Merlin On Ice As Temp Exceed 20 Degrees

After getting a foot of snow we had 2 weeks of single digit temperatures, some mornings dipping below zero. I had no ambition to go birding in that weather or to even spend time outdoors. Finally, we started to get temperatures in the 20's and 30's. I can live with that, especially if it is sunny with no wind.  

I finally made my way out on such a morning. I took a ride along river road but the Connecticut River was still frozen over. 

I spent most of my time scanning the area by car and would get out if anything caught my eye. I saw about a dozen of the usual suspects including a distant Bald Eagle but the Merlin was the bird of the day. I saw it perched on top of a dead tree on my way down river. They are a medium sized falcon that is slightly larger/beefier than a Kestrel and smaller than a Peregrine. They are fierce intelligent hunters that often fly low and fast when catching prey. This one here looks like it might have a little blood on its hands.On my way back, I saw this one on the ice in the same general area. I'm not sure if it was the same bird because it has a different appearance from this angle but that could be a matter of the lighting and angle from which it is seen. I only see them sporadically so I'm no expert on them. It was good to get out again though. I can't wait to see 50 degrees. It will feel like summer after the winter we've had!

Staredown In A Pricker Bush.

I spent a little time walking along a river trail in Cromwell that leads to an area called Dead Man's Swamp. I wonder how it got it's name?

Right from the beginning I noticed a Red-shoulder watching me like a hawk. There was a large amount of bluebirds in the area but it was Blue Jays scolding another hawk that got my attention.

The Blue Jays seemed to be in an uproar over this Sharp-shinned Hawk. When I found the Hawk it was in a tangled bush in an awkward face down position staring right at a Blue Jay in the same bush. I'm guessing this is a male hawk which is similar in size to a Blue Jay. The staredown lasted for at least a minute as both birds were frozen in position. I started to wonder if the hawk was somehow tangled up with the Blue Jay looking to take advantage of the situation but eventually, the hawk flew off.

Winter Oriole & Fighting Procrastination

I went back to Hammonasset looking for a warbler I never ended up finding but this oriole was still there! It might as well hang out here until spring at this point!

Closer to home I found a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker during a walk down a neighborhood street.

I look forward to picking up the birding pace once I'm able to shrink my high priority to do list. Did you ever notice that thinking about things you should be doing can be worse than actually doing them? 

Whenever I start procrastinating, I have a flashback of a poem I read when I was a kid titled "When Thomas Takes His Pen"

Starting 2026 With A Ride Along River Road

It was cold this morning but worse than that it was very windy! I wanted to start the year off with a little bit of birding so I hopped in my car and took a cruise along river road. I stayed in the car with my heater on and the window rolled down. I only saw about a dozen species in the short time I was there. This mockingbird seemed a bit rude.

I told him to turn around and he seemed to listen to me.

I saw a dozen or 2 Common Mergansers but I enjoyed seeing this one keeping company with a solo Ring-necked Duck.

A slow and feeble start to the 2026 birding year but I still have 364 days to make up for it!