Failure Presents Opportunity Says Green Heron

I was on my way to doing a little weed whacking when I realized that I had forgotten the battery pack and would have to go back to drive 10 miles back to go get it. Instead of lamenting about it, I used it as an excuse to look for birds along an urban pond o the way back. I was happy to find a Green Heron looking at its own reflection in green water. A reminder that failure can lead to opportunity.

Very Productive Power Line Cut Birding

 I was disappointed when the power company started doing some heavy cutting along the power line cuts in our area.I didn't see nearly as many birds in some of my favorite spots but that led me to a further investigation of this section of power line cuts on East Cotton Hill Road.It's a hilly path that turned out to be loaded with birds (52 species) for about a 2 mile stretch. I recorded numbers of Prairie Warblers that prompted eBird to question if I was really seeing that many (12 but it was probably closer to 20).

 Now that I am out of the mode of chasing new year birds for my list I can take my time carefully counting every bird and taking pictures of species like Chipping Sparrows.

 and Indigo Buntings.

 I wish I could have gotten a better photo but was thrilled to get such great views of Scarlet Tanagers.

It was quite a hike up the hill and back. I wish that I brought some water because I was worn out by the time I started back and I didn't like the way this vulture as looking at me. I considered laying down to see if the vulture would come down to check me out but I ruled that out because there were too many ticks.

It's Time To Change Routines Birding Routines

 It was a good morning for me birding along the shoreline. I added 5 new species to my year list: Marsh Wren,Willow Flycatcher, Clapper Rail, Little Blue Heron, and Yellow-crowned Night Heron.

I'm at 164 species for this year in Middlesex County. I only reached 172 last year and had a lot more free time so I think that it's time for me to switch gears again.

 During the summer when the pace slows down I'll start to do things like look at grackles in a puddle or rabbits on the patio.

I'll feel a need to change my routine by taking different approaches to birding, birding with different people and taking things as they come instead of trying to make things happen.

Good Birds In Bad Weather

 I went out birding at a stretch of powerline cuts in Portland last weekend. As you can see, it was a very foggy morning.

If it weren't for the fog I might have captured a really nice photo of a Scarlet Tanager.

This is another crappy photo of a Wilson's Warbler which I rarely ever see.

 They have been clearing a lot of trees and vegetation this year  from some of my favorite spots which has decreased the number of migrating birds I usually see there. 

 I've never walked the whole length of this particular stretch of powerline cut before and was very encouraged by the large number of Blue-winged Warblers, Eastern Towhees, and Prairie Warblers (in photo) that I saw (about 15-20 of each species). I downplayed my numbers on eBird a little because they wanted evidence to justify the high number of particular species I was seeing.