Saturday, July 30, 2016

Early Shore Birding On Hot Summer Days

 We've had 15 days this month in Connecticut with high temps in the 90's. Humidity is my Kryptonite and the only birding that is tolerable for me in those conditions is to head to the shoreline early in the morning. That way, I can avoid the heat, beach crowds, and parking fees. It's also beautiful at the shoreline when the sun is still low on the horizon.
 My plan is to enjoy whatever I can see before it gets hot.The last couple of years I've had good luck finding Yellow-crowned Night Herons which have been a challenge to find for some birders. I have a much harder time finding the supposedly more common Black-crowned Night-Herons.
 I'm more than satisfied to catch a quick glimpse of a Great Egret staring into its reflection...
......before it plunges his head into the water. By 9am I'm ready to put the pedal to the metal and head for the air conditioning!

Friday, July 15, 2016

Why Are Monk Parakeets In Connecticut?

I recently came across some Monk Parakeets in Old Saybrook. I first saw a Monk Parakeet in my parent's backyard when I was a teen. I assumed that it was someone's pet that had escaped. Many years later I saw them nesting along the Connecticut shoreline and was shocked that a whole colony of parakeets would be nesting in Connecticut. They are the only member of the parrot family that build their nests using sticks and live there year round in colonies.
 They birds are native to Argentina and surrounding areas. Monk parakeets are intelligent birds with a life span that can exceed 15 years. As pets, they have an excellent ability to mimic verbal phrases. 

They may have started out in Connecticut as pets that escaped or were intentionally released. I've also read stories of them escaping from zoos and overturned trucks. In some areas they are considered to be a nuisance and there have been attempts in the past to destroy their nests or eradicate them altogether in some areas. Many birders see them as a novelty bird that are fun to see and add make a nice addition to a year list.

Tuesday, July 5, 2016

What I Like About Cows

Cows always seem to go about things at a relaxed pace.Although I've never aspired to be a cow I do sometimes envy their laid back lifestyle.  For me, they symbolize a direct contrast from the busy world we live in. 

Years ago  I found an old children's book in our house that was left behind by the previous owners. I believe it was called Grandma Moses storybook. It had one poem in it which was written by a British school teacher named James Reeves. The poem kind of got stuck in my head. It went something like this:

Cows, by James Reeves
Half the time they munched the grass, and all the time they lay 
Down in the water-meadows, the lazy month of May, 
A-chewing, 
A-mooing, 
To pass the hours away.

"Nice weather," said the brown cow. 
"Ah," said the white. 
"Grass is very tasty."
"Grass is all right." 

Half the time they munched the grass, and all the time they lay 
Down in the water-meadows, the lazy month of May, 
A-chewing, 
A-mooing, 
To pass the hours away.

"Rain coming," said the brown cow.
"Ah," said the white. 
"Flies is very tiresome."
"Flies bite."

Half the time they munched the grass, and all the time they lay 
Down in the water-meadows, the lazy month of May, 
A-chewing, 
A-mooing, 
To pass the hours away. 

"Time to go," said the brown cow.
"Ah,"’ said the white. 
"Nice chat," "Very pleasant."
"Night.""Night."

Half the time they munched the grass, and all the time they lay 
Down in the water-meadows, the lazy month of May, 
A-chewing, 
A-mooing, 
To pass the hours away.

Sunday, July 3, 2016

Happy Independence Day USA!

 Middletown Connecticut had their annual fireworks display Saturday night. We've seen many over the years and this was one of their best shows yet.
 The fireworks are lunched from a platform on the Connecticut River. We, along with hundreds of other residents watched from the Portland side of the river. The challenge is finding a place where the trees don't block your view and this year we found the perfect spot.
Portland has a firework display also but they delay it to make sure that the local Great Blue Herons have left their nests. Below is a video capturing the end of the fireworks display. Happy 4th of July everyone!
click center of video to play