October is here and CT birders are already ‘harvesting’ birds at several community garden hotspots around our state! I have been getting some questions so here are some guidelines: You must use eBird and the hotspot to record your birds. Birds do NOT need to be seen *within* the gardens to count; any birds identified at the hotspot are fair game! Birds must be accepted by our eBird reviewers to count - no baloney! :) Follow all local rules, regulations and the ABA code of ethics, as always. Below is the list of community gardens currently participating. Click on the link to see the species tally at any time during October: Ansonia Nature Center https://ebird.org/hotspot/L3572819/bird-list?yr=curM&rank=lrec Bloomfield - Reservoir 2, Seabury https://ebird.org/hotspot/L1564924/bird-list?yr=curM&rank=lrec Madison - Bauer Farm https://ebird.org/hotspot/L1793844/bird-list?yr=curM&rank=lrec Mansfield Community Garden https://ebird.org/hotspot/L5039488/bird-list?yr=curM&rank=lrec New Haven - Edgerton Park https://ebird.org/hotspot/L1458781/bird-list?yr=curM&rank=lrec New Haven - Farnham Gardens and Yale Farm https://ebird.org/hotspot/L12546640/bird-list?yr=curM&rank=lrec Stratford Community Garden (Purhala Fields Park) https://ebird.org/hotspot/L999829/bird-list?yr=curM&rank=lrec Tolland - Deming Young Farm Foundation https://ebird.org/hotspot/L13602860/bird-list?yr=curM&rank=lrec Vernon Community Gardens https://ebird.org/hotspot/L16550410/bird-list?yr=curM&rank=lrec Wallingford - Veteran’s Park https://ebird.org/hotspot/L471935/bird-list?yr=curM&rank=lrec Wilton - Allen’s Meadows Park https://ebird.org/hotspot/L464304/bird-list?yr=curM&rank=lrec Woodbridge Community Gardens/Fitzgerald tract https://ebird.org/hotspot/L1290771/bird-list?yr=curM&rank=lrec If there are other community garden hotspots that you want to bird, please send me a hotspot link no later than this Friday 10/4. With Frank Mantlik’s unexpected Orchard Oriole and at least two Dickcissels at different locations this morning, our ‘harvest’ it’s already paying off! Good Birding, Chuck Imbergamo CT Birds Moderator Madison

Hi Chuck, I like this idea so much I was inspired to go bird my local community garden which I have been meaning to do for years! You are a genius! Even though I have zero time for extra birding at the moment, your challenge convinced me to make time for this worthwhile pursuit. I didn’t want to miss the chance to participate. The East Haddam Community Garden is part of a larger open space area and the eBird Hotspot will be called Harris Reserve and Municipal Area. There are a number of trails in addition to the main area by the garden, so it should be fun exploring, even if casually. The hotspot was approved today by Aidan Kiley and will be available in a day or so. It’s great to be outdoors in the fall in New England! Thank you for taking the initiative. Dan Rottino East Haddam, CT > On Oct 1, 2024, at 1:34 PM, Chuck Imbergamo via CTBirds <ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> wrote: > > October is here and CT birders are already ‘harvesting’ birds at several community garden hotspots around our state! > > I have been getting some questions so here are some guidelines: > You must use eBird and the hotspot to record your birds. > Birds do NOT need to be seen *within* the gardens to count; any birds identified at the hotspot are fair game! > Birds must be accepted by our eBird reviewers to count - no baloney! :) > Follow all local rules, regulations and the ABA code of ethics, as always. > Below is the list of community gardens currently participating. Click on the link to see the species tally at any time during October: > > Ansonia Nature Center > https://ebird.org/hotspot/L3572819/bird-list?yr=curM&rank=lrec > > Bloomfield - Reservoir 2, Seabury > https://ebird.org/hotspot/L1564924/bird-list?yr=curM&rank=lrec > > Madison - Bauer Farm > https://ebird.org/hotspot/L1793844/bird-list?yr=curM&rank=lrec > > Mansfield Community Garden > https://ebird.org/hotspot/L5039488/bird-list?yr=curM&rank=lrec > > New Haven - Edgerton Park > https://ebird.org/hotspot/L1458781/bird-list?yr=curM&rank=lrec > > New Haven - Farnham Gardens and Yale Farm > https://ebird.org/hotspot/L12546640/bird-list?yr=curM&rank=lrec > > Stratford Community Garden (Purhala Fields Park) > https://ebird.org/hotspot/L999829/bird-list?yr=curM&rank=lrec > > Tolland - Deming Young Farm Foundation > https://ebird.org/hotspot/L13602860/bird-list?yr=curM&rank=lrec > > Vernon Community Gardens > https://ebird.org/hotspot/L16550410/bird-list?yr=curM&rank=lrec > > Wallingford - Veteran’s Park > https://ebird.org/hotspot/L471935/bird-list?yr=curM&rank=lrec > > Wilton - Allen’s Meadows Park > https://ebird.org/hotspot/L464304/bird-list?yr=curM&rank=lrec > > Woodbridge Community Gardens/Fitzgerald tract > https://ebird.org/hotspot/L1290771/bird-list?yr=curM&rank=lrec > > If there are other community garden hotspots that you want to bird, please send me a hotspot link no later than this Friday 10/4. > > With Frank Mantlik’s unexpected Orchard Oriole and at least two Dickcissels at different locations this morning, our ‘harvest’ it’s already paying off! > > Good Birding, > > Chuck Imbergamo > CT Birds Moderator > Madison > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via email, send an email with just "join" or "leave" in the subject or body to: ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org > > CTBirds, a service of Connecticut Ornithological Association - Bringing birders together statewide. Please support COA: https://www.ctbirding.org/join-us/ > > CTBirds is for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For list rules and subscription information visit: https://www.ctbirding.org/birds-birding/ct-birds-email-list/

Fun idea, Chuck! Sam & I will be stopping by a candidate community garden in Litchfield on Wednesday and get a report in for the challenge. This garden, next to Rte 202 on the west side of Litchfield is included in the Graham Thompson Preserve owned by Litchfield Land Trust and is already a hotspot, the Thompson Preserve in Litchfield, first birded by Dave Rosgen in 2011. There are only 15 eBird checklists registered across time, so that will soon change, lol. Cheers, Celeste Echlin and Sam Walker Harwinton, CT