First Ten Pre-dawn Bird Walk

I was feeling a little restless pre-dawn energy at 5:30 this morning. I was anxious to do some birding today but seeing that it was still dark and in the 20's temperature-wise, so I decided to take a brisk walk around the block to start the day.

Just as I was getting started, I heard turkeys gobbling off in the distance so I decided to keep track of the birds I heard along the way. The turkey was the first bird of the day, along with a rooster but I'm only counting the wild ones. The next birds that I heard were robins, and they were singing all over the place. 

(photos are older ones as it was too dark to take them, except for the first one which came at 6:30am).

Number 3 was the cardinal. You can hear their whistle from a mile away.

In 4th position was the more subtle whistle of the Tufted Titmouse.

Here is the complete list of pre-dawn birds in order:

1) Wild Turkey

2)Northern Cardinal

3)Tufted Titmouse

4)Song Sparrow

5)Mouring Dove

6)American Crow

7)Carolina Wren

8)Blue Jay

9) Red-winged Blackbird

10)American Goldfinch

Winter's Gone- It's A Sin To Kill A Mockingbird

 

I am glad that winter is over and spring has officially started. These icy trees are a reminder of the challenging winter we had. Much better to keep it as a memory and move on to nicer weather.

Just a couple of weeks after the photo of trees decorated with ice, nature started to feel green again. Just around the time I saw this mockingbird, I heard the news that Rober Duvall had passed away at the age of 95. 

When I saw this mockingbird it reminded me that Robert Duvall made his film debut playing Boo Radley in the movie to Kill a Mockingbird which was based on the Harper Lee novel. I remember Atticus Finch telling the little girl Scout that it was a sin to kill a mockingbird because all they do is sing. 

It must have been a good movie because I only saw it once when I was a kid and that line has been stuck in my head ever since!

Cabin Fever Has Finally Broken

After being hit with 2 feet of snow, the temperatures are finally warming. Everything is melting at a nice pace. There is something about a big snowstorm that brings a sense of community and requires everyone to switch into survival mode. It is something that you can't control. You can only control your response to the situation. In some ways it gives you a sense of focus and takes away the tangle in your mind that is created by too many choices. You just have to get it done and figure out what to eat. There is something about getting back to the basics of survival that settles the soul.

I'm not yet motivated to hit the woods but decided to break the cabin fever by taking a walk along the cleared walkways in the Wesleyan area.

I passed by the tiny Ravine Park, a walk along the trail there will come on another day.

I welcome sign of spring was a glimpse at a male Red-winged Blackbird that even bellowed out a couple of rounds of its spring croak call. Spring is so close now. I can feel it in my bones.

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!