The Wildlife of New England: A Viewer's Guide

Connecticut

� new hampshire ����������� 1 6 8 2 3 11 4 7 12 5 10 9 1 6 8 2 3 11 4 7 12 5 10 9 91 95 84 9 91 �. Bigelow Hollow State Park and Nipmuck State Forest �. Bluff Point State Park and Coastal Reserve �. Connecticut River Estuary �. Hammonasset Beach State Reservation �. Housatonic Meadows State Park �. James L. Goodwin State Forest �. Lighthouse Point Park �. Pachaug State Forest �. Quaker Ridge, Audubon Greenwich ��. Sharon Audubon Center ��. Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge: Salt Meadow Unit ��. White Memorial Foundation Conservation Center ����������� connecticut 3 Bigelow Hollow State Park and Nipmuck State Forest Connecticut Department of Forests and Parks, 860-928-9200, www.ct.gov/dep closest town: Union directions: From Interstate 84 in Union, a short distance south of its junction with the Massachusetts Turnpike, take exit 3 and follow ct 171 east for 1.4 miles. At the junction with ct 190 turn left and continue on ct 171 for another 1.3 miles and follow signs for the state park. After passing a view of Bigelow Pond, look for the entrance on the north side of the road. There is no fee on weekdays; $9 (Connecticut residents) or $15 (out of state) is charged on weekends and holidays. Northeastern Connecticut’s “Quiet Corner” region is a pleasant mix of rolling hills, forests, numerous ponds and streams, and classic New England villages. One of its most wild and scenic areas lies within the bounds of the contiguous Bigelow Hollow State Park and Nipmuck State Forest, which encompass nearly 10,000 combined acres. Established in 1905, Nipmuck is the state’s second-oldest state forest and today is actively managed to promote a diverse woodland ecosystem, with groves of oak, birch, maple, white pine, and hemlock. The preserve’s attractions include a trio of picturesque ponds, including finger-shaped Breakneck Pond, which extends north for more than a mile and a half to Sturbridge, Massachusetts, where its northern tip protrudes a few hundred feet across the state line. Free from any evidence of development and bordered by the extensive forests, the pond is home to a variety of wildlife and some of the state’s finest hiking trails. Bordering the southwest corner of the preserve is popular Mashapaug Pond, which is privately owned but accessible to boaters and swimmers from the state forest boat launch on its south shore. Next to the park entrance is the smaller Bigelow Pond, which is home to a nature trail, picnic areas, a boat launch, and a fishing platform. A recently restored wildlife marsh is also visible from the park road. viewing This is one of the best places in Connecticut to check for moose and their signs, as neighboring Worcester County in Massachusetts hosts a healthy and rapidly growing population that has been steadily expanding southward throughout the past quarter century. Watch for large piles of 4 the wildlife of new england­ droppings that are an inch or more in diameter, much larger than those of white-tailed deer. In 1914 the state’s first reintroduced beavers were released in this area, and over the past century they have rapidly reclaimed their former range, as evidenced by the wetlands and lodges along the trail to the pond. Black bears, bobcats, fishers, porcupines, striped skunks, red squirrels, and red and gray foxes all inhabit these woodlands; mink, river otters, raccoons, and Virginia opossums favor areas near wetlands. The low vegetation along the pond edges offers abundant habitat for odenates—dragonflies and damselflies. Some common dragonflies to watch for are lancet clubtails, common whitetails, and widow and slaty skimmers. Their smaller damselfly relatives include black-bodied aurora damsels, colorful eastern forktails, slender spreadwings, ebony jewelwings , and several similar species of bluets. Some woodland butterflies to watch for along the trails are mourning cloaks, red-spotted purples, viceroys , and tiger and spicebush swallowtails. The latter are most often seen in deciduous woods, swamps, and parks and fields. On sunny warm-weather days, watch for painted turtles basking on exposed rocks and fallen logs in the ponds. Much less common are spotted turtles, aptly named for the flecks of yellow spots across their black shells. They are among the first turtles to emerge from winter hibernation and may be glimpsed around vernal pools before leaves come out on the trees. Familiar amphibians here include bull, greed, wood, tree, and pickerel frogs. Fish found throughout the ponds include bluegill...