News & Visitor Information at the Coastal Center at Milford Point
Due to the rise in COVID infections, the center building is temporarily closed. The building will re-open on February 1, 2022. Please continue to enjoy the sanctuary which remains open from dawn to dusk.
Staff will continue to answer emails and phone calls during regular business hours.
Coastal Center at Milford Point Summer Camp 2022
Registration will open on Tuesday, February 15, 2022
Click here to download the 2022 Summer Camp brochure.
For any immediate questions, please email our summer camp director.
Coming in February…..
Birding 101: The Series Starts February 17
An adult learning series about our bird neighbors. For more information and to register click here
School Vacation Day Program, Friday, February 18 For more information and to register click here
Leave No Trace
Sunday February 27, 9 – 11 a.m.
Learn the principles of Leave No Trace to help protect and enjoy the natural world. Please check back soon for more information and registration information.
If you have any questions, please email Carol Kratzman, our program director.
Cardinal by Richard Stone
Wakefern Food Corp./ShopRite supports Coastal Center programs.
This year funding from Wakefern Corp/ShopRite sponsored our 25thAnniversary programming
which included an inaugural photo contest, a relaunching of our guided canoe and kayak trips and our ever-popular bird walks.
25th Anniversary Grand Prize photo by Matthew Collen
Bird walks at the Coastal Center feature a stop on the beach over-looking the marsh-lined lagoon.
A relaxing paddle in the Wheeler Marsh
The Nature Store at the Coastal Center at Milford Point
Shop local and support the Connecticut Audubon Society!
Coastal Center Sanctuary Rules
Please be sure to familiarize yourself with the rules of our grounds before your visit:
If you have any questions, please contact the center.
Coastal Center at Milford Point – Big Sit! Update
The final bird count is in!
Our birding team, B.W. Surf Scopers, participated in yet another The Big Sit! competition on Sunday, October 10, 2021. The core members Frank Gallo, Jim Dugan, Patrick Dugan, and Frank Mantlik were grateful for the participation by birders Tom Murray and Stefan Martin. We started at 4:37 a.m., birded over 14 hours straight, then quit at 7 p.m. We tallied 82 species.
Unfortunately, the weather was less than ideal. While the temperatures were seasonable 58-64F, it was mostly cloudy and humid, the winds were strong from the ENE (10-23 mph) all day, and it rained 11:45 a.m. -1:30 p.m. The tide was exceptionally high (3 p.m.), flooding the salt marsh and washing over the road and the sandbar. To read more including ebird list and photos click here
If you’ve already supported our wonderful Big Sit team, we thank you. And if you haven’t yet donated to this fundraiser, please consider doing so and help us reach our goal!
So far we’ve raised $7,110 and have surpassed our goal of $7000!
Your generous support helps us sustain our important, far-reaching, education and conservation efforts
Click here to help the Coastal Center by making a Big Sit donation.
The Big Sit Platform, October 10, 2021
The Big Sit 2021 birders: Patrick Dugan, Frank Mantlik, Jim Duggan and Frank Gallo
PURPLE MARTIN COLONY – 2021 SUMMARY
Martins perching on June 26, 2020. Photo © Frank Mantlik
PURPLE MARTIN COLONY – 2021 SUMMARY
Connecticut Audubon Society
Coastal Center at Milford Point
September 3, 2021
The Purple Martin colony at the Coastal Center had a very successful nesting season. The nest gourds were installed April 2, and the first returning “scout”,
a male, was seen April 15. By the end of April, 25 Martins were counted. The first nests were started mid-May, and the first eggs were laid around June 1. The number of active nests grew to 44 by June 25. A total of 191 eggs were laid, the first chicks hatched about
June 15, and the first few chicks fledged about July 8.
On July 16, our team (augmented by Milan Bull, Deidra Wallin, and Chris Cerillo) assisted CT DEEP biologists in banding 86 chicks – with federal numbered aluminum and orange-colored leg bands – which were then returned to their respective nests. This is one of the largest Purple Martin colonies in Connecticut.
Overall, an estimated 120 chicks fledged (the last one fledged on or about August 1). The adult and young Purple Martins are well on their way to their wintering territory in the Amazon River basin of South America. Have a safe journey, and we will see many of you back in Milford next spring!
Thanks to all the staff and volunteers who helped with this project, including conducting weekly nest checks, and maintaining and cleaning the 71 gourds: Stefan Martin, Milan Bull, Kat Gillis, John Mager, Lori Romick, George Amato, Gilles Carter, and Pam Landry.
Thanks also to all the people who made a donation by adopting one or more gourds. Your support makes this important project possible.
Frank Mantlik
Coastal Center Advisory Board Member
Milford Purple Martin Team Leader
Purple Martin Nest Check © Frank Mantlik
Purple Martin parents waiting 7/16/2021. © Frank Mantlik
CT DEEP Purple Martin banding tent at the Coastal Center @Frank Mantlik
Nesting season is finished for this year but please watch for updates next spring about how you can play a direct role in conservation by adopting a Purple Martin gourd.
Your adoption will help maintain the structures and support the staff effort to monitor and check the nests each week — essential tasks for protecting Purple Martins.
Purple Martins are completely dependent on human-made structures, either boxes or gourds, for their survival.
This species was listed as “threatened” in Connecticut until about six years ago. Because of its increasing population, largely the result of the careful management of colonies, its status was changed to “special concern.”
The team at work checking, cleaning and keeping records at the colony. Photo © Frank Mantlik
Purple Martins have declined in many areas nationwide, including Connecticut and New England. According to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, competition with invasive House Sparrows and Starlings for nesting space, and pesticides poisoning their food supply are contributors to their decline.
Purple Martins are beautiful, much-admired songbirds, and these popular swallows are sought after as backyard birds all across the U.S., particularly in the south and east. They feed only on flying insects. They are often mistakenly thought to control mosquitoes. That’s not quite true. They feed on a much wider variety of insects including dragonflies, which themselves feed on mosquitoes.
Purple Martins are not easy to attract, requiring certain habitat and landscape conditions, usually open areas near water, but once a colony is established, they will return every year to breed and raise their young.
25th Anniversary Photo Contest Winners
Thank you to those that submitted photographs to the Coastal Center’s 25th Anniversary Photo Contest. After careful review of the submitted entries, we have the pleasure of announcing the winners of each category.
We wish to thank Milford Photo for their partnership in the contest, providing the prizes for the winners and for the judging process.
GRAND PRIZE WINNER
Matthew Collen – submission 3
photo by Matthew Collen
CATEGORY: BIRDS
1st Prize – Scott Burton, Submission 1
photo by Scott Burton
2nd Prize – Michael Lello, Submission 3
photo by Michael Lello
3rd Prize – Sandy Schill, Submission 5
photo by Sandy Schill
CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENT
1st Prize – Kara-Lynn Flockhart, Submission 1
photo by Kara-Lynn Flockhart
2nd Prize – Beth Malarkey Maroney, Submission 3
photo by Beth Malarkey Maroney
3rd Prize – Gretchen Hayden, Submission 1
photo by Gretchen Hayden
CATEGORY: PEOPLE
1st Prize – Mathew Collen, Submission 4
photo by Matthew Collen
2nd Prize – Sandy Schill, Submission 1
photo by Sandy Schill
3rd Prize – Song Teoh, Submission 1
photo by Song Teoh
CATEGORY: YOUTH
1st Prize – Lily Flockhart, Submission 2
photo by Lily Flockhart
2nd Prize – Keren Tan, Submission 1
photo by Keren Tan
3rd Prize – Lily Flockhart, Submission 1
photo by Lily Flockhart
Many thanks to photo contest judge Elisa Deely of Milford Photo
Elisa is a Connecticut-based photographer who received a BFA in photography from the University of Hartford in 2019. Typically, her images are shot on location and taken with a 6×6 or 4×5 camera. Her work focuses on domestic and mundane spaces. She is currently working as a Photo Editor and Fine Art Printer at Milford Photo.
The Connecticut Audubon Society Celebrates 25 Years of Education and Conservation in Milford
From left: Connecticut Audubon Society Executive Director Patrick Comins, Alderman Marty Hardiman, Alderman Frank Smith, Milford Mayor Ben Blake, Coastal Center Board Chair June Renzulli and Southwest Regional Director Shari Greenblatt.
The Connecticut Audubon Society celebrated the 25th anniversary of its Coastal Center at Milford Point with a small gathering of dedicated friends, neighbors and supporters on Wednesday, October 21. The afternoon, outdoor event was the kick-off to acknowledge a milestone that will be recognized with other events and activities in the year ahead.
Against the background of the Charles Wheeler Salt Marsh and Wildlife Management Area, Milford Mayor Ben Blake presented a proclamation affirming the Center’s “esteemed services for the past quarter century.” In his remarks, Blake emphasized the value of Connecticut Audubon’s presence in the Milford community saying, “The Coastal Center has been a treasure for kids and students of all ages.”
Connecticut Audubon’s Southwest Regional Director Shari Greenblatt expressed disappointment that, “due to the pandemic, we could not invite all our members, volunteers and supporters to be here today to thank them in person for all the ways they have contributed to the Center’s growth and success. The Coastal Center is a gem in Milford that we are very proud of, but it’s taken the work of many people to achieve this together.”
During this anniversary year, the community and Connecticut Audubon supporters will have additional chances to participate in the celebration. Announcements will be made soon about an upcoming photo contest in partnership with Milford Photo, and a “25 for 25 Fundraising Campaign.”
For 25 years, the Coastal Center at Milford Point has educated children and adults, promoting awareness and fostering the preservation of Long Island Sound’s ecosystem, birds and other wildlife inhabitants. Greenblatt said, “The Center now reaches thousands of schoolchildren annually with both on-site and outreach programs. We also offer summer camps, public programs, and a wildlife sanctuary that serves as a partner in many statewide conservation efforts and which is treasured by birders and other visitors year-round.”
Designated an Audubon Important Birding Area in 2002, the Coastal Center at Milford Point received the Best Recreational Award for 2020 from the Milford Chamber of Commerce and Milford Living Magazine, and was listed as Number 5 in the Top 15 Things to Do in Milford by the Crazy Tourist website.
The Connecticut Audubon Society conserves Connecticut’s environment through science-based education and advocacy focused on the state’s bird populations and habitats.
General Information
The boardwalk leading to the Sound. Photo courtesy of Anthony Donofrio.
Connecticut Audubon Society’s Coastal Center at Milford Point is located on an 8.4-acre barrier beach, next to the 840-acre Charles Wheeler Salt Marsh and Wildlife Management Area at the mouth of the Housatonic River.
The Coastal Center promotes the awareness and preservation of Long Island Sound’s ecosystem, and the birds and habitats it supports. Visitors to the center have access to the Sound and to tidal salt marshes, barrier beaches, tide pools, and coastal dunes.
The Coastal Center is a bird-watcher’s paradise – 315 species have been seen here, including many rarities.
We offer a full range of educational programs and events for families, children, and adults.
The Coastal Center provides educational exhibits, a tide pool demonstration tank, a salt-marsh laboratory, and program and meeting rooms.
The Coastal Center’s grounds encompass the 8-acre Smith-Hubbell Wildlife Refuge and Bird Sanctuary, a boardwalk and three other observation platforms, including a 70-foot covered tower for panoramic vistas.
Viewers from around the world watch the Center’s seasonal Osprey Cam, operated from our 18-foot tall nesting platform.
Directions
