So does anyone know if Hammonasset is open tomorrow? The Governor evacuated the campground but there is no word if the park will be open other than that. No current info on the website. Perfect Mark Szantyr

To piggyback off this, I have a question on the early entry. Can someone confirm that we are not allowed west of East Beach until 8am? Thank you! Nancy ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mark Szantyr via CTBirds" <ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> To: "CTbirds" <ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> Sent: Sunday, September 4, 2016 7:16:15 PM Subject: [CT Birds] Hammonasset So does anyone know if Hammonasset is open tomorrow? The Governor evacuated the campground but there is no word if the park will be open other than that. No current info on the website. Perfect Mark Szantyr _______________________________________________ This list is provided by the Connecticut Ornithological Association (COA) for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For subscription information visit http://lists.ctbirding.org/mailman/listinfo/ctbirds_lists.ctbirding.org

The short answer is that we are not allowed access west of East Beach parking lot until 8 a.m. so as not to disturb the campers. With fall morning flight in full swing, I hope many more birders will take advantage of the early access program. Here's the full notice: PILOT PROGRAM FOR EARLY ACCESS TO HAMMONASSET​ BEACH STATE PARK The DEEP, State Parks Division is announcing a pilot program to allow birders and photographers early morning access, mirroring the access currently permitted for fishing. The pilot program, developed in conjunction with the Connecticut Ornithological Association (COA) will be debuted at Hammonasset Beach State Park, beginning on the May 21st and running until October 10th. Such early access will be permitted to birders in possession of a current (2016) Connecticut Migratory Bird Conservation (Duck) Stamp and bird watching gear. The Duck Stamps cost $13.00 (fishing license is $14.00) and can be obtained at most Town Clerk’s offices and at many retail outlets. The following link has information on the Duck Stamp and a link to outlets for purchase. You do not need to get the stamp itself, the receipt is all that is needed. Note: Do not try to heat laminate this piece of paper as it renders it unreadable! http://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?a=2723&Q=492150&deepNav _GID=1655%20#History This is how it will work: The gate is manned 24/7 during the summer. Permits are available from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. Due to the fact that beachgoers begin lining up for 8:00 a.m. entry by 6:30 a.m., no entry will be allowed between the hours of 6:30 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. You may leave the park, but not enter. You must sign in and get a pass each time when entering the park. Each person in the car must possess a Duck Stamp with the exception of children under 16 years of age. You would arrive at the main gate, show your Duck Stamp and bird watching gear, enter the office to sign the log, and receive a pass. You would already need to have purchased a duck stamp (available on-line), as DEEP does not have the capability to sell them anywhere in the park. There is no charge for the permit. This permit that you receive is to be displayed on the dashboard of the car. *Birding access will be limited to certain areas in the park. *To avoid disturbing campers, access will be limited to the following areas during this pilot program: Birders will be allowed to stop for bird viewing and photography from the East Beach parking lot, and further east to Meigs Point. For birders accessing East Beach parking area, and also birding along the road from East Beach to Meigs, we will ask that folks remain in the near vicinity of their cars. As previously discussed, we will also authorize birding activities in the general Meigs Point, Willard Island area. Kathy Van Der Aue Southport, Connecticut Visit my Blog at http://naturaliststable.wordpress.com On Sun, Sep 4, 2016 at 9:50 PM, Nancy Schumann via CTBirds < ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> wrote: > To piggyback off this, I have a question on the early entry. Can someone > confirm that we are not allowed west of East Beach until 8am? > > Thank you! > > Nancy > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Mark Szantyr via CTBirds" <ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> > To: "CTbirds" <ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> > Sent: Sunday, September 4, 2016 7:16:15 PM > Subject: [CT Birds] Hammonasset > > So does anyone know if Hammonasset is open tomorrow? The Governor > evacuated the campground but there is no word if the park will be open > other than that. No current info on the website. Perfect > > Mark Szantyr > _______________________________________________ > This list is provided by the Connecticut Ornithological Association (COA) > for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. > For subscription information visit http://lists.ctbirding.org/ > mailman/listinfo/ctbirds_lists.ctbirding.org > > _______________________________________________ > This list is provided by the Connecticut Ornithological Association (COA) > for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. > For subscription information visit http://lists.ctbirding.org/ > mailman/listinfo/ctbirds_lists.ctbirding.org >