Connecticut Audubon Society Coastal Center at Milford Point

06/23/2025

We appreciate all the hard work and support from our friends at Garafalo Markets! They helped us clean up the grounds, remove invasive plants, and prepare our fleet of canoes for another season of tours in the marsh:

04/11/2025

We're extremely grateful for the generosity of our local ShopRite stores.

09/10/2024

Lights Out Tonight for the Birds!
The BirdCast model predicts high-intensity bird migration over our state tonight. Large numbers of birds will be flying! To protect migratory birds, Lights Out Connecticut recommends turning off all non-essential lighting between 11:00 PM tonight and 6:00 AM tomorrow morning:
• turn off or dim any non-essential exterior building lighting;
• close curtains or blinds to reduce the escape of interior lighting; and
• avoid illuminating lobbies, plants or fountains that may attract birds.

11/21/2023

Osprey Nation 2023: key takeaways from today's season report.
The volunteer Osprey nest stewards documented 688 active nests and 881 fledgling Ospreys — the most ever recorded by the project.
Observers found 111 nests that had not been mapped previously. This probably indicates the population is growing and its range expanding.
The use of DDT after World War II prevented Osprey eggs from hatching. By 1970 there were only 8 nests in Connecticut. But when DDT was banned 50 years ago, things slowly began to change. The number of nests found in the state has increased each year of the project.
Osprey Nation volunteers numbered 411; 148 of those were new to the program, an indication that interest is growing and the program continues to draw new participants. (Photo courtesy of Lisa Jarosik) https://www.ctaudubon.org/2023/11/a-decade-of-careful-monitoring-shows-a-large-and-widespread-osprey-population-in-connecticut/

09/26/2023

Fall is a great time to plant native asters and goldenrods. Birds love 'em, bees love 'em, butterflies adore them. Our Homegrown Habitat column has the details. Photo by Mary Gaudet-Wilson. https://www.ctaudubon.org/homegrownhabitat/

08/25/2023

Once again, a Roseate Spoonbill is visiting Connecticut and the Milford Point Coastal Center (and environs). Click the link to tead about it, and then sign up for our rare bird alerts. ()We don't have good photos yet but we have this one, taken in Connecticut in 2018 by Lesley Roy. https://www.ctaudubon.org/2023/08/rare-bird-alert-once-again-a-roseate-spoonbill-visits-connecticut-and-the-milford-point-coastal-center/

08/08/2023

Our wonderful staff and volunteers have been tracking another banner year for Osprey:

It could be another peak year for Connecticut’s osprey after the shorebirds’ numbers were decimated just a few decades ago. Community scientists are part of the reason the osprey population has been able to soar.

07/25/2023

Combine tough little birds and diligent conservation with a bit of luck, and the result is a record year for threatened Piping Plovers at Milford Point https://www.ctaudubon.org/2023/07/combine-tough-little-birds-and-diligent-conservation-with-a-bit-of-luck-and-the-result-is-a-record-year-for-threatened-piping-plovers-at-milford-point/

06/28/2023

Registration is now open for our Canoe and Kayak tours of the Wheeler Marsh: https://www.ctaudubon.org/coastal-center-programs-events/

05/06/2023

Lights Out is a simple way to help birds during their journey north:

Lights Out Alert! Nocturnal migration is increasing over Connecticut the next few nights, with an estimated 250,000 birds will migrate through Connecticut’s skies each night. Help keep them safe by turning off your outside lights tonight and drawing your blinds.

Why is it important? As migrating birds pass over brightly lit cities, skyglow drowns out the stars, confusing them and luring them into urban areas. Once trapped in the windowed maze of the city, birds either hit buildings directly or circle them until they collapse from exhaustion. Lights Out Connecticut is an effort to help prevent birds from being distracted by artificial light in our state: www.lightsoutct.org.

02/21/2023

Registration is open for summer camp at the Coastal Center. Weekly, nature-themed sessions, for ages 5-12, run June 26-August 18. Don’t miss the chance to sign up as spaces fill fast! The Center’s unique natural setting, along with caring, knowledgeable education staff, ensure an unforgettable experience that families have been coming back to year after year. Learn much more about this opportunity for fun, hands-on learning and outdoor adventure at: www.ctaudubon.org/coastal-center-summer-camp/.

02/11/2023

Adults with an interest in learning about watercolor painting, who are captivated by birds, can pursue both interests at once in the Beginner Avian Watercolor Class at the Milford Point Coastal Center. The 8-class series starts Sunday, Feb. 26, meeting from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Instructor Jeanne Board-Fayumi will teach the fundamentals of watercolor tools, uses, products and techniques, as well as examine avian anatomy. Inspiration will be provided by the sweeping wetland and river views outside the Center’s picture windows. Class size limited; don’t wait long to register. Learn more at: www.ctaudubon.org/2022/09/beginner-adult-avhttps-www-ctaudubon-org-2022-09-register-adult-avian-watercolor-class-ian-watercolor-class-2/.