Sunday, May 22, 1:00 p.m.
Spring Birding Hike, Ironwoods Preserve
Join nationally recognized wildlife artist and birder Mike DiGiorgio for a spring nature walk with an emphasis on birds. With forested trails and a large pond, Ironwoods Preserve is home to both woodland and wetland bird species. Binoculars are recommended. This will be a quiet hike, since we’ll be locating birds with their calls. No dogs, please.
Meet in the preserve’s parking lot at 201 Race Hill Road.
Saturday, May 28, 10:00 a.m.
Spring Tree Identification Walk, Rettich Preserve
Join former Madison Tree Warden Bob Kuchta for a spring tree walk at Rettich Preserve. Bob will show how to identify trees using their flowers and foliage. Bob has identified 42 species of trees and shrubs at Rettich Preserve, a 12-acre property at the former Rettich farm along the Hammonasset River. The land was donated to the Land Trust in 2014 by Fred and Rosa Rettich.
Meet by the parking lot at 274 River Road.
Saturday, June 4, 10:00 a.m.
Mortgage Burning and Hike, Summer Hill Preserve
Celebrate the land trust’s ownership of the Summer Hill Preserve! After making the final mortgage payment the week before, we will hold a ceremonial mortgage burning, then enjoy a hike through the property, led by MLCT President Ben Diebold and former Madison Tree Warden Bob Kuchta . The preserve’s 77 acres features an active beaver pond and large tracts of intact woodland within the Hammonasset watershed.
Meet in the preserve's parking lot on Summer Hill Road.
Sunday, June 5, 1:00 p.m.
Amphibian Walk, Blinnshed Loop
Join Yale ecologists Kealoha Freidenburg and David Skelly on a Connecticut Trails Day hike to search for frogs, toads, salamanders and newts. Please wear boots and bring a dip net if you have one. The trail features extensive wetlands and old logging roads through the woods. The hike will run rain or shine. No dogs, please.
Meet in the parking lot of The Country School at the intersection of Opening Hill and Blinnshed Roads.
Red-bellied Woodpecker
The Red-bellied Woodpecker is a common bird in the Land Trust forests. Its name is somewhat odd since the pinkish color on the breast area is seldom visible, but the red cap is prominent. Look for zebra-stripes on the back and flashes of white on the wings when it’s in flight. The male has the red all the way to the bill, but females only have a red crown and brown before their beak. The call is a quick quirrrr, and a ch-ch-ch-chirrrrrrr! Thirty years ago the Red-bellied Woodpecker would have been a rarity in Connecticut, but today it’s one of our most common birds.
Painting © Michael DiGiorgio