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!

Hammonasset Campground After The Snow

I took a ride out to the Hammonasset campground to look for a warbler that seems to have lost track of the calendar (Townsend's). I think I may have gone a little too early and not stayed long enough because from all reports it's still there. I just didn't get to see it on this particular morning.

This one here looks like a Baltimore Oriole to me which also seems to be out of season.The back of it looks even more like an oriole. No luck on the Townsend's so far for me but I believe I will give it another shot this weekend for an hour or two. It always feels quiet and peaceful after a snowstorm though. Except for the sound of my boots stomping through the snow.