A Winter Woodland Oasis At Highlawn Forest

 I love taking a hike through the woods on a sunny winter day but it can be tough to find birds in the forest this time of the year. I walked for about a mile on one trail and saw nothing but a crow flying over and heard only the lonely whistle of a distant titmouse.

On my way home I made one more stop at Highlawn Forest which is located in Middletown next to the Connecticut Forest And Park Association Headquarters. I sat on the bench and leaned up against that table to try to hide myself  a little. 

I visited this place once before during spring migration but thought-meh-not much out of the ordinary to see here. I was a bit spoiled at the time from seeing so many migrants at other prime locations so I didn't give it much of a chance. 

As it turns out, the vernal pools and damp leaves make this a winter oasis for woodland birds. In a time span of about 20 minutes I saw 30 robins, a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, 5 titmice, 3 White-breasted Nuthatches, and 3 Golden-crowned kinglets, including the one in the photo.