Walden Preserve & The Woolly Bear Caterpillar

I recently visited the Walden Preserve in Salem Connecticut. It is owned by the nature conservancy and managed by the Salem Land Trust. It contains 400 acres of fields,woodlands, streams as well as some small ponds and is also part of the 8 Mile River Watershed.

 I've heard from other birders that this an excellent place to visit during spring migration with plenty of warbler action but timing is everything and the birds were a little quiet during my visit. I'm guessing that in a few weeks there will be plenty of sparrows hopping around these weeds. 

The grassy paths led me through fields of wildflowers like asters and the smell of wild grapes was so strong that I could actually taste them as I brushed past the vines.

 I found a Woolly Bear Caterpillar making its way through the grass. There's an old wives tail that you can tell how severe a winter is going to be based on the amount of black that these caterpillars have on their bands. There are also several Woolly Bear fall festivals in the US and Canada. It just so happened that I was wearing brown pants and a black shirt on the morning I found him. I think we were kind of bonding.

I didn't see much sparrow activity but sometimes I forget that an Eastern Towhee is actually a jumbo-sized variety of sparrow.

Both Turkey Vultures (above) and Black Vultures were flying overhead. I love the way their wingtips look when they are in flight.

I found a couple of tiny ponds tucked away in the woods where the leaves were just starting to change color....

..... turtles were trying to keep warm by catching some sun on their backsides......

....and a beaver tried to sneak past me without being noticed.

Fall is in the air already...can you feel it? 

Underwater Piano Lessons In Salem CT?

I visited Walden Preserve in Salem, Connecticut this morning. I was welcomed by an Eastern Bluebird set atop the entrance sign as I pulled into the parking area. It was a cool morning with a few raindrops mixed in between an occasional glimpse of sun.

I followed the trails across the meadow and through the woods. I found this car while walking along the green trail. I wonder what year and model it is ? It looks like an old timer.

As I approached this beaver pond, I heard oo-eek oo-eek as two Wood Ducks took flight. I could hear a Louisiana Waterthrush singing near the Eight Mile River. The trails in the preserve are well maintained but you have to keep track of the colored markers so that you don't wander onto private property. One of the no trespassing signs specifically warned that the land was used privately for hunting and trapping.The Tree Swallows were taking turns with the bluebirds to sit on top of the nestboxes. Eastern Towhees and Field Sparrows were singing all throughout the morning from strategic locations.

I recently read a book titled Legendary Connecticut: Traditional Tales from the Nutmeg-State by David E. Phillips which included one particular story that took place just down the road from where I was birding.

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From what I understand, the following story is true. Imagine trying to explain something like this to your homeowner's insurance agent!

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There was a man who owned a house on Gardner Lake in Salem. He tried to move his house from one side of the frozen lake to the other in the winter of 1899-1900. The house ended up breaking through the ice and floating around the lake for a couple of years before finally sinking to the bottom. The house had a piano in one of the rooms and over the years fishermen claim to have heard the sound of piano playing coming from beneath the surface of the lake.

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I love reading stories that that involve the past history of places I am familiar with. You can read the story in its entirety : here . I'm curious as to whether some of the events I've witnessed or people that I know of will end up in a book of folklore some time in the future?