Michael Moccio and Patrick Dugan next guests on BirdCallsRadio
Mike Moccio and Patrick Dugan after receiving the Presidents Award at
COA annual meeting 2011. ©Wanda Moccio All rights Reserved
Connecticut birdwatchers Michael Moccio and Patrick Dugan will be the next guests on BirdCallsRadio, coming up this Sunday from 1 to 2 p.m. on 1490 WGCH and “Listen Live.”
Moccio and Dugan, as well as others, were instrumental in forming Cove Island Wildlife Sanctuary in Stamford, CT. Tune in to hear the fascinating story about how a former brush dump in this southwestern Connecticut city near Long Island Sound was transformed into a birding oasis that has been the sighting place of birds such as a fork-tailed flycatcher and painted bunting. It is also now an Important Bird Area.
Do you have a piece of property in your city or town that holds potential as a wildlife sanctuary? Tune in to find out how to protect it and transform it into a welcoming place for birds and other wildlife.
In addition to their team effort at Cove Island, they have interesting stories as individuals.
Moccio is an avid birdwatcher who enjoys learning bird facts on a daily basis. A resident of Stamford for the last 30 years, he also spends time year-round visiting the Adirondack Mountains in New York. He is also very involved in citizen science, participating in events such as the NYS Breeding Bird Atlas, NYS annual breeding bird surveys, and the NYS damsel and dragonfly surveys. He also leads bird walks for the Hamilton County Birding Festival each June in the Adirondacks.
In Connecticut he has participated in the Audubon summer and winter bird counts and various bio blitzes. He also had the honor of searching for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker in Arkansas with the Explorers Club based in New York City. He says his most fulfilling accomplishment has been playing a major role in the creation of the Cove Island Wildlife Sanctuary.
Michael, along with his wife Wanda, is looking forward to traveling to the Scottish Highlands this July for a European birding trip.
Patrick Dugan is an active participant in the birding community and has been birding for well over 20 years. He participated in the World Series of Birding for several years and has lead bird walks for over 15 years.
Patrick is well known for his bird calling ability, in particular the winter wren.
I can’t wait to hear some of the calls. Remember to tune in Sunday at 1 p.m.
Thanks for your support of Bird Calls Radio.
These two guys are at the heart of all the quality conservation happening in Cove Island Park. Their work will be recognized when Audubon’s ‘Urban Oases’ initiative for songbirds is launched on International Migratory Bird Day ~ May 12, 2012 from 1:00-4:00 pm – In Cove Island Park in Stamford, CT. ~ Bird shows, exhibits and more!
Cove Island Park Conservancy will host a groundbreaking ceremony and an International Migratory Bird Day celebration from 1:00-4:00pm in the park. Free and open to the public, the event will feature live falcons and owls on display, a flying bird show, exhibits, games and statements by Stamford students, elected officials, and the corporate partners who have made the Urban Oases initiative possible.
To increase awareness about migration and help enhance stopover habitat, Cove Island Park Conservancy are working with local school students to create a special songbird demonstration garden for the popular playground area in Cove Island Park. The garden, funded by the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund, is the first in a series of “Urban Oases” sites being established throughout Connecticut. It is also part of a larger effort by the Cove Island Park Conservancy to enhance habitats throughout Cove Island Park, a National Audubon Society designated ‘Important Bird Area’ that is known for its value as a critical stop-over area for birds migrating along the Atlantic Flyway.