Gay City State Park (10/4)

The beginning of Fall is always a bittersweet time for me. The weather here in New England is all but perfect with cool, crisp mornings and warm afternoons. The landscape is at its best with beautiful colors appearing out of nowhere. But it also signals the start of the long cold Winter.

A couple weeks ago I had a picture perfect Saturday morning so I forced myself out of bed, threw my hiking boots on, and headed to Gay City State Park. This place has become one of my favorite places to hike ever since I moved to Glastonbury. It has a wide variety of habitats, lots of trails, and is nearly empty anytime other than the hot Summer months.

I arrived at the park around 6:30 and started down the main road. The grass was covered with newly fallen leaves which looked stunning in the soft morning light. I walked down the road towards the pond and heard lots of birds all around me. They were all our common winter residents but were still lots of fun to watch. As I got closer to the pond I heard the distinct call of a Pileated Woodpecker. I tried to get a look at the bird but the foliage was still relatively thick. And every time that I thought I was getting close enough, he flew away.

After 15 minutes of searching I gave up and headed down to the water. It was a cool morning and a light fog clung to the pond. I paused on the bench to admire the view for a minute or two before heading down the trail. I wanted to follow the creek to the smaller pond a short distance downstream. I had found some nice waterfowl there last winter and I wanted to see if they were back.

As I got to the trail, I was surprised to see that it was lined with asters. Half had gone to seed but a few were still in the late stages of their bloom. The trail was still in the morning shadows so it was a bit cool. But the sound of the running water and flowers made it a great walk. As I got closer to where the river empties into the second pond, I started two ducks. As they flew away, I identified them as Wood Ducks.

As I came to the end of the trail I paused a moment to see if I could sneak up to anything that happened to be on the pond. The fall foliage was stunning from my vantage point in the shadows. I used the bushed for cover and slowly peered over the top. I was surprised to see 16 more Wood Ducks alongside a couple of Canada Geese. Wood Ducks are usually pretty skittish (probably from being shot at so much) so it was a real treat to see them feeding and interacting. After watching them for ten minutes or so, I decided to come out from the bushes and, as I expected, the small ducks all scattered.

I continued my walk a bit further. When I stopped to find a good way around a particularly wet portion of the trail I was struck by the fierce red leaves of the bushes that lined the water. They were covered with a morning dew which only enhanced the color. They were a macro photographer's dream.

Just before I turned around to head back, I decided to go off the path to see if I could get another look at the Wood Ducks. On a branch over the water was a Phoebe. I watched as it hawked insects off the water. Since it always returned to the same perch, I focused my camera there and got some nice photos.

At this point, I had to head back. But as I retraced my steps I was struck by the beauty of the sunlit path. Sometimes a simple change of perspective can reveal something great.

Birds: Catbird, Black-capped Chickadee, Canada Goose, Blue Jay, White-breasted Nuthatch, American Goldfinch, Downy Woodpecker, American Robin, Pileated Woodpecker, American Crow, Tufted Titmouse, Wood Duck, Eastern Phoebe, Eastern Towhee, Red-bellied Woodpecker