Enjoying Fall From Sunrise To Moonrise

Every season has its strong points but if I had to pick a favorite season, I would choose Fall. I've been trying to make the most of the mornings by watching the sunrise while enjoying the first coffee of the day. The image caused by the reflective glare from the sun reminds me of an angel with outstretched arms.

I recently visited the Parmelee Farm off of route 81 in Killingworth. This house was built in 1847 and originally belonged to Horace and Eunice Parmelee. The town purchased the house and surrounding property in 2000.

I found the house by doing an Internet search for community gardens in the area after I was reminded by Luke, of Under Clear Skies, that community gardens can be a productive place to look for birds. There were several warblers in the community gardens at Parmelee Farm including several Palm Warblers and the female Common Yellowthroat seen in the photo above.

I discovered that there are several well- established trails throughout the property. I found a total of 5 Eastern Towhees along the trail including the male and female birds pictured above. Other interesting sightings included a close encounter with a Pileated Woodpecker, an Osprey circling above, and a Black and White Warbler.

I found this butterfly in the community garden which I believe to be a Silver-Spotted Skipper . It looks as though it could use a new pair of wings.

This spider seemed a little too close for comfort as it climbed up the sleeve of my jacket but I managed a quick photo before brushing it off. I found out that it is a Marbled Orb Weaver which as with most spiders, are not known to be aggressive or dangerous to people.

Many sparrows have been returning to Connecticut including the Dark-eyed Juncos. I'm still looking forward to seeing my first White-crowned and Fox Sparrows of the year.

I spent a few days in the Berkshires in Massachusetts. We caught some nice trout there but I didn't do much birdwatching. I was constantly hearing kinglets but rarely caught a glimpse of them. Mostly we just took in the scenery as we made stops along route 2 in the northwestern region of the state. At the end of the day we enjoyed a campfire and watched the moon rise above the horizon as it cast a reflective glow across South Pond. If only Fall could last a little longer.