Interview With Diving Bird Magazine

Robert: Hello Larry and thank you for participating in one of our magazine's regular features: " Through The Objective Lens With Robert Cormorant." Shall we get started?

Larry: Thanks for featuring me Robert. I've been a fan of your work for a long time. Go ahead with your first question.

Robert: What type of birding have you been doing lately?

Larry: I recently visited Wangunk Meadows with some other birders. Conditions were unusually dry and we had to work for the birds. We saw 5 species of sparrow including: Lincoln, White-throated , Song, and Swamp but our best view was of a Savannah Sparrow which was perched in a leafless tree at a height of about 15 feet. The view of the bird through the scope was really clear because the lighting was falling on it just right. (Savannah Sparrow in top photo was from a previous trip to Hammonasset). Another interesting sighting for us was seeing 11 Great Egrets fly over. Birds of prey included Osprey, Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk, and Red-shouldered Hawk. The only warblers seen were Yellow-rumped and Common Yellowthroat.

Robert: Is Wangunk a native American word?

Larry: Yes, the Wangunks were a tribe of Native Americans that lived in the area. Most of the Wangunks had left the area before 1800. The word Wangunk is said to refer to the big bend near our section of the Connecticut River.

Robert: What do you find to be the least and most difficult parts about blogging?

Larry: The easiest part for me is coming up with an idea. The hardest part is taking decent photos and finding the right words to express that idea in a post. A lot of times I abandon my original idea for a simpler one because I realize in the middle of a post that my words are running on and on. English was always my worse subject.

Robert: What have you been seeing of interest besides birds?

I took this photo of mushrooms last week because I was impressed by their clean appearance. They look like a basic mushroom so I figured it should be easy to find out what kind they are by doing an Internet search. It turns out that there are a lot more varieties of mushrooms than I realized. I didn't want to get into another type of field guide but I think it's time I do. Does anyone know what kind of mushrooms these are?
Robert: What is your approach to birding these days?

Larry: I find that the multitask method of birding doesn't work well for me so I try not to concern myself with what I should or shouldn't be doing. Instead I just choose a spot and try to appreciate whatever is best about that particular morning. It could be great viewing conditions, a lot of species, camaraderie of other birders, a zen-like experience, a time to study one particular bird, or any other number of things.

Robert: Have you been keeping records of what you see?

Larry: I try to but not of everything all the time. If I find something out of the ordinary, like the Lincoln's Sparrows I saw in our local meadows the other day, I will enter the sighting on e-bird.

Robert: How would you rate yourself as a birder?

Larry: Mediocre-I still have a lot to learn. birding by ear is probably my strong point when it comes to finding birds.

Robert: What are you doing to work at improving your birding skills?

Larry: I don't like to force feed myself information. If there is something I am curious about then I'll try to learn more about it. Some days I'm more receptive to new information than others. I'm in no hurry.

Robert: How would you describe your ideal birding day?

Larry: It's early in the morning when I arrive at a place that is far removed from the nearest sign of civilization. The only sounds I hear are that of wildlife and the gentle trickle of a clear running stream. Beams of sunlight are seeping through the woods reflecting off of a damp mist that is rising from the forest floor. All of my senses are heightened. I can hear the crack of a twig in the distance and the sound of birds as they start to move closer. Birds are moving all around me but don't seem to be aware of my presence. I feel as though I'm invisible and nature has absorbed my existence. It doesn't matter what kind of birds I've seen or how many-just that I am there.

Robert: What was the purpose of inventing an imaginary magazine -(Diving Bird) and an interviewer -(Robert) and then granting yourself an interview?

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Larry: I was having a case of bloggers block. The photos I wanted to use didn't seem to flow with the ideas I had. besides, I've always found it easier to give an answer when you're being asked a question.

Robert: Aren't you concerned that when you do silly posts like:
BwBTC Find Proof Of Avian Life On Mars , The Dangers Of Listing and Roast Meat Hill Road that no one will take you seriously and you will be given the Boy Who Cried Wolf Tag?

Larry: How about "The Man Who Cried Eastern Coyote"? I'm too old to be a boy and the last wolf in Connecticut was killed near Bridgeport in 1837. The world is serious enough place already so I doubt that I'll upset the balance by making light of things on occasion.

Robert: You've mentioned that you haven't done much birding outside of Connecticut. Does it ever get boring to you?

Larry: I wouldn't say it gets boring but some days seem more interesting than others. I like to find overlooked places and see if it turns up any unexpected surprises. Just the other day, I took a ride past a farm in Middletown that was unfamiliar to me and saw Turkey Vultures sitting up on fence posts. It wasn't a big deal because I see Turkey Vultures all the time. For whatever reason, that was an enjoyable sighting for me at that particular moment. You never know where a surprise is going to come from and what it's going to be. I guess that's why they call it a surprise!

(photo of accipter from last year-what do you think-Coopers or Sharp-shinned?)

Robert: Have you gone on any hawk watches this Fall?

Larry-I went to a hawkwatch at a place called Booth Hill in West Hartland Connecticut. I probably saw a dozen or two hawks on the morning I went including: sharpies, Coopers, Red-shouldered, Osprey, Red-tailed, and Bald Eagle. I went to check the total count on the hawkwatch site a couple of days later and noticed that they had seen 1500 hawks at the same place the day after I was there. I guess I picked the wrong day!

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Robert: You tend to mix things into your post besides birding and you rarely give a complete list of the birds you see-why is that?

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Larry: I find it too repetitious to list all the species I see each time I'm out. I have to squeeze in all my birding and other interests into a weekend so I try to include those other interests in my posts. For example, there was a bluegrass festival taking place on the same road as the last hawkwatch site I visited so I stopped by the festival after I left the hawkwatch. The video is of the band Acoustic Blue performing one of their songs titled: "Workin' Man Blues". I hadn't heard of them before that day but they sounded pretty good to me. I like the harmonizing and the intensity at which the acoustic instruments are played in bluegrass. I was googling to see if I could find any birding/bluegrass connections and I found this: Birdfest & Bluegrass Festival

Robert: I think that about wraps it up for now. Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions.

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Larry: Any time Robert. I'll look forward to part 2 some day.

Cheap Baths & Overgrown Gardens = Birds

A few years ago I started a small perennial flower garden hoping to attract more birds and butterflies. I've neglected to weed the garden properly this year but the birds don't seem to mind. Wrens, finches, sparrows, catbirds, chickadees and even a few warblers have been having a field day looking through the tangled mass of plants for things to eat.

Another popular attraction has been this birdbath which I made from a terracotta dish and wire plant stand. It was meant to be a temporary replacement for my cement birdbath which broke last year but it seems to get as much use as the old one. Goldfinches seem to be one of the more common visitors.....

but the House Finches and House Sparrows probably take to prize for hogging the bath.

I was happy to see the more timid Tufted Titmouse stop by for a quick drink.

This past week my yard has been filled with chickadees. I've counted as many as six at a time. Smaller birds like chickadees seem to prefer a shallow birdbath.

You can never have too many chickadees. A couple of years ago during a field trip we saw several hundred chickadees land on an island as they made their way down the Connecticut River. What a sight that was!

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Here's a video clip of one of the birds in action. They seem to be just as excited as I am about the start of the football season.

Hatchway Warbler And Nestbox Downy

I came home from work the Tuesday night and saw this warbler poking though my lawn. I came back with the camera and took this picture of it standing on the hatchway before it flew off. I didn't see the front of the bird but it looks like a palm Warbler. It has some yellow under the tail and a whitish supercillium which are field marks that were listed in my field guide for fall Palm Warblers.

There have been other birds passing though my yard recently including a tiny Blue-gray gnatcatcher that was flitting about in my crabapple tree flashing his white trimmed tail feathers. The most surprising bird I saw was a robust looking Northern Waterthrush which had a nice yellowish wash on its underside. It was in a tree bobbing its tail for a while but flew off after a short visit.

This Downy Woodpecker was making a lot of noise trying to enlarge the opening to this nestbox but I had a metal guard around the hole which prevented House Sparrows from getting in. I removed the metal guard so the downy could chip away at the entrance. I was curious as to what it wanted with the nestbox since I assumed the nesting season for downies would be over by now. Maybe it's just practicing for next year.

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I went on a Hartford Audubon trip last Saturday and we saw 8 Broad-winged Hawks fly over along with a mix of a few other hawks. We saw one adult Bald Eagle but I don't know if it was migrating or just haning out. I'm looking forward to sitting in on a hawk watch at a sight in Massachusetts at Blueberry Hill this weekend. Hopefully conditions will be good so we can see a lot of broadwings. Maybe Fats Domino will show up!

Mystic Is A Great Place To Sit And Watch

My wife and I recently spent a couple of days in Mystic at the Steamboat Inn which is pictured above between the boat and the taller brick building. The rooms at the inn have been nicely updated with modern conveniences but still maintain the character of the original design. We stayed in the Mystic Room on the top floor which has the best overall view of the river but some of the other rooms have their own unique advantages. The inn also offers some nice touches like a full complimentary breakfast as well as sherry and homemade cookies in the evening.

Mystic is best known known for tourist attractions such as Mystic Seaport and Mystic Aquarium. Since our stay was short, we decided to stay close to the Inn and not do any driving. In the past, there have been times that I would try to schedule as many activities as possible during a vacation. This strategy can be a mistake be a mistake because you end up feeling like you need a vacation at the end of your vacation. We spent a lot of time just sitting on the dock in front of the Inn taking in the scenery along the Mystic River.

The Bascule Bridge was built back in 1920 but 90 years later tourists still stop and take pictures when the bridge is raised. We watched the bridge and we watched the tourists watch the bridge.

We watched as the 100 year old Steamboat Sabino came our way with smiling passengers enjoying an old-fashioned boat ride.

The passengers on this ship are headed out for a sailing adventure on the Argia, a replica of a 19th century schooner.

We watched as gulls took turns flying up on the roof to determine the authenticity of a mechanical owl.

We checked in with the local fishermen who were trying their luck at catching porgies. From what I saw, they pulled up a few nice ones.

I only saw a handful of bird species during our stay. Double-crested Cormorants, Snowy Egrets, and terns would fly by. We were entertained by the antics of Mute Swans and Mallards as they maneuvered there way around the water looking for food while avoiding the boats. I witnessed an unfortunate accident as a warbler flew into a brick building and landed in the river. It was a tannish bird with a striped head that I believe was probably an Ovenbird. I was told by other birders that ovenbirds are common victims of this sort of accident during migration.

When we needed a change of pace we took a walk along Main Street visiting the mom and pop specialty stores and of course, we had to stop at the ice cream shop which was just across the street on the other side of the bridge.

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Simple pleasures like sitting on a bench watching boats, taking a walk to see the shops along main street and talking to passersby may not seem all that exciting to some compared to the technologically advanced forms of entertainment that are available these days. From where I sat, I'd say those simple pleasures are underrated.