Sneaky Sparrow And A Touch Of Foliage

I managed to spend a little time looking for migrating sparrows in October. The top one is a Vesper Sparrow. It has some similarities to a Savannah Sparrow but is distinguished by that bold eye ring. It doesn't have that yellow on the side of the face like Savannahs often do. These are less commonly seen and seem a little more shy than some of its cousins.

Here's a Savannah Sparrow. they have fine streaking on the breast and often show yellow on the side of their face. Not always though. They also like to perch on top of things like fences. I appreciate that. it makes life a little easier.

I don't know what happened to foliage mania this year. I didn't hear much about it and didn't see a lot of it. I did find a touch of color while out on an early morning walk in Maromas village. November is already here! This month will be a good time to continue looking for interesting migrating waterfowl.

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.