Tuesday, March 29, 2022

Nice Appetizers Before The Warbler Parade

A month from now there will be warblers all over the place which is great but I kind of like the early spring period leading up to that.

 Now is the time when you get to see a new arrival here and there. I just saw my first Osprey the other day and maybe some Ruddy Ducks. That was it for the weekend for first of the year arrivals for me.

That means you get to savor your new finds and don't get overwhelmed. When spring is in full swing you can barely turn your head without seeing something new. It's a little overwhelming like going to an all you can eat restaurant and then realizing you can only eat so much in one sitting!

So for now, I will enjoy the appetizers that arrive at the table one or two at a time. It is a very relaxing and enjoyable time for birding! 

Friday, March 25, 2022

Do Hermit Thrushes Migrate?

I was walking along the trolley-line path from the trolley that never was. Back in the early 1900s there was a plan to have a trolley run from Middlefield to Durham but the company doing the work ran into financial troubles and they never even put the tracks down. 

A few years back the Lions Club helped turn it into a walking trail through a marshy zone which makes for a nice little birding spot.

I saw Pileated Woodpeckers and Wood Ducks during a recent morning visit but my favorite bird of the morning was a Hermit Thrush. 

It seems as though I've occasionally seen Hermit Thrushes  during every season so I wondered how much do they really migrate? 

From what I've read they migrate just a little bit south and a little bit north in the early fall and spring. Some areas they can be found year round and Connecticut is sort of right in the middle of this migration line so it would make sense that I might see a few throughout the year.
 

Monday, March 21, 2022

I've Been In A Fog

The temperatures have remained moderate but the river valley has been foggy in the early mornings. Believe it or not there are snipe hiding somewhere in that field!
As I walked in my high boots through a flooded area and came upon a muskrat. Hard to believe Captain and Tennille actually wrote a song with the word muskrat in it! It has to be one of the sappiest songs ever but nostalgic nonetheless! Finally, a little sun slowly started to work its magic and slowly started to lift a way the fog.I started to get a good look at the Connecticut River.Later that morning, a mockingbird gave me the all clear signal!