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Citizen Science Opportunity:
Canada Goose Population Estimate
This year, the Wildlife Division is conducting an independent population estimate of the state's resident Canada goose population. This study is done every 3 to 4 years. Although the Division conducts annual breeding surveys, it is beneficial to occasionally estimate the population through a different means to get a feel for productivity and also help validate the spring survey.

The Division's Waterfowl Program has placed yellow neck collars on a number of geese throughout the state. We are asking your help in collecting some data so that biologists can  derive an estimate of the total population of resident geese in the state. 

During the week of August 20-26, 2017 , if you are out and about and see Canada geese, please provide the following information to Wildlife Division biologists Kelly Kubik ([email protected]) or Min Huang ([email protected]):
  • Flock size
  • Location
  • Date
  • Number of collared birds
  • Individual codes of those collars (if possible)
You can also call the Wildlife Division with the information at 860-424-3011.
2016 Deer and Turkey Summaries Available
The  2016 Connecticut Wild Turkey Program Summary  (PDF) is now available. 

This publication includes harvest statistics and a summary of the 2016 spring gobbler season, followed by the fall firearms and archery wild turkey hunting seasons. 





The  2016 Connecticut Deer Program Summary  (PDF) has also been published.

The report contains a summary of white-tailed deer information for 2016, including harvest statistics, research activities, and population dynamics of Connecticut's deer population. 
Purple Martin Banding Completed
A volunteer uses pliers to close a metal U.S. Geological Survey band around the leg of a juvenile purple martin in Clinton, CT.
Starting in 2011, Wildlife Division biologists visit purple martin colonies along the Connecticut coast to place identifying leg bands on young martins before they fledge from their nest boxes or nesting gourds. 

Through this study, biologists can track and assess movement patterns of the birds from their hatching location to their breeding locations and future nesting sites. All of the young birds banded at e ach purple martin colony are given colored bands specific to that colony location. This allows the birds to be identified while in flight and also keeps track of the colony they hatched from. 
A purple martin colony with nesting gourds. White housing attracts martins best and reflects sunlight, keeping nestlings cooler.

For the study to be successful, these banded birds need to be seen again -- and reported. We need your help. Please watch for banded purple martins and tell us what you have seen. Observations of  color-banded purple martins should be  reported to the DEEP Wildlife Division at   [email protected] or phone: 860-424-3011. 

The largest of the American swallows, the purple martin is listed as a species of special concern in Connecticut. Purple martins in Connecticut and the eastern half of the U.S. almost exclusively rely on man-made structures to live and nest in. 

SAVE THE DATE!
This FREE event is sponsored by the DEEP Bureau of Natural Resources.
Lots of fun activities for the whole family are planned.

Needed: Advocates for Sound Forest Management
Apply to Coverts Today!
Are you a woodland owner, land trust member, or property manager who wants to learn more about your woods and the critters that call it home?   Apply for the 2017 Coverts Project, a volunteer training program in forest and wildlife management. Learn how well-planned forest management can improve wildlife habitat and provide other benefits as well. 

The seminar will be held at scenic Great Mountain Forest in Falls Village from 6:30 PM on Thursday, September 14 to 3:00 PM on Sunday, September 17. Join the Connecticut Forest and Park Association and UCONN Extension for an educational weekend filled with indoor and outdoor activities, good food, and camaraderie. 

August Is National Tree Stand Safety Month
Improper use of treestands is one of the  most common  causes for severe injuries to hunters in the field. Always using proper safety practices  will  save lives. 

Please follow the treestand safety tips poster provided by the Treestand Manufacturer's Association:

Magnificent Monarchs at Sessions Woods WMA

On August 23, starting at 10:30 AM, Master Wildlife Conservationist and monarch enthusiast Eric Rahn will introduce the audience to the magnificent monarch butterfly. Eric will talk about his efforts to rear monarchs for release and their incredible migration story. Following the indoor portion, he will lead participants to a milkweed patch to discuss where the monarch journey begins.
 
CT Invasive Plants:  Mile-A-Minute
Identifying traits of mile-a-minute: triangular-shaped leaves; curved prickles or barbs; saucer-shaped leaves at nodes;  green and blue fruit. Images sourced from UCONN.  
View this newsletter in a web browser to watch the above slideshow.
Invasive plants are a major threat to our
natural resources and mile-a-minute vine is  beginning to take over Southern Connecticut, slowly heading north. 

This year, Cromwell became the 47th town where mile-a-minute is found in the state. Non-native mile-a-minute often interferes with important wildlife habitat. The  vine has also found its way onto Charles Island Natural Area Preserve in Milford.

"DEEP Wildlife Division staff has been restoring habitat on the island. However, m anagement of mile-a-minute is challenging due to its ability to grow rapidly and produce an abundance of seed," explained Wildlife Division Biologist Peter Picone.  

"Access to Charles Island is limited due to the nesting of a variety of listed bird species, including glossy ibis and snowy egret," Picone continued,   "these birds nest during the same months (June - August) that provide the most desirable growing conditions for mile-a-minute, preventing wildlife biologists from treating the island before the invasive vines produce seeds."

Mile-a-minute Distribution Map. Click the map for a larger image.
In an effort to manage  mile-a-minute, b iological control weevils have been released by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station's scientist Carol Cheah. Additional  strategies to control mile-a-minute  on the islands include mechanical removal, biological control  (PDF), and  herbicide use. 

Mile-a-minute has been discovered at another location in North Haven, disrupting an ongoing habitat restoration project (PDF) to provide wintering habitat for Northern saw-whet owls, the smallest owls found in Connecticut. The area is undergoing treatments similar to Charles Island.  

Learn more about mile-a-minute. . .                                      Report mile-a-minute sightings . . .
                            More from UConn's CT Invasive Plant Working Group . . .
Species of the Month: Bald Eagle
Connecticut bald eagle chick being banded by a Wildlife Division biologist.
An incredible diversity of wildlife species can be found in our state. Take some time to discover Connecticut's wildlife!

On June 28, 2007, Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne signed paperwork to remove the bald eagle from the federal list of threatened and endangered species. The order went into effect August 8, 2007, marking the bald eagle's recovery from the brink of extirpation from the nation that adopted it as a symbol.

The bald eagle was first declared an endangered species with the passage of the federal Endangered Species Act in 1973. Populations eventually began to recover due to the ban on the use of organochlorine pesticides (such as DDT), successful reintroduction programs of fostered chicks and fledglings, and habitat and nest protection measures. 

In the 10 years since the bald eagle was delisted from the Federal Endangered Species List, the species has continued to flourish. Connecticut's population, which is stilled listed as state threatened, has grown from 15 active territories  in 2007 to 53 active territories in 2017.
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