Southern New England Outdoor and Nature Site: Hammonasset State Park and Beach, Madison, CT

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Hammonasset State Park and Beach, Madison, CT

Miles of beach at HSP

This morning I went on a day trip to Hammonasset State Park. I rarely go to Connecticut, so it was a new experience for me. Hammonasset (or as I am going to call it, HSP) is considered one of the premier birding locations in the northeast. It is especially good during the fall migration and the winter. I was really looking forward to this trip. I got up early and arrived a little after the gates opened at 8 am.

HSP is a full hundred miles from my house. It is just over forty miles from Rhode Island and seventy miles from New York. However, it is very easy to get to. It is just a couple miles off of I-95. It is off Exit 62. Once you take a left at the end of the ramp, it is a straight shot into the park.

Since I had never been there, I didn't know where to go. Admission is free during the off-season. This is a state beach, so expect to pay a hefty entrance fee during the summer months. Since it was free, there wasn't anyone at the gate to ask for a map or advice ( I will take that as trade for free admission!!!) I decided to drive the park road to the end to get a feel for the place. The road ends at a point. It faces south into Long Island Sound, To the east and west you can see miles of the Connecticut shore. To the west of the point, Hammonasset Beach stretches for a couple of miles. There are at least two restrooms and vending machines along the beach.

Black Bellied Plovers

Near the end of the point is a small pond. It had a couple Greater Yellowlegs and a mallard duck. A few sandpipers flew in, but left just as quickly before I could ID them.

After my short walk around the point I headed back towards the Nature Center. Another road went
right towards some woods. I followed it to another parking area. At this spot is the trailhead to the Willards Island Nature Trail. This was a pretty walk through the woods. There were hardwoods and pines. All of it surrounded by a huge saltmarsh. On this trail I saw a bald eagle fly over my head. It was going south. I saw a bunch of songbirds. Over the marsh I saw a Northern Harrier and a Sharp Shinned Hawk flying.

Because this park juts so far out to sea, it a natural migrant trap. As birds start flying south, they run out of land at this spot. The end of the line, if you will. So the birds stop, rest up, and feed. It gets bird nerds like me a chance to see a bunch of birds. For the record, the most famous migrant trap in the U.S. is Cape May, NJ.

By far, the highlight of my day was a Red Tailed Hawk. It was sitting in a short pine tree when I saw it. At that point I was only 20 feet from it. I thought for sure it was going to spook. Just after I saw it a field trip full of fifth graders came walking by. I thought my chance to see this

Red Tailed Hawk

bird was over. I was shocked when twenty kids walked within feet of the the hawk and it didn't move. After the kids went by I snapped a few more pictures. It had bigger problems then me or kids. It was getting harassed by a mocking bird that wouldn't quit. On a side note, the biggest lowlight of the day were field trips. I could not get away from kids no matter where I went. There were ten buses in the parking lot. Each group spread out throught the park. On the bright side, what a nice late October day for a field trip. High temperature was seventy degrees today!

Because this park is such a famous birding location, I will make the 200 mile round trip again in the winter. With all the marsh and fields I can see why birds of prey like this area. Even today, I saw four species of raptors. I also can see why this place is so popular with Connecticut residents. The beach is big and beautiful. The scenery is nice. There are miles of walking trails. A lot of people were bike riding today. Best of all for those that want to go during the warm seasons, there is even a campground.