Name That Mockingbird Tune!

Haddam Meadows-There were a couple of things I had in my mind when I set out to look for birds on Monday. First of all, I wanted to make a point of using my camera with a tripod to take videos and pictures. I just bought an extra quick release plate which allows me to easily switch between using the scope or my camera on the tripod. The other thing I wanted to do was try out the new chair blind that I recently purchased.

I started my morning at Haddam Meadows State Park. There was the usual mix of birds that you would expect to see this time of year in Connecticut including lots of Song Sparrows like the one above and also a good number of Red-winged Blackbirds in the swampy portion of the park.

I did see my first Tree Swallows of the year perched in the highest branches. They were preening and catching a little sun. It was nice not to worry about my hands staying steady while taking photos using the tripod but it didn't get me any closer to the birds. So would the new bird blind solve that problem? The Chair Blind Blues-I recently mentioned that I had purchased the Ameristep Chair Blind. After setting it up in a wooded location, I sat in it for about two hours. I could hear Tufted Titmice and Black-capped Chickadees flying right past me. Their were also Cedar Waxwings and Northern Cardinals nearby as well. Unfortunately, none of them landed in a location where I could snap a photo. The blind sets up easy enough but I can't say that I enjoyed using it. Here are a few of the problems that I had while using this product.

• The chair is attached to the blind so that any movement by the person seated in the chair causes the whole blind to move.


• It is big enough to sit in but the cramped space makes it difficult to set your gear up.


• It is designed with flexible metal bars that attach to the chair and tent portion. It feels very awkward when you have to fold this product back up again. It's as though you are trying to force it back into shape and it barely fits back into the carrying bag.


• It is 11 pounds which doesn't sound like much but it is a pain to lug around if you add that to your tripod, camera and binoculars.

I just don't think it's going to work out for me. Taking photos from your car or photos from a window in your house are two easy and effective ways to get a closer view of birds without scaring them away. I plan on making a list of places that have already built permanent blinds for wildlife viewing. I've found a few but they don't seem to be set up in a location where you would see a lot of birds.

Here are some of the other ideas I've read about:

• Setting up a tent in the backyard and making some holes from which to look through.

• Making you're own portable bird blinds using camouflage material-(I think Wal-mart sells it) and pvc pipe.

• An old refrigerator box from an appliance store can also be used as a temporary blind. I haven't given up on this idea though. It would be great if I could find a way to get really close to birds so that I could get some closeup photos.

The bottom line is that I would like the blind to be where the birds are before I am. That means I will want to use something that I don't have to worry about being stolen.

Last week it was brought to my attention that there was a mysterious bird making its way around people's backyards in Orange Connecticut. The mystery bird turned out to be a Silver Pheasant which is a bird that is not native to this area. This photo was taken by Patricia Villers. She writes for The New Haven Register and also has her own blog called Late Bloomer Boomer. She recently wrote a story about the Silver Pheasant. Click here to read the article.

Name That Mockingbird Tune:

Here is a short video of a Northern Mockingbird imitating the songs of other birds (No camera shake-I used the tripod!).

Can you identify any of the species that the mockingbird is imitating?