Taming Black-capped Chickadees To Eat From Your Hand

Have you ever had the thrill of having a wild bird eat from your hand? I have had birds eat seed and peanuts from my hand several times over the last few years.

Black-capped Chickadees are great little birds and also one of the easiest birds to hand tame.

• Take your bird feeders down to fill them on a cold morning.


• While they are down, walk over to a tree or shrub that Chickadees perching in.


• Have your hand filled with some black oil Sunflower Seeds or peanuts.


• Hold your palm out extending your arm away from your body but close to the tree/bush.


• Look away from your hand and try not to move or breath heavy.


• If you are near some Chickadees, you should get a quick response. They usually start by taking a close look and making scolding sounds. Sometimes, they will make a quick test flight over your hand to check things out. If there are several Chickadees your odds are even better for success.

It's really get to hear the vocalizations of the Chickadee as they contemplate whether or not to take their chances. The sound of their wings fluttering is surprising loud when you are that close to them . It is a strange feeling when they perch on one of your fingers to grab a seed. You can feel the actual grip of their toes hanging on.

I only do this a couple of times a year because I'm not sure if it's a good idea to have the birds become too tame. Anyhow, that's my own twist on how to do it. Other birds may take food from your hand too such as Titmice or Nuthatches. One warning make sure you don't scare your neighbors. One of my neighbors was getting ready to call 911 after they saw me standing like a statue for ten minutes in the middle of winter.

Cold Wind Blowin' Down The Railroad Tracks

The wind was howling on this cold winter morning but at least the sun was shining. It was one of those days that I could have just as easily stayed home, but I getting outdoors on the weekend is a priority for me.

I decided to take a walk along the abandoned railroad tracks that lead to Pratt & Whitney in Middletown CT. The tracks follow a portion of the CT. River through a marshy section complete with beaver huts. There is a trail directly along the river once you pass the marsh.

I was a tad bit nervous crossing the trestle. Did you ever see a calf get up and walk for the first time? That's how I felt going across the railroad trestle which was covered with ice and had a few broken ties.

After I crossed the trestle, I started to hear sparrows making little chip notes on both sides of me. There were dozens of AMERICAN TREE SPARROW and WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS in the thickets along the side.There was also a few SONG SPARROWS.

As I entered the trail along the river, I saw a large flock of MALLARDS take off. There was a few COMMON MERGANSERS and HOODED MERGANSER near the shoreline. Two RED-TAILED HAWKS put on a nice aerial display. One BALD EAGLE could be seen flying very high overhead. The big surprise of the day was a female YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER which are somewhat uncommon around these parts. Unfortunately, I couldn't get a very good picture of it.

Other than that, I did not see a lot of birds. Other species included:RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER, AMERICAN CROW, RING-BILLED GULL, NORTHERN FLICKER, CAROLINA WREN, BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE, AMERICAN ROBIN, TUFTED TITMOUSE, and BLUE JAY. I was a lot warmer and had much better balance crossing the trestle on the way back. Not a bad day after all.

Birding at Rocky Hill Meadows in Rocky Hill Connecticut

I'm going to start by mentioning a place that was new to me this year. It is known by many, but not considered one of Connecticut's top hot spots. One of the main attractions at Rocky Hill Meadows is being able to see a variety of shore birds at an inland location. I just started to learn some shorebirds this year, and was really excited at some of the birds I was able to see at these meadows. There were several species of Sandpiper including Baird's , Buff-breasted, Semipalmated and Pectoral.

On one rainy afternoon we saw an American Golden Plover, along with dozens of Yellowlegs wading in the puddles. There were also Short-billed Dowitchers sighted here.

If you watch the CT. rare bird alert :http://www.virtualbirder.com/bmail/ctbird/index.html during the summer it will help you determine when certain birds are showing up . I had most of my success during the month of September. Weather conditions also play a factor when searching for migrating shorebirds, but that is a little beyond my knowledge at this point. I just know I had better luck after heavy rain. Maybe someone with more information on this subject can contribute some information.

Anyhow, if you've never been to Rocky Hill Meadows you might want to give it a try. It is located at the Rocky Hill Ferry Landing-(route 99 to Route 160). When you arrive at the ferry parking area , drive through the gated entrance to left .This will bring you to a series of fields. The area is actively farmed , so you must be prepared to give tractors the right of way. There are also no trespassing signs posted in some locations.-good luck!

Eagle Festival In Essex Connecticut Draws A Big Crowd

I decided to check out the Eagle Festival for the first time this year. I arrived at about 10:30am. It was only about 30 degrees but lots of sunshine with minimal wind made for a nice winter morning. I decided to skip the cruise and save it for another weekend. It was a little too crowded for my taste.

One of the reasons I went was to try out some of the binoculars they had in the optics tents. I currently use Swift Ultra-Lite 8x42 roof prism binoculars. I have no major complaints with these binoculars. They have all the features I am looking for and include a lifetime warranty.
If I were to buy new binoculars, they would have to offer me a view that was clearly better than the ones I own now.

I looked through several of the top of the line roof prism binoculars. The only one that really impressed me were the Swarovski 8.5 x 42's. The Leica's didn't seem to fit my eyes comfortably. I did not like the view through 8x 32's as well as the the 42's. I would have liked to try out the best that Zeiss, Bushnell, and Nikon had to offer but unfortunately none of the dealers brought those models along. The dealer at Fat Robin said he would have brought those models had he known the weather was going to be so good.

I didn't spend a lot of time at the festival. It was interesting to come across so many people who had never seen eagles before. My brother-in-law Al and I enjoyed helping people locate BALD EAGLES . We saw about ten in the area while we were there. I also saw a NORTHERN HARRIER and a RED-TAILED HAWK fly by.

Update on the Great Hill Climb.

It was about 25 degrees and cloudy Saturday morning. The minute I got out of my truck on Gadpouch Road, I realized I had underestimated the food that would be available in this area for winter birds. The area is loaded with dead and decaying trees.

There seemed to be a woodland bird convention going on the minute I hit the blue trail. On the way up I saw 3 DOWNY WOODPECKERS, 5 WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCHES,2 BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES, 4 TUFTED TITMICE, 1 NORTHERN CARDINAL, 2 BLUE JAYS, 1 AMERICAN ROBIN, AND 1 AMERICAN ROBIN. I have to tell you it was NOISY IN THOSE WOODS!

I made the climb to the top in about 20 minutes . The few icy patches along the way did not present a problem. I reached the top of the hill and was reminded of what a great view it is from the overlook. After a few minutes of enjoying the view, I realized there wasn't a single bird near the top.

I was on my way back down when I heard the banshee cry of the mighty PILEATED WOODPECKER. I tried to follow its call but the bird kept eluding me in the deepest part of the woods. After sitting still in one particular spot for several minutes, I finally caught a glimpse of it flying off. As I made my way back down the hill, I heard it call from about 20 feet to my left. Suddenly, a large bird flew below me from left to right.-The Pileated Woodpecker?-NO-Surprisingly, it was a RED-TAILED HAWK flying low through the woods. I'm used to seeing them sitting in trees at the edge of a field or on a telephone pole. It was odd to see one in the woods like that.

So-the total number of species was 10. (I heard crows and Bluebirds off in the distance but out of the Great Hill Zone). The total number of birds seen was only 20.-1 over 1 under.

High upon this hill I stand-
While monstrothic houses eat the land-
As nature's view feeds my soul-
My disappointment stands below-LN

Backyard birding in Portland-2/3/07

Saturday Morning I was at Joanne Luppi's :Backyard birding in Portland.
This is more than just a birding field trip-it's an annual tradition. This is the third year I've attended.

The weather was pleasant for a February morning. I'd guess it was in the upper 20's but it was sunny with very little wind. It had snowed overnight, leaving a coating on the roads.
This led to some people calling to say they couldn't make it. Debbie, who lives nearby, also joined us. She is a kindergarten teacher who tries to instill an appreciation of nature to her students by setting up bird feeders outside the classroom window. Debbie also enjoys riding horses and birding in her spare time.

Joanne, a retired English Teacher, first became interested in birds when she was a young girl. As a child, she grew up in a home with property that was bordered by The Pachaug State Forest. Her father was a Forest Ranger for Pachaug. Bluebird houses were set up on the property so she had the good fortune of being able to watch Eastern Bluebirds there. She has now come full circle, as her present house is bordered by Meshomasic State Forest http://wikimapia.org/1558318/.

Later in life, Joanne and her family took trips to a pony farm in Chinoteague Virginia. It was here that she first noticed the beautiful white birds called Egrets. This furthered fueled her interest in birds. These days , Joanne finds birding a good excuse to take a trip and enjoy the outdoors. Her next quest is to go to see the Harlequin Ducks http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlequin_Duck at Sachuest Point near Newport, Rhode Island.

We started out birding taking a walk along the road to visit some of the neighbor's bird feeders. The neighbors know in advance that there will be visitors during this trip and are happy to accommodate us. We got settled in to one location where we had nice views of BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES at the feeders. These sociable birds always seem to be on a mission. We could see the DOWNY WOODPECKERS and WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCHES working along the trees in the area. EASTERN BLUEBIRDS and CAROLINA WREN could be heard on opposite sides of the street.

After surveying some of the area feeders we returned to the house but we were not finished. Joanne has set up numerous feeders in her backyard, and the view through the picture window
is excellent. We were able to see many birds including RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER http://www.birds.cornell.edu/BOW/REWO/ which was feeding on the suet. There were also three male NORTHERN CARDINALS sitting in the rose bushes at one point. Cardinals seem to be at there most stunning when the area is blanketed with snow. I also enjoyed seeing a group of nine BLUE JAYS feeding on the ground. Some people don't care for Blue-Jays because they come with a reputation. They are members of the family Corvidae (crow) , which are some of the most intelligent birds.

We took a break and enjoyed scones and coffee ( you're not going to get that on other field trips)

while observing more birds in the backyard.
Other species seen included: MOURNING DOVE, AMERICAN GOLDFINCH, HOUSE FINCH, WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, JUNCO, EUROPEAN STARLING, and HOUSE SPARROW. In the past week Joanne has also had a HERMIT THRUSH visiting her birdbath. In past years she has had YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, and PURPLE FINCHES visit her yard. There has been fewer birds at her feeders this year, thus far. This is probably due to the unusually warm start to this winter. The birds have not had a need to use feeders as a food source with all of the natural food that has been available.

This yearly event is an excellent way to introduce someone to the joys of birdwatching. If you have a child who seems to have some interest in birds ,this is the place to go. It's also a comfortable way of seeing a nice variety of birds in the midst of winter.

The Glorious Glastonbury Meadows

The Glastonbury Meadows are roughly situated between Main Street Glastonbury and the Connecticut River. It is basically a series of adjoining fields creating one huge field (by Connecticut standards) with various areas of woodland edge. Looking on at the:
Glastonbury Meadows Topo-Map, you can see how the fields follow a deep bend along the Connecticut River. This area was shown to me by two fellow birders during the Christmas count of 2005. I have only been there twice since then. In four visits I have seen Peregrine Falcon, Merlin, Harrier Hawks, Bald Eagles, Red-tailed Hawks, Red-shouldered Hawk, White-crowned Sparrows, and Horned Lark just to name a few. I've seen reports there of Marsh Wren, Lincoln Sparrow, Solitary Sandpiper, and Mourning Warbler. It also borders a stretch of river that seems to be good for seeing a variety of ducks. It seems obvious that this area has great potential. I should mention, birding the area requires a lot of walking.

There is a catch to the Glastonbury Meadows. Most of the land is privately owned and is leased for use by a game club for hunting. Some of the hunters you run in to are friendly , others try to make you feel unwelcome. Just makes it all the more intriguing as a birding locale. From talking to the many people who walk there, it's okay to go there on Sundays as long as the dog trials aren't going on. It's also o.k. outside of hunting season.

The town owns two strips of the land but it is not marked. You can legally access the field by way of a trail behind the Glastonbury Audubon. A much easier way is to park in the empty lot across from the Police station on main street. You can then follow the bank down past the fences to the river . Follow the river to the left, and it will bring you to the fields.

TOTAL NUMBER OF SPECIES FOR JANUARY OF 2009

My Total Number Of Species Seen For January 2009 Is......exactly 100 species!


Congratulations to all of those who participated in Big January. I hope you were able to achieve your personal goals and enjoyed the the experience. I'm not sure what Kathie's final total was but she was already at 107 species on her last post. Good Job Kathie! You earned every species on your list by doing some serious birding. Thanks for adding to the fun with your competitive spirit.

I hope all of you will participate in Big January in 2010!

Here is my final list of species for the month:
BRANT, CANADA GOOSE, MUTE SWAN, WOOD DUCK, GADWALL, EURASIAN WIGEON, AMERICAN WIGEON, AMERICAN BLACK DUCK, MALLARD, RING-NECKED DUCK, GREATER SCAUP, LESSER SCAUP, SUF SCOTER, LONG-TAILED DUCK, BUFFLEHEAD, COMMON GOLDENEYE, HOODED MERGANSER, COMMON MERGANSER, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, RUDDY DUCK, RING-NECKED PHEASANT, WILD TURKEY, RED-THROATED LOON, COMMON LOON, PIED-BILLED GREBE, GREAT CORMORANT, AMERICAN BITTERN, GREAT BLUE HERON, TURKEY VULTURE, BALD EAGLE, NORTHERN HARRIER, SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, COOPER'S HAWK, RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, RED-TAILED HAWK,ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, AMERICAN KESTREL, MERLIN, PEREGRINE FALCON, AMERICAN COOT, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, KILLDEER, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, RUDDY TURNSTONE, SANDERLING, PURPLE SANDPIPER, DUNLIN, RING-BILLED GULL, HERRING GULL, ICELAND GULL, GLAUCOUS GULL, GREATER BLACK-BACKED GULL, ROCK PIGEON, MOURNING DOVE, MONK PARAKEET, GREAT HORNED OWL, BELTED KINGFISHER, RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER, DOWNY WOODPECKER, NORTHERN FLICKER, PILEATED WOODPECKER, BLUE JAY, AMERICAN CROW, FISH CROW, COMMON RAVEN, HORNED LARK, BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE, TUFTED TITMOUSE, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH, BROWN CREEPER, CAROLINA WREN, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, EASTERN BLUEBIRD, HERMIT THRUSH, AMERICAN ROBIN, NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD, EUROPEAN STARLING, AMERICAN PIPIT, CEDAR WAXWING, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, FIELD SPARROW, SAVANNAH SPARROW, SONG SPARROW, SWAMP SPARROW, WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, DARK-EYED JUNCO, SNOW BUNTING, NORTHERN CARDINAL, RED-WINED BLACKBIRD, BOAT-TAILED GRACKLE, PURPLE FINCH, HOUSE FINCH, WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL, PINE SISKIN, AMERICAN GOLDFINCH, HOUSE SPARROW.

Final bird #100 was Boat-tailed Grackle which is also a lifer for me. What a way to end!

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Land Trusts potential birding spots?

Over the last couple of years I have become more aware of what is known as land trusts: A non-profit, non-governmental charitable organization that helps interested landowners and communities find ways to protect their land from over-development so it can continue to provide open space, habitat, clean water, scenic beauty and other values of public benefit.
I have noticed that there are several of these land trusts in Connecticut. Each one has land that could be potential birding spots. I have visited some of the properties owned by land trusts. Some looked pretty good while others weren't even accessible. I'm going to start to add some links here. It may take a while so it should be an ongoing process. If you've been to any of these places I'd like to hear about it.
Joshua's Land Trust
The Great Meadows Conservation Trust
The Nature Consevancy
Avon Land Trust
Middlesex Land Trust
Madison Land Trust
The Meriden Land Trust
Haddam Land Trust
Essex Land Trust
Berlin Land Trust
East Haddam Land Trust
Chesire Land Trust
Lyme Land Trust
Old Lyme Land Trust