Thank you to Connecticut College and Remembering Whit Davis

By Beth Sullivan

I hope you have enjoyed getting insights into the work done by the Connecticut College students. This is our fourth year together, and each year we learn more. We learn what works and what doesn’t, what projects are helpful, and which are most meaningful to the students as well as to Avalonia

I have been amazed at the enthusiasm of these students, and this year has been no exception. We have attacked invasives, and shrubs and stumps and poison ivy. In some cases the poison ivy attacked back. We have uncovered and studied history, which is really exciting. They even raised some funds for Avalonia while spreading the word about our work.

High school to college to Avalonia

We also made some great connections and some of these will continue long after this year’s students have graduated. What wonderful representatives these students were at the Farmer’s Market for us. They made friends and recruited members. We now have a connection with High School Students in Stonington. What better way to reach out and connect with HS students than with College students. Hopefully we may have a younger, stronger pool of enthusiastic stewards to call on, and they will find a meaningful connection to a land trust organization. And as for me, I enjoyed having someone write this blog for several weeks as I sat back and enjoyed the things that this spring had to offer.

Class of 2018

I want to pay tribute to a special man from Stonington-Whit Davis, who passed away this week. He was a local legend, and I am sad to say, this is possibly the end of an era of those wonderful Stonington farmers who loved their land so dearly; it was their life. Whit made sure his lands would be protected and the history they hold, be honored. Avalonia was the recipient of nine acres of very special salt marsh property we call the Continental Marsh. I wrote about it not long ago, but please take time to read again and think about it from the perspective of history and the man whose family cherished that land since Stonington was founded. Maybe take time to honor those memories by taking a walk out onto Barn Island as spring advances over the salt marshes.

Here are some old articles about Whit Davis and his gift to the town, and to Avalonia. A special man.

http://www.conservationregistry.org/assets/0000/3098/Westerly_Sun_article_Nov78.pdf

http://www.conservationregistry.org/assets/0000/3099/Compass_article_Nov78.pdf

The Continental Marsh Preserve

Those of us who live in Southeast Connecticut are very lucky to have one of the largest coastal preserves in the state. Barn Island Wildlife Management Area is more than 1000 acres of saltmarsh and coastal forest, owned and managed by the State and the DEEP. There is a little slice of this heaven that is owned by Avalonia Land Conservancy with a special history and is a gem in its own right. This is the Continental Marsh Preserve.

During the American Revolutionary War, the Davis Farm , which is located east of Barn Island WMA, provided the Continental armies with hay harvested from the salt marsh and thus gave the piece its name. Salt hay was valuable for grazing cattle and sheep. The marsh provided income as the hay was also sold for livestock bedding and food. That particular grass is Spartina patens and is a fine sturdy grass that grows on a higher drier part of the marsh. Over the decades, due to many causes such as changes in tides, sea level rise and even peat compression due to more frequent flooding, the marsh has changed. It's become more compacted, lower and wetter, and the high marsh grass retreated to be replaced by Spartina alterniflora and other grasses that tolerate the wetter conditions. This new grass was not nearly as desirable for salt hay.

Cedar posts, stone walls, and swirls of saltmeadow hay remain on the Continental Marsh.

The area is secluded, almost like a “valley” of marsh, between the slightly higher coastal forests with a creek of tidal flow flushing it daily and bringing life deep into the marsh. It is this area that was donated to Avalonia land Conservancy in 1978 . Reading the deed to this property is like beginning a historical mystery using shifting shorelines, tidal creeks and ancient stone bridges as marker points to describe the boundary.

Photographs by Beth Sullivan. 

The Continental Marsh

By Beth Sullivan

Those of us who live in Southeast Connecticut are very lucky to have one of the largest coastal preserves in the state. Barn Island Wildlife Management Area is more than 1000 acres of saltmarsh and coastal forest, owned and managed by the State and the DEEP. There is a little slice of this heaven that is owned by Avalonia Land Conservancy with a special history and is a gem in its own right. This is the Continental Marsh Preserve.

Continental Marsh is a site of historical and ecological significance.

A bit of local history

During the American Revolutionary War, the Davis Farm , which is located east of Barn Island WMA, provided the Continental armies with hay harvested from the salt marsh and thus gave the piece its name. Salt hay was valuable for grazing cattle and sheep. The marsh provided income as the hay was also sold for livestock bedding and food. That particular grass is Spartina patens and is a fine sturdy grass that grows on a higher drier part of the marsh. Over the decades, due to many causes such as changes in tides, sea level rise and even peat compression due to more frequent flooding, the marsh has changed. It's become more compacted, lower and wetter, and the high marsh grass retreated to be replaced by Spartina alterniflora and other grasses that tolerate the wetter conditions. This new grass was not nearly as desirable for salt hay.

The original nest lasted several years before it collapsed.

The area is secluded, almost like a “valley” of marsh, between the slightly higher coastal forests with a creek of tidal flow flushing it daily and bringing life deep into the marsh. It is this area that was donated to Avalonia land Conservancy in 1978 . Reading the deed to this property is like beginning a historical mystery using shifting shorelines, tidal creeks and ancient stone bridges as marker points to describe the boundary.

Tree nests are not always sturdy and are vulnerable to  predators.

About 8 years ago, volunteers erected a unique set-up to provide a nesting site for osprey. It was like a tripod with a basket on top to provide the elevated platform the birds require. For many years the nest was very successful. Two years ago, in a storm, it collapsed. In order to replace a nest, there is a very specific process to obtain permits, and it takes a while. The osprey did not want to wait. They took to the trees! Last year they created a big nest in the top of a seemingly fragile tree. It did not hold up well, and we believe it was abandoned.

The trek out, carrying the new nest was challenging. 

A new platform

We got our permits in order and were determined to offer a more sturdy option for this nesting season. Osprey are always expected in the middle of March, as early as the 14^th, but usually later depending on the weather and winds. This gave us a deadline, and last week a team of volunteers got out onto the marsh ahead of the birds’ return.

From one end to the other -

Negotiating the marsh is always a challenge, especially when carrying heavy poles and platforms. Wet holes are hidden under the long grass. But we got all parts and tools out and didn’t lose anyone in a ditch! It was assembled and erected on the marsh very efficiently and quickly. In about an hour the new platform was up and all the wood debris from the old one carried out.

- the view is pure salt marsh.

A last look out onto the marsh revealed gray skies and still brown grass. Some Mallards and Black ducks flew up from the water. A few gulls soared overhead. We wished for the osprey and hope they will enjoy our efforts and nest successfully this year. We will let you know.

The new platform is sturdy and ready for a house hunting pair of Osprey.

The Continental Marsh can be reached by walking in from the East Side of Barn Island, at the end of Stewart Rd/Bruckner Pentway. We ask that all viewing of the osprey nests is done from afar!

Photographs by Beth Sullivan.

Another First - The Osprey

Spring struggles to arrive. Winter has done its best to thwart us: snow, cold, wet, dark and gray. Yet spring does arrive; birds return; amphibians emerge; plants begin to break ground and their buds swell.

Many spring events are triggered by daylight and day length; others respond to warmth. Some need both. Avalonia volunteers spend a lot of time outdoors, all year long, and we respond to day light and warmth too. As we are out and about, we are looking for signs of spring and continue to count “FIRSTS”.

                                                        Photo by Rick Newton

Birds that have spent the winter in southern climates don’t know what the weather is like up here, so they rely on day length to trigger their impulse to return north. Of course, a nice southerly breeze is a big help and frequently in mid to late March we experience a period of warm teasing weather. It is during these times we look for our returning birds, and the most eagerly awaited are the osprey. Many of the osprey from our area winter in Central and South America. As the hours of daylight begin to increase and reach equality with hours of dark at the Spring Equinox, these birds are making their return. Here in Southeastern CT we count on them arriving around St Patrick’s Day, give or take a few days. Ospreys are very loyal to their nest sites. While males and females do not spend the winter together, banding records and studies have shown that bonded pairs will return to the same nest site, usually at different times, and one will wait for the other to renew that bond for another year.

Despite the strangle-hold of winter, the first osprey was reported locally on Saturday March 16^th. Right on time. As “fish hawks” they rely on open water to find food. While the ice has melted from most bodies of water, fish often tend to swim deeper to find warmer temperatures. If the weather continues cold with freezing nights, the newly arrived osprey may have a hard time finding food. However, as the next weeks go by, temperatures are bound to warm up. With southerly breezes, more osprey will return to their nest sites along the shore, and there will be plenty of food.

                                                        Photo by Rick Newton

Take some time to look for the very visible platforms used for nesting. Decades ago, osprey nested on big dead trees, called snags, along marsh edges, and along the shore. Those sites have nearly disappeared and now osprey rely almost exclusively on man-made platforms for nesting. They will reuse and enhance and enlarge the nest each year, some reaching quite impressive sizes. After the super storm Sandy last fall, and the blizzard and wind storms this winter, the returning osprey may have more work to do.

Now that the weather is finally warming, go find a nest site, and observe from a distance. Several Avalonia properties in Stonington have osprey nests, including Cottrell Marsh, Continental Marsh, and Paffard Marsh which may have the most visible one. There is also one just over the railroad tracks very visible from the Knox preserve. Many others are on private or state properties all along the shore. Enjoy the return of the osprey!

Written by Beth Sullivan

Learn more about the osprey at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology