Spear Thistle: Beautiful And Useful But Invasive!

During a recent walk I came across this plant that I thought was really eye-catching! I found out that it is called Spear Thistle. It is an attractive nectar source for bees and butterflies. It is a food source for finches and according to what I've read, it can be consumed by humans. Even the stems can be used as a celery substitute if the spikes are removed (don't take my word for this, just what I read).

It is native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa but considered an invasive weed in the United States because it outcompetes other native plants. It has a long tap root and a sharp spiny stem making them difficult to eradicate. It's too bad because I thought they would look good in the backyard but the negatives outweigh the positives.

Rare Visit From A Wood Stork In Connecticut!

I was tipped off by a fellow birder last weekend that a juvenile Wood Stork was sighted in Waterford Connecticut. I was unable to make it down there so was hopeful that it would hang around for a while. The following weekend I headed to Harkness Park at 5:30 am hoping to get my first look at one. Sightings in Connecticut have been extremely rare.  

Of the sightings that have been reported in Connecticut, they are usually just briefly stopping in before continuing on their journey. It was reported that this one had an injured leg which may have caused it to stick around longer but it seemed to be doing very well on the morning I saw it. It spent about 30 minutes preening which made it difficult to get a good look at its bill.

After it finished preening, it started to forage with an open bill (something juveniles do). 

There was also an Egret hanging out in the same area as well as this Green Heron.

The last photo gives you a good size comparison between the Green Heron and Wood Stork. It is definitely a good-sized bird!

I'm not a a big bird chaser but this one was a very large bird polite enough to hang around for a week and then stay in one spot so I could snap a couple of photos. There has been plenty times I traveled across the state looking for a sparrow-sized bird and came up empty so this was a welcome surprise!

Pileated Woodpecker And Yellow-breasted Chat

I've continued to make occasional trips out into the woods during heavy foliage, humidity, and bug season. Near some deep woods railroad tracks I found a Pileated Woodpecker. You can tell this is a male by the fully red crown and red malar on the side of the face. It is also probably a juvenile because the eye appears dark as opposed to a yellowish eye in an adult male.

This photo is not as clear but I liked the fact that you can see its tongue poking out.

Just down the road I found that the Yellow-breasted Chat returned to the same place once again and was singing from the top of a tower where the power lines are. 

I don't get out birding as much in the heat of the summer but birds don't mind the heat or bugs at all. It's a positive on their list!

Rattlesnake Brook Preserve

At the far corner of town in the woods beyond Great Hill Pond is a little nature preserve called Rattlesnake Brook Preserve. If you are wondering, the answer is yes. There are rattlesnakes in this Meshomasic forest. Meshomasic is an Algonquin word that is roughly translated to -"land of many snakes". You'd be lucky or unlucky to find one (depending on how you look at it). They aren't particularly aggressive, preferring to camouflage into the background and keep their distance. You wouldn't want to corner one or step on one though!

This has been a one of those overlooked areas. Too far out of the way and having the name Rattlesnake Brook might discourage some people from checking it out. It is a beautiful natural area though. The last day I went it was buzzing with Yellow-throated Vireos, an Acadian Flycatcher, Brown Creepers, tanagers, and thrushes.

There was also several active Great Blue Heron nests. Maybe you have some nature preserves in your area that are overlooked? I'm hoping that by putting these places on the map there will be more to come in the future.