Always Scouting For New Places

I'm always looking for new places to find birds as the heart of spring migration approaches. This is one place I checked out called Westfield Falls. It's a beautiful little twin waterfall. Whenever I find a waterfall like this I take out my telescoping fishing rod and take a cast or 2 to see if there are any brook trout hanging around. No dice this time around.

Over in my old hometown of Portland the ducks have been visiting the fairgrounds after a receding flood. I was fortunate to see a Blue-winged Teal after a tip from another birder. They are less common and can be tricky to spot sometimes because they blend in with the weeds. 

Secret River Path And Early Sign Of Spring

The Connecticut River has many areas with great habitat for birds and other wildlife. The key is trying to find places to access it. There are may public access sites but it is those little known secret trails that intrigue me the most. I found this little path behind an old gravel pit. I knew that it would eventually lead to the river.

Fish crows at the top of a tower were the first birds I encountered. They look the same as regular crows but have a nasally sounding call. They are also a hair smaller.

It's always nice to come across a Pileated Woodpecker. This one looks like a female lacking the red malar mark and the red on the head doesn't extend to the base of the bill like it does on the male.

When I start to see skunk cabbage popping up I know that Spring is just around the corner!

The trail finally reached the river and I found myself looking directly across to downtown Middletown.

How We Can Inadvertently Kill Owls

I love seeing owls! Any day I see one is a good day. The Great-horned Owl is one of the most common owls in our area. I've been fortunate enough to see them in our backyard.

The Barred Owl is another common owl in Connecticut. I've even seen these during daylight hours.

The Eastern Screech Owl is the most commonly seen small owl. 

For many people, there is something captivating about seeing an owl. They are also helpful in controlling the rodent population. On the other hand, most people aren't crazy about rats and mice, especially if they enter your home or garage where they can cause damage. Poisonous baits are a common method used to kill rodents but they don't die instantly from ingesting the poison. If owls eat the them then they are ingesting poison too. So for the sake of the owls, I would suggest using a different method to get rid of unwanted rodents. 

Searching For The Smallest Ponds And Brooks

 

I've always had an interest in maps, especially local ones. Sometimes If I find a small pond or stream on a map that is unfamiliar it ignites a flame of curiosity in me.  

Recently, I was looking at Long Hill Brook on the map. I was intrigued by the way it snuck through suburban areas of town, connecting to small ponds and other brooks.

According to the map, one particular part of this brook was connected to a tiny pond named Lock Shop Pond. It was interesting because it was just down the road from me but I had never seen it or even heard of it. It was labeled on some maps but left unnamed on other maps. I was able to pinpoint its location as being behind some houses on a private road and behind some businesses on another road. knocking on someone's door to ask if I could walk through their backyard wasn't a good option so I chose to take a peak behind some business buildings. 

I was able to find this small waterfall and figured the pond must be behind it. I took a quick peak but didn't see much of a pond, just a slightly swollen stream. Maybe it fills up in the spring or something happened to drain the pond altogether?

I didn't want to linger too long because someone may have been watching me! 

I still want to know the history of the lock shop that must have existed there at one time. I think there might be someone at the historical society or town hall that might be able to help with that. I also want to investigate the entirety of this brook to see what birds and habitat I might find. 

Convenient Birding On Cold Snowy Days

I wasn't motivated to crunch through snowy woods on this very cold morning so I looked for the most convenient birding spot I could find. Cromwell landing park was nearby and has a deck overlooking the Connecticut River. It was a perfect place to use a spotting scope.

I didn't need a spotting scope to see 17 Common Mergansers right below the deck. I just wish there was a little light reflecting off of them!            I got the spotting scope out and searched up and down the river.    I found 4 Bald Eagles, most of them too far away to even try a photo. This one was out there quite a ways but close enough to for me to get a good look at it.

I prefer to be out walking around in the woods but in the winter convenience and comfort are sometimes the most important factors.

Less Birding And More Birdwatching

I never plan to stop watching birds but my level of interest in it changes along with the ebb and flow of life. This year I plan to break all of my self-imposed rules. I will go outside of my county to chase a bird if I feel like it, and pay less attention to eBird. No rules, just spontaneity.

   In the beginning, watching birds was easy and relaxing. As the years go on you start to see more and more species. You become more aware of what you have or haven't seen and then start to become more serious about things like proper identification and documentation, particularly using eBird-(Snow Bunting above photo).I want to get back to that feeling just watching birds just for the simple joy of it, without making a list or having any particular plan-(Dunlin above).It will just be a natural part of taking a walk or a hike. Overthinking it has taken away taken away some of the joy of simplicity-(Common Eider).

Nature Before Birds

This month I decide to step away from trying to count birds and chase after rare birds. Instead, I've focused on trying to immerse myself in nature. It's been a couple of years since I've climbed to the top of a hill just for the view.I wondered when was the last time I hike out into the woods just to find out just what mica ledges are?People visit art galleries to appreciate art but isn't nature the greatest art galley of all?That didn't mean I was going to ignore birds altogether! I can I ignore a bluebird?

Or a Brown Creeper working its way up the side of a dead tree?

There was just enough time to catch a Bald Eagle before sunrise ready to take off when I got a little too close.

I've set aside this month to explore and appreciate instead of making goals which can detract from that. Then again, I guess setting aside time to explore and appreciate is just another type of goal?!