Important Bird Area Conservation & Management Plan East Rock Park IBA (includes Edgerton Park and South Central Regional Water Authority Lands) Hamden & New Haven, Connecticut Prepared By: FITZGERALD & HALLIDAY, INC. 416 Asylum Street Hartford, CT 06103 August 2019 East Rock Park Important Bird Area Conservation and Management Plan, New Haven/Hamden, CT Executive Summary The East Rock Park (ERP) Important Bird Area (IBA) encompasses approximately 426 acres and is comprised of East Rock Park, Edgerton Park, Eli Whitney Museum, and the adjacent South Central Regional Water Authority property in the East Rock and Whitneyville neighborhoods of New Haven and Hamden, CT. The Mill River and a large trap rock ridge bisect the central portion of the IBA in an approximate north to south orientation. East Rock Park, Edgerton Park, and the Eli Whitney Museum are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This IBA was identified as such by AudubonCT in 2001 because it met the following Program Criteria: Presence of High Conservation Priority Bird Species; Unique or Representative Habitat; and Exceptional Concentrations of Migratory Landbirds. Spring migratory movements of songbirds through the IBA are renown. Despite the importance of the park for avifauna, the park is also valued by several stakeholders as a valuable recreational resource and destination. There are a number of notable natural features within the IBA including the mature landscaping features of Edgerton Park, the tidal Mill River, the basalt ridgeline, and the varied habitats within the IBA. The forested habitat block within the IBA contains stands of deciduous, coniferous, and mixed forests, the composition of which changes with position along the toposequence. Inland vegetated wetlands occur in the IBA, as do watercourse and floodplain habitats and hillside seeps. Recreational fields within the IBA are surrounded by dense thickets of both native and non-native invasive plant species. Grassy fields, open summit woodlands and balds within the IBA offer additional habitat diversity. Many of the native plants within these habitats provide valuable food, cover, or both to avifauna and other wildlife species. Still other attributes are sought by rare fauna, notably nesting Peregrine Falcons, and dozens of other species of conservation concern. The ERP IBA is also known for occasional vagrant bird species which attract throngs of birders from CT and beyond, adding to the value of the IBA as a tourist destination. A forest bird assessment, conducted independently and prior to the field observations made in support of the ERP IBA Conservation Plan, are incorporated by reference herein. The forest bird assessment identified breeding avifauna of conservation concern that prefer forest interiors, a unique habitat attribute given the urbanized landscape in which the IBA is located. Forest health within the IBA suffers from a loss of coniferous stand inclusions and little to no regeneration of understory and canopy trees. Other conservation concerns and threats identified within the IBA include feral cats and dogs off-leash, Illegal dumping or disposal of trash, various pathogenic diseases and pests to which our northeastern flora and fauna are exposed, competition with invasive plant species – many of which have significant coverages within the IBA and continue to spread rapidly, anthropogenic disturbance, and deer over- browse. Despite options to address or manage many of these threats, IBA land stewardship suffers from a lack of funding and staff to implement comprehensive land stewardship measures beyond general maintenance. However, the IBA is fortunate to have a lengthy list of stakeholders that can be engaged to support the park’s department staff. Recommended conservation actions identified as necessary to protect the IBA’s habitats and habitat attributes include invasive plant control, tree care and forest management measures, proper waste management, continued comprehensive stewardship/outreach efforts, and vegetation/habitat restoration/conservation measures within the IBA. Recommended priority actions for the protection of rare species, habitat matrices improvement, invasive plant and deer management measures, outreach and education measures, and habitat connectivity measures are provided herein as are measures to evaluate success. i East Rock Park Important Bird Area Conservation and Management Plan, New Haven/Hamden, CT TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................ 1 2.0 THE IMPORTANT BIRD AREA PROGRAM ............................................................................... 1 3.0 SITE BACKGROUND ..................................................................................................................... 3 3.1 Geographic Location ..................................................................................................................... 3 3.2 History ........................................................................................................................................... 3 3.3 Designation as an IBA .................................................................................................................. 4 4.0 PROPERTY STAKEHOLDERS AND LAND USE REQUIREMENTS ........................................ 5 4.1 Property Stakeholders ................................................................................................................... 5 5.0 NATURAL RESOURCES ............................................................................................................... 7 5.1 Physiographic Features ................................................................................................................. 7 5.1.1 Bedrock ................................................................................................................................. 7 5.1.2 Soils ....................................................................................................................................... 7 5.1.3 Hydrology / Hydrologic Features ....................................................................................... 10 5.2 Biotic Features ............................................................................................................................ 10 5.2.1 Characteristic Flora of Wetland and Watercourse Habitats ................................................ 10 5.2.2 Characteristic Flora of Upland Habitats .............................................................................. 11 5.2.3 Characteristic Flora of Ruderal Habitats ............................................................................. 11 5.2.4 Rare Flora and Other Plant Species of Conservation Concern ........................................... 12 5.3.5 Fauna ................................................................................................................................... 12 6.0 Conservation Concerns and Threats ............................................................................................... 25 6.1 Feral Cats and Off-leash Dogs .................................................................................................... 25 6.2 Illegal dumping / disposal of trash/Pollution .............................................................................. 26 6.3 Disease and Pests ........................................................................................................................ 26 6.3.1 Mosquito-borne Illness ....................................................................................................... 27 6.3.2 Tick-borne Illness ............................................................................................................... 27 6.3.3 Rabies .................................................................................................................................. 27 6.3.4 Forest Tree Diseases ........................................................................................................... 27 6.4 Invasive Plant Species ................................................................................................................. 28 6.5 Anthropogenic Disturbance ........................................................................................................ 36 ii East Rock Park Important Bird Area Conservation and Management Plan, New Haven/Hamden, CT 7.0 Conservation Actions and Recommendations ................................................................................ 38 7.1 Invasive Plant Control ................................................................................................................. 38 7.2 Tree Care and Forest Management ............................................................................................. 38 7.3 Green Waste Management .......................................................................................................... 39 7.4 Chemical Management ............................................................................................................... 39 7.4.1 Pesticides ............................................................................................................................. 39 7.4.2 Fertilizers ............................................................................................................................ 40 7.4.3 Stormwater Management ...................................................................................................