Audubon Day Trips

Connecticut Audubon Society has announced five day trips, all open to the public, during the summer. Details follow.

On Wednesday, July 17, and Friday, July 19, departing at 5 pm, Connecticut Audubon will sponsor a day trip titled “Roseate Terns On Falkner Island.” For anyone interested in the federally endangered Roseate Tern, this trip will offer a terrific chance to visit its nesting site at Falkner Island off Branford.

Participants will meet Dr Jeff Spendelow, a government biologist who studies the birds on the island each year. As travelers circle the island in a comfortable 30-passenger boat, Dr Spendelow will talk about the lives of both the Common and Roseate Terns that nest there by the hundreds. Cost is $45 per person, and participants should bring a picnic supper and favorite beverage to enjoy as they cruise home in the sunset and through the Thimble Islands.

On Saturday, July 20, from 10 am to 1 pm, Connecticut Audubon will sponsor a day trip titled “Butterflies and Day-Flying Moths.” Bent of the River Sanctuary in Southbury is one of the top butterflying areas in Connecticut. Contiguous fields, at different stages of growth, support a wide variety of butterfly species such as Juniper and Coral Hairstreaks, Silver-bordered and Meadow Fritillaries, a variety of skippers and a host of interesting day-flying moths.

Enthusiasts and photographers from beginner to fanatic are invited to travel along on a three-hour exploration. Bring binoculars and join trip leader John Himmelman, co-founder and director of the Connecticut Butterfly Association, and author and illustrator of many natural history books, including the upcoming Discovering Moths. Cost is $20.

On Wednesday, July 24, a day-long trip titled “Biking Block Island” will allow participants to spend the day exploring Block Island by bicycle with leader and botanist Bob Kuchta.

Block Island is one of The Nature Conservancy’s “Last Great Places” in the Western Hemisphere, hosting a great diversity of habitats and abundant protected lands. Travelers can bring their own bike or rent one on the island, and should pack a picnic lunch, or purchase lunch at one of the local stand-up restaurants or delis in the center of “downtown.”

There are moderate hills with great views, winding roads, and gentle breezes. The day’s itinerary includes a visit to Monhegan Bluffs, Rodman Hollow, Northeast Lighthouse, and Great Salt Pond. Including ferry fees, cost for this trip is $55.

On Saturday, August 3, from 9 am to noon, “White Cedars and Cellar Holes,” will take participants on a walk in the mysterious and charming Genesee lands, part of the South Central Regional Water Authority’s 4,000 acres located in North Madison. The property holds secrets of the long gone Genesee community.

Participants will visit various cellar holes and the intriguing White Cedar Swamp to ponder the ways of life during the 1800s, and view the magnificent woodland flora of this century. The tour will be led by Bob Kuchta, a local botanist and Madison’s Inland Westland Officer. Cost is $20.

On Thursday, August 8, Connecticut Audubon will sponsor a trip to view whales off the Massachusetts coast. This boat trip originates in Plymouth, Mass., close to the whales’ two main feeding areas. Sightings often include Humpback, Finback and Minke whales, Atlantic White-sided Dolphin, and pelagic birds including petrels, shearwaters, jaegers, and more. Trip includes transportation from Connecticut, boat fees, and a picnic dinner for the ride home; cost is $95.

Call 800-996-8747 for reservations and details on any of these trips.