Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge
The Stewart B. McKinney NWR is comprised of eight parcels of land that are stretched across Connecticut's shoreline. Located on the Atlantic Flyway, the refuge provides important resting, feeding, and nesting habitat for many species of wading birds, shorebirds, songbirds and terns, including the endangered roseate tern. Adjacent waters serve as wintering habitat for brant, scoters, American black duck and other waterfowl. The headquarters are located at Salt Meadow Unit, and it is here, along with the Milford Point Unit that one would recommend birding. Check the grassland area behind the headquarters at Salt Meadow for nesting Woodcocks. Over 280 species of migrating neotropical birds have been recorded here during the spring and fall migrations. The Milford Point Unit is a nesting spot for Piping Plovers and is noted for these and other shorebirds. Migration here can be good with both land bird and shorebirds coming through in good numbers. Unfortunately though, recent habitat loss has impacted on this. Over 300 bird species have been recorded from Milford Point.
The White Memorial Conservation Center
The White Memorial Conservation Center is located in the heart of the 4000-acre White Memorial Foundation in the hills of northwestern Connecticut. Offering a mixed habitat of old-growth forest, mixed woods, fields, marshes, water and woodlands and with 35 miles of trails, this is the best birding spot in north west Connecticut. There is also an excellent boardwalk that gives you good birding vantage points. The entrance to the Center is located off Route 202 between Litchfield and Bantam, approximately 2 miles west of Litchfield on Whitehall Road