Breakfast on the Connecticut

Black-capped Chickadee

In 2003 the Hanover/Norwich area had the top number of this diminutive bird according to the annual Hanover/Norwich Christmas Bird Count making it a “major center of abundance”.  Nationally and internationally, volunteer birders gather in small groups in the few weeks around Christmas to count the population of winter birds in their area.  The Hanover/Norwich count takes place on December 31 and dates back to 1960.  According to noted researcher/ornithologist Chris Rimmer, “The data generated over the years is useful to track population trends.  The counts provide an index of what is there.”   The meeting place for the Hanover/Norwich count is in front of the Hopkins Center, Hanover at 7:00 am on December 31, 2010.  Groups are formed and given assignments which cover a 15-mile diameter radius centered near the Hanover reservoirs reaching south to Lebanon, west to West Norwich, north to Thetford Center and east to Goose Pond.  This is an all volunteer project, so people are encouraged to participate.  The day concludes at Everything But Anchovies for the “countdown”.   Each group reports and there are always a couple of surprises at the end.  In 1990 the count included six Tundra Swans on the Connecticut River and in 2009 a Snowy Owl in Hartford.  For information contact Nancy Martin and Walter Ellison at borealdee@baybroadband.net.  What a wonderful social gathering for birders getting them out to maintain a monitoring tool started over 100 years ago.

Stay at Breakfast on the Connecticut and see what birds you can count on our 23 acres on the banks of the Connecticut River.