Bird Walks & Events — 2025
To receive program and/or event announcements please send us an email requesting that you would like to be added to our email list at lhasct@me.com
August 16, 2025
Saturday, 9:00 a.m.
Event: Paddling on the Bantam River in Litchfield
Diane and Paul Edwards will lead this paddling trip on the Bantam River at White Memorial. Meet at the parking lot by the put-in off Whites Woods Road. Bring your kayak or canoe, PFD (personal flotation device, aka life vest), sunscreen, bug spray, water shoes, water, and lunch. We’ll eat at a picnic table near White Memorial’s main parking lot. Heavy rain or a thunder storm cancels.
Please let Diane know if you will attend: edwardsd68@charter.net or 860-309-5139.
Bird with LHAS on Weekday Mornings
Join us for weekly jaunts to birding hotspots in September and October. Depending on birder schedules and the weather, you will be notified of the day, meeting place, and time.
If you would like to participate, contact Pam Hicks with your email or texting number at smilesmyles@yahoo.com or 203-922-2684.
September 6, 2025
Saturday, 2-4 p.m.
Event: Fall Photography Walk at Boyd Woods
Bring your smartphone or camera to join photographer and instructor Thad Kubis for a walk at Boyd Woods Sanctuary. Meet in the parking lot on Route 254. This is a joint event with the Litchfield Community Center; please sign up by going to the center’s website: thecommunitycenter.org (click Calendar, go to date and click name of event).
Rain date is Friday, September 19, 8-11 AM.
September 13, 2025
Saturday, 10-11:30 a.m.
Event: Hawk Watch at Topsmead State Park
LHAS and the Friends of Topsmead State Park will conduct this hawk watch (rain date is Sunday, September 14). Donna Rose Smith and Ann Orsillo will talk about hawks followed by a watch on the north lawn behind the Chase house. After entering Topsmead State Park in Litchfield, the parking lot is on the right after the entrance driveway. There will be a short walk uphill to the lawn behind the house. Bring a chair and binoculars. Hawks are part of a group known as raptors. Many raptors begin migrating south in September. Broad-winged Hawks are one of the most spectacular gatherings. If there are north-northwest weather fronts, the hawks take advantage of these ideal windy conditions. They can be seen circling in large groups before they continue their migration. We hope to witness that event and also to see other migrants such as the Northern Harrier and Coopers and Sharp-shinned Hawks. Ospreys and Bald Eagles might also be seen. LHAS has supported official hawk counting sights in our area for the last 39 years. Chestnut Hill Road in Litchfield and the fields at Torrington Middle School are popular sites where dedicated members observe and contribute data to the Hawk Migration Association Raptor Database.
September 20, 2025
Saturday, 5:30 p.m.
Event: Swallow Spectacle River Cruise
The swallow migration over the Connecticut River is one of nature’s magnificent displays. Hundreds of thousands of swallows gather to swirl, undulate, and form amazing patterns in the sky before funneling down into the reeds. We will be cruising September 20 at 5:30 on River Quest. Please see their website, ctriverquest.com, for details on booking your spot. Act quickly as this cruise often sells out weeks in advance. P.S. If there is no availability when you book, you can try for a different day to go on your own.
September 27, 2025
Saturday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Event: Visit LHAS’ Table at White Memorial’s Nature Day!
Bring the kids or grandkids to visit our table at this fun annual event. Besides activities for the kids, we will also have displays and information about our sanctuaries and activities for nature lovers of all ages.
September 28, 2025
Sunday, 4:15 p.m.
Event: Paddling the Bantam River
Join Ginny Apple for a paddling trip on the Bantam River to Bantam Lake and back again. We will probably see beavers and all kinds of birds. Along the way, Ginny will talk about the beavers, their lodges, their dams, their scent mounds, and so on. Meet at the main launch area on White Woods Road, next to the bridge.
October 4, 2025
Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – Noon
Event: Forest Bathing — No Soap Needed!
Come to Sharon Connecticut for “forest bathing”! Forest bathing invokes almost every sense: aromatherapy from the plants; the sounds of trees rustling, birds chirping, or water rushing; visual stimulation from the flora and fauna; and tactile sensations of the soft soil under your feet or the leaves in your hand. These experiences can reduce stress, improving physical health as well as psychological well-being. The trees themselves contain phytoncides, antimicrobial organic compounds known for a host of benefits, including boosting immune cells. Attendance is limited to 10 people. RSVP to Jim Gillespie via text to his cell phone: 860-689-6455. We will follow a marked trail with moderate terrain along Stony Brook and sit by a waterfall. Location: 54 Herb Road, Sharon, about 1 mile from the intersection of South Ellsworth Road and Herb. Note: GPS takes you to 40 Herb, so keep driving!
October 11, 2025
Saturday, 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Event: Walk: How to Go Birding by Tree
Ken Elkins will lead this walk to bring to life the ideas of his talk on Monday, October 6. He’ll focus on learning and practicing tree identification — by leaf shape, leaf colors, and a few by bark patterns. As we find birds, we’ll hopefully observe some of the bird-tree relationships discussed at his program on Monday. This walk will be gentle, following the edges of the meadows near the Pomperaug River, with a short venture up the Pootatuck Road trail. Meet in the visitors parking lot at Bent of the River Audubon Center, 185 East Flat Hill Road, Southbury.
To register, please contact Angela Dimmitt at 860-355-3429 or angeladimmitt@aol.com.
October 17-19, 2025
Friday-Sunday
Event: Birding In & Around Cape May
Cape May is one of the most well known East Coast birding destinations. We will go to some well-known and not-so-well-known birding sites throughout the county and stop at the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge on the way down (Thursday afternoon) and the way home to net around 130 species. On past trips, we have seen some great birds and had some great experiences. Ten rooms have been reserved for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights at the Hyland Motor Inn in Cape May Courthouse; cost: $304/room (not per person). We will begin birding early Friday morning. This year’s trip coincides with the Cape May Bird Observatory Fall Bird Festival, so we will make an attempt to visit the birding expo. Deadline to RSVP and register: September 29th.
To reserve a room, share a room, line up a ride, get a basic itinerary and/or payment instructions, contact Dave Tripp at dtrippjr@gmail.com.
October 25, 2025
Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Event: Visit LHAS’ Table at Watertown Lions’ Wildlife Day
The Watertown Lions Club is hosting a family wildlife day October 25 at Veterans Memorial Park, 570 Nova Scotia Hill Road. Besides visiting the LHAS table, you can listen to animal rehabbers, DEEP wildlife presenters, White Memorial animal ambassadors, and others.