This is a male Great-horned Owl probably doing security detail for a nearby nest. I could imagine Clint Eastwood's voice coming out of his mouth-"Go ahead-make my day"
A Connecticut native with an interest in birding shares his outdoor adventures
Friday, April 5, 2024
Who Doesn't Love Owls?
Sunday, March 31, 2024
California Condor Landed In My Yard!
Notice the female is the one with extra color in this species with a chestnut-colored belly band and flanks which he male does not have. It's usually the males that are more colorful when it comes to bird species.
"Great Egret Arrives from migration trip and is caught standing in the rain!"
Oh well, sorry my headline didn't live up to expectations but Happy Easter to those who celebrated and since I'm actually posting this on the first of the month: Happy April 1st!
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Calling All Birds! Spring Has Arrived!
Sunday, March 3, 2024
Breaking The Birding Addiction
Birding seems like a healthy and wholesome activity. I think that in most ways it is, but birding can become an addiction too! Usually this applies to listing or having an appetite to constantly see new species. It's happened to me before but at I'm usually able to recognize it when it starts to creep back in. I spent the month of January and February anxious to see new species and adding numbers to my list. That was a fine way to help avoid the winter doldrums but now it's time to move on.
As March begins, I plan to find balance. I will take the emphasis off of chasing new birds around and instead just take things at a relaxed pace. If I want to go see a rare bird that's close by, it' not a problem. If I just want to sit around taking pictures, that's fine too. I want to enjoy each experience and not worry about any specific goal. There! that wasn't so hard! I'm pretty sure I've convinced myself to buy into my own bs!
-The photo is of Ring-necked Ducks taken at the Helen Carlson Wildlife Sanctuary. The ring around the neck isn't usually visible unless sunlight reflects off of it. In this case, there was no sunshine. only clouds.
Monday, February 26, 2024
Turkeys And Vultures In All The Wrong Places
Monday, February 19, 2024
Most Birders Are Kind And Helpful But..
Thursday, February 15, 2024
Brant Were getting On My Nerves!
Saturday, February 10, 2024
No Repeat February Breaks The Monotony
This month I decided on a different approach to keep things fresh. I'm doing a no repeat February. Meaning that I will go to a different location every time I go out birding. Many of us get into a routine of only going to places that consistently have a great variety of bird species. Meanwhile, there are tons of nature preserves, wildlife management areas and land trusts that people rarely visit. They might try it once but if nothing out of the ordinary pops up they might not go back to that location again.One such place I visited this month was the Bamforth Wildlife Preserve. A name like that kind of builds up expectations. People might expect to see wild animals roaming everywhere. I did see a few deer and I'd bet there is a bobcat or fox hiding around that might come out at dusk. I noticed that the field is being managed to have certain types of beneficial native grasses.
I was committed to giving this place my time and patience and was rewarded with a nice view of a hermit Thrush warming itself in the sun. Someone thought to build a couple of brush piles out in the field that attracted what Ebird says is a high number of Field Sparrows for one location (5).I see Red-bellied Woodpeckers everywhere I go but it's always nice when you see them hard at work.Visiting different areas that aren't the usual hotspots doesn't guarantee you'll see anything new or exciting but how will you ever know what species of birds are at those forgotten nature preserves if no one ever gives them a try?
There's a place nearby called Miller road. It's just a country road with a little bit of marshy woods and a stream running through it. Birders stop by the area occasionally but it's certainly not a top location. That is, until recently when someone had a rare sighting of a Northern Shrike! Now there are dozens of people going there to see it every week!
At one point I was watching the shrike perched in a tree with bluebirds and goldfinches. They are both right at the top of the menu for a shrike! Maybe they didn't know what a shrike is capable of? These birds have the nickname butcherbird because they have been known to impale victims on a branch to create their own version of a shish kebab.
Anyway, trying to focus on seeing as many different species as possible is one way of going about things but after a while you've seen just about everything there is to see. By focusing on appreciating places you are visiting then the birds you see are just icing on the cake. Using this approach is a good way of breaking the monotony and bringing you that much closer to spring.
Friday, January 19, 2024
There's Lots Of Birds Even In January!
It was 20 degrees and windy on the morning I saw this great Blue Heron. It was standing completely still. It's hard to believe it was out there day and night while I could only tolerate a couple of hours in that kind of weather before packing it in and calling it a day.
Wednesday, January 17, 2024
What Is The Rarest Breeding Bird In Connecticut?
Tuesday, January 16, 2024
Where The Treetops Glisten
Thursday, January 11, 2024
The Importance of Flexibility
I've come to realize over the years that life is much easier to deal with if you can be flexible. It gives you a lot more options and it is a lot less stressful and efficient if you can quickly analyze and pivot when things don't go according to plan. It can lead to new opportunities and experiences that you may have been missing out on for years. When I think of the opportunities I've missed out on over the years due to stubbornness I feel like a (see above photo). This photo of a Peregrine falcon is an example of two ways that I've added some flexibility to my birding habits.
One of my rigid birding habits has been that I only go birdwatching in the morning feeling that it is the best time of the day to go birding. This may be true, but I saw this Peregrine Falcon in the afternoon. I made use of 30 minutes of free time and was able to add a great bird to my January list! The other rule I broke was posting a crappy picture. Going forward, I am going to make use of bad photos when necessary. Here's a grainy one. I might as well get 2 off the books before I delete them.
In other news, I'm off to a good start for January as I've seen 76 species in Middlesex county so far which is ahead of my usual pace. I like to start off strong for the year. Focusing on birds in January makes the month more enjoyable and seems to shorten the winter.