23 Bird Species Identified at Hilltop Bird Watch

Joan Heffernen, a novice birder and long-time volunteer at The Friends of the Farm at Hilltop, led a September 8 bird walk for the Hartford Audubon Society at Hilltop Farm where 23 species were identified.

Fourteen birders attended the two-hour, two mile walk, which included views of Hilltop pollinator and butterfly gardens located at the back of the giant white dairy barn. Past Hartford Audubon Society grants had helped pay for plantings in those gardens and along a section of the field bordering the Farm’s wetlands boardwalk.

Attendees enjoyed pleasant mid-70 temps as they traversed some of the 84 acres that comprise Hilltop Farm and adjacent property that the Farm leases from the the Town of Suffield.

The Farm has experienced extensive tree damage from summer storms, including the loss of a beloved 200+ year old oak, so birders made some detours through portions of the walk.

After the walk, remaining attendees were treated to a tour of the cathedral-like inside of the giant dairy barn, which has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places since 2005.

More about hilltop at https://www.hilltopfarmsuffield.org.