Bridges, Birds, And Bumblebees

I've been trying to make use of my bike lately and to keep my birdwatching local. I took a ride down to this bridge and walked along both sides of the road.

My bird of the morning was this Hermit Thrush. Being without your car tends to make me a little more patient because I'm not going to be tempted to chase rare birds around the state on my bike.

 I found this Hermit quietly perched on a branch hidden behind a tree. I might have overlooked it if I had been in a rush but on this particular day, I was taking time to stop and smell the flowers.I noticed something encouraging this year. I have seen more bumblebees than I have in the past few years. I counted over 20 of them on one mum plants. It has been reported that the population has decreased by as much as 90 percent over the last 20 years so I'm hoping that they are on the increase again. Pollinators are important! 

Foliage, Flowers, And Sparrows

I haven't heard much about fall color this year in the news. I was happy to see there's some around.  

I liked the way this flower looked when I was out looking for fall sparrows. I don't know what kind it is but I remember seeing a picture of Cosmos and wondered if that's what this might be?

I've seen plenty of sparrows but not really the ones I've been looking for. Mostly Savannah Sparrows so far. Still, they look nice, especially viewed through a spotting scope.

A Camping Firepit Backyard Birding Sit!

Lately, nights have been to busy to find the time to enjoy sitting by the firepit. So why not make one in the morning? I got this one started before sunrise.

The moon was still visible while I was sipping on coffee and sitting next to the warmth of the fire. I heard an owl calling in the dark.

Eventually the sun came up and I didn't want to miss my birding time. Instead of extinguishing the fire so I could run out birding somewhere I decided to stay right where I was. After all, there's always going to be birds to see in your own yard! This Red-shouldered Hawk was one of many I was able to see. Sitting in one place while birding and birding in my own yard are 2 things I always intend to do but don't always have the patience to follow through. I was able to knock both of those off my baby bucket list.

There are many ways that I to enjoy nature. Sitting by a fire with a moonlit sky, birding, and camping are 3 of my favorites. With a little creativity and imagination I was able to get a taste of all 3. The first 2 speak for themselves and camping is a frame of mind. you just have to convince yourself that your backyard is a campground!

Came Across A Kestrel At The Fairgrounds

Fall migration is in full swing so I've been keeping my eyes open for migrating hawks and increasing numbers of sparrows.

I found a few but my favorite surprises of the morning were finding a Northern Harrier which a dog scared off and this American Kestrel sitting on a post. Both Harriers and Kestrels sometimes hover while they hunt. Northern Harriers hover close to the ground while kestrels generally do it from a greater height.

One of the most peaceful and scenic places in Middletown is the Indian Hill Cemetery. Sowheag, who was a leader of the Wangunks in the 1600's, used to stand atop the hill here to get as bird's eye view of the wigwam settlements the in the surrounding area along the Connecticut River. You can read more in this Indian Hill Cemetery history page.

I like to find a comfortable spot on one of there benches and scan the surrounding areas for birds. Many times they will land on stones or monuments like this Northern Flicker and Eastern Bluebird did.

Flickers are woodpeckers that spend a lot of time feeding on the ground as opposed to other woodpecker species in the area which spend most of their time in trees. They also have a lot of interesting markings. Notice the moustache, black chest band, spots on the chest, and yellow under the back of the tail making this a yellow-shafted Northern Flicker.

They also have a heart-shaped marking on the back of their head. They are the second largest woodpecker in Connecticut behind the Pileated Woodpecker.

Zinnias Do A Good Job Attracting Butterflies!

I took a break from yardwork the other day and was pleased to see a couple of butterflies show up near the flower gardens which makes planting them all the more worthwhile! I noticed the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail kept landing on the hibiscus but didn't seem to be interested in feeding on the flowers.  It ended up on another plant with much smaller yellow flowers.Both the Monarch and swallowtail spent most of their time on the Zinnias. That seems to be the flower of choice for butterflies in my garden this year. 

Green Herons At the Pea Soup Frog Pond

I haven't been birding much lately but I had an interesting outing the other day. There is a little walking area about a 1/2 mile from my house that I go to do some casual birding on occasion. 

I usually stick to the open field areas where I typically see things like mockingbirds, goldfinches, Barn Swallows and Killdeer there. from above looking down I have always noticed there was a little pond below but it was too surrounded by woods to get to it but someone recently cleared a path around it with some heavy equipment. It's not a pond that i would want to drink water out of or swim in. It looks like someone just poured a giant can of pea soup in there but the frogs seem to like it.When you find a pond that has lots of frogs in the summer you have a good chance of finding the crow-sized Green Heron. It turns out there were actually 5 of them hidden in this little frog pond! They are crow-sized and blend in pretty well in wooded surroundings. It was interesting to see one in this position sort of postured more like a waterfowl than a heron.

Don't ever judge a habitat by how pretty it looks! Birders even find interesting birds in places like sewage treatment plants and dumps so green water won't doesn't discourage them a bit!

First Of Year Yellow-crowned Night Heron

 During my free time I've been glued to my yard doing general yard maintenance and tending to the gardens. I finally decided to break away for a little bit this weekend and was able to find my first Yellow-crowned Night Heron of the year. 

Notice how it has that feather coming off the back of the head. I think this is only seen during mating season. I also found out that they sometimes eat small turtles. They have a powerful stomach acid capable of dissolving their shells. 

It's Impossible Not To See Birds Near The Shore

I've had little desire to spend time in the woods with the wicked humidity that we've had the last couple of weeks. Fortunately, the shoreline is cooler and there are birds everywhere. Osprey nests are all along the shoreline and hanging out on piers.

These American Oystercatchers were hanging out right behind a restaurant parking lot.

Just a few feet over was a Snowy Egret standing on one foot. I know birds do that in the winter to keep their feet warm but in this case I think it is just a center of balance sort of thing.

Black-bellied Whistling Duck

I got a tip-off from a fellow birder that there was Black-bellied Whistling Ducks down in West Haven. I've never seen on before so didn't mind driving a little out of the way in hopes they would still be there. With a name like that how could I resist? The black bellies, reddish bill, and light eye ring were easily visible for identification.

They are described as goose-like ducks with a long neck.

Their name sounds like it was contrived by someone who was poking fun at birders! I didn't hear them vocalizing but I've been told that some of them are good enough to imitate the whistling section of Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay!

Sidetracked By Raspberries And Snakes

I haven't been motivated to go birding on 90 degree humid days but managed to sneak out to the woods over the weekend. I wore a long-sleeved shirt and boots which added to the discomfort but being attacked by deerflies and other critters is not on my bucket list.

I encountered what I believe to be a Black Rat Snake. Snakes don't bother me unless I think they're poisonous but I decided to take the road less traveled instead of stepping over it just in case. I do carry a box of -snake and bake- with me just in case they get out of line!The road less travelled led me to lots of raspberry bushes which in turn led to lots of smoothies!

The Crows And I Are Patrolling The Yard

I've been taking a break from active birding so that I can catch up with the yardwork. There were giant hemlocks in the area you are looking at but the woolly adelgids destroyed them. I decided to plant a few smaller shrubs and flowers in their place.

I spend a lot of time doing yardwork but ironically, I don't spend much time just sitting and relaxing in the yard. I decided to take a coffee break and enjoy the view. I caught a quick glimpse of a hummingbird visiting some flowers.

Growing herbs and vegetables is another hobby. I tried to keep things simple and easy to maintain by making a homemade whiskey barrel raised garden. I don't think the woodchucks will be getting at these.

One bird that I have found to be surprisingly interesting is the Common American crow. They nested in the woods in back of my yard and they have provided non-stop action. They perch on roofs, raid the neighbors for food, and have a wide variety of colorful vocalizations as they interact with each other and the fledglings.

Watching them in the yard has come to make me appreciate the intelligence of a bird that a dismiss in 2 seconds when I am out birdwatching.

Another bird that has been all over the pace this season is the House Wren. I hear them all the time but only see them pop out in the open occasionally. 

It's been nice taking a summer break from biding and just spending more time in the backyard. I will gradually get back out  in the birding scene again but I'm not in any hurry!
 

Black-necked Stilt Has Distinct Markings

 A Black-necked Stilt which is considered a rare sighting in Connecticut showed up at Hammonasset State Park Last week. It was a reminder of why Hammonasset is considered one of the best birding spots in Connecticut. 

This is a bird that I thought was well worth taking a ride out to see. I was fortunate enough to be able to see it. This was my first time I have seen this species. It was very busy working back and forth picking food out of the water. The thing I liked most about this one was it had an elegant posture and long pink legs. The thing I liked most about it was that it had its own unique markings. There was no mistaking it for another species. I wish all birds were considerate enough to have their own unique markings. It makes identification so much easier!

 

Sharing Birding With Others Led To 2 Rare Birds

I've been interested in birdwatching for many years. It started when I borrowed my grandfather's world war 2 binoculars to watch birds around his yard and at the feeders. That was 50 years ago and my interest in birding increased over the years until it became a regular pastime for me. 

Over the years I have tried to share the wonders of birding with others. Some people are mildly interested, some very interested, and others not much at all.

 Last year I ran into someone out on a hiking trail while I was birding. I shared a little information about birding and within one year he was all in as a birder. He already had photography experience and within a few months he became one the top birders in the area! Some people just have a knack for these sorts of things. 

That brings me to the top photo of an Olive-sided Flycatcher. The tuxedo-like markings on the chest and a call described  as quick!-3 beers are 2 things that help with identifying them. They are very uncommon and hard to find around here. The birder that I introduced to birding was able to lead me to this bird and show it to me. That's what I call a small investment of time paying dividends!

I introduced another person, my cousin, to birding about 10 years ago. He was slow to get hooked on the hobby. For the first 5 years he would describe birds in general terms: big, small, red, noisy, etc. He would carry his partly broken binoculars around on his car floor wiping the lenses clean with his shirt a couple of times a year. He did not really start identifying birds seriously until recently when he surprised me by naming a few different types of warblers he had seen. 

A couple of weeks ago he told me about a spot he found near some powerlines where he encountered a medium-sized, noisy bird that he thought might be something interesting. I had heard stories like this from him before but hadn't been compelled to follow up on them. Then a week later he told me the same bird was still there and that he noticed it had an eye ring. Once I heard that I was there early the next morning. 

It turned out to be a Yellow-breasted Chat which is another rare bird not often seen in this area. As its name indicates it makes a lot of chatty noise. It also has a bright yellow breast and a prominent eye-ring. That is another example of how introducing someone to birding can pay dividends later. Then there is the most important dividend of all. The privilege of being able to pass on the joys of birdwatching to someone new! 

After identifying the chat I was able to share the sighting with other birders who were interested in seeing it. That is another fun part of birding. Being able to share a bird you found with other birders!

Is Playback To Attract Birds Bad?

I visited a local nature preserve the other day It had nice habitat with a stream surrounded by thickets, steep hillsides with mature trees, and then it led down to this swamp. The thing I liked it about it most was that no one was there. It was just me and the birds.

I don't get a lot of warbler photos. They are tough to keep up with using my point and shoot. This is a Black-throated Green Warbler which are usually high up in the trees. 

I got lucky when this one came down to a puddle to take a bath. I also decided to stop trying to chase new species to add to my list and instead, visit places that appeal to me using my own instincts. I wanted to slow down and stay in one place for a while instead of rushing to get through the trail. 

One way that birders get better pictures of birds is to playback the song of a bird to attract them. Some birds respond more than others with this technique. There is controversy over doing this because it is thought that it can disrupt birds, especially during nesting season. It could move them off of their territory or agitate them causing them to waste energy on chasing down an imaginary rival. There hasn't been enough conclusive research yet to see exactly what effect it really has. Some are completely opposed to it and others are 100% for it. I believe that many birders/photographers secretly call birds but don't want to be seen by others while doing it. For years I never did it. I was opposed to it. Now, I do it occasionally and only for a minute or two before moving on.

Put Down That Phone Down And Watch Those Birds!

The Merlin bird sound identification is a great app that can identify birds by sound using your phone but like most good things it does have its downside. I now see birders walking around looking at their phone screen while birds are flying all around them! I've been guilty of it myself at times this year and have come to realize it's not a good good habit.

 It also picks up bird that you may never see or hear yourself. That drives me crazy when it happens because you know you might be missing out on some great birds! It is fairly accurate but does misidentify some birds songs too.

This morning I decided to put that phone away and just use my ears and eyes while I was out in the middle of Meshomasic forest. It turned out to be a good decision because if I wasn't paying close attention I might not have noticed the Barred Owl hunting in the woods.

I also had my hands free to snap a picture of my first American Redstart of the year. Technology is great but once in a while you just have to give it a break and get back to basics. It is a decision that comes with rewards!

New Birds Keep On Coming!

It's a crazy time of the year when all the spring migrants start pouring in. There was a little rain and clouds this morning but it didn't slow the birds down! 

The top bird is an Orchard Oriole. There's not as many of these around as there are Baltimore Orioles in our area. A lot of people pass them off as being robins if they're not paying close attention. Orioles are in the same family as blackbirds where as American Robins are in the thrush family.

This is a Yellow Warbler. They are one of the most abundant warblers in the summer. I like them because they stay closer to the ground than some of the other warbler species.

 Looking up at all those treetop warblers can give you one heckuva stiff neck! Sandpipers like this Least Sandpiper allow you to look down and stretch your neck!

My First Rose-breasted Grosbeak Of The Year!

It was still early in the spring migration when I got my big boots on and started mucking my way through the swampy zone where the Great Blue Herons gather on their grounds.

As expected, there were plenty of Red-winged Blackbirds which are nice but that wasn't really what I was hoping to find.

I wasn't looking for Song Sparrows either but if one is going to perform an avian opera in front of me I might as well listen for a few minutes. 

There in the very top of a tall tree singing his heart out was what I was looking for. They sound a little like a robin singing but faster and more melodic sounding to me. My first Rose-breasted Grosbeak of the year!