Top 5 moments in the first week of Spring

Spring seems more like the beginning of the year than winter does. Wouldn't it make more sense if the year started in Spring and ended in the Winter? Any way, here are 5 of my most memorable moments from the first week of Spring. They are listed chronologically, not in order of importance.

1) The American Robins: There were robins everywhere in the first week of spring. I see them here throughout the winter in Connecticut but they are usually in the woods eating berries. This week I came upon a flock of about 100 American Robins scouring the ground for earthworms and other goodies. If they weren't eating, then they were singing from the treetops.

2) Gravestones with no names-I saw a flock of Wild Turkeys at the Connecticut Valley Hospital Cemetery in Middletown. CVH is a state funded mental health and substance treatment facility. As I was looking at the turkeys, I noticed something else. There were no names on the gravestones, just numbers. A memorial plaque was finally put up a few years back listing the names of the deceased. I found this article telling the sad history behind this cemetery.

3) Northern Pintails, Wilson's Snipe, and Green-winged Teal at The Portland Fairgrounds-

There is a muddy little skating pond located at the fairgrounds here in Portland. Every March around this time the area in and around the pond attracts some interesting birds. On Saturday March 22nd, I saw 14 Wilson's Snipe, Mallards, Canada Geese, Wood Ducks, Green-winged Teal and 8 Northern Pintails! I was excited because this was the first time I've ever seen Northern Pintails at this location. These elegant looking ducks are somewhat uncommon in Connecticut.

There are a couple of drawbacks to this spot. The background is somewhat drab looking for taking photos and 4 wheel drive vehicles generally show up scaring the birds away, but it was fun while it lasted.

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Here is a short video of a few of the ducks I saw enjoying the first weekend of Spring.

I was looking for birds but found this frog instead at a small nature preserve in Glastonbury located off of Great Pond Road . Do you know what kind of frog this is?

I ended my first week of Spring at the Pine Brook Bog in East Hampton. You wouldn't know it from this photo but I spotted about 80 Ring-necked Ducks, along with some Hooded Mergansers and Common Mergansers here. I saw my first Tree Swallows of the year zig-zagging over the water. Red-tailed Hawks flew overhead while Red-shouldered Hawks called out from the woods. I was surprised to find an immature Bald Eagle perched in a tree along the opposite shore. There are plenty of eagles in Connecticut these days but they are usually along the Connecticut River or some other major body of water, not in a little bog like this. A young boy and his father who lived up the street came to ask me about what I was seeing. I was happy to share views of the birds in my scope with them and they seemed to be impressed with what they saw. It was a nice way to wrap up the first week of Spring.

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What were your favorite moments during the first week of Spring?

Birding Connecticut's Quiet Corner Part 2

During my visit to the Quiet Corner I stayed at Chickadee Cottage B&B in Pomfret, CT . The innkeepers are Bob and Katie Haney. Katie was a gracious host and prepared a terrific breakfast which included an omelet with a variety of cheeses, homemade bagels, and a freshly prepared papaya/guava juice blend. The cottage had everything I needed including a stove, refrigerator, and private bathroom. Staying at the cottage allowed me to explore the Quiet Corner at a leisurely pace.

One of the most convenient features of Chickadee Cottage is that the famous Airline Rail Trail is right in the back yard. All you have to do is follow a short path through the pine trees and you're there! I followed the trail to Bafflin Sanctuary. Some of the birds I encountered along the way included a Red-bellied Woodpecker, Carolina Wren, Eastern Bluebirds and noisy flock of American Goldfinches that were making a squeaky call that sounds like eeeeat!

During my travels, I noticed a sign for place called Cat Hollow Park. I thought it was sort of funny that I had to drive down Dog Hill Road to get there. I wondered if there was a story behind it. Is this where the cats went to hide from the dogs? I took a short stroll through the park which was formerly had several mill along the banks of Whetstone Brook. The brook still has a nice mill pond and scenic waterfalls. The variety of species in the woods during March in Connecticut is a bit limited until Spring Migration gets into full swing. I enjoyed watching a Tufted Titmouse which was fluttering its wings while perched on a branch like a juvenile bird does when begging for food. I imagine this is part of the courtship process that occurs during this time of the year.

After a long day of hiking and birding I stopped at the The Courthouse Bar & grille for a bite to eat. I like the atmosphere here which was friendly and laid back. The had a pretty extensive menu but I decided to keep it simple. The angus burger, cole slaw, and fries I ate were very good. The interior design of the place was interesting too. It actually was a courthouse during the early 1900's.

After a restful night's sleep, I took a ride out towards Killingly. When I'm in an area that has a lot of undeveloped land, I love checking out nature preserves, and bodies of water that I find on maps. I feel like I'm on a treasure hunt. There were several ponds and reservoirs listed on the map in Killingly. One particular pond that I located , Bog Meadow Reservoir, which was loaded with ducks.

This is a photo of two male Buffleheads (left) and 1 female (right). I'm not sure about the one taking off. Go ahead and guess if you want to.

When I first started birding, I got confused between male Buffleheads and male Hooded Mergansers when I was viewing them from at a distance. The male Buffleheads have white that extends all the way to the back of their head. The male Hooded Mergansers have heads that show white completely surrounded by black .

This is an adult male breeding Ring-necked Duck. If you look closely you can see the dark, purplish ring at the base of its neck. This is one of the less reliable fieldmarks for this species because the ring isn't usually visible. Not the peaked head, dark back, white spur on the side that extends into the black, and the white bands that cross the base and front of the bill. He's a handsome duck isn't he? There were about 80 of them on the pond, both male and female. Other ducks seen at this reservoir included Wood Ducks, Mallards, and Hooded Mergansers.

My journey ended at Trailwood Preserve, the former homestead of Pulitzer Prize winning author Edwin Way Teale. He gave each trail on the preserve a specific name -( Veery Lane, Beaver Pond trail etc.) - so that he and his wife could have a point of reference if something notable happened during one of their walks. It's not hard to see how Edwin Teale could find inspiration for his work while living at such a special place. I've never read any of his books but just checked out one of his last works, A Walk Through The Year, from my local Library. His writing cabin, seen in the above photo, overlooks a small pond. It wasn't open at the time of my visit but I hope to have a look inside when I return later in the Spring.

I had a wonderful time during my short stay in the Quiet Corner. I saw a nice variety of birds but I'm looking forward to seeing a whole lot more when I return with my wife in May. There should be plenty of warblers to see here during spring migration. The last bird I encountered before my departure was a White-breasted Nuthatch. Goodbye my feathered friend. Hope to see you again in May!

Also see: Birding Connecticut's Quiet Corner Part 1

Birding Connecticut's Quiet Corner Part 1

One of the most beautiful areas to visit in Connecticut is the northeastern corner of the state, also known as the "Quiet Corner". It comprises the largest portion of The Last Green Valley, a relatively undeveloped area between Boston and Washington. The region is known for its scenery, culture, historical museums, and numerous antique shops. There is another good reason to visit this area, and it is the reason that interests me the most, Birds!

The Quiet Corner is loaded with lakes, ponds, farms, and forests. For this reason, my first stop was to The Connecticut Audubon Society Center at Pomfret. I was able to get a lot of helpful information with the free brochures that were available. The staff and volunteers at the center were also very helpful in providing me with information beyond what was provided in the brochures.

As I was standing in front of the Audubon Center, I saw a hawk perched on a nearby antenna . At first I thought it might be a fake bird set up as a practical joke to trick people but closer inspection revealed a Red-tailed Hawk taking in a birds eye view of the area. During my visit I saw numerous Red-tails. You know the saying a car for every garage. Around here it should be a Red-tailed Hawk for every farm field!

My favorite birding moment of the weekend was my sighting of this female American Kestrel. The sign at the Bafflin Nature preserve that stated kestrels usually return to the area some time in April so this one was a little ahead of schedule. As you may notice, the box on which it is perched is not an American Kestrel Nestbox. I was disappointed when the it flew off because I was hoping to get closer for a better photo but...

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My disappointment quickly disappeared as the kestrel put on a thrilling aerial displays! I have seen kestrels hover hunt briefly on a couple of occasions but never like this one did. She flew up into position and hovered in one spot for as long as 45 seconds at a time while searching for prey below. This video doesn't fully capture the moment but it gives you an idea of what I witnessed. Half of the video has been edited out so that I could upload it onto the blog. I also muted the audio because the sound of the wind was too loud.

I was on my way to get some lunch when I noticed this unusual building with a sign that read Celebrations Gallery When I passed by this building my curiosity got the better of be so I pulled in to take a closer look. Inside there were very large rooms filled with bright, colorful paintings and interesting sculptures. I'm not one to spend a lot of time admiring art but I couldn't help but be impressed with what I saw.

I had lunch at the Vanilla Bean Cafe. Their philosophy is to never compromise on the quality of the food. They try to use locally grown products from the numerous farms in the area whenever possible. I really like the idea of using locally grown products. It's nice to know where your food came from and I'm sure the local farmers appreciate it too. I had half a veggie sandwich on homemade bread and a cup of clam chowder. Everything in the sandwich was so fresh tasting and flavorful too. The clams in the chowder were nice and tender with a broth that was somewhere between Rhode Island and New England style. The dining area was very relaxing with wood floors and high ceilings that made it feel very roomy. The dining area is decorated with the paintings of local artists and the cafe features musical entertainment on a regular basis.

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In my next post, I'll tell you about the rest of my adventures in the Quiet Corner including a visit to an interesting nature preserve which was the former homestead of a Pulitzer Prize winning author and naturalist-any guesses on who that might be?

Click: here -to read Birding Connecticut's Quiet Corner Part 2

Where There's Crows There's Probable Caws

On Sunday Morning I parked at the end of Clarkhurst Road in East Hampton and started my descent down a steep dirt road which leads to George Dudley Seymour Park.

I love looking down at the stream here which lies at the bottom of a steep ravine. A beam of sunshine cast its warmth upon me as it shone down through the cedars. It felt so good after a long winter that seems to have overstayed its welcome. I encountered a few birds along the trail including a few woodpeckers, a Tufted Titmouse, and three Black-capped Chickadees, and lots of American Crows. At the end of the trail there is an area of open fields. The DEP has posted signs here about the importance of open grassland with a list of birds that need this type of habitat. If only those birds would read these signs and follow the directions but I haven't had much luck with the grassland birds here. I have often see Birds of prey patrolling the skies above these fields including Bald Eagles, Red-tailed Hawks, and on this particular morning there was a pair of Red-shouldered Hawks over the woods crying out with a loud Keyear! Keyear! One of the more interesting areas in the park is this swamp. I remember finding an Eastern Phoebe here in the month of December. There were a few Wood Ducks working their way through here on Sunday along with a substantial flock of Red-winged Blackbirds, and one Belted Kingfisher that was perched on the end of a branch making making the rattling sound that they are known for. Once I passed the swamp, I came to the part of the field that leads to the bank of the Connecticut River.

I've probably visited this park about 10 times but I've never ventured beyond the far corner of the field. We are exposed to words like no and don't so many times in our lives that I wonder what effect it might have on our subconscious when it comes to our decision making. There seems to be an awful lot of information that comes out about what you shouldn't eat like bread (too much carbs!), eggs (too much cholesterol!), coffee ( too much caffeine!) etc.. etc.. .I like the Ben Franklin philosophy-everything in moderation-(unless it's really good). Of course you should take everything I say with a grain of salt-(unless it would put you over your daily allowance of 2400 mg per day ).

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I'm glad that I finally decided to look beyond the field because it led me to a nice path that followed along the river and along the back side of the swamp I was talking about. I was taken by surprise when an American Woodcock flew low across my path into the swamp. I haven't seen many of them before. I know that there are certain locations where you can find them but I've never gotten around to it.

It was on my way back that I heard a knocking sound that made me wonder if it was a woodpecker at first. Then I thought maybe it was one of those weird sounds that squirrels make. It turned out to be another American Crow making one of its odd vocalizations. I read that they've even been known to imitate human voices on occasion. You've got to watch out for those crows-they're very sneaky. There were two crows on that branch in the above photo. One took off into the woods, while this one try to fool me into thinking he was taking a nap (actually just scraping its bill).

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The two crows were having a conversation back and forth. I think they were talking about me. Maybe the one in the woods went to check on some goods they had stashed away. I read that there are a lot of variations-(number, intensity, volume etc)- in the caw vocalizations they in different situations. When I was watching some of the crows scatter from the main flock, they seemed to be moving into strategic locations. I'm not sure what their strategy was but they sure seemed to be up to something. I found it interesting to read that young crows don't breed until they are at least two years old. They also have interesting social habits as they sometimes spend time hanging out with members of their extended family but at other times will join large flocks in a different area away from the family. Don't get me wrong, I'd rather be watching lots of colorful migrants at the peak of spring migration but watching the crows provided a little entertainment on a morning when the birding was slow anyway.

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Have You ever observed a crow exhibiting interesting behavior?

What do you do when you're out birding and there aren't many birds around?