Barred Owls

Here in Connecticut the Barred Owls are really starting to get active. Shannon and I heard their calls twice over the Easter weekend. The first was as we hiked near dusk at JB Williams park on Friday. Also we heard a pair of calls near her house on Saturday night. I wonder how many of these birds are living in the area?

Hiking in the Dead of Winter

Here in New England we're in the doldrums of winter. Most of the birds that are still around are our hearty year round resident species. The visitors from the north are starting to leave and the spring migrants have yet to arrive. So, the birding has been pretty difficult.

So, I've taken this opportunity to explore some of the parks here in Connecticut. I find it easier to get the lay of the land when the trees are still bear and it is easier to pick out the trails thru the woods.

The first place that I visited was Wadsworth Falls State Park in Middletown. I had never been to this park before so I picked up a trail map at the kiosk near the parking lot. I hike around the park for over an hour and a half and was really impressed by its beauty. There were plenty of trails, a roaring river, and picturesque stone bridges. Before I left I had to take a look at the falls so I took an offshoot trail in that direction. The falls were worth the extra trouble. There were two falls: a large one and a smaller one. Both were beautifully covered with ice.

The problem was getting back. The falls were really flowing which made the flow downstream fairly deep. And, for some reason, the trail went right across the stream. I was determined not to backtrack but I also didn't want to repeat my plunge in the bog from last summer. I eventually found a shallow place to cross, made a bridge with some logs, and tightrope walked across.

Another place that's good for hiking in the area is Gay City State Park in Hebron. I went there for a short hike a few weeks ago and really enjoyed the walk thru the snow. Shannon and I had hiked there back in January and had a good time too. Here's a photo I took of the stream near the main lake.

On the way to Gay City I noticed a sign for Blackledge Falls. Since this site is only a couple miles drive from my house, I went back there for a hike. Its a nice place with well marked trails and lots of habitat diversity.

Last is JB Williams Park in Glastonbury. This is a typical city park with a nice variety of trails. The main trail is wide and easy to follow. Several smaller trails radiate outward from the main trail. I find this a nice place to hike.

Gunpowder Falls State Park: Hereford, MD (2/9-10)

Shannon and I took a long weekend and drove to Maryland to see her friend Heather and her new baby. While most of the trip consisted of visiting with the whole family (little Bennie, Adrian, and John), I did sneak out on Saturday morning and take a walk along the bike path near their home. This property is actually part of the larger Gunpowder Falls State Park.

When I got to the bike path, it was still relatively early and there was lots of bird activity. The path ran alongside a small river and birds were all around . I spotted sveral Northern Cardinals in the bushes and actually had a Carolina Wren perch right in front of me. A small flock of Cedar Waxwings flew down from high in the trees to take drinks of water from the river. The usual cast of characters were also there: Chickadees, Nuthatches, Downy Woodpeckers, Titmice, etc.

While none of these are rarities, it was nice to see them out in good numbers. This time of year in New England its pretty depressing. All the birds are hunkered down to ride out the final few weeks of winter. But, just a few hours drive (well six is more than a few) south, the area felt so much more alive.

I continued my walk along the trail picking out different species. I had to identify the birds mostly by ear since I had left my binauculars back in Massachusetts. But, this was actually pretty fun since I was forced to concentrate on the calls instead.

A bit down the path I came across another mixed flock of birds. They were high in the treetops and it was pretty overcast so I didn't identify many of them. But, I did see one bird harassing the others. When I got home and looked at my pictures, I was suprised to seee that it was a Common Yellow Rump... my first warbler of 2008.

I walked for a bit longer, over an old bridge and thru a neighborhood before turning to go back to my car. I was left wondering how vibrant and alive this area would be in the spring/summer.

On Sunday, Shannon joined me for a walk in another part of the park. The temperature had cooled significantly and there was almost nothing to see (except for a few Mallards on the river). We did get a nice look at the river though.

Helen Carlson Wildlife Sanctuary: Portland, CT (2/2)

On Saturday February 2nd I took a short hike at Helen Carlson Wildlife Sanctuary in Prortland. It was late afternoon when I got there but I got about an hour of hiking before it started to get dark. It was cool to watch the sun go down thru the trees. But, I've got lost in this area before so I quickly headed back to my car. It was just about dusk when I got to South Rd and I was able to take one last shot of the bog at dusk.