Birding At A Slow Pace Often Pays Dividends

 Moving at a slow pace does not come naturally to me. I'm usually in high gear and then add a couple cups of coffee to that. I have learned that it's easy to pass right by things unless you take your bird walks at a slow pace. If I wasn't walking slowly I surely wouldn't have noticed this reflective scene on the Connecticut River. 

 It's hard to believe that I almost walked directly underneath this Bald Eagle without noticing it because I was busy checking my cellphone!

 I've been seeing robins by the hundreds but if I wasn't walking along at a snail's pace I might have ignored them all.

I don't think I would have missed a dozen Eastern bluebirds perched on plants in an open field...

 ...but the bluebirds didn't notice this sly fox until it was too late as I witnessed it leaping up to capture one of the bluebirds and then sneaking off into the woods with bird in mouth.If I hadn't stopped to admire the bluebirds I would have missed the fox and the whole scene (mixed feelings about that).

 I usually find waxwings by hearing their zzzz sounds but I just happened to look up one more time before leaving the park to see this silent Cedar Waxwing, my first of the year.

 I asked several birders at the fairgrounds if they had seen any snipe to which they said no. It's easy to see how you could miss this one standing silent in the tall grass. I was about ready to call it a day when I just happen to glance in the right direction.

After 15 minutes of observing through a spotting scope all I saw was Ring-necked Ducks and Wood Ducks. If I had left a minute earlier, I never would have seen this Northern Shoveler emerge from a hidden area set way back in the woods.

It's not always easy to slow your pace down when your birding, especially when you're seeing the usual suspects but birding at a slow pace often pays dividends.