Goldfinch Flower And Hummingbird Fence

I don't always pay close attention to goldfinches because there are so many of them around but when they land on top of a flower I take notice. This one landed on a Zinnia, but...

It seemed more interested in spending time in the sunflower plants.This hummingbird landed on a fence for a split second but seemed to have evil intent in its eye as it was off fighting another hummingbird a moment later!

During the hot weather sometimes it's better to sit still and just watch the action unfold.

You Need Not Be Birding To See Birds

I've been out for some morning walks along the Connecticut River. Most of my birding has been limited to what I hear or what I see without the aid of binoculars. I was really out for a bit of exercise. Now and then I would stop to take a picture but had to move along quickly to avoid being ambushed by deer flies which seem to have an appetite for human flesh.

The Osprey is getting ready to plunge into the river to grab an unsuspecting fish.

It won't be long before Tree Swallows once a gain form huge flocks as they start their way down to the shore readying for their migration flight.  I almost didn't notice this Cedar Waxwing silently hiding in a shady plant. Always birds to see, even when you're not looking for them.

Gardening, Flowers, And Strange Flies

I haven't been out birding much lately but have managed to keep the gardens going. This photo is a few weeks old. There are actually six barrels all together. I've been harvesting cucumbers, peppers and plum tomatoes in the six barrels( 2 out of view). Swiss chard has been my most used vegetable as it keeps coming back. I also grew parsley, micro basil, and rosemary. Herbs are easy to grow but I never seem to use as much as I grow,

I've got a flower garden going to. Each year I try to add a perennial so i don't have to use as many annuals to bolster the garden. This plant is called India Pink Spigelia. Hummingbirds have visited them a few times so far.

This insect was about 1-1/2" long and was hanging out in the mulch around the flower beds. At first, I thought it was some king of ground wasp. It had a big orange stripe around its abdomen. It turned out to be a Clubbed Mydas Fly which look intimidating but don't sting and are actually good pollinators! I'm starting to catch on with flies that don't look like flies. They all seem to have over-sized eyes.

First Look At A Grasshopper Sparrow In Years!

There's only a few select areas where you regularly see Grasshopper Sparrows in Connecticut. Years ago their was a large area of land in East Hartford where I went to see them but that habitat was ruined due to development. I also had one crummy photo of one from Northwest Park from about 25 years ago so I was glad to get a closeup look and photo at Suffield Wildlife Management Area. 

Fortunately, they managed large field areas in Suffield CT which is also half in Massachusetts which eventually became good habitat for these prized sparrows. I was able to see my first Blue Grosbeak there as well which is considered a rarity. The Grasshopper Sparrow has a buzzy insect-like call and as the name suggests, they like to eat grasshoppers.

I've seen several attempts at trying to manage large open fields to try to attract grassland species of birds but it doesn't always work. Birds like meadowlarks, Bobolinks, and the many other grassland species can be very particular. What looks good to us may not be quite appealing enough to attract the desired species.

I was glad to see their efforts paid off at the Suffield Wildlife Management area!