Winter 1990 Contents Volume X Number 1 January 1990 THE 1 A Tribute to Michael Harwood David A Titus CONNECTICUT 2 Site Guide Birder's Guide to the Mohawk State Forest and Vicinity Arnold Devine and Dwight G. Smith I WARBLER ~ A Journal of Connecticut Ornithology 10 Non-Breeding Bald Eagles in Northwest Con­ necticut During Late Spring and Summer D. A Hopkins 15 Notes on Birds Using Man-Made Nesting Materials William E. Davis, Jr. 19 Connecticut Field Notes Summer: June 1 -July 31, 1989 Jay Kaplan 24 Corrections The Connecticut Ornithological Association 314 UnquowaRoad Non-Profit Org. Fairfield, cr 06430 U.S. Postage PAID Fairfield, CT Permit No. 275 :.'• ~}' -'~~- .~ ( Volume X No. 1 January 1990 Pages 1-24 j ~ THE CONNECTICUf ORNITHOLOGICAL A TRIBUTE TO MICHAEL HARWOOD ASSOCIATION Michael Harwood (1934-1989) "I remember a lovely May morning in Central Park in New York. ... PreBident Debra M. Miller, Franklin, MA A friend and I heard an unfamiliar song, a string of thin, wiry notes Vice-President climbing the upper register in small steps; we traced it to a tiny yellow Frank Mantlik, S. Norwalk •, bird in a just-planted willow tree. To say that the bird was 'yellow' Secretary does not do it justice. Its undersides were the very essence of yellow, Alison Olivieri, Fairfield and this yellow was set off by the black stripes on the breast, by the Trea.urer •• dramatic triangle of black drawn on its yellow face, and by the Carl J. Trichka, Fairfield chestnut piping on its back, where the yellow turned olive ... The low sun perfectly lit this perfect specimen of a prairie warbler-a common Board of Directors enough bird in the East, but one neither of us had seen before. 1987-1990 1988-1991 Having clinched the identification with a quick reference to our Raymond E. Belding, Harwinton Milan G. Bull, Fairfield Peterson's ~ we began a spontaneous jig of exhilaration­ Louis Bevier, Storrs George A. Clark, Jr., Storrs fkM Neil Currie, Sandy Hook Roland C. Clement, Norwalk you would have thought we had just found gold-stared at the bird Fred Sibley, Naugatuck Jay B. Kaplan, Canton again through our binoculars, checked the book a few more times, Dwight S. Smith, New Haven John P. McDonald, Storrs pounded each other on the back, danced around the place whooping, Joseph Zeranski, Greenwich George W. Zepko, Middletown and finally bounced off-no other verb comes close ... " 1989--1992 That comes from Michael's introduction to Eliot Porter's Moments Winifred Burkett, Storrs of Discovery: Adventures with American Birds (1977) for which Michael Jay Buss, Fairfield wrote the text. My checklist of the 130 species of birds we found Sam Fried, West Hartford Gordon Loery, Morris together between 1958 and 1963 in Central Park, "Gotham" (as Mi­ Gary Palmer, Cos Cob chael referred to New York City), puts the year at 1961 for that Frederick Purnell, Jr., Darien particular moment of discovery. It was one of many we were to share together, and one of many he was to share, in person and in prose, with all of us until he died on the day after Thanksgiving in 1989. No one could fail to identify that bird from Michael's exquisite description. About our Cover Artist: Brimming with exuberance, these passages also capture the joy with Michael DiGeorgio which he embraced his" co-planetarians," as he lovingly described his "Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis)" avian friends. And it captures the joy he found in the fellowship with all of us who shared his passion. We are using another of Michael DiGeorgio's fine drawings to Good friend of this earth, guardian and advocate of those values grace the front cover of The Connecticut Warbler. He is presently that make life truly good and beautiful, you will be deeply missed by working on illustrations for the Connecticut Breeding Bird Atlas. His all of us, feathered and unfeathered alike. illustrations have also appeared in Audubon Magazine, Nature -David A. Titus Conservancy, National Wildlife and The Living Bird. He also helped to illustrate the National Audubon Society's Master Guide to Birding. Michael Harwood was chairman of the Advisory Committee for The Connecticut Warbler since 1987 and contributed several articles to Inquiries about his work may be addressed to him at 795 D Long Hill this Journal. -Betty Kleiner, Editor Rd., Middletown, Cf 06457. THE CONNECTICUT WARBLER VOLUME X, NUMBER 1 1 THE CONNECTICUf ORNITHOLOGICAL A TRIBUTE TO MICHAEL HARWOOD ASSOCIATION Michael Harwood (1934-1989) "I remember a lovely May morning in Central Park in New York. ... PreBident Debra M. Miller, Franklin, MA A friend and I heard an unfamiliar song, a string of thin, wiry notes Vice-President climbing the upper register in small steps; we traced it to a tiny yellow Frank Mantlik, S. Norwalk •, bird in a just-planted willow tree. To say that the bird was 'yellow' Secretary does not do it justice. Its undersides were the very essence of yellow, Alison Olivieri, Fairfield and this yellow was set off by the black stripes on the breast, by the Trea.urer •• dramatic triangle of black drawn on its yellow face, and by the Carl J. Trichka, Fairfield chestnut piping on its back, where the yellow turned olive ... The low sun perfectly lit this perfect specimen of a prairie warbler-a common Board of Directors enough bird in the East, but one neither of us had seen before. 1987-1990 1988-1991 Having clinched the identification with a quick reference to our Raymond E. Belding, Harwinton Milan G. Bull, Fairfield Peterson's ~ we began a spontaneous jig of exhilaration­ Louis Bevier, Storrs George A. Clark, Jr., Storrs fkM Neil Currie, Sandy Hook Roland C. Clement, Norwalk you would have thought we had just found gold-stared at the bird Fred Sibley, Naugatuck Jay B. Kaplan, Canton again through our binoculars, checked the book a few more times, Dwight S. Smith, New Haven John P. McDonald, Storrs pounded each other on the back, danced around the place whooping, Joseph Zeranski, Greenwich George W. Zepko, Middletown and finally bounced off-no other verb comes close ... " 1989--1992 That comes from Michael's introduction to Eliot Porter's Moments Winifred Burkett, Storrs of Discovery: Adventures with American Birds (1977) for which Michael Jay Buss, Fairfield wrote the text. My checklist of the 130 species of birds we found Sam Fried, West Hartford Gordon Loery, Morris together between 1958 and 1963 in Central Park, "Gotham" (as Mi­ Gary Palmer, Cos Cob chael referred to New York City), puts the year at 1961 for that Frederick Purnell, Jr., Darien particular moment of discovery. It was one of many we were to share together, and one of many he was to share, in person and in prose, with all of us until he died on the day after Thanksgiving in 1989. No one could fail to identify that bird from Michael's exquisite description. About our Cover Artist: Brimming with exuberance, these passages also capture the joy with Michael DiGeorgio which he embraced his" co-planetarians," as he lovingly described his "Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis)" avian friends. And it captures the joy he found in the fellowship with all of us who shared his passion. We are using another of Michael DiGeorgio's fine drawings to Good friend of this earth, guardian and advocate of those values grace the front cover of The Connecticut Warbler. He is presently that make life truly good and beautiful, you will be deeply missed by working on illustrations for the Connecticut Breeding Bird Atlas. His all of us, feathered and unfeathered alike. illustrations have also appeared in Audubon Magazine, Nature -David A. Titus Conservancy, National Wildlife and The Living Bird. He also helped to illustrate the National Audubon Society's Master Guide to Birding. Michael Harwood was chairman of the Advisory Committee for The Connecticut Warbler since 1987 and contributed several articles to Inquiries about his work may be addressed to him at 795 D Long Hill this Journal. -Betty Kleiner, Editor Rd., Middletown, Cf 06457. THE CONNECTICUT WARBLER VOLUME X, NUMBER 1 1 SITE GUIDE ponds. BIRDER'SGUIDETOTHEMOHAWKSTATE Within the past few years and even months, extensive changes FOREST AND VICINITY have occurred in parts of the forest. Occasional stands of Red Pine 1 2 Arnold Devine and Dwight G. Smith have been logged to destroy diseased trees infected with the Red Pine Blister. The July 1989 tornado also touched down in some parts ofthe This large, heavily wooded state park contains several surprises: a forest, resulting in almost total devastation of such woodland areas. black spruce bog, a beaver-maintained palustrine wetland and di­ Because of the size and heavily wooded nature of much of this state verse conifer stands. Hiking trails provide access to much of the park. forest, a copy of the Cornwall USGS topographic map may facilitate There is even a segment of the Appalachian Trail to hike and bird your birding explorations. during your visit to the state forest. A number of lakes, swamps and Access: Take Route 8 to Exit 44 in Torrington. Follow Route 4 west marshes located near Mohawk State Forest may also be profitably past its junction with Route 63 at Goshen. Alternately, take Route 63 birded for a wide variety of waterfowl and shorebirds while you are to Goshen and tum west on Route 4. Continue west on Route 4 three in the vicinity. miles to a left on Allyn Road (which leads into the park from the east Mohawk State Forest includes some 3,245 acres located in the end) or four miles to the park's main entrance, also on the left.