Finding April Warblers In A Snowy Forest

 Mother nature pulled her April Fool's prank on us this weekend by dropping a little bit of fresh snow. I decided to take a ride through the local forest hoping to find some early-arriving warblers. Heavy winds caused a lot of fallen branches in the road. I had to remove several of them and also maneuver around low-hanging snow covered branches while I was driving.

The only birds I saw for the first mile were dozens of robins which seemed to be unfazed by the weather. Eventually I encountered other species including a Hermit Thrush and a Red-bellied Woodpecker which picked up some sort of acorn from the side of the road. 

 I did see (mostly hear) a couple of Pine Warblers during my travels and expected this yellowish bird be one of them but it turned out to be a Palm Warbler hidden in a pine tree pumping its tail.

 When it was time for me to leave the sun finally came out and I was able to take in a nice view of the small swamp across from the reservoir. All in all it wasn't a bad morning of birding because at least I was able to get out for a while and see my first spring warblers of the year.

Why Am I looking At Dead Trees?

During the summer there is an abundance of dense green foliage in the wooded areas often making it difficult to observe or photograph birds. In order to overcome this problem I took a ride out to Del Reeves swamp which is located within Meshomasic Forest. There are many trees in this area which are either dead or bare of leaves. I like this spot because it reminds me of being way out in the middle of the great north woods in Maine or New Hampshire. There is a sense of freedom I feel in places like that can't be matched by a visit to the local park.

When a bird lands on a bare tree it is so much easier to see and photograph them. This particular area is a good place to find a variety of woodpeckers like this Red-bellied Woodpecker. He was fairly distant and high up in the tree but right out in the open which makes viewing much more enjoyable.

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It can be tedious sitting in my truck for two hours while waiting for a bird to land in the right spot. There were plenty of birds on the other side of the road such as flycatchers, jays, and swallows but I'd be looking directly towards the sun if I were to look in that direction. As I waited for more action to occur, I spent time watching our native bumblebees at work. What kind of flowers are these? I'm not sure, maybe you know?

How often is it that I use autfocus and a camera focuses on the bird and not the bush surrounding it? The answer is not very often. I have to remind myself that Eastern Towhees are a kind of large sparrow. It was scratching around on the ground before finally coming up for a look around. Maybe she heard me playing the weekend bluegrass special on the radio.

There are rare birds and then there are rare birding moments. This Northern Waterthrush is not a rare bird, nor is it particularly striking but I rarely see them. . This one landed right in front of me, just a few feet from my truck window. I managed to click the shutter once, and then it was gone. I was surprised to find out that the photo had come out in focus with the head facing in the right direction. All it took was that one moment to turn a slow morning of birding into a good one.

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For an interesting comparison of the Louisiana Waterthrush versus Northern Waterthrush click on this link from 10,000 birds.

History, Mystery, & Birds At Meshomasic Forest

I spent the morning rambling around Meshomasic State Forest looking for birds on Sunday. I usually check the area surrounding the reservoir, Del Reeves Pond, or hike to the top of Great Hill. Beyond that, it's any one's guess since the forest isn't organized in any formal manner. There a few dirt roads that lead you through the woods and there's also lots of trails, many of which are unmarked. It is popular among off road bikers and hikers but there are no camping or picnic areas. You definitely need a map to find your way around if you're not familiar with the area.
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I found an abandoned road with several collapsed structures , an old metal tank and a stairway leading to nowhere. I learned that it had been the old battery area for a Nike missile site which closed down in 1965. In the early 80's it became Camp Meshomasic where the Youth Conservation Corp performed much of the same type of work that the Civilian Conservation Corp did in the 1930's and 40's.

I found that this abandoned road provided a good viewing angle to see birds as it rose in elevation. I had a nice view of a Worm-eating Warbler on my way up but this particular photo of one was taken last summer in the Maromas section of Middletown.

Meshomasic was the first State Forest in New England and the second in the country. It is mostly second growth forest but does have a stand of large White pines that are over 100 years old. The word meshomasic is an Native American word meaning place of many snakes. It has a native population of Timber Rattlesnakes but I've only seen one on a couple of occasions.

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I drove slowly along the dirt roads carefully searching the edge of the woods and along the stream beds. It can be difficult trying to see birds in the thicker parts of the forest but the woods are filled with singing birds this time of the year. I heard several species of warbler including Black-throated Blue, Black-throated Green, Black and White, Northern Parula, and Pine. I also had good views of Magnolia, Ovenbird, Prairie, American Redstart, and Yellow Warblers. Baltimore Orioles, Scarlet Tanagers, Veerys, and Wood Thrushes were plentiful.

There were a few flycatchers around including Eastern Wood-Peewe, Great-crested, Eastern Phoebe, and Eastern Kingbird. I like the clean cut appearance of the kingbird with its black back sharply contrasting with the white belly and white tipped tail.

The female Brown-headed Cowbird is a drab looking bird and it doesn't even have a brown head, only the male does. This female cowbird walked right up to me as I was sitting on a stump on the side of the road. I figured if I was ever going to take a photo of a female cowbird, it might as well be now.

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Meshomasic Forest doesn't seem to get much attention from Connecticut birders. I'm looking forward to exploring it more thoroughly this summer since it's only a few miles from my house. Not only does it have good birding potential but it's also full of mystery and history.

A Scene Painted By Snow Transcends Time

Taking a walk through woods that have been freshly coated with snow can be a magical experience. When I see certain paintings of snow scenes, I can imagine what it would be like to really be there. As I walked through Meshomasic State Forest on Sunday it almost felt as though I was part of a painting.

As the sun began to climb higher in the morning sky, the water and ice-coated branches sparkled with dazzling light. My mind was suddenly filled with memories going all the way back to my childhood. I can vividly remember where I was and who I was with during some of the snowfalls from past years. Many of those people have long since passed on but I wish they could be here to enjoy this morning with me. Soon the snow melted away from the trees and the memories faded away.
I walked further into the woods, passing several people along the way. One couple, with British accents, approached me and asked if I was a birder. I told them I was,-sort of- and they proceeded to tell me about a bird that had been hiding in a brushy area near the reservoir. It had been making a two-note call that started low and then quickly ascended to a second higher note. I guessed it might be an Eastern Towhee and showed them its picture in the field guide. They thanked me and headed on their way. I came across a pack of screaming Blue Jays that sounded like they were having a family squabble. I spotted several cardinals and goldfinches. A Common Raven rolled in the wind and croaked as it passed over the reservoir. A Red-tailed Hawk emerged from the treeline and gave several assertive flaps, trying to gain elevation before sailing out of sight. The birds which captured my attention the most were the sparrows. Seeing them pose on bare tree branches allows for a much better view than trying to find them in overgrown fields. The American Tree Sparrow -(above photo) -was sporting a handsome rusty cap and distinct bi-colored bill.

Sparrows seem to love brush piles and I found a big brush pile at Brownstone Riverfront Park in Portland. They cleared some trees near in preparation for the new boat launch and park that's being built there. Song Sparrows rarely fail to respond to pishing and the one in the photo was no exception.

When I checked through my notes I noticed that I had only seen a handful of species but sometimes there is more to birding than just watching birds.

And My First 3 Warblers Of Spring Are.....

This Saturday, I met up with a friend from the Hartford Audubon to show him a few of my favorite local birding spots. Our first stop was at the Portland Fairgrounds where we found a flock of Wilson's Snipe sitting silently in the wet grass along side the skating pond. Some of the other species we found here included a Red-tailed Hawk, Killdeer, Belted kingfisher, Red-winged Blackbirds, Rough-winged Swallows and Tree Swallows .

We visited several other locations but our best moments came on one of the dirt roads in the Meshomasic Forest. I rarely see birds reported at this location but there are plenty of birds to be seen in this forest, especially during Spring Migration. As we were driving along the dirt roads we spotted an Eastern Phoebe that had made itself at home next to a small stream. After seeing what seems to be an endless supply of robins it was a real treat to see another thrush, the Hermit Thrush, standing silently on the ground amongst a patch of leaves.

What I was really hoping to see was the first warblers of the Spring Migration. Each new species of warbler that I see in April is an individual event. They have been gone for a year and I look forward to seeing each new species of warbler one by one.

And the first three species of warbler that I saw in the Spring of 2009 are--drumroll please..........

Palm Warbler-I saw eight Palm Warblers at the Portland Reservoir on Sunday. They moved as a group in the lower branches making soft trills and chip notes all the while wagging their tails.

Pine Warbler-I hear quite a few of them hiding in the pines but only had a good view of one that perched at the top of a tree for a few seconds. Every year I have to remind myself of the difference between the sound of a Chipping Sparrow and the Pine Warbler.

Louisiana Waterthrush -This was the birding highlight of my weekend. I hear the waterthrush singing before I even parked my truck. We we able to locate the area from which the bird was singing then managed to call it out with an Ipod. It landed on a branch just ten feet from us and put on a great singing display. It gave us wonderful views although the lighting was not favorable for taking pictures or video. If you click on the April 2008 post titled Camping And Birding In Kent Connecticut, you will find two videos that feature the Louisiana Waterthrush singing.

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I had much better luck capturing this video of this Palm Warbler. It repeatedly fluffed its feathers out as it preened. Actually the word fluffing probably isn't a good description. It seemed much more dramatic than that.

I visited this heronry (undisclosed location) and tried counting the nests. I gave up after tallying 100 nests when I realized that many of them weren't within my view. I decided to start using the word heronry as opposed to heron Rookery after reading this post from the Body Soul and Spirit blog. I came across a small flock of Cedar Waxwings in Wangunk Meadows.It seems they were lining up on a branch to have their picture taken. They didn't seem to be very camera shy. Are they proud of the way they look or maybe just a little drunk on berries?

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If you listen closely you can hear the high pitched bzeee notes of the waxwings. They make one last alarm call before flying off in search of another worthy branch upon which to form their magic line.

Have you seen your first warblers of spring yet?