I spent some time wandering around the old tobacco fields. They don't grow tobacco there any more but do use them for fruits and vegetables. I found some interesting birds out there including American Pipits and Purple Finches. I enjoyed watching a pair of Northern Flickers spending time on this evergreen.

A male House Finch stayed at the top performing guard duty for all.

A few of the old buildings still remain. Many a teenager worked in these tobacco fields back in the day, myself included. It was a dirty job but it was a way to make money. 

Eventually there will be nothing left to these old tobacco sheds but fortunately, local historians have captured a pictural record of them. 

Connecticut Shade Tobacco

Giant Pumpkin, Goats, and Bluegrass

September and October is fair season around Connecticut. Durham Fair is extremely crowded at night but fairly quiet in the morning. The pumpkin at the top is a record for this particular fair. 2,181 pounds. Try finding a pie pan big enough for that one!

These goats are well-behaved and seem to get along with each other.

I believe the name of this bluegrass band was String Theory. They were very good, especially the guitar player. The fair is a nice place to wander around on a fall morning!

As We Enter The Fall Season

As we enter the fall season many birders are out scouting the fields for the arrival of new species of sparrow that may be passing through.

Lincoln's Sparrow is one that we keep  our eyes open for. Sparrows can be a little tricky to identify, especially if you are new to birding. I always notice a caramel wash on its breast. It has that eyeline that works its way back to a sort of triangle, and a little grayish on the side of the face. There are other things to look for as well but the most important thing is to remember as many details as possible before looking in your field guide. If you're still not confident, you can upload your photo to a birding website like Birdforum.

The birdbath continues to work out well. Recently, there has been 5 bluebirds that take daily baths which I am pleased about. 30 years ago there were very few bluebirds around. Now I see them everywhere! At the same time. House Sparrows seem to be in decline. They used to fight with bluebirds over nestboxes.

While out looking for sparrows in the fields, I come across other surprises here and there like this Merlin with its intimidating scan across the field. 

I'm much looking forward as we move further into fall as more sparrows pour into the fields. I must say, the weather has been overall excellent over the summer and into the fall. We had a couple of very hot weeks but overall the weather has been very comfortable! I am  hopeful that real fall weather hangs on now before winter takes hold.

Repurposed Birdbath Visitors Finally Arrive

I like it when I can make use of things that are just hanging around waiting to be thrown out. I bought a fire bowl for 35 bucks many years ago. The thin metal bowl part rusted out in less than 2 years but the base had a heavy duty metal braided design. I always felt like I might be able to do something with it so I never got rid of it.

An idea finally came to me. I turned the base upside down and it had a bit of a dish design on the bottom which was too rusty to hold water for birds. I found a plastic terra cotta dish that matched the size and placed it inside. Small birds don't like deep water, preferring a water depth of about an inch. This one was about an inch and a half so I placed some flat rocks on the bottom. Birds also like the sound of moving water or dripping water so I took a gallon sized water jug and poked a pushpin sized hole in the bottom. I finished it off by putting a branch between 2 ornamental garden fence pieces and set it up so it was just above the bath so birds could perch on it.

The first birds to show up were actually goldfinches but I wasn't fast enough getting the camera. The chickadee hung around a little bit longer.

The Tufted Titmouse is a relative of the chickadee and he showed up a few minutes after his cousin.

It's always nice when a plan comes together!

Sparse Birding While Waiting For Migration

I haven't been doing much in terms of active birding this month. Just poking around here and there. I caught a Bald Eagle which is still waiting for fully white head feathers.

I also see a few things here and there down by the shore like this Willet while looking for a local breakfast diner.

 I'm looking forward to the major hawk migration in mid-September as well as some new sparrows and warblers that will soon be showing up. 

Don't Judge A Pond By Its Stench!

                                                 There is a pond that runs right through the middle of town called Pameecha Pond. It was originally a stream and the word Pameecha came from the Wangunk Tribe that once lived in the area. It is roughly translated to mean "water between two stones". These days I might refer to it as mud between two tires.Although it may not be the most scenic pond, it does attract wildlife. We often see Great blue Herons and great Egrets there. The mud can get a little stinky so maybe this heron was trying to catch a breath of fresh air? I also spotted some shorebirds that a fellow birder had told me about but they blended in with the mud background so much that I thought I would try to get a closer look.                                                                              

That resulted in me sinking up to my knees in quicksand, or quickmud in this case.

It's always a nice to find shorebirds right in your local urban pond rather than having to drive down to the shore to find them. The little one is a Least Sandpiper and the other two are Semipalmated Plovers. You don't see those all that often inland.

Birds don't choose habitat by how nice it smells or looks. Humans tend to be the ones that do that. Birds just want to find food to survive. In this case these mudflats fit the bill.  

Goldfinch Flower And Hummingbird Fence

I don't always pay close attention to goldfinches because there are so many of them around but when they land on top of a flower I take notice. This one landed on a Zinnia, but...

It seemed more interested in spending time in the sunflower plants.This hummingbird landed on a fence for a split second but seemed to have evil intent in its eye as it was off fighting another hummingbird a moment later!

During the hot weather sometimes it's better to sit still and just watch the action unfold.

You Need Not Be Birding To See Birds

I've been out for some morning walks along the Connecticut River. Most of my birding has been limited to what I hear or what I see without the aid of binoculars. I was really out for a bit of exercise. Now and then I would stop to take a picture but had to move along quickly to avoid being ambushed by deer flies which seem to have an appetite for human flesh.

The Osprey is getting ready to plunge into the river to grab an unsuspecting fish.

It won't be long before Tree Swallows once a gain form huge flocks as they start their way down to the shore readying for their migration flight.  I almost didn't notice this Cedar Waxwing silently hiding in a shady plant. Always birds to see, even when you're not looking for them.

Gardening, Flowers, And Strange Flies

I haven't been out birding much lately but have managed to keep the gardens going. This photo is a few weeks old. There are actually six barrels all together. I've been harvesting cucumbers, peppers and plum tomatoes in the six barrels( 2 out of view). Swiss chard has been my most used vegetable as it keeps coming back. I also grew parsley, micro basil, and rosemary. Herbs are easy to grow but I never seem to use as much as I grow,

I've got a flower garden going to. Each year I try to add a perennial so i don't have to use as many annuals to bolster the garden. This plant is called India Pink Spigelia. Hummingbirds have visited them a few times so far.

This insect was about 1-1/2" long and was hanging out in the mulch around the flower beds. At first, I thought it was some king of ground wasp. It had a big orange stripe around its abdomen. It turned out to be a Clubbed Mydas Fly which look intimidating but don't sting and are actually good pollinators! I'm starting to catch on with flies that don't look like flies. They all seem to have over-sized eyes.

First Look At A Grasshopper Sparrow In Years!

There's only a few select areas where you regularly see Grasshopper Sparrows in Connecticut. Years ago their was a large area of land in East Hartford where I went to see them but that habitat was ruined due to development. I also had one crummy photo of one from Northwest Park from about 25 years ago so I was glad to get a closeup look and photo at Suffield Wildlife Management Area. 

Fortunately, they managed large field areas in Suffield CT which is also half in Massachusetts which eventually became good habitat for these prized sparrows. I was able to see my first Blue Grosbeak there as well which is considered a rarity. The Grasshopper Sparrow has a buzzy insect-like call and as the name suggests, they like to eat grasshoppers.

I've seen several attempts at trying to manage large open fields to try to attract grassland species of birds but it doesn't always work. Birds like meadowlarks, Bobolinks, and the many other grassland species can be very particular. What looks good to us may not be quite appealing enough to attract the desired species.

I was glad to see their efforts paid off at the Suffield Wildlife Management area!

Watch Those Birds And Watch Your Step!

When I'm out watching birds I try to watch out for other creatures like snakes! I almost stepped on this one which I think is a Northern Water Snake? I looked it up and although not poisonous, they can inflict a painful bite if cornered. Maybe there are some people that don't mind being bitten by snakes but I'm not one of them. I prefer not to be bitten!
 

I don't want to step on butterflies either. I don't think they would bite me but they sure do beautify their landscape. I think this is the eastern Tiger Swallowtail.Getting photos of warblers is no easy feat. Prairie Warblers are one of the easier ones to get. The move around a lot like most warblers do but they tend to stay near eye level a lot as they nest fairly close to ground level. Yellow Warblers are one of the most common warblers. They're easy enough for me to get photos of but most of them come out as bright yellow blobs. At least this one shows the red streaks and bright eye.

We are moving into the summer season so the warbler bonanza will slow down. June will be more of an opportunity to observe fledglings leaving the nest. Trying to find comfortable places to go and having the patience to wait for birds to emerge their fortress of foliage will be the challenge! 

Tommy Turtle Works Security For Young Herons

I decided to brave my way through a tick infested foliage forest to see how the herons were doing. On my way down the main trail I ran into Tom the turtle who snapped at me. he wanted to know where I was going and what was my intent? I told him that I just wanted to snap a couple of photos and that I had no bad intentions. I showed him my camera and he let me pass through.

I saw one Great Blue Heron out on the hunt. Not only was it hunting for its own lunch but perhaps for the family too?

Notice how the young herons prefer to style their hair differently. They have a sort of flat-top mowhawk style. Anyway, all seemed to be going well in the land of the herons! 

Spring Migrants Are Flooding In!

In my last couple of outings new spring migrants have been pouring in! These are just a few that I was able to get photos of with my point and shoot. I'm not that good at getting bird photos so that gives you an idea of how may there must be. Top photo is a Blue-winged Warbler. They have a song that sounds like Bee-buzzz.

This little guy is a Palm Warbler. They are constantly wagging their tails up and down.

This is a White-eyed vireo. They are very vocal with a variety of odd calls.
Rose-breasted Grosbeaks have a song that is a little bit like an American Robin but they are more melodic and seem to have more notes to their songs.

The action started earlier this year. There's still a lot left to the month of may and there's still a lot that I'm hoping to see this spring! Anything new near your homestead?

5 Ways To Prevent Restless Birder Syndrome

Birding or birdwatching should be a pleasant and enjoyable activity but in order to get the most out of it you have to be in the right frame of mind. Some birders derive most of their pleasure from chasing after rare birds and growing their list of species seen as quickly as possible. There is nothing wrong with that method. I do it to a certain extent myself at times but I find that it can cause me to be a restless birder. 

If you find constantly looking for the next "good" bird or that place where all the action is, you might be suffering from restless birder syndrome. 

Here are 5 ways you may be able to avoid succumbing to restless birder syndrome: 

1) Pick a place that you think has good habitat for birds that isn't popular among other birders: This will help you avoid having preconceived expectations based upon what others have seen there previously.

2) Commit to staying at this place for the entire morning:

By doing this it will help you relax and just take in your surroundings.

3)Study each bird individually and equally, even if you're only watching an ordinary house wren:

If you know you're going to be at this place for the full morning then there is no need to be in a hurry. You may notice some details that you haven't noticed before.

4)Stay in one place as long as possible: By staying in one place you are less likely to scare birds into hiding. They tend to reveal themselves when you have the patience to do this and you might also see birds that you might otherwise have overlooked.

5) Observe bird behavior: Now that you've slowed down the pace and opened up your observational skills you might be able to pick up on what the birds are doing, not just identifying their species. 

This type of birding may seem too slow for some but it can be just rewarding as high paced listing. Just as importantly, it will help you avoid being afflicted with the dreaded restless birder syndrome!

Red-headed Woodpecker Close To Home

For the longest time the only Red-headed Woodpecker we've had close to home was a fake one we put on an old fencepost as a gag. It fooled a few people who took a quick glance because it's set up a good distance from the house. I have seen enough of the fake one. I prefer the real deal!

Red-headed Woodpeckers are still fairly rare in Connecticut but seemed to have increased in numbers over the last couple of years for some reason. Usually, I have to drive quite a bit out of town to find one but there have been a couple of them 10 minutes away the next town over for quite a while now at the Helen Carlson Bog. Having them so close to home is a nice convenience. I was able to see two of them this morning!

Checking On The Great Blue Heron Nests

We are fortunate to have a heron rookery in the area with dozens of nests. They are quite a distance across a flooded area high up in the trees but it like a scene from the dinosaur era.

They are constantly flying around outside the nest so sometimes you do get a little closer. It has become a yearly ritual to check on these nests to get a count on how many herons are around. Some years we have seen as many as 200 of them. This year the numbers have been a little more modest.