There's Lots Of Birds Even In January!

One of the ways I've tried to make the winter pass by more quickly is by keeping track of how many bird species in can find in the month of January. There are more species in Connecticut during the winter than you might think. I've found 100 species in the Connecticut during the month of January and there are others who have found many more than that. Driving around Connecticut gets to be tiring so now I only pay attention to what I find in my own county. A lot less time consuming and a lot more fuel efficient. 

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.

Colorful ducks like this male Hooded Merganser are one of the premier attractions during the winter. I'm not going to get anywhere near to seeing 100 species in Middlesex County before the end of January. I am at 82 right now. My next goal is to try to hit 85. I'll worry about the next goal if I can accomplish that. The best part about it though is that January seems to be going by so fast!
 

What Is The Rarest Breeding Bird In Connecticut?

The rarest breeding bird in Connecticut is the Red-headed Woodpecker. The birder who saw the most species in Middlesex County last year (Danny) started this year by finding this rare species near his home turf. That allowed many other birders like myself to go see one for myself. I've seen a few over the years. The adult Red-headed Woodpecker is the only species of woodpecker with all red head and neck. I saw it on a cloudy afternoon high in the tree so not such a great photo but better than nothing. As  it turns out, there are now 2 of them at the same location!

Where The Treetops Glisten

I looked out the back door this morning and admired the view of ice glistening from the tallest treetops.

The Importance of Flexibility

I would have to admit that being flexible does not come naturally to me. I like to analyze, strategize, and follow a plan. For example, when I'm in the gym I like to do exercises in a particular order and want the weights and equipment to match each other.

 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.