Birding at Coogan Farm
Birding at Coogan Farm gives beginners and experienced birdwatchers a guided look at the migrating and resident birds found across the Mystic property on Saturday, August 29.
The two-hour morning walk begins at 8 a.m.. It is led by Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center Outreach Coordinator Lauren Michael, a field biologist whose work has taken her across North America studying everything from songbirds and seabirds to rails.
The program is designed as a crash course in birding, so newcomers don’t need to arrive knowing the difference between a warbler and a vireo. All skill levels are welcome.
Looking and Listening
Finding birds is only half the challenge.
Figuring out what you’ve found is where things get interesting.
DPNC naturalists will help participants identify birds by both sight and sound, while sharing practical techniques for knowing where and when to look for different species.
The group will search Coogan Farm for songbirds and raptors, including both birds that live in the area and migrants moving through southeastern Connecticut.
Late August makes that distinction particularly interesting.
Summer may still have several weeks left on the calendar, but the fall migration is already underway for many bird species. Some birds begin moving south surprisingly early, turning late summer into a transitional period when resident birds share the landscape with travelers beginning much longer journeys.
Meet Lauren Michael
Saturday’s guide brings considerably more than casual birdwatching experience to the walk.
Lauren Michael serves as Outreach Coordinator at Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center, but before joining DPNC she spent much of her twenties traveling across North America as a field biologist.
Her research involved a wide range of birds, including songbirds, seabirds and the famously secretive rail.
Michael earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from Kenyon College in Ohio before completing a Master of Science at the University of Rhode Island.
For her graduate work, she studied long-term trends in migratory songbirds on Block Island.
That background is particularly well suited to an August bird walk focused partly on migration.
Bring the Camera
Bird photographers are welcome, too.
In fact, DPNC notes that photographers benefit from having an entire group searching the landscape at once.
One person catches movement in a tree.
Someone else hears a call.
Another spots a raptor overhead.
Suddenly everyone knows where to point their binoculars or camera.
It’s one of the advantages of birding with a group, particularly for people accustomed to trying to locate birds alone.
Exploring Coogan Farm
The walk takes place at Coogan Farm, DPNC’s property along Greenmanville Avenue in Mystic.
The landscape provides different types of habitat to explore rather than confining birders to a single viewing area. That variety gives the group opportunities to look and listen for different birds while learning how habitat can provide clues about what species might be nearby.
The morning is intended for adults and older children with an interest in birding.
Pre-registration is required.
You Don’t Need to Be an Expert
That’s probably the most useful thing for a first-time birder to know.
Nobody expects you to arrive with a life list several hundred species long.
The purpose of the walk is to help people get better at noticing what’s already around them.
Listen.
Watch the tree line.
Learn a few calls.
Notice where experienced birders look when they enter a field or woodland.
Two hours later, that same patch of Mystic may seem considerably busier than it did before.
Event Details
Event: Birding at Coogan Farm
Date: Saturday, August 29, 2026
Time: 8–10 a.m.
Location: Coogan Farm
Address: 162 Greenmanville Avenue, Mystic, CT 06355
Presented by: Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center
Guide: Lauren Michael, DPNC Outreach Coordinator
Members: $17
Non-members: $20
Ages: Adults and older interested children
Experience: All skill levels welcome
Registration: Advance registration required
Focus: Migrating and resident songbirds and raptors
Photography: Photographers welcome
Birding at Coogan Farm introduces participants to the migrating and resident songbirds and raptors found around the Mystic property during a guided morning walk with DPNC’s Lauren Michael.
More information is available at the Event Website link below.
To register, click the Event Ticketing link below.
Featured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people, location, or activities shown.
