Roy and Margot Larsen Bird Sanctuary
2325 Burr Street, Fairfield, Fairfield County, Connecticut
160 acres
Source: Hardy, #4
Closed Mondays.
Directions:
From the eastbound lanes of the Merritt Parkway (CT 15); get off at exit 44 in Fairfield; immediately turn right (west) onto Congress Street; drive 1.2 miles and turn right onto Burr Street; drive 1.1 miles to the sanctuary entrance on the left.
History:
This once was farm land. It is now owned by the Connecticut Audubon Society. Admission for non-residents or non-members of the CT Audubon Society.
Habitats:
nature center, brook, woodland, marshes, ponds, streams, vernal ponds, meadows
Trails:
The walk is a circular one of only 1.5 miles of length, but there is a 6.5 mile long trail network.
11/21/205. On a cool, frosty day, Ceferino Santana, dog Sonar and I took a loop trail around the Sanctuary grounds. We start out on the Edna Strube Chiboucas Special Use Trail. In a short distance we come to the Garden Marsh; we pick up Streamside Trail on the right; boardwalk; second boardwalk; end of second boardwalk is Hidden Pond; turn left; come upon a T-intersection at Wood Pond; The Rock Ledge Trail goes off to the left. We took Chipmunk Run, turning right. Turn left to head south along the stream. We now find ourselves in a valley. Go uphill to the right. The Azalea Trail goes off right (north). Later we make a right turn (heading west). Old Farm trail goes right (heading north). We stay on Chipmunk Run which takes us to a left turn (west) and along a gas pipe line cut. Dirty Swamp Trail goes left (south) off Chipmunk Run heading over the gas pipe line cut. The trail heads between two stone walls. We next reach still a third trail heading off right (north), the Cottontail Cut-off. We go over a stream on a boardwalk. Muskrat Hollow Trail goes left (south).
Reach what we'll call Five Points because, standing in the middle of the circle one has a choice of 5 different trails. 1)Sturges Pond Trails heads north and then west; 2) Country Lane heads north; 3) Chipmunk Run heads east; 4) the other side of Country Lane heads west and then south; and 5) the Westwoods Trail heads west then south.
We turn right (north) on Country Lane. With a short walk, the trail reaches the intersection with the Trillium Trail on the right (heading east). On the left the Sturges Pond Trail comes in. The next trail is the Chiboucas Trail; we keep going straight on Country Lane; a horseshoe turn brings us to a pond on our left, part of a small loop trail section bringing us back to Chiboucas Trail. We turn left onto that trail, heading generally east; we pass by a marsh and then through a stone wall opening; before reaching the boardwalk heading over a stream, on the left is Deer Meadow Loop. The boardwalk goes over part of the headwaters of Sasco Creek. Reaching a T-intersection we go left, then through another stone wall, just after passing the intersection with Azalea Trail.
We come back to the Streamside Trail and then complete the loop trail by heading back to our car. Dr. Patrick L. Cooney.
PLANT LIST:
Dr. Patrick L. Cooney, 11/21/2005
Trees:
Acer rubrum (red maple)
Acer saccharum (sugar maple)
Betula alleghaniensis (yellow birch)
Betula lenta (black birch)
Betula populifolia (gray birch)
Carpinus caroliniana (musclewood)
Celtis occidentalis (hackberry)
Fagus grandifolia (American beech)
Ilex opaca (American holly)
Juniperus virginiana (red cedar)
Liriodendron tulipifera (tulip tree)
Picea abies (Norway spruce)
Pinus strobus (white pine)
Populus grandidentata (big-toothed aspen)
Prunus serotina (black cherry)
Pyrus malus (apple) sanctuary literature
Pyrus sp. (crab apple)
Quercus alba (white oak)
Quercus palustris (pin oak)
Quercus rubra (red oak)
Quercus velutina (black oak)
Salix sp. (willow)
Sassafras albidum (sassafras)
Tsuga canadensis (eastern hemlock)
Shrubs:
Alnus serrulata (smooth alder)
Berberis thunbergii (Japanese barberry)
Cephalanthus occidentalis (buttonbush)
Clethra alnifolia (sweet pepperbush)
Cornus amomum (swamp dogwood)
Decodon verticillatus (swamp loosestrife)
Elaeagnus umbellata (autumn olive)
Euonymus alatus (winged euonymus)
Hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel)
Ilex verticillata (winterberry holly)
Kalmia latifolia (mountain laurel) sanctuary literature
Lindera benzoin (spice bush)
Lonicera morrowii (Morrow's honeysuckle)
Pieris sp. (andromeda)
Rhododendron sp. (rhododendron) sanctuary literature
Rosa multiflora (multiflora rose)
Rubus occidentalis (black raspberry)
Rubus phoenicolasius (wineberry)
Rubus sp. (dewberry)
Rubus sp. (blackberry)
Vaccinium corymbosum (highbush blueberry)
Viburnum sp. (hobblebush) ?
Viburnum dentatum (arrowwood viburnum)
Vines:
Celastrus orbiculatus (Asiatic bittersweet)
Lonicera japonica (Japanese honeysuckle)
Smilax rotundifolia (round-leaved greenbrier)
Toxicodendron radicans (poison ivy)
Vitis sp. (grape)
(vine with long pea pods)
Herbs:
Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard)
Asclepias tuberosa (butterfly weed)
Aster sp. (aster)
Caltha palustris (marsh marigold) sanctuary literature
Lemna sp. (duckweed)
Monotropa uniflora (Indian pipe)
Plantago major (common plantain)
Ranunculus hispidus var. caricetorium (swamp buttercup)
Solidago sp. (goldenrod)
Symplocarpus foetidus (skunk cabbage)
Typha latifolia (broad-leaved cattail)
(water meal)
Rushes:
Juncus effusus (soft rush)
Sedges:
Carex lurida (sallow sedge)
Carex stricta (tussock sedge)
Grasses:
Panicum clandestinum (deer-tongue grass)
Phragmites australis (giant reed grass)
Ferns and Fern Allies:
Lycopodium obscurum (ground pine clubmoss)
Onoclea sensibilis (sensitive fern)
Osmunda cinnamomea (cinnamon fern)
Osmunda regalis (royal fern)
Polystichum acrostichoides (Christmas fern)