Sunday, October 27, 2019

Fall Brings Back Memories Of Fall


 Every year when Fall arrives it feels like I am opening up a treasured gift. Suddenly there is I am thankful to once again experience the smell of burning wood, crisp, clean air and beautiful foliage wherever you go. Like a special song, it brings back memories of fall days from the distant past.
 Around this time new sparrows like the White-throated Sparrow start showing up in large numbers.
I was reminded recently that leaves don't change color from green to the brilliant colors we see in fall. It's just that the chlorophyll start to dissipate this time of the year exposing the true colors underneath.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

On The Fence

East Haddam is a town in Connecticut that seems to be a perfect match for fall weather. I stopped by the Salmon River boat launch to take in a view of the Connecticut River.
I drove along a country road on my way towards Devil's Hopyard.
I saw a park sign on the side of the road that I never noticed before. The name of the park was Captain G. Comer Memorial Park. I googled Captain Comer and found out that he was a famous whaling captain that grew up in East Haddam. Anyway, this park turned out to be a nice spot for sparrows and other birds. 
It had a wire fence bordering a garden where the birds liked to perch in between feasting on seeds from various plants and flowers in the garden. This is a Lincoln's Sparrow which is always a nice find.
There were also a number of Savannah Sparrows there.

There are hundreds of miles of hiking trails in Connecticut even though it's a small state. I love coming across new parks and hiking trails by accident. This one had the extra bonus of having a fence that attracted birds like magnets. It's definitely worth a trip back there.




Sunday, October 6, 2019

Heading East To Catch The Train And Foliage

 The Fall Foliage is still a week away from my area so I drove 30 minutes east to the Raymond Marsh portion of the Airline Trail  which was built in the 1870's and once used to transport passengers from Boston to New York.
 I was using my imagination to visualize the old train coming and this painting magically materialized on the side of a building!
I was hoping to get a glimpse of some scenic foliage but kept my eyes open for birds like this Downy Woodpecker as well.
 The rail trail runs across the Raymond Marsh where I had a view of some ducks, Red-shouldered Hawks flying over....
 ....and not surprisingly, a Great Blue Heron.
I was curious if there was any fish in this type of marsh and the heron soon answered my question, although it didn't inspire me to get my fishing rod.
Peak color has not yet arrived in this area either but I did manage to get a peek.