By John Kriz
Sibley Lecture
Renowned bird expert and author David Sibley spoke to a full house at the New Canaan Library on Saturday, September 7 on his study, writings and drawings of birds.
The child of an ornithologist, Mr. Sibley developed an interest in birds from an early age. Raised in nearby Guilford, the self-taught artist finds that drawing birds helps him understand their ‘shapes and features.’ He termed it ‘an interview with a bird.’ He doesn’t feel he’s seen a bird until he’s drawn it.
This lecture was part of the festivities surrounding the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the 17-acre Helen and Alice Bristow Bird Sanctuary and Wildwood Preserve adjacent to Mead Park. It is the nation’s third-oldest bird sanctuary. The Town-owned preserve, which had been run down, has undergone a substantial renovation, with improved paths, seating and habitat restoration, led by Friends of Bristow Park, the New Canaan Conservation Commission, New Canaan Land Trust, and the Town of New Canaan, supported by many charities, such as the New Canaan Community Foundation and the New Canaan Exchange Club. Further renovations are planned.
Mr. Sibley shared many of his drawings of birds with the audience, using them to discuss the birds’ characteristics. These drawings were a foundation for his field guide, first published in 2000.
Eventually he focused more on the science of precise bird identification, as well as trying to better understand ‘what birds are doing and why.’ His recent book What It’s Like to Be a Bird is a result of these efforts.
As examples, Mr. Sibley discussed killdeer (a bird species), which can produce a chemical camouflage during nesting season to hide from mammal predators. In addition, killdeer pretend to be injured and then lure predators away from its nest. He also noted that birds have an ‘incredible sense of balance,’ with sensors in both their ears and pelvis. Pigeons bob their heads to help give them a clear view of surroundings as they walk, and barn owls can find a mouse in a pitch black room based on sound alone.
Birds have been a focus of conservation for over a century, with concern about feather harvesting to adorn ladies’ hats being the catalyst for early bird conservation laws.
Mr. Sibley emphasized that birds need habitat to eat and breed, but that habitat loss is a problem, citing the eastern meadowlark which is disappearing due to fewer farms and more intense agricultural practices.
In addition, many birds are now migrating. They remember places on their travels that have food, cover and water, and return season after season. This is one reason why places such as New Canaan’s Helen and Alice Bristow Bird Sanctuary and Wildwood Preserve are so valuable.
Bristow’s 100th Anniversary
A large, lively group gathered in Bristow Sanctuary on Sunday, September 8 under a bright late summer sky to rededicate the park, and learn more about the Sanctuary’s plans and the birds, other animals and plants that call it home.
New Canaan First Selectman Dionna Carlson led off, noting the vision of a century ago in establishing the Bristow Sanctuary, but how it had become rundown, with Chris Schipper taking initiative and community leadership by working to gather money and talent to restore it. She also noted the many donors who have been participating in the effort.
Keynote speaker ornithologist David Sibley discussed how people have become separated from nature, and how birdwatching helps us understand our connections to habitats, wildlife and trees. People and nature are a network full of patterns, which helps us ‘make sense of things.’ Birdwatching is a way to reconnect with nature, and being in nature is like a healthy drug, reducing stress. He closed by noting there is no distinction between humans and nature, that there isn’t a walled garden out there: ‘It is all connected.’
The audience was then treated to the world premiere of All Nature Sings, composed and led by New Canaan native Gwyneth Walker, and performed by woodwind quintet Harmonia V. She based the five-movement piece on several poems, which were read by various town dignitaries.
This was followed by the unveiling of a statue of St. Francis of Assisi by Leo and his brother Selectman Steve Karl – the Karl family has a long association with Bristow Sanctuary — with remarks by Rev. Scott Herr, rector of New Canaan’s First Presbyterian Church. The New Canaan High School Madrigals then enchanted the audience by singing Dona Nobis Pacem (Give Us Peace).
Last on the program was the release by the pond of rescued birds, including robins, bluebirds and mourning doves, by Wildlife in Crisis. This charity has been releasing rescued birds in Bristow for several years. Chris Schipper noted after the birds were released that David Sibley led a morning bird walk that day and had identified 124 birds in Bristow Sanctuary.
Then people gathered to enjoy cake, cookies and cider, and to chat. The cake was a culinary tour de force: It was shaped and colored as a detailed map of the Bristow Bird Sanctuary.
I seek acquaintance with Nature,
to know her moods and her manners.
I wish to know an entire heaven
and an entire earth!
Acquaintance with Nature
Henry David Thoreau
(Excerpt from one of
the poems read)
Bristow’s History & Future
New Canaan residents established the Bird Protective Society in 1916. One of its early goals was to establish a bird sanctuary in town. This goal was realized in the summer of 1924 with the purchase for $8,000 of 17 acres of wetlands and gravel pits next to Mead Park, most of the funding being supplied by Edith Olcott van Gerbig, a local philanthropist. An initial census found 91 bird species at Bristow, including pheasant and ruffed grouse. The property was deeded to the Town in 1934 by the Bird Protective Society, with conservation restrictions, due to challenges in maintaining the sanctuary. In 1987 the Sanctuary was rededicated to sisters Helen and Alice Bristow, who had been avid members of the Bird Protective Society.
Further challenges, including infrastructure maintenance and an increase in invasive species, caused several residents to organize to revitalize Bristow Sanctuary. The Friends of Bristow Park was the result, raising funds and attention to create a second-century master plan, which includes making the GreenLink Trail that runs through the Sanctuary more senior- and stroller-friendly, pond dredging, improved seating for bird viewing, adding bird houses and feeders, increasing native plant diversity, repairing fences, remodeling the entrances to improve access and parking, and installing a Pollinator Pathway. More information at www.bristowpark.com
