hartford and has worked in the bird conservation field for over 20 years.