Endangered Sedge Wrens are Nesting and Drawing a Crowd at our Sanctuary in Pomfret
July 19, 2018 – A tiny endangered bird that rarely nests in the state has made a home this summer at the Connecticut Audubon Society’s Bafflin Sanctuary in Pomfret.
Read the Norwich Bulletin story about the Sedge Wrens here.
A pair of Sedge Wrens is raising a family in a field across the road from the Center at Pomfret, and another may be doing the same in a field near the center’s parking lot.
How unusual is that? Sedge Wrens weren’t found during mid-1980s fieldwork for the Atlas of Breeding Birds of Connecticut, published in 1994, and were considered “extirpated” as a breeding species in the state in Connecticut Birds, published in 1990. And although a pair nested in Newtown without much fanfare several years ago, no Sedge Wrens except the Pomfret pair have been found this year by the 450 observers participating in the current Connecticut Bird Atlas project.
This year Andy Rzeznikiewicz, Connecticut Audubon’s sanctuary manager in eastern Connecticut, monitored the area closely and announced in early July that a pair of Sedge Wrens had indeed built a nest and were feeding hatchlings.
But the nesting is not a fluke. For years Connecticut Audubon has been managing the 700-acre Bafflin Sanctuary’s habitat for birds such as Sedge Wrens – species that nest only in large grasslands. Last year, while he was leading a walk to find Virginia Rails in the same areas that the wrens are nesting this year, Rzeznikiewicz saw a lone Sedge Wren, a sign perhaps that the habitat was right.
Visitors welcome. But don’t delay.
Sedge Wrens are migratory and will leave Pomfret before the end of summer, although it’s impossible to say exactly when. They winter along the U.S. coast from New Jersey south, elsewhere in the southern U.S., and in Mexico.
They are also known for their low site fidelity – they don’t necessarily return to the same nesting location each year, as many species do. But that might be because of habitat changes in the specific places in which they’ve nested; if the wet, grassy areas the birds require disappear, so will the birds.
Which might give the Bafflin Sanctuary an advantage in attracting these birds again.
In any case, Connecticut Audubon welcomes visitors to view the birds. The Center is at 218 Day Road. The wrens are observable from a platform on Day Road. However the young birds fledged on July 18th or early on the 19th, and they and their parents are now foraging in a wider area. As summer progresses, scores of other grassland birds, particularly Bobolinks, will gather nearby to feed before migrating. So the birding is likely to be great.
July 30th update: Andy Rzeznikiewicz reports that the birds now seem to be hanging out most often across from the platform, behind the Center’s equipment barn, and in the wet meadow below the center.
News that the birds are nesting has excited the state’s birders. More than 200 have visited the sanctuary in the past week, gathering on the observation platform. They’ve been treated to the sound of the male wren singing, the call notes of the newly-fledged young, and excellent views of the adults.
For much of Connecticut, Pomfret is a long way. Birders who made the trip to see the wrens said it was worth it … |
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“I was able to see the Sedge Wrens with Jeri Duefrene and several others. It was wonderful to have the opportunity to see such a local rarity and even more exciting that there was a pair that produced offspring. I certainly hope they will continue to use the location again. The proximity to the platform was a real treat in getting to observe the female engaging in caring for her chicks.” – Donna Lorello, Branford
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“It was my first time out that way and was such a treat. The area is beautiful and the experience exceeded my expectations.” – David Funke, Manchester
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“My wife and I saw the wrens. I was one of the first to see them after reading the email… . Andy arrived shortly after we arrived at Bafflin and he graciously helped us.” – Patrick Tamborra, Salem
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| “I heard the male in the south field as I walked on the road to the platform. It was worth the trip. I saw both wrens on my two morning visits a week apart. There were many other birders on my first visit. I had never seen sedge wrens before; they are my life species #393.” – Russ Smiley, Marlborough, CT |
The first and third photos above were taken by Aaron Bourque; the second and fourth were taken by Mark Szantyr. This short video, taken by our executive director, Patrick Comins, gives you an idea of what Sedge Wrens sound like on territory.
In addition to being endangered in Connecticut, the Sedge Wren is endangered in Massachusetts and threatened in New York. The IUCN however lists it to be of “least concern” overall because its range is so large, covering much of the eastern half of North America.
Andy Rzeznikiewicz explains how the nesting came about:
“This particular field that they nested in had some major management changes done to it three years ago.
“I used to just mow the field once a year in October. It was full of nice wildflowers such as goldenrods, milkweeds and Joe-pye weed. But it also contained a large percentage of woody vegetation like bittersweet, multiflora rose, blackberry, poison ivy etc.
“I never observed a single grassland nesting bird use this field for nesting.
“So I decided to have a local farmer come in and plow and harrow the field and re-plant with grasses like timothy, fescue and red clover. He did this at zero cost to Connecticut Audubon in exchange that he could cut the field when he wanted for the first two years. On year three (which is this year) he couldn’t cut the field until after July 15. The field most likely won’t be cut until next week at the earliest due to weather conditions and other fields that I asked him to do first.
“The interesting thing about the location of the Sedge Wren nest is that it’s located in Reed Canary Grass. This is an invasive non-native grass which I have had zero success in controlling or eliminating. It only grows in the wet areas of the fields, forming a very thick dense tall grassy area. Mowing this grass really works the equipment hard when I actually cut it even in the winter!
“Even with the newly planted field the canary reed grass still took over the wet area. The second singing male is located across the street in the large 30-acre grassland behind our equipment barn. It might have a female, but the females are very quiet and secretive, and they are easily overlooked until they are feeding young birds on the nest. This bird is also located in thick reed canary grass. There is a long strip of wetlands through the middle of this field that has been colonized by the reed canary grass. So we seem to have quite of bit of habitat for multiple pairs to possibly nest.
“This large field isn’t mowed until December or January. This is our best grassland on the preserve. Bobolinks and Savannah Sparrows nested here this year and meadowlarks have nested historically there.
“Right now the post-breeding bobolinks from all the surrounding areas are starting to feed in this field. By August, there will be 200 – 300 bobolinks feeding there until sometime in September. Most winters Northern Harriers, meadowlarks, and a Short-eared Owl will use this field as well.”
