PUBLISHED BY THE CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF … · Bridgeport produced chicks for the fifth year in a row. This year three chicks were banded by DEP Wildlife Division biologist Julie

Connecticut Wildlife 1July / August 2003

PUBLISHED BY THE CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONBUREAU OF NATURAL RESOURCES � WILDLIFE DIVISION

July/August 2003

2 Connecticut Wildlife July / August 2003

Fromthe Director

Found in most forested areas of Connecticut, the red-eyed vireo isour most common and widespread vireo species. To learn moreabout vireos, see page 10.

Photo courtesy of Paul J. Fusco

Cover:

��Published bimonthly by

State of ConnecticutDepartment of Environmental Protection

http://dep.state.ct.usArthur J. Rocque, Jr. .......................................................... CommissionerDavid K. Leff ........................................................ Deputy CommissionerEdward C. Parker ........................... Chief, Bureau of Natural Resources

Wildlife Division79 Elm Street, Hartford, CT 06106-5127 (860-424-3011)Dale May .................................................................................... DirectorGreg Chasko ......................................... Assistant Director (Assessment)

Mark Clavette .................................................... Recreation ManagementLaurie Fortin ............................................................ Wildlife TechnicianBrenda Marquez ....................................................................... SecretaryShana Shafer ................................................................... Office AssistantChris Vann ............................................. Technical Assistance Biologist

Eastern District Area Headquarters209 Hebron Road, Marlborough, CT 06447 (860-295-9523)Ann Kilpatrick .............................................. Eastern District BiologistPaul Rothbart ......................................... District Supervising Biologist

Franklin W.M.A.391 Route 32, N. Franklin, CT 06254 (860-642-7239)Paul Capotosto ..................................... Wetlands Restoration BiologistMike Gregonis ..................................... Deer/Turkey Program BiologistMin Huang .............................................. Waterfowl Program BiologistHoward Kilpatrick ................................ Deer/Turkey Program BiologistHeather Overturf ........................................................ Program AssistantWinnie Reid ............................................................................. SecretaryJulie Victoria ....................................... Wildlife Diversity Unit BiologistRoger Wolfe ................................. Mosquito Management Coordinator

Sessions Woods W.M.A.P.O. Box 1550, Burlington, CT 06013 (860-675-8130)Trish Cernik .............................................................. Program AssistantJenny Dickson .................................... Wildlife Diversity Unit BiologistPeter Good .............................................. Supervising Wildlife BiologistGeoffrey Krukar ........................................................ Wildlife TechnicianDave Kubas ................................................... CE/FS Coordinator (West)Peter Picone ................................................... Western District BiologistPaul Rego ................................................ Furbearer Program BiologistLaura Rogers-Castro ...................................... Education/Outreach UnitJim Warner ....................................................................... Field AssistantJudy Wilson ........................................ Private Lands Habitat Biologist

Connecticut WildlifeKathy Herz ..................................................................................... EditorPaul Fusco ............................................. Media Designer/Photographer

Wetlands Habitat & Mosquito Management Crew51 Mill Road, Madison, CT 06443Steven Rosa ............................................... Mosquito Control SpecialistDaniel Shaw ............................................... Mosquito Control Specialist

The Wildlife Division grants permission to reprint text, not artwork, provided the DEPWildlife Division is credited. Artwork printed in this publication is copyrighted by the CTDEP Wildlife Division. Any unauthorized use of this artwork is prohibited. Please contactthe editor at the Sessions Woods office to obtain permission for reprinting articles.

The Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Program wasinitiated by sportsmen and conservationists to providestates with funding for wildlife management and researchprograms, habitat acquisition, wildlife management areadevelopment and hunter education programs. Each issue ofConnecticut Wildlife contains articles reporting on WildlifeDivision projects funded entirely or in part with federal aidmonies.

The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protectionis an equal opportunity agency that provides services,facilities, and employment opportunities without regard torace, color, religion, age, sex, physical and mentaldisability, national origin, ancestry, marital status, andpolitical beliefs.

Volume 23, Number 4

The eastern mountain lion (Puma concolor), also known as puma, panther orcougar, is an animal that captures the public’s attention. Mystery cat, ghostand phantom are other terms that have been used to describe America’slargest native cat that supposedly was eliminated from the eastern UnitedStates and Canada more than 100 years ago. But if mountain lions are indeedgone, what are those large, long-tailed cats the public persistently reportsyear after year? Could it be that the skeptical scientists are wrong? Could itbe that a few of these animals survived the human onslaught over thecenturies and maintained a toehold on their survival? Could those largepredators still be lurking out there? Crikey, America loves a wildlife mystery.

North America was a much different place when the first colonists arrivednearly 500 years ago. Wolves and mountain lions roamed the Connecticuthills, along with black bear, moose and deer. However, in short order, theEuropeans cleared the forest, hunted out the game animals and persecuted thepredators, especially the wolves and mountain lions that presented thegreatest threat to life and livestock. While the ranges of moose and bear werereduced to remote areas of northern New England, it is generally assumedthat the extirpation of the mountain lion was more complete. If the lastanimals were not killed outright, their populations in the eastern United Statesand Canada were reduced to unsustainable levels.

The forest has returned to Connecticut, as have many wildlife species. Withreforestation, protection and management contributing to their recovery,black bear and moose have methodically expanded their range southwardyear after year, generation after generation. Their recovery has been welldocumented by sightings, tracks, signs, photographs and other evidence.However, the closest documented wild populations of mountain lions are incentral Canada and Florida, at least a thousand miles from Connecticut.Reoccupation of their range in southern New England through naturalexpansion is highly unlikely, at least in the foreseeable future.

So if populations did not persist here and recolonization is not occurring,what is it that people are seeing? We have visited many sites where “mountainlions” were seen under good snow conditions and we have concluded in everycase that the animal was misidentified, usually a coyote or a bobcat. Thetracks have been definitive. Furthermore, we have not documented any otherevidence to conclude that mountain lions live in the wild here. In particular, noroad kills have been reported, which one would suspect given the large homerange of a mountain lion and the high density of roads in the state. Certainlysome reports from credible observers are difficult to refute, and we don’t.However, the most likely explanation for these sightings is the presence of anillegally possessed mountain lion that escaped or was released into the wild.While clearly against the law, we know from experience that can happen.

Dale W. May


The Friends of Sessions Woods(FOSW) held its annual meeting in May,with about 80 people in attendance.Participants enjoyed a potluck lunchfollowed by a report given by PresidentClark Spencer. Announcements by thePresident included the publication of anew guidebook to Sessions Woodswritten by Tess Bird, a student at LewisMills High School in Burlington. Theimpressive guidebook tells the historyof Sessions Woods and provides alisting of butterflies, birds, mushroomsand plants found at the wildlife manage-ment area. The printing of the guide-book was made possible through a grantdistributed by the James R. Parker Trust

Friends of Sessions Woods Annual Meeting Held in May

and the Main Street CommunityFoundation. Guidebooks were madeavailable to members and are beingoffered to the public through the DEPWildlife Division’s Sessions Woodsoffice at a suggested donation of $5.00.For more information, call the office,Monday through Friday, between 8:30AM-4:30 PM (860-675-8130).

Officers were also elected during themeeting. Following the businessprocedures, Division biologist PaulRego gave an informative presentationon the status of bears in Connecticut thatelicited several questions from theaudience. Paul described the black bearresearch project (see the May/June 2003

issue) and talked about some of theexperiences he has had recently with theproject. Participants left the presentationwith some considerable knowledgeabout bears and expressed appreciationfor an afternoon well spent!

The FOSW is an all volunteerorganization which facilitates projectsand programs that are designed toenhance the value of the SessionsWoods Conservation Education Centeras a resource for education, research andthe enjoyment of nature. For moreinformation on the organization, contactLaura Rogers-Castro at 860-675-8130 orsend an email message to [email protected].

2003 will be remembered as a greatyear for nesting bald eagles (see page 3)and nesting peregrine falcons. While it isunfortunate that the Traveler’s Towerperegrine pair did not nest this year, fourother pairs did nest and produce young.

The P. T. Barnum bridge pair inBridgeport produced chicks for the fifthyear in a row. This year three chicks werebanded by DEP Wildlife Divisionbiologist Julie Victoria, with assistancefrom Mary Baier, of the ConnecticutDepartment of Transportation, BillTweed (tugboat operator), Dave Oliveriand Andre Yeldell (safety boat opera-tors), Jon Fronte (labor foreman) andEdward Paulick, L. S. (DMJM & Harris,Inc. Party Chief). The Division extendsthanks to all who helped in the peregrinebanding process.

A nest box that was put up last yearin the Devon section of Milford at anNRG power plant along the HousatonicRiver (see the July/August 2002 issue)was occupied by a peregrine pair thatproduced four chicks! Unfortunately,only three chicks lived to be banded.These three were banded with theassistance of Wildlife Division biologistHoward Kilpatrick and Tom Nurse fromNRG.

The third peregrine pair was discov-ered by DEP conservation officer BillMeyer (recently-retired) while he was

checkingfishermen on theConnecticutRiver. This pairproduced threechicks that werebanded with theassistance ofBill Hallene andFrancis Saunders(Providence-WorcesterRailroad), BillMeyers and KenRoach.

The fourthperegrine paircaused quite acommotionduring a roofingproject onBayview Towersin Stamford. The pair terrorized theroofing crew with their aerial dive-bombing and caused the project to besuspended until after the nesting season.Peregrines have been present on and offin Stamford for over a decade. In 1994,DEP biologists put a nest box on theMarriott Hotel that was never used by apair. However, Bayview Towers arelocated a few buildings away from theMarriott. This pair produced a chick andtwo unhatched eggs. The eggs were

Four Successful Peregrine Nests this YearWritten by Julie Victoria, Wildlife Diversity Unit Biologist

collected during the banding process.Thanks are extended to Bayview Towersmaintenance manager Victor Llanos forhis assistance and monitoring and toWildlife Division technician GeoffKrukar.

The Division does not disclose theexact locations of the nests to protectthe peregrines from disturbance. Inaddition, all nests are located in areasthat cannot be accessed by the public.

Written by Laura Rogers-Castro, Natural Resources Educator

A DEP wildlife biologist prepares to band three peregrine falconchicks raised on the P.T. Barnum Bridge in Bridgeport.

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Spring 2003 will beremembered for its chillytemperatures, cloudy days andrain that never seemed to end.While we were all grumblingabout washed out picnics, losttime in the garden and misseddays at the beach, small,brown and white shorebirdsknown as piping plovers werebusy trying to find a place tonest on Connecticut’s beaches.Spring is the time when stafffrom the DEP Wildlife Divi-sion and U.S. Fish and WildlifeService and volunteers fromconservation organizationsand the Master WildlifeConservationist Program headto the beach to work before thearrival of hot, sunny summerdays, which bring people outin droves to lay on the beach,go fishing or enjoy the greatoutdoors. The mission of theseworkers is to initially fence offareas of the beach where stateand federally threatenedpiping plovers and statethreatened least terns attemptto nest and raise their youngover the summer months. Once

these criticalareas arefenced off,workers andvolunteerscheck thebeachesevery day tolocate nests,protect themfrompredatorsand humandisturbanceand monitorthe birds’nestingsuccess.

Being aDEP re-searchassistant forthe plover

and tern project is a tough and some-times frustrating job, but fortunately ithas its rewards in the end. Sure, youget to spend every day at the beachover the spring and summer. But yourday is spent walking for miles up anddown the beaches, many times whileyou are carrying heavy fencing thatneeds to be placed around individualplover nests. The exercise and sceneryare great, but the labor can be hard. InApril, when string fencing and warn-ing signs are first placed aroundplover and tern nesting areas, thebeaches seem so quiet. Only a fewanglers or walkers may be encoun-tered. The plover pairs have arrivedfrom their spring migration and can beseen darting across the sand as theyattempt to establish a nesting territory.It’s hard to imagine what these birdswill have to face when warm, sunnyweather arrives.

Helping piping plovers and least ternsIt’s All in a Day’s Work

Written by Kathy Herz, Editor

String fencing and informational signs were placed around the piping plover nesting area at MorsePoint in West Haven in late April with the help of (from l to r) Wildlife Division biologist JulieVictoria, volunteer Joan Meek, Division research assistant Rebecca Foster, volunteer DaveSkoczylas, Division biologist Kathy Herz, Natural Resources Educator Laura Rogers-Castro andDivision photographer Paul Fusco (who took the photo).

The low number of least tern chicks being fledged in recent years is a majorconcern of biologists. Efforts to help terns have included improving habitat atnesting sites and erecting fencing around large areas where wooden least terndecoys have been placed to lure pairs into these protected sites.

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During the sunny days of latespring and summer is when the job ofboth the DEP research assistant andthe plover monitors can get frustrat-ing. Just as the birds seem to settle ontheir nests, the chaos begins. Thebeaches become filled with people.And, with these people comes garbage,which ends up attracting raccoons,rats, gulls and other predators. Thepeople also bring along their dogs,which are not allowed on mostbeaches but are often left to roam andeither end up trampling a nest orscaring off the birds.

The good news is that most peoplerespect the fencing and heed the signsthat say “please keep away.” Beachvisitors are usually even more coopera-tive after a plover monitor explains theimportance of the fences and of notdisturbing the birds. However, it justtakes a few “bad eggs” who ignore thesigns and fences to ruin a whole nestingseason for these small birds. The plovermonitor’s job is to either try to preventdisturbances from happening or tominimize their effects. However, there is

only so much a monitor, or even a signor fence, can do to protect the birds.Every spring and summer the nestingplovers and terns have to contend withtrash on the beaches, crowds of people,bonfires, racing ATVs, roaming dogs andhouse cats, fireworks displays, predatorsand people who just don’t care. It’samazing that they are able to success-fully rear their young at all.

And, actually, if you look at thenumbers, these birds haven’t beenfaring too well over the years, espe-cially least terns. Although the numberof pairs of nesting plovers has in-creased over the past 12 years andstabilized, the population is still far fromrecovered. Least terns have been havingan even more difficult time. For ex-ample, in 1986, 1,141 pairs of least ternsfledged 660 young. The numbers havefluctuated over the years, but within thelast three years alone, fewer and fewerpairs have nested and only about 26 to38 young terns have fledged in Con-necticut. This has biologists concerned.Human disturbance may not be the onlyreason why these birds are struggling,

but disturbance should be much easier tocontrol than predators, the weather or thetides. All it takes is a little effort fromeveryone who uses Connecticut’sbeaches to give these birds the spacethey need.

So, what is so rewarding aboutbeing a plover monitor? If you ask thedozens of people who have volun-teered their time to patrol the state’sbeaches for the sake of plovers andterns, you will probably get a widevariety of answers. But, the one thatmay stick out the most is the opportu-nity to make a difference. All of theeffort that has gone into the fencingand the patrolling over the years hasmade a difference. Although exclosingthe nests is a time-consuming andlabor intensive task, in areas with highpredator populations or human anddog activity, it has been very effective.As long as the funding and the volun-teer help are available, the WildlifeDivision plans to continue its fencingand monitoring efforts for the sake ofpiping plovers and least terns.

As was mentioned in the March/April2003 issue of Connecticut Wildlife, theDEP is collaborating with the U.S. Fishand Wildlife Service Stewart B.McKinney National Wildlife Refuge andthe Wildlife Conservation ResearchCenter at the University of Connecticuton a four-year study of Americanwoodcock. Budgetary cutbacks withinthe federal government, however, willnot allow full implementation of allphases of the study in 2003. The DEPWildlife Division did not receive thefederal funding to live-capture wood-cock and fit them with radiotelemetryequipment to assess survival rates andhabitat use. The Division is hoping tofind alternative funding sources so thatthis aspect of the study can begin in2004.

The Wildlife Division did, however,begin a three-year population assess-ment. Excellent progress also was madeon the Geographic Information System(GIS)-driven habitat assessment of thestate. The current habitat base in thestate was delineated. This was based

American Woodcock Research UnderwayWritten by Min T. Huang, Waterfowl Program Biologist

upon cover type, hydrology and soiltype. A summary on the populationassessment aspect of the 2003 work isprovided below. As the GIS work isrefined, and preliminary data on thecontaminants analysis is received, therewill be further reports.

Population Assessment StudyThirty woodcock singing ground

routes were established throughout thestate. These routes were laid out basedupon an initial GIS analysis of existingwoodcock habitat in the state. Suitablehabitat was identified by the GISanalysis. Routes were then establishedalong roads throughout that habitat.Routes were 3.6 miles in length andconsisted of 10 listening points. Prior tothe actual survey period, the habitatpresent at each listening point was ratedas either poor, good or excellent.Observers conducted the surveys duringthe evenings in late April or early May.

During the 2003 survey, 76 wood-cock were heard. There were significantdifferences in the average number of

woodcock heard at the various sites.Woodcock were heard at 67% of thesites classified as “excellent,” whilewoodcock were heard at 31% of the“good” sites and eight percent of the“poor” sites.

With only the first year of data fromConnecticut’s surveys, it is difficult tomake comparisons with existing USFWSroutes. However, the average number ofwoodcock heard per route on the statesurveys (2.53) is higher than the averagenumber on the USFWS routes since 2000(1.0). As the three-year assessment workis completed, more can be inferred aboutthe data.

The first year of survey resultsindicates that woodcock were found tobe using sites where the habitat wasreasonably good. Further research willbe conducted to determine why wood-cock are found at some sites classified asgood or excellent and not at others. Iffunding can be secured for a seasonalresearch assistant, habitat characteristicswill be quantified along each route.


Have you ever wondered if there aresea turtles in Long Island Sound?Because these marine creatures are betterknown for breeding and nesting in thetropics, most people may not know thatsea turtles frequent the waters of thenortheastern United States. There areseven different species of sea turtles inthe world; four of those have beendocumented in Long Island Soundduring the warmer months. But, oncecolder weather arrives, the turtles movefarther south. All of the sea turtles thatfrequent Long Island Sound are on boththe federal and Connecticut Threatenedand Endangered Species Lists. Two arethreatened—the Atlantic green and theloggerhead—and two are endangered—the Kemp’s ridley and the leatherback.Only bits and pieces are known aboutthe life history of sea turtles. Becausethese solitary creatures rarely interactwith each other outside of courtship andmating, they are difficult to study.

Nesting Habits Best KnownThe nesting of sea turtles along

beaches in the southern Atlantic coast isa well-documented and much publicizedevent. The nesting season occurs atdifferent times around the world, but inthe United States, it occurs from Aprilthrough October. Before the nestingseason begins, sea turtles make aremarkable migration of hundreds ofmiles from their feeding grounds totheir nesting beaches.

Only females come ashore to nest,usually every second or third year.Males rarely return to land afterentering the ocean as hatchlings. Mostfemales return to nest on the samebeach where they were born. Femaleturtles leave the water, usually duringthe night, and crawl to a point above thehigh tide line. Using their rear flippers,the turtles dig a teardrop-shaped eggchamber where 80 to 100 eggs are laid.The turtles then cover the eggs with sandand conceal the nest. After nesting, thefemales head back to the ocean, neverreturning to tend the nest.

The eggs incubate for about 60days, depending on the temperature ofthe sand. The hotter the sand aroundthe nest, the faster the embryos willdevelop. At hatching time, the young

Long Island Sound: Home to Sea Turtles, too

turtlesbreak openthe eggshells byusing atemporaryegg-tooth,called a“caruncle.”The youngturtles thendig theirway out ofthe nest asa group.Thehatchlingsleave thenest,usually atnight, and head toward the light alongthe horizon or light reflected off thesurface of the ocean. However, ifartificial lights are on or near thebeach, the hatchlings may becomedisoriented, travel in the wrongdirection and possibly never make it tothe water. The hatchlings must get tothe ocean quickly before dying fromdehydration or predation. Once in thewater, the young turtles swim out tosea and are then caught in the currents.

It is not known how long young seaturtles spend in the open ocean, or wherethey go. Sea turtles grow slowly and maybe between 15 to 50 years old beforethey are able to reproduce. Some seaturtles can live over 100 years. Moreneeds to be learned about the distribu-tion and natural history of sea turtles.What is known is that these animals facemany natural and human-caused hazardsthat threaten their survival.

Threats Faced by Sea TurtlesSea turtle populations have been

seriously reduced worldwide becauseof human factors. According to theFlorida Marine Research Institute, thenumber of dead and debilitated seaturtles found in Florida has been thehighest in the past two years sincemonitoring began in 1980. The threatsto sea turtles are many:● Recreational and industrial devel-opment on Atlantic beaches, alongwith beachfront and seawall construc-

tion, have reduced natural nestinghabitats.● Pollution (oil spills, runoff ofchemicals and fertilizers) can seriouslyimpact sea turtles and their food.● Boat propellers, which often inflictserious wounds on sea turtles, have beenresponsible for many turtle deaths.● Population declines in the pasthave also been caused by overharvest-ing for food (eggs, meat) and turtleproducts (leather, tortoise shell).● Each year, thousands of turtlesbecome entangled in fishing and shrimpnets and drown. In the past, shrimptrawling probably accounted for theincidental death of more juvenile andadult sea turtles than any other source,worldwide. Fortunately, United Statesregulations now require all shrimptrawlers in the Gulf of Mexico and theAtlantic Ocean to use turtle excluderdevices (TEDs) year-round. TEDs enableturtles accidentally caught in nets toescape through a trap door. However, theopenings that are currently allowed arenot big enough for many loggerhead seaturtles to fit through.● Discarded plastic bags and wrap-pers and helium balloons that end upin the ocean can be deadly to seaturtles, as well as to other marinewildlife. These items, when floating inwater, resemble the main prey of manysea turtles, jellyfish. When turtlesmistakenly eat the plastic or balloons,

Compiled by Kathy Herz, Editor

The loggerhead is the most abundant sea turtle species in New Englandwaters.

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their digestive systems become blockedand the turtles eventually die.

You can help sea turtles by notpurchasing illegal turtle products,such as leather and tortoise shellitems, and by properly disposing ofplastic bags, fishing line and balloons.Many sea turtles are tagged for researchwith metal or plastic markers. Tags areusually on the inside edge of the frontflippers; sometimes the rear flippers orthe shell may be tagged. If you observe atagged turtle, do not remove any tags.Tag numbers should be reported to theaddress on the tag or to the DEP WildlifeDivision’s Wildlife Diversity Unit, 391Route 32, North Franklin, CT 06254,(203) 642-7239.

LoggerheadEven though the loggerhead is the

most abundant sea turtle species in NewEngland waters, it has rarely been seenor documented in Connecticut waters.However, cold-stunned turtles have beenreported on the north shore of LongIsland. Loggerheads formerly nested onAtlantic beaches from Virginia to theGulf Coast. However, today, the breed-ing range extends from North Carolinato the east and west coasts of Florida.Nesting also occurs on some beachesand bays in the Caribbean.

The loggerhead measures from 31 to45 inches and can weigh between 170 to350 pounds. It is readily identified by itsreddish-brown carapace (top shell) andbroad head. The skull of the loggerheadis broad and massive, providing ananchor for the strong jaw muscles thatare needed to crush shellfish, such ashorseshoe crabs, clams and mussels.Besides shellfish, the loggerhead alsoeats jellyfish, sponges, shrimp, squid,barnacles, sea urchins and occasionallyseaweed.

Atlantic GreenThe Atlantic green turtle lives in

shallow ocean waters inside reefs andin bays and inlets. Individuals canweigh between 220 and 441 pounds. Itfeeds almost exclusively on seaweed(turtlegrass) and green algae as an adult.

Adult turtles have an oval-shaped,smooth carapace without keels (ridgedscales). The shell color varies widelyfrom light to dark brown, olive green orbluish black, with brown mottling.

It has been estimated that greenturtles migrate with precise navigation

up to 1,400 miles between nestingbeaches and feeding areas. Theyseem to make use of a sun/compassorientation similar to that of bees.

An Atlantic green turtle hasnever been found on the Connecti-cut shoreline to date. However, thespecies may occasionally migratethrough Connecticut waters duringthe warmer months. Major nestinggrounds are in Mexico, Costa Rica,Guyana, Suriname and Ares Island offDominica, in the West Indies. In theUnited States, small nesting populationsoccur on the eastern coast of Florida.

Kemp’s RidleyAs the world’s rarest sea turtle, the

Kemp’s ridley only nests on a singlenesting beach in Rancho Nuevo,Mexico. By the mid-1980s, the nestingpopulation had fallen from an estimated40,000 females in 1947 to 500 to 750.Uncontrolled egg collection, predation,beach erosion and drowning in shrimptrawler nets were the major causes of thisspecies’ decline. Nesting adults areusually concentrated in the Gulf ofMexico, while juvenile turtles mayextend along the Atlantic coast of theUnited States. In a recent New Yorkstudy, the Kemp’s ridley was found to bethe most abundant species of sea turtlealong the shores of New York.

The Kemp’s ridley is the smallest ofsea turtles, weighing between 80 to 100pounds. It has been confused with thelarger but similar-looking loggerheadturtle. However, the Kemp’s ridley canbe identified by a yellow plastron(bottom shell) and broad, gray carapace,which is heart-shaped and keeled. Thetriangular gray head has a hooked beak.

Spider crabs, other hard-shelled seaanimals (shrimp, snails) and occasion-ally marine plants make up the diet ofthe Kemp’s ridley.

LeatherbackThe leatherback is the most ancient

species of living sea turtle, as well as thelargest turtle in the world. Adults canweigh anywhere between 650 and 1,200pounds and measure five to six feet. Theflipper span is enormous, about nine feeton a seven-foot turtle.

The leatherback has a smooth shellcovered with leathery skin and lackinghorny scutes. The dark brown to blackcarapace is elongated and triangular.Irregular patches of white may appear

almost anywhere; white is predominanton the plastron. The leatherback’sproportions and streamlined shape areadvantageous for long distance swim-ming.

In the United States, the leatherbacknests mainly along the Florida coast, butnesting has been documented as farnorth as North Carolina. This turtle mayoccur in concentrated numbers in theNortheast. Turtles are frequentlyobserved off Stonington and in BlockIsland Sound during the summer months.

Although turtles do not have teeth,the leatherback has a well-definedprojection on each side of the upperjaw. The jaw is used to hold and cutsoft-bodied prey (jellyfish). Themouth and esophagus are lined withlong, backward-projecting spines thathelp the turtles swallow jellyfish. Theleatherback can even eat the Portu-guese man-of-war jellyfish whosepoisonous nematocysts (stingingorgans) are dangerous to humans.Besides jellyfish, leatherbacks also eatsea urchins, crustaceans, squid, fishand floating seaweed.

The leatherback has the extraordi-nary ability to maintain a warm bodytemperature in colder waters. Leather-backs are pelagic (live in the openocean) except when nesting on tropicaland subtropical beaches. They seem tofollow jellyfish migratory patterns,seasonally moving north along theAtlantic coast as far as Canada, theninshore and back south in autumnthrough the bays and sounds of NewEngland. They winter in the Gulf ofMexico and along the Florida coast.

Want to See a Live Sea Turtle?The chance of seeing a sea turtle alongConnecticut’s coastline is pretty slim. However, anexhibit at the Maritime Aquarium, in Norwalk,provides the opportunity to see this magnificentcreature up close. Loggerhead sea turtles in a15,000 gallon habitat are the centerpiece of anexhibit that also includes interpretive displays onsea turtle conservation, life history, behavior,migration and the latest studies. For moreinformation, contact the Maritime Aquarium at 203-852-0700 or www.maritimeaquarium.org.

To learn more about sea turtles, obtainfact sheets from the Sessions Woodsoffice or at the DEP’s website:www.dep.state.ct.us. The website for theFlorida Marine Research Institute(www.floridamarine.org) is a goodresource on sea turtles and it providedsome of the information for this article.


The 2003 Connecticut GeneralAssembly passed important legislationthat will significantly improve theDepartment’s ability to manageConnecticut’s wildlife. Public Act 03-192 is comprised of twelve sections thataffect a wide variety of wildlife manage-ment activities.

Several of the sections provide theDEP Commissioner with additional toolsfor managing overabundant species ofwildlife. In some locations, particularlyheavily populated areas, traditionalhunting methods are no longer practicalfor controlling burgeoning populationsof wildlife, such as deer and Canadageese. The additional tools will allowthe DEP to work with communities andlandowners to maintain healthy popula-tions of wildlife at levels compatiblewith human tolerances. In short, theywill allow us to maintain wildliferesources as public assets rather thanliabilities. Other sections of this Actprovide increased protection for rarespecies and their habitats.

Some of the highlights of P.A. 03-192 are summarized below. (Note thatthese summaries do not reflect the actualor complete language in the Act.)

● Improves protection for bald eaglesby establishing fines of up to $1,000and/or up to 30 days in prison fordisturbance of any active eagle nest;

● Holds owners financially responsiblefor all costs associated with the confisca-tion, care, maintenance and disposal ofany illegally possessed, potentiallydangerous animal;● Includes invertebrates as the types ofwildlife whose importation, transportand possession are regulated by theDepartment;

● Requires persons to obtain a permitfrom the DEP Commissioner prior toadministering any chemical or biologi-cal substance or making any physicalalteration or affixing any device to anyfree-ranging wildlife;

● Allows the DEP Commissioner todesignate areas where attractants can beused for deer hunting;

● Allows municipalities, homeownersassociations or nonprofit landholdingorganizations to take deer or Canadageese at any time, place or methodconsistent with professional wildlifemanagement principles when a severenuisance or ecological damage can bedemonstrated. As part of the approvalprocess, municipalities, homeownersassociations or nonprofit landholdingorganizations are required to submit aplan describing the problems and themethods being proposed;● Authorizes the DEP to allow compo-sitions of nontoxic shot for waterfowlhunting as fixed by the regulations ofthe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service;

● Removes protection from crows,monk parakeets, rock doves and brown-headed cowbirds when those species arein the act of depredating on crops,wildlife, livestock or when concentratedin such numbers to constitute a publichealth or public safety hazard;

● Includes farms classified as limitedliability corporations as being eligiblefor free landowner deer permits.

● Allows the DEP Commissioner totake any wildlife, using methodsconsistent with professional wildlifemanagement principles to protect publichealth or safety, natural or agriculturalecosystems, listed species or theiressential habitat, or when such wildlife

is causing severe property damage;and,

Another bill passed by the Legislature(Public Act 03-265) creates tremendousopportunities for wildlife diversityfunding. A section of this Act establishesa wildlife conservation commemorativelicense plate with a purchase fee of $50.A total of $35 from the sale of each plateis to be deposited in a wildlife conserva-tion account that will be used to benefitthose wildlife species in the greatestneed of conservation. These plates willalso have an additional $15 renewalfee. Ten dollars of this fee will bedeposited in the wildlife conservationaccount. Connecticut thus becomesone of many states to use licenseplates as a way for the public tovoluntarily contribute to wildlifeconservation. The wildlife conserva-tion account will create a state fundingsource to match federal grants, such asthe State Wildlife Grants program,enabling Connecticut to take betteradvantage of federal nongame funds.

Public Act 03-192 was proposed bythe DEP and had a broad base of support,including conservation organizations,sportsmen, farmers, public health andsafety officials, municipalities and landtrusts. Public Act 03-265 was initiatedby the National Audubon Society andalso enjoyed a broad range of supportfrom the conservation and sportsmencommunities. The DEP Wildlife Divi-sion thanks those who supported thesebills, including the legislators whopassed them. The management capabili-ties and funding enhancements createdby the 2003 Legislature will benefitConnecticut’s wildlife for many yearsinto the future.

New Legislation to Improve DEP’s Ability to Manage WildlifeWritten by Dale May, DEP Wildlife Division Director

Hundreds of snakes are needlesslykilled each year because of mistakenidentity, fear and misunderstanding.Very often when a snake is found near ahome, people panic and may evenassume that the snake is dangerous orvenomous. Few Connecticut residentsrealize that they are unlikely to encoun-ter a venomous snake around their home.

Snake ID Made Easy!All of the snake species found inConnecticut are not aggressive and willonly bite if threatened or handled. If leftalone, snakes pose no threat to people.

To help educate people aboutsnakes, the DEP Wildlife Division hasdeveloped a snake identification guidethat includes color photographs. TheDivision hopes that once people are able

to properly identify the snakes that livearound their homes, they will be moreunderstanding and tolerant of thesebeneficial animals.

To obtain a copy of the “Snakes ofConnecticut” guide, contact theWildlife Diversity Unit at either theFranklin or Sessions Woods offices(address information is on page 2).


Wildlife Habitat in Connecticut: ShrublandWritten by Laura Saucier, Habitat Management Program

Shrubland habitat, like manyearly successional habitats, is adeclining habitat type across theNew England region. This decline isattributed to residential and com-mercial development, ecologicalsuccession and the absence of firewithin Connecticut’s landscape.

Colonial Connecticut wasprimarily forested, but did haveareas of early successional habitatsdue to clearing by Native Ameri-cans and the presence of beaverdams and natural fires. By the early1800s, most of the state’s forestshad been cleared for agriculture orto make charcoal for the ironindustry. However, with thedownsizing of farms and thewaning of the iron industry,Connecticut’s forests grew back.Connecticut is currently 60%forested, the majority of it beingmature forest. Fewer acres of youngforest and shrubland habitatsremain in the state.

What Is Shrubland Habitat?Shrubland habitat is characterized

by the presence of dense woodyvegetation, the majority being shrubsand saplings less than 20 feet tall. Themulti-stemmed, woody shrubs create athicket that is valuable to wildlife. Itprovides cover from predators andoffers excellent nesting sites for birds.The vegetation itself creates manyfood sources for wildlife in the form ofberries, buds, catkins and seeds.

Shrublands are considered a distur-bance-dependant habitat type. Someform of disturbance is needed to main-tain the low, woody vegetation.Shrublands are in forested areas wherethe overstory of trees has been removedby a forestry operation, disease or stormdamage. This creates a temporary forestopening in which the understory ofshrubs and saplings flourish in the newlyavailable sunlight. Common shrubspecies in the forest understory includeblueberry, huckleberry, witch hazel,

sweet pepperbush, viburnums, spice-bush and mountain laurel.

Eventually, succession marches onand seedlings and saplings grow up intomature trees and the overstory isrestored. These forest openings areephemeral but important because theycreate different feeding and nestingopportunities for wildlife.

Sometimes shrubland habitats aremaintained for long periods by frequentbouts of natural disturbance. Fire andweather conditions, such as wind, saltspray and frost pockets, can maintain anarea as shrubland. Wetland soils andpoor soils, such as thin, rocky soilsfound at higher elevations, that areunable to support trees might supportpersistent shrublands instead. Examplesof persistent shrubland communities areriparian zones, scrub oak barrens,coastal/maritime dune shrublands andalpine dwarf shrublands.

WildlifeShrubland habitats support various

bird species, such as American

In Connecticut, transmission line right-of-ways are a major source of shrubland habitat.Electrical companies use herbicides or manually cut out larger trees (but leave shrubbyvegetation), keeping these right-of-ways clear for access to the lines for maintenance.

woodcock, prairie warbler, brownthrasher, blue-winged warbler,chestnut-sided warbler, commonyellowthroat, field sparrow, easterntowhee, red-tailed hawk, indigobunting, gray catbird, golden-wingedwarbler and yellow-breasted chat. Thestructure of vegetation in a shrublandis more important to birds than thespecies of vegetation.

Shrublands are also a habitatabundant with insects. The open canopyoffers sunlight, which is important forinsects to regulate their body tempera-ture. Grasshoppers, beetles, moths andbutterflies that can be found inshrublands are also a primary foodsource for many birds and mammals.

Many species of mammals will makeuse of shrublands. The New Englandcottontail relies on this habitat type forits needs. Other mammals, such as theblack bear, bobcat, white-tailed deer,white-footed mouse, masked shrew,eastern mole, woodland vole and variousspecies of bats, can also be found usingthis habitat.

The prairie warbler can be found in old fields and other early successional habitats.

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Little Green Birds of the Forest - The VireosWritten by Paul Fusco, Wildlife Outreach Unit

Vireos are small neotropicalwoodland songbirds similar to war-blers. All of Connecticut’s species aregrayish or greenish above and whitishor yellow below. Some species havewing bars and spectacles and othershave eye stripes and no wing bars.Their plumage keeps the same appear-ance year long.

At first glance, vireos may bemistaken for warblers. Warblers andvireos are both about the same size andthey are found in the same habitats.They may also be found travelingtogether in mixed flocks during theirmigrations. While warblers have thin,

pointed bills, vireos have a heavier billwith a slight hook at the tip. Anotherdifference to look for in the field istheir activity level. Warblers moveabout almost nonstop, hurriedlyflitting from branch to branch, whilevireos are much less active and morerelaxed in their movements.

Vireos are beneficial consumers ofinsects. They may be seen gleaningmany kinds of insects, includingcaterpillars, from the foliage of trees.They will often hop along branches,stopping to investigate the undersideof leaves in their search for food. Attimes when insects are not available theywill consume berries.

There are five species of vireosthat breed in Connecticut. One otherspecies, the Philadelphia vireo, is anuncommon migrant that breeds to thenorth.

White-eyed VireoThe white-eyed vireo is widespread

throughout the southeastern UnitedStates. However, it is at the northernextent of its range in southern NewEngland. It is most likely to be en-countered in the southern part ofConnecticut at lower elevations and

along river valleys. Lower NewLondon County hosts the highestdensity of breeding white-eyedvireos in Connecticut.

This bird favors overgrownfields and shrubby habitats con-taining thickets and saplings withnearby taller trees. It is frequentlyfound along streams and power lineright-of-ways.

White-eyed vireos are grayishabove and white below. They haveyellow on their flanks and yellowaround the eye (spectacle), as wellas white wing bars and characteris-tic white eye color (iris).

Blue-headed VireoThe blue/gray hood of this

species contrasts with its oliveback and white underside. It hasyellowish wing bars, yellow sidesand pure white spectacles.

During the breeding season, theblue-headed vireo is normallyfound in coniferous or mixed

coniferous/deciduous habitats. It is themost likely vireo to be associated withconiferous habitat. Except duringmigration, the blue-headed is the leastlikely vireo to be found close to humandevelopment. In Connecticut, it breedsprimarily in the northwest hills ofLitchfield County.

The blue-headed vireo, as well astwo other western species, theplumbeous and Cassin’s vireos, wereformerly known as the solitary vireo.The three forms were deemed to bedistinct and were split into separatespecies in 1998. The eastern form ofthe solitary vireo became the blue-headed.

Yellow-throated VireoFrequently encountered singing

high in the canopy of the tallest trees,the yellow-throated vireo is a fairlycommon breeder in Connecticut. Itsrising “three - eight” song is loud andrings through the understory.

This species has yellow spectaclesand a bright yellow throat and breastthat contrast with its white belly. Italso has two white wing bars.

Yellow-throated vireos are found indeciduous woodlands that have a mix of

Blue-headed vireos have white eye rings that continue to the front of the face. Theseprominent “spectacles” are one of their diagnostic field marks.

The white-eyed vireo is the only vireo specieswith pale colored eyes.

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mature, tall trees and an understorywith varying heights. Their territoriesfrequently contain riparian habitat andedges of fields, roadsides or wetlandsthat are bordered by mature trees.

Warbling VireoWarbling vireos are nondescript

birds, with dull, grayish-olive plumageabove and white below. Their mostnoteworthy field mark is a whitisheyebrow that borders the crown, which isslightly darker than the back. They donot have spectacles or wing bars. Thecontinuous warbling song of thewarbling vireo is easily recognizedonce the bird is identified in the field.

This widespread species is a fairlycommon breeder in Connecticut. Itprefers open deciduous woodlands,frequently near water. Warbling vireos

are found in more open parklike areasthan the other vireos.

Red-eyed VireoBesides its red eye color, the red-

eyed vireo is recognized by its black-and-white eye stripe, plain olive greenback, white underside and blue-graycrown. This species does not havespectacles or wing bars.

Red-eyed vireos are one of the mostcommon birds found in Connecticutforests. Their preferred habitat isdeciduous woodlands with a mix ofsmall saplings and shrubs, such as witchhazel. They breed in all parts of the statethat have suitable habitat. Because theyhave small breeding territories, red-eyedvireos can be found in large numberswithin those forests.

Red-eyed vireos are tireless song-sters. Their song is a monotonous seriesof robin-like phrases that are repeatedcontinuously, sometimes for hours at atime.

MigrationVireos are considered neotropical

migratory birds. That is, their winterrange is mainly in Latin America andthey migrate to breed in NorthAmerica. The winter range of thewhite-eyed and blue-headed vireosincludes part of the southern UnitedStates, south to Central America. Red-eyed vireos winter as far south as theAmazon River basin, while warbling and

yellow-throated vireos wintermainly in Central America.

The movements of vireoscoincide with the migration ofother neotropical migrants, withmost birds arriving in Connecticutfrom late April to mid-May. In thefall, most have departed by earlyOctober. Blue-headed vireos aremore tolerant of cool temperatures,and may arrive earlier in spring anddepart later in fall than the othervireos.

ConservationSome vireos, including the

warbling and yellow-throated, wereonce very common in suburbanshade tree and orchard areas, butare no longer. The large-scalespraying of insecticides thatoccurred from the early 1900s intothe 1960s is thought to have causedtheir decline in these areas. The

insect-eating vireos were either killedoutright by eating poisoned food, orwere forced to more remote areaswhere spraying did not occur.

Nest parasitism by brown headedcowbirds is known to have a negativeimpact on vireos. Cowbirds parasitizemany species, but the open cup nest of avireo is frequent target for them.

Most species of vireos have shown apopulation increase in Connecticutsince the late 1960s. The only speciesshowing a notable decline over thatperiod seems to be the blue-headedvireo. Because the blue-headed vireois dependant on coniferous habitat, itspopulation may suffer further from thedecline in hemlock forests that iscurrently happening in Connecticut.

The reforestation of Connecticutthat has occurred over the last 100years has benefitted vireos, especiallythe red-eyed. Continued good manage-ment of the state’s forest habitats bythe DEP and private landowners willbe beneficial to vireos, as well as tomany other woodland birds.

The identification and protectionof important migratory stopovers sitesare critical to the future of all migra-tory birds, including vireos. TheWildlife Division is working withother government and nongovernmentconservation groups to ensure ahealthy future for these birds inConnecticut.

The yellow-throated vireo is our only vireospecies showing bright yellow plumage. Alsonote the yellow spectacles and wing bars.

One of Connecticut’s most common vireos is the warbling vireo. It is most recognized byits plain, dull markings.

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Connecticut can take pride in thedozens of wildlife management areasmanaged by the DEP Wildlife Division.The state is also very fortunate to havetwo national wildlife refuges managedby the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service(USFWS), an agency of the Departmentof the Interior. While similar in someways to state wildlife management areas,the primary focus of national fish andwildlife refuges is to provide habitats forspecies that migrate across multiplestates. Many Connecticut residents maybe familiar with the Stewart B.McKinney National Wildlife Refuge(see previous 2003 issues), whichstretches along the state’s coastline.However, some may not yet be aware ofthe newest refuge, the Silvio O. ConteNational Fish and Wildlife Refuge,which was established in 1997. This isits story.

Growing WildlifeMost people think of wildlife refuges

as wild places where wildlife is fully

Inch by Inch, Mile by Mile

Written by Carolyn E. Boardman and Beth Goettel, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

protected and nature is allowed to takeits course. Actually, most refuges aremore comparable to gardens. Just as agardener picks a sunny spot for someplants and a shadier corner for others,refuge managers target lands for pur-chase that provide the right conditionsto support the species they most want toconserve. A gardener tests the soil,adjusts its pH and adds fertilizer andwater to create ideal conditions forproducing larger and healthier crops.The refuge manager alters habitats tocreate ideal conditions for producinglarger and healthier populations ofdesired species. The manager may dothis in a variety of ways -- by manipulat-ing vegetation to provide food or cover,by reducing predation pressure or bycorrecting some other stress that islimiting the populations. A gardenerremoves undesirable weeds; a refugemanager removes exotic invasivespecies. Just as some garden plants arerobust and will grow anywhere whileothers must be pampered, habitat

generalists like raccoons will thrivealmost anywhere, while habitatspecialists like orchids or Puritan tigerbeetles may be quite rare and achallenge to make flourish.

The Connecticut River watershedprobably does not strike you as a wildplace that is suitable as a refuge. This7.2 million acre area stretches throughabout one third of Vermont, NewHampshire, Massachusetts andConnecticut and hosts 2.3 millionpeople, along with their cities, suburbsand roads. However, there are alsorivers, forests and fields that providevarious habitats for 59 species ofmammals, 250 birds, 22 reptiles, 23amphibians, 142 fish, 1,500 inverte-brates and 3,000 plant species! Thereare plenty of opportunities to growwildlife in this garden. So how did thisgarden grow?

Choosing a SiteSilvio O. Conte, a western Massa-

chusetts congressman, was an avidoutdoorsman who enjoyedhunting and fishing. And,he loved the ConnecticutRiver. He was familiar withthe USFWS and the Na-tional Refuge System andwanted to establish a refugethat would protect theConnecticut River. Staffthat penned the Act toestablish such a refugerealized that to protect theriver, the watershed must beprotected, too. In 1991, theU.S. Congress honored thelate congressman bypassing the Silvio O. ConteNational Fish and WildlifeRefuge Act. The seed SilvioO. Conte had planted wouldgrow.

Making a PlanThe Act required the

USFWS to “conserve,protect and enhance thenatural diversity andabundance of plant, fish andwildlife species and the

The Story of the Silvio O. Conte National Wildlife Refuge

The lower Connecticut River Valley provides important stopover habitat for migratory birds.

This article originally appeared in Massachusetts Wildlifemagazine, No. 1, 2003. We thank MassWildlife forgranting permission to reprint it.

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ecosystems upon which these speciesdepend . . .” throughout the Connecti-cut River watershed -- a huge chal-lenge. Up and down the 407-milelength of the Connecticut River,planners and biologists spent severalyears looking at the land, censusingthe species, collecting biological data,determining the threats and designinga new landscape approach that wouldmeet the challenge. Based on the finalresearch, 133,000 acres in 48 SpecialFocus Areas were selected, represent-ing important habitats for protectionof species and habitats at risk.

However, biologists knew that landacquisition alone would not be effective.Many native species are under assaultfrom so many threats. As part of theextensive public input solicited duringthe planning of the refuge, hundreds ofpeople spent hours discussing diverseopinions about how this refuge could actto fulfill its mission and integrate itsactivities into the existing framework. Afinal Environmental Impact Statementand Action Plan was published in 1995.It laid out an ambitious program thatrecommended providing multiplepartnership education centers; techni-cal and financial support for partners (fordoing more environmental educationand improving habitat management onprivate lands); and land acquisition.

Recruiting HelpThe planners knew success would

depend on involving citizens, as well asthe conservation agencies and organiza-tions already active in the watershed.The only way to effectively protectnative species was to get more people tocare and act. Effective citizen ‘guard-ians’ were needed in every town. Refugestaff made an effort to develop, encour-age and support such citizens. Fromuniversities to grade schools, gardenclubs to snowmobile clubs, land trusts tolandowners, timber companies to utilitycompanies, commercial radio and TV tolocal access, state agencies to munici-palities, Conte Refuge partners werethinking regionally and acting locally.

Test PlotsThe refuge began with a Challenge

Cost Share Grant program in 1996,seeding the watershed with funds forresearch, inventory, habitat managementor education programs. By requiringpartners to provide a 1:1 match, the

refuge has beenable to supportabout 20 to 25projects eachyear, with grantsranging from$500 to $10,000.As local as thestudy of a town’sbiodiversity, oras regional as aworkshop forteachersthroughout thewatershed, thegrants started therefuge movingtoward its goal.The results ofsome grants areseen or heard bymany, like weekly radio programs.Others, like surveys for rare dwarfwedge mussels or studies on thePuritan tiger beetle, may be lessobvious. All the projects have sup-ported people who understand whatneeds to be done, enjoy doing thework and share their enthusiasm withothers. Although much has beenlearned from testing this pilot grantprogram, budget difficulties havecaused a temporary suspension ofgrants.

Conte Refuge’s conservation workis also accomplished through coopera-tive agreements with partners thatsupport longer-term activities. Forexample, to guide future land acquisi-tion and management, USFWS biolo-gists and partners needed to provewhether or not songbirds concentratealong the mainstem of the ConnecticutRiver during migration, as was longspeculated. It took three years for theMigratory Bird Stopover HabitatStudy, led by Tom Litwin of SmithCollege, to provide statistically sounddata on this question. Over 100 skilledbirders were recruited as volunteers tomonitor 48 different sites in the fourwatershed states, six times during eachof three different spring migrations.Manomet Center for ConservationSciences managed the data. TheVermont Institute of Natural Science,the Audubon Society of New Hamp-shire, Massachusetts Audubon Societyand The Nature Conservancy inConnecticut recruited, trained andscheduled the all-volunteer crew. This

project established roots for futurework that will help protect stopoverhabitat.

GerminationIn 1997, the Connecticut River

Watershed Council, one of the refuge’sstaunchest supporters, donated the 3.8-acre Third Island in the ConnecticutRiver in Deerfield, Massachusetts, to theUSFWS. This first piece of land made therefuge official. The seed had sprouted.Conte Refuge became the 513th nationalfish and wildlife refuge in the 100-year-old National Wildlife RefugeSystem!

Growing SeasonThe refuge has supported hundreds

of conservation projects. Here is just asampling of the early crops:● One of the partnership outreachprojects has touched the hearts andminds of thousands right where theAmerican people spend the most time,watching television and surfing theInternet. A bald eagle pair that has anest at Barton Cove near the refuge’sheadquarters in Turners Falls, Massa-chusetts, became famous whenMassWildlife worked with the ConteRefuge, Northeast Utilities (NU) andothers to set up the first “eaglecam”over the active nest in 1996. Fivecommunities in western Massachusettscan watch the daily lives of thesespectacular birds and read educationalmessages that scroll over the cable TV

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During migration to and from nesting areas, migratory birds, like thehermit thrush, use habitats in the lower Connecticut River Valley asstopover sites.

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image. With the development of NU’seagle Web page (www.nu.com/eagles/default.asp), nest images taken by thecamera were seen all over the world.Immense support and understandingfor the importance of protectingthreatened and endangered species hasgrown from this unusual outreachproject.● Another project, dealing with arelatively unknown, tiny species, is thepartnership effort to conserve thefederally-threatened Puritan tiger beetle.This beetle exists nowhere else in theworld but on the shores of the Chesa-peake Bay and along the ConnecticutRiver. Once occurring at 11 sites alongthe river, they have been lost from allbut two sites--one in Connecticut andone in Massachusetts. The refuge hasbeen supporting research on the Massa-chusetts site, with the cooperation of thelandowners, MassWildlife and the Cityof Northampton. Each summer, natural-ists mark, observe and follow the adultbeetles as they emerge and mate. Theydo this amidst crowds of beach visitorswho have never even heard of the beetleand do not want it to interfere with theiractivities. Outreach is important to getbeach visitors to understand that theycan coexist with the beetles if they avoidareas of the beach that are particularlycritical to the survival of the larvae.

WeedingGardeners know they must vigilantly

remove weeds or these aggressive plantswill overrun their garden. Refugemanagers have the same problem. Exoticinvasive plants can become establishedin natural areas. If they are not con-trolled, they can out-compete nativeplants and drastically reduce the valueof an area to wildlife. In addition, it isalmost impossible to “defend” a naturalarea that is surrounded by lands whereinvasives are rampant. How can youweed a whole landscape?

Conte Refuge has been hard at work,building a large partnership effort, theNew England Invasive Plant Group(NIPGro), to tackle this problem acrossNew England. The group has decidedto stop new invasions into the areaand, with the help of funding from theU.S. Department of Agriculture, isbusy constructing an early warning

and rapid response system. TheUniversity of Connecticut is research-ing historic distributions of invasiveplants by examining herbariumrecords and an on-line atlas is beingbuilt. The New England Wild FlowerSociety is training volunteers to lookfor invasive plants in natural areas todocument their location and extent inhabitats across the landscape. Thisinformation will be incorporated intothe atlas. Conte Refuge staff keeps allNIPGro members informed and willhelp form local coalitions to stopnewly-reported invasions.

As an example of the effectiveness ofearly detection and rapid response,Conte Refuge staff tackled the infesta-tion of the invasive aquatic plant, waterchestnut when it was first reported from acove in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Thisplant can cover the water surface, chokeout native plants and make swimming,boating and fishing impossible. With theassistance of the City of Holyoke, NU,the Massachusetts Executive Office ofEnvironmental Affairs, the NaturalResources Conservation Service and theSweetwater Trust, special machines havebeen brought in to harvest this annualplant from the 16-acre cove each year tokeep it from producing new seeds.

Meanwhile, flyers describing theplant were distributed and volunteerswere recruited to check surroundinglakes and ponds. Other small, newinfestations have been found at threelocations in Connecticut and a dozenspots in Massachusetts. Citizen volun-teers are assisting with hand-pulling atall these sites, and great progress isbeing made at extinguishing them.

Growth and FloweringThe Conte Refuge experienced a

growth spurt when Champion Interna-tional Paper sold all of its holdings inNew York, Vermont and New Hampshireto the Conservation Fund, which thenresold the holdings (with protectiveeasements on some parts) to conserva-tion agencies and timber interests. InVermont, the USFWS bought 26,000acres of the lands, which became theNulhegan Basin Division of the ConteRefuge. Overnight, the refuge wentfrom the smallest to one of the largestin the Northeast. Refuge staff hasworked closely with adjacent land-owners, the Vermont Agency ofNatural Resources (which owns

Connecticut residents should note thatthe Conte Refuge staff plans to work ona collaboration with the many naturecenters and museums in Connecticut toprovide outreach and educationthrough that existing network. Inaddition, three land acquisition projectsare currently in progress to add moreland to the Refuge in Connecticut. Staytuned!

22,000 acres of former Championland) and Essex Timber (which boughtthe remaining 84,000 acres) to inven-tory resources and coordinate plansfor public access to this large landarea.

In order to inform and involvecitizens so that they can help conservenative species across this large area, it iscritical that the refuge be able to delivereffective environmental education andoutreach. During planning, citizensasked that the refuge work in partner-ship with existing education centersrather than build new centers, and so itdid. Two cooperative centers openedjust last year: one at the Great NorthWoods Interpretive Center inColebrook, New Hampshire (in coopera-tion with the N.H. Department ofTransportation), and one at theMontshire Museum of Science inNorwich, Vermont. A third, the GreatFalls Discovery Center in TurnersFalls, Massachusetts, is still underdevelopment. Life-size watershedhabitats are being constructed insidehistoric mill buildings owned by theMontague Economic DevelopmentCorporation and the MassachusettsDepartment of Environmental Man-agement. The word is starting to get out!

Harvest to ComeAs the conservation efforts of the

Conte Refuge and its partners continuein the watershed, more land will beprotected, more habitats will be restoredand more native species will live andgrow, while more invasive plants will beweeded out. More people will decide tohelp out, do what they can and let othersknow about it. As the visitors see theexhibits, attend programs or participatein event at the various education centers,they will see that there is somethingdifferent about this refuge. It seems to besprouting up all over the watershed!

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Conte Refuge Plans for CT


�� Do you have aninteresting wildlifeobservation to report tothe Wildlife Division?

Please send it (and anyphotos) to:

Wildlife ObservationsDEP - Wildlife DivisionP.O. Box 1550Burlington, CT 06013

Email:[email protected]

(submitted photos willbe returned at yourrequest)

Mansfield Cub Scouts Complete a Conservation ProjectFrom reader Patrick Enright, of Storrs:

“The Cub Scouts of Mansfield, Pack 61, Den 4, recently completed the requirements to earn their WorldConservation Award. The scouts learned about recycling and conservation of our natural resources. Theylearned about different species of birds and fish, and participated in a day of ice fishing on Coventry Lake.

The scouts also needed to complete a den conservation project. Through their scouting experiences, theboys had learned aboutthe American kestrel andits rapidly decliningpopulation inConnecticut.

The Cub Scouts ofDen 4 decided to buildAmerican kestrel boxes for their den conservation projectand place them in a town park that had suitable habitat. Thescouts learned that the kestrel does not excavate its ownholes and large woodpecker holes may be hard to find.However, the kestrel is attracted to man-made bird boxes.

Over the winter, the scouts gathered the necessarysupplies and constructed eight kestrel boxes. A meeting washeld with the Mansfield Parks Advisory Committee and,with their cooperation, permission was granted to place theboxes at Mount Hope Park in Mansfield. The park islocated in a rural area. It has hay fields bordered bywoodlands and the Mount Hope River.

The boxes were placed 15 to 20 feet high in treesbordering a large hay field during the month of March, justin time for the spring breeding season. The scouts plan tomonitor the boxes for activity and they plan to maintainthem on a yearly basis. It is our hope that this will help therecovery effort of the American kestrel in Connecticut.”The boys in Cub Scout Den 4, from Pack 61 in Mansfield, constructed nest

boxes for American kestrels. From left to right is den leader Patrick Enright,Shane Enright, Connor Coffee, Robert Fusco, Andy Gardiner, MattMarcellino, Chan-soo Kim, Mitch Vildavs and Jason Murphy.

The DEP Wildlife Division ispleased to report that the eight baldeagle pairs that set up territories lastyear returned to the state this year. Sixof these pairs produced young, whiletwo pairs lost their eggs early in thenesting season, probably due to thecold weather. One pair of eagles inNew London County produced threechicks (see “From the Field” in theMay/June 2003 issue). Pairs inLitchfield County, Middlesex Countyand Hartford County all produced onechick each and two pairs in HartfordCounty produced two chicks each, fora grand total of 10 chicks! TheDivision does not disclose the exactlocations of the nests to protect the

Ten Bald Eagle Chicks Fledge in 2003

eagles from disturbance and out ofrespect for the landowners who donot want trespassers on their land.

In order to band and examine theeagle chicks, nesting trees wereclimbed by Wildlife Divisiontechnician, Geoff Krukar, who hasbeen the Division’s primary climbersince 2001 (see the July/August2001 issue). Division biologist JulieVictoria examined and banded all10 chicks, as part of the protectivemanagement program for this stateendangered species.

Written by Julie Victoria, Wildlife Diversity Unit Biologist

One of Connecticut’s newest bald eaglechicks!

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Sharon Audubon Festival:August 9-10, 2003

Audubon Sharon and the HousatonicAudubon Society will be hosting the 36th

annual Sharon Audubon Festival on Saturdayand Sunday, August 9 and 10, 2003, at theSharon Audubon Center, on Route 4 inSharon. Both days will be filled with excitingnature walks and presentations, live animalprograms, on-going hands-on exhibits,workshops, crafters, music, food and more!

Through a wide variety of programs,activities and exhibits, presented by some ofthe region’s top experts, the Festival strives toincrease people’s awareness of the naturalworld.

The Sharon Audubon Festival offersprograms for adults, children and families,with topics ranging from birds and reptiles, tothe ancient art of charcoal-making and themystery of bubbles. The event is held rain orshine from 8:30 AM until 5:30 PM.Admission is $6.00 for adults and $4.00 forchildren. No pets will be allowed on theAudubon grounds. For more informationabout the event, contact the Sharon AudubonCenter at (860) 364-0520 or visit the websitewww.audubon.org/local/sanctuary/sharon fora full listing of events closer to the date.

Coverts Project Looking forConcerned Forest Owners

The Coverts Project, sponsored by theRuffed Grouse Society, University ofConnecticut Cooperative Extension Systemand Connecticut Forest and ParkAssociation, is looking for woodlandowners and other interested individuals whowant to learn more about their forests andthe wildlife that live in them in exchangefor a commitment to share that knowledgewith others in their community. Participantsattend an in-depth, three-day seminar whichcombines indoor and outdoor training. Allcosts of the seminar, including meals,lodging and educational materials, arecovered by the project. In exchange forreceiving the training, participants are askedto return to their communities and sharewhat they’ve learned with others.

This year’s seminar will be held at theYale University Forestry Camp on the 6,000-acre Great Mountain Forest in Norfolk, fromSeptember 4 to 7. Anyone interested inparticipating in the program, or who wouldlike more information, should contact a localCoverts Project Cooperator, their localExtension System office, or Steve Broderick,Extension Forester, at the CooperativeExtension Center, 139 Wolf Den Road,Brooklyn, CT 06234, (860) 774-9600.

The skies were cloudy and it drizzledfor most of the event but that didn’t dampenthe enthusiasm of 31 high school teams asthey competed in the 12th annualConnecticut Envirothon competition held atthe Tolland Agricultural Center in Vernon.This year’s top scoring team was NorwichFree Academy, which edged out last year’swinner, Litchfield High School, by threepoints.

This year’s event was located in anagricultural setting, as the special topic wasfarmland preservation. Bruce Gresczyk, actingCommissioner of the Department ofAgriculture, opened the event with a short talkabout the importance of agriculture toConnecticut.

During the Envirothon, the school teamsvisited five testing stations that were locatedthroughout the center’s property. Each stationcontained questions for a separate topic, whichincluded forestry, wildlife, soils, aquatics andfarmland preservation. Preparation for theConnecticut Envirothon occurs during the

Norwich Free Academy is Top CT Envirothon Teamschool year when each team of fivestudents studies the five environmentalsubjects and attends workshops to honetheir knowledge of the environment andhow it is managed. Subject matter containsnot only definitions of terms, but alsohands-on identification and applied sciencequestions. The teams had 30 minutes toanswer a 100-point test in each subject,using their knowledge and teamwork skills.This year, each team also had to prepare anoral presentation on farmland preservation.

The Envirothon team from Norwich FreeAcademy will go on to the NationalEnvirothon competition to be held in July inMaryland. We wish them lots of luck.

The mission of the ConnecticutEnvirothon is to promote environmentalawareness, knowledge and active personalstewardship among Connecticut high schoolstudents through education and teamcompetition.

Peter Picone, Western District Biologist

Connecticut Envirothon 2003 winning team from Norwich Free Academy. Team members are(from left): Theresa Hart, Team Advisor Heather Botelle, Bryan Dawley, Amanda Hansell,Caroline Church-Reed and Christian Banker.

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DEP Wildlife Division staffcompleted the annual breedingwaterfowl surveys in April. Since itsinception in 1989, the states fromVirginia north to New Hampshire haveparticipated in this important survey.The survey is ground-based andtargets randomly placed squarekilometer plots. In the northern statesand Canada, breeding waterfowlsurveys are conducted from the airalong fixed transects. The springbreeding waterfowl survey providespart of the data that drives the EasternMallard Adaptive Harvest Manage-ment (AHM) models. Outputs fromthese models determine the lengthsand bag limits of duck hunting seasonsin the Atlantic Flyway. As the BlackDuck and Canada Goose AHMprocesses become formalized, the dataderived from these surveys will beused in those models. Additionally, thesurvey provides managers with anindex to both habitat condition andwaterfowl production.

Spring habitat conditions in 2003were much improved over the dryconditions that prevailed in 2002. Awet winter, followed by a wetspring, resulted in good waterfowlnesting conditions throughout thestate. All survey plots containedwetland habitat, a far cry from lastyear, when 9% of all wetlandswere devoid of water and manyothers were very low. Despite alate spring, timing of waterfowlnesting was fairly typical. In partsof northwestern Connecticut,however, nesting was delayed bya couple of weeks from normal.

As is typical, mallards andCanada geese dominated thesurvey. Mallard breeding pairestimates were 13,737. This is a32% decrease from 2002 and18% below the five-yearaverage. Mallards remainConnecticut’s most abundantbreeding species and the one-year drop in the estimate is nocause for concern. Canada goosepair estimates were 11,499. Thisrepresents a 10% increase from2002 and does not differ from thefive-year average. Despite liberal

Breeding Waterfowl Counted in Annual SurveyWritten by Min T. Huang, Waterfowl Program Biologist

resident goose hunting seasons andincreasing use of permitted controlpractices, resident goose numbers showno significant downward trend.

Wood ducks benefited from the goodwater conditions in 2003, and wereestimated at 5,476 pairs. This is 31%higher than last year and 12% above thefive-year average for this species.Increasing numbers of beavers haveresulted in excellent wood duck habitatthroughout the state. It is likely thatConnecticut now has more wood duckhabitat than it did in the early 1900s.

For the second straight year, blackducks were not observed inland. Thecoastal black duck estimate was 240pairs. Statewide, the pair estimate wastwice last year’s estimate but stillbelow the five-year average of 611.

Mute swans were observed in only7% of the plots. This is half of theobserved occurrences from 2002. Onlyone nesting pair in 2003 was observed inan inland plot, compared with three in2002. All of the inland observations inthe 2002 survey were made on privateponds or lakes. Failed nesters from 2002may have relocated to other areas which

were not covered by the plot surveys thisyear. Nesting swans continue to bepresent along the coast, where theywere detected in half of the coastalplots. This is an increase from lastyear, where swans were detected inonly one of the coastal plots. In 2001,no swans were detected in any of thecoastal plots.

Rare Connecticut breeding water-fowl, such as gadwall and blue-wingedteal, were observed during the survey.Interestingly, several ruddy ducks and apair of lesser scaup also were observed.These two species do not nest inConnecticut, and their presence isfurther testimony to the dogged persis-tence of old man winter this year.

Since the beginning of the survey in1989, there has been annual variation inbreeding pair estimates of all species,but particularly with black duck andwood duck counts. These changes inestimated breeding pairs do not correlatewith harvest estimates, and are thuslikely the result of bias. Much of thevariation is likely attributable to bias

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During the breeding waterfowl survey, black ducks are most often observed in coastal areas andrarely at inland locations. This year’s pair estimate (240) was twice the estimate for 2002, but stillbelow the five-year average.

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© PAUL J. FUSCOAll Rights Reserved


��A Duck that Nests inTrees?Yes, wood ducks nest in trees. Actually, theynest in cavities, or holes in trees. Young woodducks are born with a special claw that theyuse to climb up out of their tree hole nests.

Twelve Brothers andSisters!A wood duck hen usually lays 12eggs. Although all may hatch, not allwill survive to adulthood. Manypredators, including snapping turtles,bull frogs and bass will eat youngwood ducks. It is not uncommon tosee less young with the hen woodduck as days go by.

Nest Boxes HelpWood DucksIn the early 1900s, woodducks were in danger ofbecoming extinct due toloss of their wetland habitat,market shooting (the birdswere shot and sold to eat)and long hunting seasons.Later, through protection,carefully regulated huntingseasons and the construc-tion of nest boxes, woodducks have come back!

Wood ducks prefer tolive in forested swamps,away from people.

Prettiest Duck AwardMale wood ducks are very impressive. Their feathers aregreen, purple, bronze and white and they have bright, redeyes. Female wood ducks, or hens, are mostly gray andlight brown, with a white, teardrop-shaped eye ring.

Numbers Game1. How many wood duck nest boxes are caredfor each year by the Wildlife Divisionand volunteers?

2. How many months of the year arewood ducks found in Connecticut?

3. How much does a wood duck weigh?

4. How big is a wood duck?

Answers below

1. 1,000; 2. 9 months, from March toNovember; 3. 1½ pounds; 4. 15 to 21 inches

Answers:

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July ........................ Federal Duck Stamps are available at post offices.

July-August ........... Keep dogs off of Connecticut beaches to avoid disturbing nesting shorebirds. Herons and egrets are nesting on offshoreislands in Long Island Sound. Refrain from visiting these areas to avoid disturbing the birds.

............................... Dispose of fishing line in covered trash receptacles. Discarded fishing line is a hazard for wildlife.

July 29 ................... Beaver Marsh Walk, starting at 9:30 AM, at the Sessions Woods Conservation Education Center, in Burlington. Childrenand accompanying adults are welcome to join Wildlife Division Natural Resources Educator Laura Rogers-Castro on aninterpretive walk to the beaver marsh at Sessions Woods. Stops will be made along the 1.5-mile round trip walk to talk aboutwildlife habitat. Call (860) 675-8130 to preregister.

August ................... Insects in full chorus in Connecticut’s fields.

August 2 ................ Insect Field Walk, starting at 10:00 AM, at the Sessions Woods Conservation Education Center, in Burlington. Join WildlifeDivision Natural Resources Educator Laura Rogers-Castro for a field excursion at Sessions Woods into the world ofinsects. Learn about the amazing diversity of insects and how they provide the primary food source for much ofConnecticut’s wildlife. Call (860) 675-8130 to preregister.

August 9-10 ........... Sharon Audubon Festival (see page 16)

August 19 .............. Teacher Workshop: Insects of Connecticut, from 9:00 AM-12:00 PM, at the Sessions Woods Conservation EducationCenter, in Burlington. Call (860) 675-8130 for more information and to obtain a preregistration application.

Aug. 29-Sept. 1 ..... Visit the DEP Wildlife Division’s display at the Woodstock Fair.

Sept. ....................... 2003 pheasant tags available from town clerks’ offices ($14.00 for 10 tags).

Sept. 1 ................... Early squirrel hunting season opens.

Sept. 15 ................. Report use of bluebird nest boxes by sending a Bluebird Nest Box Network survey card to the DEP Wildlife Division. Cardsare available by calling (860) 675-8130.

Sept. 15-Nov. 18 ... First portion of archery deer and turkey hunting seasons.

Sept. 30 ................. Report use of bat houses to the DEP Wildlife Division. Call (860) 675-8130 for more information.

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introduced by different observers fromyear to year, changing habitat condi-tions and the secretive nature of thesetwo species relative to mallards andCanada geese. Mallards and Canadageese readily use park and backyardponds and large lakes; all highlyconspicuous areas. Black ducks andwood ducks typically use more forestedwetlands for breeding. Ground surveyscan be difficult to conduct, and speciesusing habitats with thick cover caneasily be overlooked.

In order to assess some of thisvariation, 30% of the inland plots andall of the coastal plots were flown byaircraft immediately following the endof the ground surveys. Aerial surveyresults differed significantly from theground survey results in both number ofbirds observed and, in some cases,species. This was the second yearaerial versus ground counts wereassessed. It is becoming apparent thatin certain habitats (i.e., red mapleswamps, forested beaver impoundments),aerial surveys provide better data thanground counts.

In Connecticut, breeding waterfowland all species dependent uponhealthy wetland systems face anincreasingly uphill battle. Wetlandloss, the effects of exotic speciesinvasions and the overall degradationof wetlands have and continue toresult in a gradual decline in bothspecies abundance and diversity. Thecontinued acquisition, conservationand enhancement of remaining freshand saltwater wetlands are of para-mount importance to the futurebiodiversity of Connecticut.

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20 Connecticut Wildlife July / August 2003PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER

Bureau of Natural Resources / Wildlife DivisionConnecticut Department of Environmental Protection79 Elm StreetHartford, CT 06106-5127

STANDARDPRESORT

U.S. POSTAGEPAID

BRISTOL, CTPERMIT NO. 6

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During late spring and summer, turkey poults stay with the hen turkey, feeding on insects that provide protein for growing young birds.


Documents

PUBLISHED BY THE CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF … · Bridgeport produced chicks for the fifth year in a row. This year three chicks were banded by DEP Wildlife Division biologist Julie