Day 133: May 12th – Bent of the River Audubon Center

Sunny, warm, and breezy

       In the tiny hamlet of South Britain, Connecticut, lies a wonderful sanctuary administered to by National Audubon called Bent of the River.  Lying adjacent to the Pomperaug River, the refuge is comprised of 650 acres of open fields, forest, riverbanks, and grassy lawns.  An old barn has been nicely converted into the Visitor’s Center with a balcony overlooking numerous feeders.  Each season brings a new assemblage of visitors to the feeders while the fields and forest host even more species.  The area is managed in such a way as to make it a birder’s dream…..no trail bikes, no ATVs, and no hunting.

       We often stop here on our way to visit our son and his family in Woodbury.  Access is no more than 5 minutes from I-84 off Exit 14, but once on the preserve, you’d swear you were miles away from civilization. 

       Today, we went directly to the viewing balcony to see what the feeders had to offer.  While the feeders were not quite full, the birds were taking advantage of what was available.  Highlights included both male and female Rose-breasted grosbeaks, Goldfinches, Northern cardinals, Black-capped chickadees, and a gorgeous Prairie warbler moving through the area.  Chipmunks, Red-winged blackbirds, and Mourning doves were all gathered shoulder-to-shoulder as they ate the seed which had fallen onto the ground below the feeders.

Female Rose-breasted grosbeak

       At one point, a Hairy woodpecker came into one of the feeders while a Downey was on the opposite side.  You rarely get such a chance to see the direct comparison of general size and bill length which are used to distinguish one species from the other.  Note the larger size of the Hairy and its heavier, longer bill. 

Downey woodpecker

Hairy woodpecker (note larger size and longer bill)

       A short walk along the fields provided me with fine views of both Barn and Tree swallows which were making use of the Bluebird boxes in the fields.  Blue-winged and Prairie warblers were calling from the forested area nearby as were the Field sparrows. 

       As we left the refuge and headed over to our son’s house, we were bid adieu by a rather wind-blown Bluebird perched on a limb overhanging the dirt road leading out of the sanctuary.  It is always a real pleasure to visit Bent of the River, and we look forward to returning in the not-to-distant future.