I Hear The Train A Comin'

I still have grainy memories as a 4 year old running to the end of my yard trying to catch a glimpse of the freight trains passing through town. It's amazing to me that trains like are still running to this day. When I recently saw the Providence And Worcester Railroad  train crossing the river to enter Portland, a wave of nostalgia came over me. For just a moment, I felt like I was a young boy back in 1968 again. 

 In a time when so many people are under the hypnotic control of their "smart phones" these old freight trains seem like mechanical dinosaurs but I find it comforting that pieces of our past still exist. 

This swing truss railroad bridge has got to be pretty darned old. It stays open most of the time but when a train needs to cross it turns to make the connection just as it did decades ago. It was featured in the 1993 Billy Joel video "River Of Dreams".

Even though the area near the bridge is an industrial area, there are still some nice birds in the area. During the year I find Peregrine Falcons, Common Ravens, and in this case, a Savannah Sparrow perched on the  top edge of a large dumpster.

A couple of years ago I found some fox kits wandering near the train tracks as their parents were hidden in the grass watching over them.

Here's a short video clip of the train.

Watching Birds Helps Me To Stay Focused

I took a walk along the Airline Rail Trail through East Hampton this week. This portion of the trail takes you across the Lyman Viaduct. The structure, which is 1,000 feet long and 137 feet high, once allowed trains to cross over Dickenson Creek. Now the tracks have been replaced by wide walking paths that allow you to get a terrific view of the natural surroundings. It's amazing to see the rock ledge that was blasted through and the structures that were built in order to build railroad lines in the 1800's. A walk along this trail is a reminder of the creativity of the human mind. That same creative mind however is not always used to its best advantage and can become an enemy of itself. There are going to be times during the course of a day, a week, or a year when things don't go exactly the way we want them to. It's easy to say that we should do our best to deal whatever challenge, frustration, or disappointment we are faced with and then move on. Sometimes though, our creative minds can turn minors issue into a full scale dramas or ongoing miniseries.

Our time on earth is temporary and we must do our best to survive. The day to day problems we encounter aren't going to matter much in the end. When I'm watching a White-breasted Nuthatch climbing head first down a tree searching for food...

..... or a Brown Creeper creeping up a tree I am reminded that humans may seem complex, but the core of life is simple.

click to play

During the past two weeks I have encountered a singing Winter Wren at Wangunk Meadows, Ring-necked Ducks at Pine Brook Swamp, several Brown Creepers, a Northern Harrier in Lebanon, Fox Sparrows near Salmon River, and many dozens of Golden-crowned Kinglets. The kinglets seem to ignore my pishing so I try to attract Black-capped Chickadees hoping they might bring the kinglets in for a close-up. It didn't work but the chickadees get so riled up by the pishing that I can't help but smile at their reaction .

-

note: I had to activate the word code for comments because I've been getting too much spam-(not the canned meat variety). I'll try turning it off again after a while.

Summer Birding In East Hampton Connecticut

Saturday morning, I decided to explore a couple of locations in East Hampton, Connecticut. It was a cool, clear, sunny morning. I decided to make my first stop at Pine Brook Bog. I think

the main reason I occasionally visit this spot, is because I like the scenery. There's something about bogs that make feel like I'm looking back in time. I don't usually see a large variety of birds here. On this morning, I enjoyed nice views of Wood Ducks and Great Blue Herons feeding along the shallow edges. I only stayed for a few minutes before moving on to the next location.

Next, I decided to walk along a portion of the Air line Rail Trail . I started at the Cranberry Bog entrance, and ended up at the Lyman Viaduct. I didn't walk more than 100 feet down the trail before I was rewarded with a great view of a Waterthrush with a bit of nesting material in its mouth.I would have liked to attempt a better photo, but didn't want to bother the bird. I was left with a question to answer-which Waterthrush is it-Louisiana or Northern? This bird seemed to be near slow moving water which is supposedly preferred by the Northern Waterthrush. Looking at this bird, the eye stripe seems to get wider and whiter behind the eye. It also seems to have pinkish legs and a fairly large bill. These are indicators pointing towards a Louisiana Waterthrush according to Bill Thompson III's book "Identify Yourself." I think I'm leaning toward the Louisiana.-What do you think? Either way it's a lot of fun doing a bit of birding detective work. I walked further down the trail and entered a cool dark area that cuts through rock ledges. Water slowly trickles down the rock walls. I find this sound to be very soothing. I stood still just to listen and relax for a few minutes. Do you enjoy the sound of trickling water?

Along the way, I heard the keeyuur keyuur call of the Red-Shouldered Hawk but never did actually see the bird. There was a the sudden flash of a Pileated Woodpecker flying across the trail. The view was brief but unmistakable. I heard a loud PIK sound coming from a tree on my left. After careful searching, I was able to get a brief but clear glimpse of a Hairy Woodpecker. I heard the song of the Wood Thrush. The bird was in a ravine which seemed to amplify the song and create a beautiful echoing effect. My last memorable view was that of the Black-throated Green Warbler pictured above. The photo was taken from a distance, but you can clearly see the field marks. So often I hear the zee zee zee zee zo zeet song of this bird but rarely get a good look at this bird. I was fortunate to have such a nice view of one on this day.




On the way out, I came across a couple of dogs. I called this one Toto. He seemed to pop up out of the woods from nowhere. Apparently, I was getting a little too close to his property boundary.

This dog recently had stitches and is wearing the cone so it doesn't take them out. When I see a dog wearing these, it reminds me of the old RCA Victor records which featured a picture of a dog sitting next to a Victrola. In this case, it looks like the dog got his head stuck in a Victrola.

I had to work to see the birds today. I would catch a little bit of a song, and then search carefully to catch a glimpse of the songster. I would often catch only brief glimpses, making it a challenge to make an identification. I liked it that way for a change. Some times, less is more. It's reminds me of a good book or movie that builds suspense. I don't always need to see everything in full view. A brief sound or glimpse helps to build a sense of curiosity.

It was not just the birding that I enjoyed. As I walked along the former train tracks, I wondered about the people who traveled through here in the past. The numerous stone walls winding through the dark woods added to the mystery. When walking old trails, do you ever think about the people who may have walked the same steps before you?