Back To Kruger Preserve For White-eyed Vireo

The White-eyed Vireo is a species that I first saw many years ago near some power lines in my hometown. I was baffled by what it might be. I thought it was some kind of flycatcher based on its appearance and the odd call it made. I've come to find out that it is one of those birds that seems to show up in certain locations each spring. I've been finding them at a place called Kruger Preserve in Haddam neck for the last couple of years.

Here is a clip of one of its calls on a video from Cornell University: White-eyed Vireo call from Cornell

 

From Wilderness Time Travel To Modern Apps

The world is saturated with news and social media coming at you from every direction these days. It's nice to know that if you're willing to take a walk far enough into your local woods, you can get a break from all that. Sometimes I get a feeling of time disorientation when I'm in the depths of a forest. If I crossed through a time portal to the year 1826, would I be able to tell that I left 2026 behind? There are no buildings or man-made objects. There is only wilderness which seems timeless to me. 

Eastern Towhees existed in 1826 so that wouldn't be much help!

Now back to 2026. I started using an app called PlantNet which diverted me from bird watching and sent me down a rabbit hole. I always wanted to learn a little more about flowers and plants that you come across in the woods, but didn't have the patience to flip through a field guide to figure out one plant at a time.

I believe this first plant is called Panax trifolius, commonly called dwarf ginseng. It is native to the northeast. The tubers are edible and it was used for traditional medicine by Native Americans. One of the things that amaze me is the number of plants in the woods and in your backyard that are considered edible. I've taken a chance on a few things that I was positive about but if you make a mistake, you can get very sick or worse!

I've seen these plants many times in the woods. The app identified it as false hellebore. It seems that false hellebore is extremely toxic to humans and cause severe deformities in livestock if it is eaten during early pregnancy. Yikes!  

I have noticed that the app is not foolproof. It relies on the photos you upload and usually sends a response of likely possibilities. Sometimes 90 percent likely and other times 20 percent likely but usually not 100 percent on anything. 

A simple walk in the woods can take you from wilderness, to time travel, to identifying plants with a modern app. A very rewarding journey if you're able to keep your mind in the present!

Save That Ravine For Windy Days

Temperatures are starting to improve but winds ruin that. Birds are more difficult to find on windy days and birding is certainly a less pleasant experience. Rather than skipping out on birding altogether, I try to find a sheltered area. 

There is a small ravine park right down the road from me. The protection from high banks on both sides of the path makes it a great place to visit on windy days. The wind is practically non-existent here!
Instead of running for cover, birds like this beautiful male cardinal were out singing their spring songs.Blue Jays aren't the most popular birds because they come across as brash and rude to some but if you had never seen one before you might be impressed by their tailored suits.I took a closer look at a Dark-eyed Junco which will soon be on their way until next winter. I was able to hear a few new spring arrivals including Pine Warbler, Palm Warblers, and Eastern Towhees but these new arrivals were still a bit shy.

If you want to get out in nature on a windy day, just look for some well protected woods!

American Robins Weren't Always This plentiful

The American Robin is the state bird of Connecticut. Early settlers named it a robin because it had a similar red breast to the robins in Europe but the American Robin is actually a thrush, while the European robins are actually related to flycatchers. It used to be said  they were a sign of spring but they have become increasingly plentiful in the winter over the last 50 years -(They tend to eat berries more during the winter while the ground is  frozen).  

During winter bird counts in the 70's they might have tallied up 1000 total robins in Connecticut but now they are recorded by the tens of thousands. Their numbers were also affected in the past by the use of the insecticide DDT but since it was banned, the population of robins has greatly increased. There are tons of robins now but I'm not complaining (except when they declare war on your car). They are a sharp looking bird!