Lily Pads in Cohen Woodlands Pond 6-30-09On my last day in Connecticut I took a drive out to the Ruby and Elizabeth Cohen Woodlands located on McDonald Road off Route 354 in Colchester. After two weeks of endless rain, this day dawned bright and sunny. The property is named for Ruby and Elizabeth Cohen. Ruby Cohen served 30 consecutive years in the Connecticut legislature. He was also the one-time owner of Harry's Place, a favorite hamburger stand still in operation in Colchester Center. This 121 acre property was owned by him and purchased by the town in 2000 as a town park.
Ruby and Elizabeth Cohen Woodlands 6-30-09There is an ample parking lot with a porta potty on the edge.
Gazebo 6-30-09Right next to the parking area is a shady gazebo.
Baby Barn Swallow on the Gazebo 6-30-09Which also serves as a launching pad for baby barn swallows!
Pond and meadows across from Parking lot on McDonald Rd.McDonald Road bisects the park with a pond on either side. The ponds are surrounded by towering trees and grassy meadows.
Gazebo Pond by parking lot. 6-30-09Beyond the gazebo pond lies a vast woodland with shady trails. I did not venture down the trails, but chose to stay out in the bright sunshine!
Northern Rough-winged swallow takes flight 6-30-09There was so much to see right here in the open, with Canada geese in the pond, a great-blue heron stalking fish, Eastern bluebirds hunting insects and swallows on the wing!
Bees in the Bird House 6-30-09A row of bluebird house rim the pond across the street. While some are occupied by swallows, this one has been taken over by the bees...
Song Sparrow 6-30-09...and in the grassy meadows the song and savannah sparrows sing,
A Quiet place to sit 6-30-09...while I wander back to the picnic tables that sit beneath the towering white pines. I find a quiet place to sit and think with bird song filling the air, sunshine warming my skin, and and a soft breeze ruffling my hair.
I would highly recommend Cohen Woodlands as an excellent place to watch birds. I was able to identify 31 species in the short 2 hours I spent there but I know there were a few more that I could not. Next year when I return to Connecticut I will certainly return here, for there is so much more to explore.
Birds seen at Cohen Woodlands:
- Canada Goose
- Great-blue heron
- Turkey vulture
- Mourning dove
- Ruby-throated hummingbird
- Great-crested flycatcher
- Eastern kingbird
- Blue jay
- American Crow
- Tree Swallow
- N. rough-winged swallow
- Barn swallow
- Black-capped chickadee
- tufted titmouse
- Eastern bluebird
- Wood thrush
- Robin
- Gray Catbird
- Cedar Waxwing
- Pine Warbler
- Ovenbird
- Common yellow-throat
- Eastern towhee
- Chipping sparrow
- Savannah sparrow
- Song sparrow
- Northern Cardinal
- Red-winged blackbird
- Brown-headed cowbird
- American goldfinch
- House sparrow
22 comments:
What a lovely park and what terrific photos! Definitely my kind of place. Great bird shots as well! Marvelous post with lots of interesting info to go with the photos!
Looks like a great park. I'm amazed by how many birds you were able to identify in a short time.
Thanks for the tour, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Beautiful photos of a beautiful place!
What a wonderful place. In addition to the birds, I am thrilled to see a part of the world inhbited by my ancestos in the seventeenth century.
I would love to explore that marvelous green place. The baby barn swallow is so cute. That's quite a list of birds you saw.
Kathie: What a neat place and it was full of birds.
Beautiful spot indeed, perfect lace to sit and swee what comes along. And those lily pads - gorgeous natural abstraction!
It looks like a lovely place to spend time, Kathy! and it seems to be Barn Swallow baby season just about everywhere. They are sooooooo cute.
Your first photo is fabulous - it looks like an abstract painting. I love the way the colors work in it.
This looks like a great bird-watching park. I could see myself spending some serious time there. Thanks for sharing it!
What a beautiful place. That first capture of the lily pads is awesome and looks like a painting. And the you swallow is cute, still having it's big mouth yet looking almost like an adult. A teenager!
That touched my heart. That baby bird looks like he is all about being here to be a bird. I just want him to thrive.
Thanks for your comment on my blog.
Beautiful pictures. Your bird photos are truly great! Have a nice week!
Great selection of photos and what a nice variety of birds. I would love to do some bird watching there
wow what a magnificent pictures and how did you catch that bird in flight so perfectly
What a lovely treat that park was for you. A delightful and soothing find to do some gentle bird watching and to refresh your soul.
I don't know much about birds, but a great selection of photos. I particularly like the colour contrasts in the first one.
i so enjoyed the whole post but the capture of the lilly pad was awesome. like colored discs...very nice.
have a wonderful day.
Wonderful and informative post !!
Very cool captures of the park ...but I also thought that the lily pads were really good. Lovely colours and the shot looks so peaceful..
Another awesome look into your world Kathie, thanks for the great tour.
The Lilly pad image is just brilliant Kathie.
That was on my list of places that I was curious about but haven't visited yet.-I think my wife would like tit there-maybe we'll go for a little birding and picnic.
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