Northern Harrier

Aruba Day 3 - Eagle Beach (3/6)

2009-04-27T19:38:00.009-05:00

The next morning we got up and headed into Oranjestad to do some shopping. It really was an experience to drive down Main St and see not one but two humongous cruise ships anchored at the dock. The street was lined with dozens of high end boutiques all looking to cash in on the cruise ship tourists but the smaller novelty shops off Main St. We looked around a bit and picked up some small mementos before heading back home for lunch. Before we left town, I spotted a Magnificent Frigatebird (a lifer for me) as it soared over the water.

After lunch we headed over to Eagle Beach which is just to the south of Palm Beach. There are still hotels near the beach but since the were built a bit further back from the water its a bit less congested. This ended up being Shannon and my favorite beach on the island. We found a divi divi tree that offered some shade and laid out our blanket. The water was clear blue and the beach was beautiful. We both took a dip to cool off before heading back to relax in the shade. Shannon met a woman who was also from Connecticut. She explained that she came to the island every winter and the weather had been particularly strange the past few days. As they chatted I left to explore the area.

The first thing that I found was a small flock of Ruddy Turnstones. They seemed at ease with all the people around and didn't immediately spook when I approached. This allowed me to take a few nice shots. I watched them for quite a while before headed along the beach toward Palm Beach.

Surprisingly the area between the two beaches was really rocky. And this wasn't the granite rocks that make up the New England shoreline. It was sharp coral. The waves were really strong on this day and every time one hit the rocks, spray was thrown everywhere. I spotted dozens of crabs that held on for their life as the waves hit. Their camoflauge perfectly matched the color and texture of the rocks. There were also some snails and a lizard or two. I brought Shannon to the area and then mugged for some photos.

Aruba Day 2 - Arikok National Park (3/6)

2009-04-15T19:10:00.016-05:00

It was such a nice day our first full day in Aruba that we decided to get in the car and head to Arikok National Park. It was early afternoon when we left and we got a bit lost on the way but we eventually found what I'll call the west entrance to the park. A park ranger met us at the gate and offered to take us around the park but, a bit wary due to the area, we declined. After telling us we'd hike at our own risk, he told us to follow another group of hikers since they knew the trails.

We parked our car in a small lot and made our way into the park. As we entered the park, I noticed a half dozen or so Gray Kingbirds perched along the power lines. We didn't have time to stop and get a good look though since our "guides" were hitting the trails.

Once we were out of view, Shannon and I went on our own way and never saw another person in the park. It was still a bit overcast from the off and on rain which made for the perfect temperature for hiking. The trails were absolutely beautiful, carefully maintained, and well marked. The desert was much greener than I expected. The landscape was covered with woody bushes and short grasses but the star of the show were the cacti. They were prevalent in every shape and size... small ones poking thru the rock wall, round ones with tiny pink blossoms, and tall ones you just wanted to hug.

And there was lots of wildlife. All around us were these small black moths. We saw lots of butterflies too. In addition to the Monarchs, we spotted more of the little blue ones, a large orange one, and one which looked a bit like a Queen or Soldier.

The lizards were there too. There were some larger ones but the most prevalent species was this small brown lizard. These guys love to climb... especially on the aloe plants.

But the animal of the trip were the feral goats. They grouped together in large herds and spent most of the time grazing. But we did spy a few of them relaxing on an immense boulder. The picture doesn't do it justice. I just don't know how they managed to get to the top. As we watched the goats a large bird swooped down close to the ground headed right to left. As it circled back, I caught it in my binauculars and was able to identify it as a Crested Caracara. We watched as it flew up the ridge and then proceeded to perch near another bird. Unfortunately it was too far away for me to tell if it was another Caracara or some other bird of prey.

We continued on our hike until we came to a small house in the middle of the park. It looked to have been made of some earthen material like clay and was whitewashed inside and out. It made of a photo op that I couldn't pass up.

By this time it was getting to be late afternoon and neither of us wanted to get lost in the dark in an unfamiliar area so we headed back. But, the great sightings kept coming. First we saw a Troupial perched on a large cactus. These birds remind me of our Orioles back in the US but they may be even more beautiful. The light blue eye patch is particularly stunning. I was able to get a few shots of this bird, but the low light made quality photos very difficult. We also happened upon a Tropical Mockingbird perched in a similar fashion. We saw these guys everywhere we went but they were always fun to watch.

We found our way completely out of the park and headed back to the car. Watching the roadside flowers as we walked, I found this spiny caterpillar. It was a great way to end a fantastic day in Aruba.

Aruba Day 2 - California Lighthouse (3/6)

2009-04-06T20:37:00.002-05:00

After lunch Shannon and I headed to the northern tip of the island to see California Lighthouse. This lighthouse was apparently named after a vessel which shipwrecked just offshore. The view from this vantage point was outstanding and we spent some time admiring the ocean and the golf course. We walked behind the restaurant at the point and looked down on the golf course below. There were lots of feral goats grazing on the vegetation. We also saw more parakeets and a solitary butterfly nectaring in the restaurant's flower garden.

But the best sighting was an American Kestrel which buzzed by us in a wind aided dive. When I first saw him, I thought that he was a captive bird because I saw what appeared to be a strap attached to his talons. Only after thinking about it for a minute or two did I realize it wasn't a strap.... but rather the tail of his lunch, a small lizard.

Aruba Day 2 - Babali Bird Sanctuary (3/6)

2009-03-30T18:27:00.009-05:00

The next morning came and I was raring to go. While Shannon slept a few more minutes, I got up and took a hike around the complex we were staying at. There were small flocks of Eared Doves all around and I happened upon a male Black-faced Grassquit fighting with his reflection in an SUV's rear view mirror. This really got me excited for the day.

The weather was warm but overcast and the sky threatened rain. So, we decided to head over to the Babali Bird Sanctuary which was only a short 5 minute drive away. We had a little trouble finding the place even though it was shown on the map. But, eventually we did find the dirt road that led to the small park.

I'm not sure that "park" is the right word for the place. It basically consisted of a short road which ended at a very nice observation tower. The park doesn't have any trails (that we could find at least) but the tower more than made up for it. We climbed to the top of the tower and were wowed by the sight. The tower was just over the tops of the trees providing views of the ocean to the west and the high rise hotels to the north. But the nicest views were of the large holding pond below.

There were birds everywhere. The trees on the west side of the pond were a roost for Neotropical Cormorants and all sorts of egrets. That portion of the pond was open water so White-cheeked Pintails, Brown Pelicans and Laughing Gulls floated at the surface. Closer to the tower, the water was covered with leafy green vegetation which was home for a Common Moorhen with her two chicks, a Caribbean Coot, and a Pie-billed Greebe. Right below us, a Green Heron stood frozen on the vegetation hoping that we wouldn't notice him. I scooted down the tower to pick up my camera for a picture but, when I stopped to shoot a Bananaquit, the heron moved further out.

As I climbed back up the tower, the weather turned bad. It started to pour heavily and Shannon and I moved to the center of the platform to avoid getting drenched. This was one of those moments in nature when everything just feels magical. The rains came and went in short bursts and when the rains stopped, the birds came out. The first was a Smooth-billed Ani who perched at eye level and proceeded to spread out in an attempt to dry his soaked feathers. We also saw a Tropical Mockingbird and a Bare-eyed Pigeon. As the rains started again, Shannon spotted a pair of Brown-throated Parakeets through the blowing tree branches. They appeared huddled together to weather the storm. While we were on top of the tower, another car pulled into the parking area. A young German couple came up and joined us on the platform. We loaned them my binauculars and pointed out all the the birds we had found. They shared stories of the places they had visited on the island and gave us some tips of where to go to see wildlife. It was fun to share the moment with someone from half-way around the world.

After about an hour of so of fantastic sightings, the rains subsided and we descended out of the tower. Before heading home for some lunch, we looked around the area a bit. The cacti were in bloom and they were being pollinated by lots of small blue butterflies. As I watched them, we saw our first lizard as he crawled through the briar patch. He had the most brilliant blue spots and seemed to be at home amongst the thorns. I took a closeup before letting him get back to his meal (we never did figure out what he was eating).

The last sighting of the morning was maybe the most memorable. I peeked around the bush to see a Sora walking on top of the vegetation. It was probably the best view I'd ever gotten of this bird. Unfortunately I wasn't quick enough to get a shot of it.

Welcome to Aruba (3/5)

2009-03-23T18:55:00.005-05:00

It took us over six months but Shannon and I finally got to take our honeymoon. We didn't have enough time to plan the vacation while we were getting ready for the wedding. Then we had to sell my old house. Then it was the holidays and we just didn't have the time to look for someplace to go.

Once the holidays were over, I started seriously researching different places. On the recommendation of one of Shannon's friends, we chose to go to Aruba. This small island, a former Dutch colony, is just 15 miles or so off the coast of Venezuela. It has beautiful beaches on the west side of the island but most of the interior is desert.

Being so close to South America I thought that there would be more birds that I hadn't seen before. But, around 60% of the species on the country list I had seen before in my trips around the US. But, there were enough new birds to make it intriguing. Plus, they claim that half the know species of lizards are native to Aruba.

Our direct flight left Boston at 8:00 and we were on the ground in Aruba by 1:45 local time. We picked up our rental car and headed up route 1 toward Noord. Somehow we took a wrong turn and spent about 30 minutes trying to get back on the main road. After going the wrong way down a one way street, and getting yelled at by some locals, we eventually got back on 1 and found our condo.

Our first destination was the high rise hotels to get look at the ocean. It was spectacular with fine sandy beaches and water that transitioned from turquoise to deep blue just a hundred yards off shore. Shannon laid out on the beach and took in the last of the day's sunshine but the water called to me and I jumped in for a quick swim. As the Brown Pelicans and Laughing gulls circled overhead, it was hard for me to believe that we we in the cold weather of Massachusetts just hours before.

Glastonbury Meadows (2/28)

2009-03-01T16:23:00.003-05:00

Yesterday morning I dragged myself out of bed and went on the hunt for a new place to bird. I had seen posts about Glastonbury Meadows on the CT birds forum so I found the basic location and headed out. I made a few wrong turns but eventually found the town owned property. While birding the brush by the road my attention was drawn to a large bird circling above. I immediately trained my binoculars on the bird and to my surprise it was an adult Bald Eagle. This was one of my best views of this bird and I was actually able to take some pictures as well.

Other than that, the birding was sparse. The property isn't large and I'm guessing that any birds which were out may have been scared away.

Glastonbury, CT (2/21)

2009-03-01T16:18:00.002-05:00

I got up early last Saturday morning and took my normal walk around the neighborhood to see what birds were up and about. Here's my list:

Mourning Dove, Black-capped Chickadee, American Crow, Dark-eyed Junco, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Blue Jay, Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, House Sparrow, American Goldfinch

Hartford County (2/15)

2009-03-01T16:08:00.002-05:00

My Dad came down to visit with us on the 15th and he and I decided to spend the morning hiking. We started at the Laurel Marsh Trail in Manchester. The bird activity was a bit reserved but we did spot a couple of Northern Mockingbirds on our walk. We made it about 1/4 of the way around the loop before stopping and heading back. On our return trip we spotted a nice Red-tailed Hawk and tracked it as it flew from perch to perch.

From there we continued on to Maj. Michael Donnolly park in South Windsor. Again there wasn't many birds (we were rushing the season a bit) but we had a couple of nice sitings. I found a bird perch high on a tree and after trudging thru the brush for a better view, was able to identify it as a Northern Flicker. From the observation platform we spied a Cooper's Hawk fly quickly into the woods and also heard a Red-winged Blackbird (our first of the season) as it flew by.

West Hartford Reservoir (2/8)

2009-02-12T06:19:00.002-05:00

On Sunday Shannon and went to West Hartford Reservoir for a hike. The weather was great with temperatures in the low 50's. So, everyone who had been cooped up for the winter was out enjoying the pre-spring weather.

Hiking was a bit tough through the mushy snow. We walked abut a mile or so until we got to a small portion of open water. There were a couple hundred ducks and geese taking advantage of this area. The vast majority were Canada Geese, Black Ducks, Mallards, and various gull species. But we did spot two Ring-necked Ducks and two Pintail. They were nice finds this time of year.

On the way home I spotted the first Turkey Vulture of the year. Spring is coming.

Reptile in the Front Yard (6/1)

2008-12-02T19:52:00.005-05:00

One of the fun sightings that I had this year was right in my front yard. Shannon and I live in a rural area of Glastonbury and we often have wild animals pass thru. We see deer all the time and spotted a red fox scampering into the woods a few weeks back. The woods behind the house support all sorts of birds and, in the warm months, bats can often be seen catching insects above the house.

But early this spring I had my favorite sighting so far. I was raking leaves in the front yard when I looked at my feet and was surprised to see a small snake. I'd seen this snake a couple times before in New England so I could identify it as a Ringneck Snake. It was still a little cool so the little guy stayed put while I took a few pictures (1) (2) (3).

It was a real treat to see this snake since the species is nocturnal. Like a lot of NE snakes, the best time to see these guys is in the spring when they are emerging from hibernation.

Gay City State Park (10/4)

2008-10-27T19:41:00.002-05:00

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

Uninvited Visitor (10/1)

2008-10-16T04:29:00.002-05:00

The other day when I got home from work my wife yelled downstairs to me that we had a bird in the house. Apparently the little guy got into the house through some open window and couldn't get out. We searched the house but couldn't find him so I just figured that he found his way out.

Later that night as I was folding the laundry I looked down on the bed and there was a Carolina Wren staring back up at me. I thought that he may be hurt so I figured that it would be easy to catch him. I snuck out of the room and returned with a pillow case. Like my hunter ancestors, I through this onto him but surprisingly he quickly flew off.

The rest of the evening was spent chasing him from room to room. I opened all of the windows but do as I may, I couldn't entice him to fly out. Eventually I forced him into one of our guest rooms and shut the door. I thought that with fewer options he would eventually see the open window and get out. But Shannon, Chris, and I couldn't get this to happen. So, after about 30 minutes we just shut the door and left him overnight. the next morning he was gone.

Back in Time - Glastonbury Town Conservation Land (5/16)

2008-10-09T20:05:00.002-05:00

Well, its been a long difficult year for me. One that I will never forget. It just seemed like a cursed year. I lost my Mom and Aunt. My wife got in two auto accidents and my sister got in three. This New Year's I'll be so glad to ring into the new year. It can't possibly be as bad as this one.

Anyhow, with everything going on I've gotten away from writing in this blog. I really missed it but I just didn't have the time. There was always wedding plans to work on or house improvements to make. But, that doesn't mean that I didn't get out and enjoy nature. My time outside was limited but I tried to make the best out of it. And, now that I have a little more free time, I'd like to go back in time and relive some of the great adventures that I had. I hope that you enjoy reading about them.

Back in May I tried to get out every morning to go birding. Since I was relatively new to the Glastonbury area, I spent a lot of time looking for new places to hike. I read a posting about Diamond Lake right here in town. Unfortunately there was no directions so I just headed in the general direction hoping to find someplace.

I ended up finding a dirt road that split some great hiking land. On the left was Connecticut state land and the other side of the road was Glastonbury Conservation Land. I did some birding from the road and saw lots of birds. Unsatisfied, I started into the forest and was surprised to see a large bird fly low across the trail in front of me. When it perched, I focused my binoculars on it and was thrilled to see a Barred Owl. I watched the owl for a few minutes before heading back to the road.

I crossed the road and headed into the state land. Again, not far from the road I had an astounding sighting. I witnessed a territorial squabble between two Worm-eating Warblers. At one point the two birds flew so close by my head that I actually felt the force of the air as they flew by. The best part is that they were so occupied fighting that they paid me absolutely no attention. So, I got great looks at this secretive bird.

Great Pond: Glastonbury, CT (9/14)

2008-09-24T04:38:00.002-05:00

Lately I've been exploring around Glastonbury looking for nice places to hike and nature watch. On Sunday morning I got up early and headed out to a new site which I found on the town's web site. Its name Great Pond Preserve and it is co-owned by the town and the Nature Conservancy.

It took me a bit of time to find the entrance to the park but it was worth it. I didn't get to hike for too long but since I was on a tight schedule and it was raining. So, I headed directly for the pond. When I got there I found a nice flock of 16 Blue-wing Teal. The second that I came into view they spooked and flew around for a minute or so before landing at the other side of the pond. I decided to walk thru the wet grass to get a closer look and as I did, I scared up several Least Skippers. Once I had gotten close enough to see the Teal I noticed a pair of White-tail Deer thru the trees. There were also 3 Green Herons spread equally around the rim of the pond. As I was admiring the ducks, a Great Blue Heron flew over. The moment was spoiled by a loud mechanical noise that spooked the waterfowl and they flew away for good.

On the way back from the pond, I observed lots of different birds near the entrance to the park. They were all common species (Chickadees, Catbirds, Robins, etc.) but it was nice anyways.

Barbara J. Walker Butterfly Festival (8/16)

2008-08-12T04:32:00.003-05:00

OK, I haven't posted in quite some time. All I can say is that planning a wedding is REALLY hard. Anyhow, I did want to take a little time to promote an event that's happening this Saturday. Broad Meadow Brook is hosting its first annual butterfly festival. There will be speakers, live butterfly exhibits, guided hikes, food, and music (a full schedule can be found here). It sounds like its going to be a great time. And the best part is that they have named in festival after my Mom. She worked tirelessly for the sanctuary and really loved both the place and the people who worked there. A reporter from the Worcester Telegram heard about this and wrote a wonderful article on her. You can check it out online if you're not in the area.

Hope to see you all there on Saturday.

Laurel Marsh Loop: Manchester, CT (4/19)

2008-06-26T20:26:00.003-05:00

April 19th was one of the first times I got out this spring to bird. I got up early and drove out to the Laurel Marsh Loop in Manchester. I'm not sure who owns this property but its actually very nice. And its been one of my favorites this year.

Being early spring, the morning was pretty cool. I decided to hike the big loop and started out over the bridge. Just on the other side of the river was several clusters of daffodils which were absolutely beautiful in the morning sun. I hiked down the trail as it wound around the marsh. The trees were still mostly bare but this allowed the Trout Lilly to thrive on the ridge.

The hike was nice and I saw lots of birds but they were mostly our common winter residents. I did happen upon one Brown Thrasher though and he allowed me the opportunity to take some pictures. After the thrasher flew away, I continued to hike around the loop. The trail led under the highway (where I was watched by a pair of Canada Geese) before it started back toward the parking lot. I completed the loop in about 2 hours and before I got in the car to head home I spotted a kettle of Turkey Vultures migrating northward.

Birds: Northern Cardinal, Northern Flicker, American Robin, Song Sparrow, Common Grackle, Blue Jay, American Goldfinch, Brown-headed Cowbird, White-throated Sparrow, Mourning Dove, Red Wing Blackbird, Mallard, Tree Swallow, Carolina Wren, Brown Thrasher, Tufted Titmouse, Canada Goose, Rock Pigeon, Black-capped Chickadee, Killdeer, Downy Woodpecker, Turkey Vulture, European Starling

In Memorium (6/16)

2008-06-24T04:55:00.001-05:00

On June 16th my aunt, Cindy Corrente, passed away after a long illness. My heart goes out to her entire family but especially my Dad and his parents.

Land Conservation for Birds

2008-06-22T05:38:00.002-05:00

A couple weeks back I ran into this article in the Hartford Courant. Biologist Robert J. Craig has just compiled seven years of data of his bird sightings in Connecticut and Rhode Island. Through his research he was able to map the density of birds during each season.

That in itself isn't that unique. Citizen groups like the Massachusetts Audubon Society and the National Audubon Society have been doing this for years. The difference is that Craig uses his data to make the case for what type of land should be conserved. Since the density of birds in winter is highest in the coastal forests, Craig suggests that we devote most or all of our limited conservation funds in this region.

The article presents a contrary viewpoint in the case of the Grasshopper Sparrow. This species depends on grassland habitat. If Craig's conservation plan was adopted most of this habitat type in Southern New England's would vanish. And so would the Grasshopper Sparrow. But, since this species is common elsewhere in the US, this would be an unfortunate but acceptable loss.

While I don't think that this is unreasonable, I believe that Craig's theory has many issues. First, if just the coastal woodlands are to be protected, what would happen to the areas which migrating birds use to rest and refuel as they journey north? How about the human aspect of the issue? I certainly wouldn't want to live in an area of the state devoid of all conservation land. With no place to hike, bird, swim, etc. life would be a lot less fun. And lastly, I think that Craig's assessment is extremely myopic in that it considers only birds for land conservation. What happens to the other organisms (turtles, butterflies, mammals, snakes, etc.) that depend on different habitat types to survive. They may not be as photogenic as the birds but they must be considered in any land conservation decisions.

I welcome your comments on this interesting subject.

Race Photo

2008-06-17T05:15:00.002-05:00

I looked thru the photos from the race on Pratt & Whitney's internal web site and I found this one of me. It was taken at the end of the race and I'm really struggling to finish.

Race Results

2008-06-11T04:42:00.003-05:00

The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure was this past Saturday and it was fantastic. Again, this was my first ever organized race so I was a bit nervous at the start. Luckily for me it was cool on that morning not this oppressive heat we're having now. The race started slowly with everyone in the back of the pack essentially walking the first 1/4 mile or so until the runners spread out a bit. Other than that, I ran every step of the way and finished the 5K (3.1 mile) course in an official time of 33:43. Of the approximately 1500 runners who chose to wear the timing chip (there were reportedly 4000 runners overall) I finished 1018. That means I only have 1000 runners to pass to get into the top 20 next year. :]

After the run, I stuck around and participated in the 4K walk with my Dad. The whole event was a lot of fun with vendor tents set up everywhere giving out food and gifts. But I was struck by how many people there who lost a loved one to the disease. There were also many survivors who ran the race. Once I realized that the light pink shirts were for those women still battling the disease it was a bit overwhelming.

This entire experience really helped the healing process for me. It was good to be out with people who were grieving a loss just like me. And through the generous donations of my friends I was able to raise $1,110.00 to help this great foundation. If you feel like making a donation, my personal page will be up through the end of the month. Thanks for your support.

Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure

2008-06-04T19:18:00.004-05:00

Instead of my regular posting about nature, I'm writing today to ask for your help. On Saturday I'm participating in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure here in CT. For those of you who haven't heard of this organization, it is dedicated to helping eradicate breast cancer through education, awareness, and research.

For those of you who know me, or have somehow stumbled across this blog, you'll know that I just recently lost my Mom to this horrible disease (read the story behind the organization and tell me that you don't get choked up). And in the months since her passing I have gotten away from some of the things she taught me. Mom used to volunteer whenever she was asked and some of my favorite memories are working side by side with her on some good cause. So, when I heard about this race, it just hit me that this was something that I should do.

Now I'm not a small man and its been a while since I ran any sort of major distance. So, three miles is really going to be a challenge for me. But, my fiance and I have been running at the local track and I have gotten up to two miles with no problem. I really hope to run the entire three miles in honor of my Mom.

If you read this and would consider sponsoring me, I'd really appreciate it. My Mom would volunteer whenever she was asked but she refused to "beg for money". Well, maybe it's tacky. But after I'm gone no one will remember. But the money just may make a difference in the world. Thanks.

Here's a link to my personal page on the race web site.

http://rfcc.convio.net/site/TR/Race/General?pg=personal&fr_id=1030&fr_id=1030&px=1180049

Wadsworth Falls: Middletown, CT (4/18)

2008-05-27T19:46:00.002-05:00

On Friday the 18th I got out of work early and drove home to pick up Shannon. It was a beautiful spring day so I took her to Wadsworth Falls for an afternoon hike. Before starting out to Little Falls we took a few minutes to inspect the pond for wildlife. It was pretty hot so there were a few kids cooling off in the shallow water. But it didn't seem to bother the Red-spotted Newts which just moved to a calmer area of the pond. We even found a Red Eft in the water. These guys are the terrestrial form of the newt so its not too common to find them in the water. I don't know if this guy was just about to change or if he had returned to the pond to become an adult but it was interesting to see how he differed from the newts. The eft moved around by walking on the muddy bottom. The adults swam around with their legs limp using their tails as propulsion (like an alligator).

After a few minutes looking around we headed out for our hike. We walked by the giant laurel tree and up to the falls. There, one year and one month since we first met, I got down on one knee and proposed to Shannon. Of course, she accepted. To commemorate the moment, we took turns taking pictures of each other with the falls as the backdrop. Then we headed down the hill and drove out to get some dinner at On the Border, the first restaurant we ate at together. After some great Mexican food, we drove to the Barnes and Noble in Glastonbury and sat at the same cafe table where it all started what seems like a lifetime ago. The night ended at home celebrating with friends and champagne.

Humpback Whale Recovery

2008-05-24T09:43:00.002-05:00

Time has a story about the recovery of the Humpback Whale. Once as low as 1,500, the population has rebounded to approximately 20,000. The major factor in this recovery was the 1982 moratorium on commercial whaling. But other factors such as altering shipping routes and protection of feeding sites such as Stellwagen Bank must have had an impact as well. Also, the explosion of public interest in whale watching has increased public awareness of whales and other sea life. Plus, these whale watching boats have provided a means for organizations such as the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies to monitor the population and identify individual whales that have become tangled in fishing lines. To me, this news proves that large, slowly reproducing animal species can be saved from extinction.

Putting Up Kestrel Boxes (4/13)

2008-05-19T20:28:00.003-05:00

On Sunday the 13th, Shannon and I drove up to Worcester to help my Dad and grandfather put up a pair of Kestrel boxes at Broad Meadow Brook. My grandfather had built and painted the boxes the year before and he and my Dad had made platforms for them.

When Shannon and I got to the power lines, the men had already put up the first box. We helped them lug all of the tools to the next location. I was surprised by the height of the post that the guys created. It was huge. We found what we thought was a good location and gramps and I started digging the post hole while Shannon and Dad attached the house to the end of the pole. Then the four of us stood the post up into the hole and packed the area around it with dirt. The finished box looked great.

After our work was done we took some time to scatter some of my Mom's ashes along the power lines. Dad and I each took some and we tried to distribute them as widely as possible. My Mom really loved BMB and especially the power line area. During the summer she would look for butterflies there almost every day during her lunch hour. And she brought the entire family there dozens of times and we always enjoyed our hikes.

Later that night we came back to the sanctuary for the annual volunteer appreciation dinner. Shannon and I couldn't stay for the entire thing but the staff did a really nice thing and said some special words about my Mom.

Helen Carlson Wildlife Santuary: Portland, CT (4/12)

2008-05-15T19:47:00.003-05:00

That same afternoon, I picked up Shannon and the two of us headed out to Helen Carlson Wildlife Sanctuary in Portland. It was a cool but sunny afternoon and I was hoping to relocate some Spotted Turtles. I actually found these guys at this same place last year and I thought that the conditions would be right to see them again.

When we got to the sanctuary, I brought Shannon down the trail where I had seen the turtles before. Surprisingly there weren't any to be found. But I did spy a Northern Water Snake coiled up on some debris and basking in the afternoon sun. He stayed put for the entire time we were there even when I crept up to take his picture.

I was a little dejected as we headed back to the road. But, only a few minutes later Shannon actually discovered what she thought was a turtle. After taking a few minutes to describe where he was siting, I was able to find it too and confirm that it was a Spotted Turtle. We had really great looks at this guy and he didn't even dive for cover when I inched close enough to take a nice picture.

We were both really happy at this point. But, that wasn't the last turtle that we found. Shannon found one more and I discovered one too. In total, we had three Spotted and a few Painted. After a short hike thru the woods we headed back to the car and on the return trip I had my first butterfly of the year; a Spring Azure.

Postscript: When we got back to my house that day, we started a Garter Snake which was soaking up the heat on my driveway. It was a great herp day.

Gay City State Park: Hebron, CT (4/12)

2008-05-13T20:06:00.002-05:00

[Well, I'm a month behind again so a lot of this information will be really old now. But I have been having a lot of good adventures lately so I'll try to get them all posted soon.]

Back in the middle of April I got up early on a Saturday morning and headed over to Gay City State Park in Hebron. From the parking lot I walked down the main access road before deciding on the red trail. Per the map, this is about a three mile loop and it took me longer than I expected.

It was an overcast misty morning but I could tell that spring was coming. All around the plants were starting to poke out. There was skunk cabbage everywhere and I stopped for some time to try and get a few nice closeup shots of it in the low light. There were also lots of princess pines sprouting all over the forest floor. They really are an interesting plant when the grow to be large patches.

The forest was pretty quiet though. There were the year long residents like Tufted Titmouse and Chickadee but not too much else. I did find my first warbler of the year though; a Pine Warbler. And I actually got a decent look at the bird since the trees were still mostly bare.

Eventually I made it back to the blue trail. Just before the two trails met I passed a really beautiful cascading brook which just begged to be photographed. I know that I have a lot of pictures of waterfalls but I can't pass them by.

As I made my way back to the parking lot I passed by the pond and was surprised to see it still had some waterfowl. Besides the Canada Geese and Wood Ducks, I actually spotted what I believe were female Hood Mergansers. It was a long sweaty walk in a really nice park.

Turning Over Logs in Glastonbury (4/6)

2008-05-02T18:29:00.004-05:00

The other day Shannon and I took a walk in the town owned property behind our house. This is really just conservation land so there are no trails, per se. We hiked up onto the ridge and I started to flip over logs in hopes of finding some salamanders. The first one that I tried had a Red-backed Salamander. Shannon got a real kick out of him so we continued walking and flipping over anything that seemed large enough. Sometimes we found salamanders, sometimes we didn't.

After a while we came to an area that had obviously been used as a dumping ground. There was an old truck and lots of tires laying around. I flipped over one of them and was shocked at what we saw. There was a field mouse with what we counted was nine newborn babies suckling her.

She was obviously quite frightened and ran back and forth in the depression where the tire used to be. I didn't want to crush her or any of the babies so I attempted to herd her into the leaf litter. When she eventually made a mad dash for a nearby tree, two of the babies were left behind. Shannon and I were both heartbroken to see these guys orphaned but I didn't think that it would do any good to move them. So we left hoping that the momma would return.

(Prologue: We went back to the same location the next day and the babies were gone.)

Wadsworth Falls: Middletown, CT (4/5)

2008-05-02T18:07:00.003-05:00

On Saturday the 5th, Shannon and I drove out to Wadsworth Falls for an afternoon hike. We walked around the park for a while without seeing anything special. Before heading back to the parking lot we stopped at the small pond near the park entrance. I've never been to this park during the summertime but I guess that this pond is filled up so that people can swim in the water. But, being early spring, it was pretty low. We walked around the shore hoping to see something and we actually found dozens of Red-spotted Newts. They looks so cute resting on the bottom. Every so often we would spook one and it would swim away. They reminded me of alligators when they swam; tail doing all the work and limbs dragging behind them.

We also found some tadpoles and what I initially thought was just a piece of debris. When I looked closer, I saw that it was moving. I think that it was a horsehair worm. Gross!

In the nearby reeds I found a good number of amphibian egg clusters. I'm a bit rusty in the identification skills but I think that the clear ones with solid black centers are Wood Frog eggs and the opaque clusters are Spotted Salamander eggs.

After our hike we drove up to the big falls and admired all that rushing water. Before heading home we made one last stop at Wadsworth Mansion to admire the grounds.

Broad Meadow Brook: Worcester, MA (4/3)

2008-05-02T18:00:00.003-05:00

The morning before the wake on Thursday, Dad, Shannon, and I took a hike at Broad Meadow Brook. There weren't very many birds out and about but we did find some signs of spring. A pair of Eastern Painted Turtles were sunning themselves on a log in the brook. We also stumbled across a rather large Muskrat swimming in the clear brook water.

Postscript

2008-04-30T19:54:00.004-05:00

One last thing on my Mom. I remember our last visit to the Cape. We were out at the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History and they had a special exhibit on Rachel Carson, the author of Silent Spring. For those of you who haven't heard of the book, you should immediately go to your local bookstore and buy a copy since it should be required reading for all Americans. The book dealt with the nation's increased use of pesticides and how this was affecting the environment. It is so good you won't be able to put it down.

Anyhow, Rachel also fought and lost a battle with cancer. And, the museum has a large mural of one of her diary entries. My Mom stood and read it several times and actually asked me to take a picture of it. Given the similarities between the two women and my Mom's love of butterflies, I think that its a fitting postscript.

"This is a postscript to our morning in Newagen, something I think that I can write better than say. For me it was the loveliest of the summer's hours, and all the details will remain in my memory; that blue September sky, the sounds of the wind in the spruces and the surf on the rocks, the gulls busy with their foraging, alighting with deliberate grace, the distant views of Griffiths Head and Todd Point, today so clearly etched, though once half seen in swirling fog. But most of all I shall remember the Monarchs that unhurried westward drift of one small winged form after another, each drawn by some invisible force. We talked a little about their migration, their life history. Did they return? We thought not for most, at least, this was the journey of their lives."

"But it occurred to me this afternoon, remembering, that it had been a happy spectacle, that we had felt no sadness when we spoke of the fact that there would be no return. And rightly-for when any living thing has come to the end of its life cycle we accept that end as natural.
For the Monarch, that cycle is measured in a known span of months."

"For ourselves, the measure is something else, the span of which we cannot know. But the thought is the same, when that intangible cycle has run its course it is a natural and not unhappy thing that life comes to an end. That is what those brightly fluttering bits of life taught me this morning. I found deep happiness in it-so, I hope, may you."

-Rachel Carson

Memorium

2008-04-30T16:47:00.003-05:00

I've thought about my Mom every day since she passed. She was such a caring, understanding, and loving person and it was a blessing to have her bring me into this world. To me our relationship was very special. I never had any major fights with her (there was those terrible teenage years but I fought with everyone then). She was there for me 100% of the time. She made me who I am today and she was so proud of both my sister and I. She was the person I went to when life was getting me down or I needed a confidant. She was the first person I called with news, good or bad. She truly was my best friend.

For those of you who may be regular readers of my blog, you know that my family is extremely close. My parents, sister Kerry, and I truly were one unit. Ever since I can remember, these three people were my life. Kerry and I both went away to college but returned to the house after school. Before I met Shannon, I would work in Connecticut during the week and then head up to Massachusetts for the weekend. Even as four adults we still loved to spend time together. We vacationed on Cape Cod every summer. Mom also planned family vacations around the country. In the last few years we visited New Hampshire, Arizona, Nevada, Texas, and San Diego together.

Some would find this strange; all that time home with my parents. But it always felt right to me. Back when I was in college, my parents started birding at Broad Meadow Brook, a local sanctuary. I always thought that it was peculiar that they got up early every weekend to look at birds. The "ah-hah" moment for me came when we were out on the Cape. We were walking out on the boardwalk at Wellfleet Bay when we were buzzed by a female Northern Harrier. I was amazed to watch this beautiful bird hunt. It swooped and dove.. I don't remember if it ever caught anything. But, I was hooked.

In the years that followed, Mom, Dad, Kerry and I spent lots of our free time out in nature. While we did our share of traveling, a lot of the memorable times were here in New England. So many great memories:

Watching the snow fall in the desert near San Diego.

MassAudubon Bird-a-thons whether they be hot or torrential rain.

Volunteering at Boo Meadow Brook

Looking for Black Racers at West Hill Dam.

Monitoring the Harris' Checkerspots at BMB.

Driving through Anza Borrego at dusk praying for an Ocelot.

Driving around Central Mass on Mark Lynch's waterfowl surveys.

4th of July butterfly counts.

Admiring the Grand Canyon from the South Rim.

Big Night at Pergatory Chasm.

I think that I could go on forever. I got addicted to being outside and enjoying life with these people who I loved unconditionally. We met so many fantastic people through this hobby (or should I say way of life). These were true friends, people who cared about you. I can't fully explain to you how this has enriched my life.

So, I'm not embarrassed to say that I spent so much time with my family. Given how things turned out, I feel blessed to have had this time together. And the memories that just may mean the most to me might be the times that she and I were alone together. Hiking at Delaney. Trudging through a field covered in sweat looking for butterflies. Early mornings birding on the Cape. Trips to Plum Island.

Its been one month and one day and I miss her so much. I want to call her up and see how she is doing. I want to get out with her and experience a sunny spring day. I want to tell her that Shannon and I are engaged. I want to hold her in my arms just one more time. But its not to be.

Wake (4/2 - 4/3)

2008-04-28T20:41:00.003-05:00

The next few days were pretty tough and everyone dealt with it differently. I threw myself into a major project: getting photos together for the wake. Mom's body just wasn't the way that we wanted to remember her. So, the family decided that we would honor her with pictures instead. I went through all the old photo albums and found some nice ones of her. Then I searched through all of my digital photos. Mom hated having her picture taken so I didn't have as many as I would have liked. But I put out an e-mail and lots of her friends sent them in to me. I edited, cropped, and framed them all with my Dad's help. I found it really therapeutic and it kept my mind from realizing that I would never see her again.

We held the wake on two nights. The first night, Wednesday, was attended by a huge group of my Mom's co-workers from UMASS. They were all so kind and comforting. So many of them told me how proud she was of me and how much she loved the family. I almost broke down a couple of times but I made it through both nights with the help of Dad, Shannon, and Kerry.

In Memorium (3/29)

2008-04-26T18:47:00.004-05:00

On Saturday March 29th my mother, Barbara, passed away after an almost two year battle with breast cancer. I can still remember when she was diagnosed. It was in the spring of 2006 and she had been concerned about swelling in her arm. Though she had regular mammograms, her doctor suspected breast cancer but couldn't locate the tumor. After many doctor's visits with specialist after specialist they eventually discovered the tumor in her lymph nodes (in the underarm area). I remember being in alone in my house in Cromwell and hearing the news directly from her. I was absolutely devastated. But, after some time to think about it, I thought that this was something that she could beat. With the help from her loving family, we were going to win. This was going to be a success story to share with others.

In the beginning I think that my Mom was scared but at least relieved to know what she was dealing with. She threw herself into researching the disease and learning everything that she could. Her degree in biology undoubtedly made understanding the complexity of her cancer much easier. I have to admit that I couldn't bring myself to do the same research. I couldn't face the severity of what she was dealing with. To this day I change the channel when I hear ads for organizations fighting breast cancer. Its still too painful.

Barbara started her first chemotherapy treatment in July of 2006. We were planning a trip up to Pittsburg, New Hampshire with a group of my Mom's friends from the Massachusetts Butterfly Club. She started treatment the middle of the week and by Friday we were in New Hampshire. The chemicals really beat her up. She felt horrible for most of the trip and even though she tried to go out with the group, she spent most of each outing in the car resting. Saturday night was the worst but she felt good enough on Sunday to have a fantastic meal of Chinese food on the way back home.

The next week we had planned our yearly trip out to Cape Cod. By this time she was feeling much better and we had a nice time together. But I do remember getting in the SUV with her as we headed out to dinner one night. It was hot and the windows were open. The flow of air pulled hair off her head and made it swirl around the car. Instead of being depressed, she seemed to revel in this new stage. She shook her hair and watched as more and more joined in the mini tornado.

In general, this is the way that she handled the disease (at least outwardly). She always wanted to learn more but never got depressed about her situation. She continued to work at UMASS and got treatments every 3 weeks. The chemicals did absolutely horrible things to her. All her hair fell out. The swelling in her arm never went away and it always bothered her. She lost all feeling in her feet. She had pain in her stomach. Anything she drank tasted metallic so the only things that she could keep down were Capri Sun juice pouches and Pepperidge Farm Pretzel Goldfish. Every new drug was supposed to be easier on her but each just had new side effects.

But eventually things started to turn. She finished the chemo, surgery, and radiation and started to get better. Her hair grew back and she regained her strength. After many months she could actually feel her feet again. The treatment had worked and we were optimistic about the future. She did have one curious spot on her spine but it didn't show any signs of growth during her subsequent scans.

That next year life went on pretty much as it always had. She and my Dad both retired and started spending the money that they had saved up. They did all the things that she loved. They traveled to New Mexico, Florida, etc. She participated in seven 4th of July butterfly counts. She birded, planted a garden, hiked and basically enjoyed life.

The turning point was on Valentine's Day. She had a scan that day and when I called she told me that they had found a small spot on her liver. At that time they weren't even sure that it was cancer. But, I knew that it wasn't good and actually broke down and cried after hanging up the phone. When the doctors did decide it was a relapse they started her on chemo again. This was something that she really dreaded. But she gritted her teeth and hoped for the best.

A few weeks later I drove up to Auburn for a visit. Mom was just so tired and barely got off the couch during my visit. But we had all been through this before. The fatigue was normal but it always got better as the days passed. Shannon and I came up again the day before Easter and she was still feeling very fatigued. We made a nice big dinner of Chinese food and she seemed happy with how it came together (even though she could only stomach a few vegetables and some broth).

On Easter Sunday I spoke with her and she said that she was going to be admitted to the hospital the next day. There the doctors pumped her full of fluids and she felt much better. She was strong enough on Tuesday to take a shower by herself and I though that everything was going to be OK. Shannon and I drove up on Thursday for a visit and, even though she was heavily drugged, she seemed alright. But, by the afternoon on Friday my Dad called me to tell me that I needed to come up right away. Her diagnosis was very bad and it wasn't going to be long. Shannon and I both cried the entire drive up to the hospital.

When we got there, Mom was still awake and seemed happy to see us. We sat and talked with her about butterflies and other things to cheer her up. Her brain was so addled with chemicals that I'm not sure that she knew what was going on. But she told us to "Be Kind", and not to do anything "crazy". Just before we left for the night she mustered the energy to get up from the bed and sit in the chair. We gave her some Jello even though she actually wanted sherbet. We all said that we loved her and then left for the night.

We got to the hospital early the next morning but she never came back to us. We waited all day with her friends Gail and Elise. Just before 9:00 her body gave up and she passed away.

(I'll have a more uplifting memorial of my time with her for my next post.)

Blackledge Falls: Glastonbury, CT (3/23)

2008-04-23T15:06:00.002-05:00

I liked the falls so much that I brought my girlfriend back there on Easter Sunday afternoon. The weather was much nicer and the ice had all melted away. I took a few more photos of the falls before Shannon and I took a short hike through the woods. We eventually came to the powerlines which funneled us down toward the river. A single Eastern Phoebe (my first of the year) was swooping back and forth over the water picking off insects. He/she was very cooperative and I got one or two nice shots.

Blackledge Falls: Glastonbury, CT (3/22)

2008-04-22T15:18:00.002-05:00

On Saturday March 22nd I took an early morning hike at Blackledge Falls in Glastonbury. I'd been to this area before and enjoyed my short hike. Plus its really close to my house so I can somewhat sleep in and still do some morning hiking.

I set of down the trail and eventually found the branch that led to the falls. The night before had been particularly cold and when I got to the falls I was treated to a beautiful display. The water vapor from the falls had frozen to almost everything. There were long thin icicles, pebbles of ice on the rocks, and thick coats of ice on the debris that littered the stream under the falls.

The falls themselves were really beautiful too. When I was there, water was actually pouring over the ledge in two locations. The morning sun was at just the perfect angle to create a small rainbow in the splash zone.

(Interesting side note: While searching for who owns this property I stumbled upon a web site that lists all of the waterfalls in the state of Connecticut. Its really cool.)

Status of Lynx in NM

2008-04-22T15:10:00.001-05:00

CNN.com has an article on the effort to protect the Lynx in New Mexico. Its a short article but interesting because it highlights the fact the wildlife is seldom contained within state borders.

Glastonbury (3/16)

2008-04-22T14:59:00.003-05:00

This Sunday in mid-March I got up early and took a quick walk around my neighborhood. I was struck by the diversity of birds that I was able to identify. We still had some of the winter migrants (Dark-eyed Junco) but some of the summer visitors were here too.

Birds: Blue Jay, Golden-crowned Kinglet, House Finch, House Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, American Robin, American Crow, Dark-eyed Junco, White-throated Sparrow, Brown-headed Cowbird, Tufted Titmouse, Black-capped Chickadee, American Goldfinch, Mourning Dove, Downy Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, White-breasted Nuthatch

Barred Owls

2008-03-27T10:52:00.002-05:00

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

2008-03-23T07:27:00.005-05:00

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)

2008-03-04T17:12:00.004-05:00

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)

2008-03-04T16:35:00.002-05:00

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.

Mushroom Experts?

2008-02-28T17:00:00.003-05:00

I love to take pictures of mushrooms but I have a hard time identifying them. If there are any mushroom experts out there I'd love for you to take a look at my gallery and tell me if you can know any of them. Thank you in advance.

Sleeping Giant State Park: Hamden, CT (12/28)

2008-02-20T16:20:00.004-05:00

Since I'm still trying to catch up with my blogging I plan to write every so often about the adventures that I had this winter. The outings may be a few months ago but hopefully you will still enjoy the stories.

Right before the end of the year I made a solo trip out to Sleeping Giant State Park in Hamden, CT. This was a park that I hadn't been before so I took a while to explore it. It was a mild sunny day, the kind which is perfect for hiking. Unfortunately it was also the kind of day where ice melts and makes steep climbs dangerous.

I didn't realize that the park was so mountainous when I started at the bottom. I should have figured it out when I read the brochure which indicated that the park is named for the mountains which resemble a giant in repose. But, I didn't. I started at the bottom of the mountain where the roaring river made the view very picturesque. I hiked over some tight trails which were very slippery. Eventually I made it to some ruins. I believe that they were from a abandoned mining operation but I never found out for sure. Near the ruins was the giant's "mouth". This was an unbelievably impressive cliff that did look like sharp teeth.

All around the cliff were trees just struggling to survive. I found this one with most of its roots exposed.

At this point, I headed up what I would later discover was the most challenging terrain in the park. I hiked for some time sweating through my light jacket. Eventually I made it to the top and was rewarded by a nice view of the valley below (even though it was pretty overcast). The climb down was as difficult as the ascent but with about a million tiny steps I made it down off the mountain and onto the gentler trails that led back to the parking lot. By this time, the setting sun shown beautifully thru the bare trees.

I'm definitely looking forward to returning to Sleeping Giant for more exploration this spring.

Outdoor Acivities in Decline

2008-02-19T18:58:00.003-05:00

The Nature Conservancy has just published a report on the decline of outdoor activities in the United States and Japan. The team's findings are that as video entertainment (television, video games, and the internet) has grown, hiking, camping and fishing are in decline. They make the correlation that a nation less involved in the natural world will be less likely to protect it. This is bad news for nature lovers. So, get out there and experience the world while you can.

You can read an interview with the two researchers here.

Bird Sightings

2008-02-15T17:41:00.002-05:00

In the past week or so I had a few chance birds sightings. The first was a pair of adult bald eagles in a tree along RT 9 in Middletown. They were perched very close together. Could they be a mated pair? I'll have to keep a watch out for a nest.

And, today as I was leaving working in Middletown, a pair of Killdeer flew overhead. They looked to be scoping out the roof of Pratt and Whitney for a good place for a nest. Spring is surely on its way.

Events in CT

2008-02-15T17:35:00.002-05:00

For those of you who live in or near Connecticut, I have a few events that you might want to check out. The first is the photo show at the CT Audubon Center in Glastonbury. I went there with family two weeks ago and there were some very nice pictures. The show runs through the end of the month. Its definitely worth your time.

Also, this weekend (February 17 and 18) Essex holds its annual Eagle Festival. I've gone a couple of years and have always had a great time. And, looking at the schedule, it looks like this year is goingto be fun too. I just hope that the weather is good.

Turtle Atlas

2008-02-07T17:34:00.000-05:00

I finally got around to entering some of my turtle sightings in the MA and CT turtle atlas. It was really quick and easy and the researchers on the other side are thankfull to get the data. If you happen to live in one of these states, think about sending your information in the next time you see a turtle. Every piece of data matters.

Back Again!

2008-02-04T17:37:00.000-05:00

Well, it has been a really long time since I last posted to this blog. It wasn't because I outgrew it. I used to be able to write my entries during my lunch break but my company ended up blocking the site. And, life has been so busy lately (serious girlfriend, family, etc.) that I've gotten away from it.

But, I never stopped getting out and seeing the natural world. It's in my blood now... I know I'll never be able to let it go. And often times when I was out seeing something I would think about how good an entry it would be. I missed sharing my "expeditions" with the world (even if no one was reading them).

So, here I am back. I know now that if you love something, you can never let it go. The adventures that I've had since August of '07 are probably gone forever. But, I'm going to try my best to get this started again. I hope you enjoy.

Cape Cod Day 5: Bayside Talk at Wellfleet Bay (8/1)

2007-11-08T20:04:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday night we went to Wellfleet Bay for the weekly Bayside Talk. Before the talk started I walked around the visitor's center and took a couple photos of the bay as the sun was going down. As I walked back to the center I noticed that one of the sanctuary's rabbits was being chased by a weasel of some sort. I couldn't tell if it was a Mink or a Long Tail Weasel but it was obviously hunting the larger rabbit. The prey and hunter dashed into the bushes before I could get a picture.

With that excitement over, I headed indoors for the talk. It was actually a two parter. The first speaker, John Teal, spoke about salt marsh restoration. He was followed by Tim Traver who read excerpts from his book Sippewissett: Or Life on a Salt Marsh. Both gave great presentations.

Cape Cod Day 5: Cape Cod Museum of Natural History (8/1)

2007-10-15T18:57:00.000-05:00

The tides were right on Wednesday so we decided to spend the morning walking on the mud flats near the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History in Brewster, MA. We parked in the museum parking lot and hiked down to the beach. As we crossed the wood bridge that spans the area which floods easily we spotted several Ospreys sitting on the platforms. Apparently the museum has web cams set up to observe these birds during the summer.

When we got down to the beach we quickly took off our shoes and socks and headed for the water. My sister and I really enjoy exploring the flats and we quickly found lots of wildlife. Our first major find was a shell just sticking out of the water. Not wanting to get pinched, I used a piece of plastic to coax the crab out of the sand. To our surprise, it was actually a pair of crabs who were obviously in the process of mating. The bottom crab (the female?) was huge and assumed an aggressive posture with claws out in front of her body. Not wanting any trouble, we left the pair alone and they quickly dug themselves back into the sand.

Those weren't the only crabs around. We actually found several of different colors. I was able to photograph this one before he took shelter. There were other invertebrates as well. We found several large Hermit Crabs which I picked up to see if I could get a good shot of their bodies. The crab would curl up tight into his shell and then, as if he was curious what was happening, he would stick his head out again.

We also found lots of Moon Snails. These guys were easy to uncover, you just had to follow the trails in the sand. They were everywhere.

By this time we were pretty far out. We spotted some birds foraging in the flats and spent a few minutes identifying them. We saw Ruddy Turnstones, Semi-palmated Plovers, Black-bellied Plovers, and lots of gulls. As we watched, more and more birds peeled off the flock and flew away. Before we knew it the sand flats were all covered with water and we had to move fast to avoid being overcome by the incoming tide.

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After getting back to dry land we put on our shoes and headed over to the museum. We had visited before but this time they had an exhibit on Rachel Carson. Rachel is thought by many to have launched the modern environmental movement with the publication of her book "Silent Spring". The book documented the effects of pesticides on humans, animals, and the Earth itself. Even though it was written in the early 60's, the book is still relevant today and I'd strongly encourage you to read it if you haven't yet.

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The museum had a very nice exhibit on Rachel. There was a display of some of her personal effects and examples of her beautiful writings on the natural world. My Mom and I found this one particularly heartfelt.

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They also showed a documentary on Rachel's life. Known as a gifted nature writer, Rachel devoted several years of her life to investigating and documenting the effects of DDT and other pesticides. When the book came out, she was attacked by the chemical industry which sought to discredit her work. She actively defended her research all while battling cancer (the horrible disease that eventually took her life). What an incredible woman.

Cape Cod Day 4: Wellfleet Bay MAS (7/31)

2007-10-10T11:12:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday of our Cape Cod vacation we spent the morning at Wellfleet Bay MAS again. It was muggy and overcast all morning. But there were still a lot of animals out foraging. Especially at the feeders where we came across this Red Squirrel happily eating at the sanctuary's "trough" (was this the same guy from last year or one of his cousins?). A Chipmunk scooped up any seeds that happened to drop to the ground.

We headed down to the pond where the Pickerelweed was in bloom and the Painted Turtles were swimming around looking for a sunny place to bask. We moved on to the Goose Pond which was actually pretty quiet other than the noisy Belted Kingfisher that scolded us from his favorite perch.

As we came to the salt marsh we found some fresh tracks which were so large that they must have been from a Great Blue Heron. But the lack of actual birds forced me to divert my attention to other things. I found the strangest iridescent beetle on one of the small bushes that framed the trail. As I was photographing that bug I noticed several bees nectaring on the Regosa Rose. I got one nice shot of a bee coming in for a landing. Unfortunately, when I was taking those pictures, my parents had a great look at a female Northern Harrier working the marsh for lunch.

When I rejoined them we continued out to the edge of the marsh. There we found the usual cast of characters: Black-bellied Plovers, Willets, Semi-palmated Plovers, etc. We did see at least one Piping Plover amongst the flock. By this time we were pretty hungry so we hiked back to our car.

After having a quick lunch we decided that it wasn't much of a beach day so we'd spend the afternoon walking around in Chatham. As we made our way up-Cape the weather cleared noticeably. By the time that we got the to the lighthouse in Chatham, the sun was out. I was so envious of the people down on the beach enjoying a nice afternoon swim.

But, we stuck to the plan. We got to the center of town and walked around looking at the shops. Our favorite is Yankee Ingenuity and we make at least one stop there every year. This vacation I didn't pick up anything. But my sister got some jewelry and some really cool glass spiders.

Hungry from all the walking, we found some park benches and ate our sandwiches. We had a good plan for the evening: my Mom and sister would go to the Hyannis Sound concert and my Dad and I would go to the Chatham A's game.

That was before the weather changed. Just as we split up you could see the fog rolling in from the ocean. It actually came up the street like something you'd see in a B-grade horror film. By the time we got to the park, it was totally fogged over. The officials delayed the game for a half hour hoping that the conditions would change but they ultimately had to cancel the game.

Still wanting to see a game, my Dad and I drove back to Orleans. The fog was a bit less dense there so they were playing when we arrived at the park. But, as the fog came and went they were forced to stop the game numerous time. I think that we actually got to see an inning and a half in total before we had to head back to Chatham to pick up the girls.

Gray Whale Comeback Questioned

2007-09-19T10:59:00.000-05:00

There's a good article on CNN.com which looks at the recovery of the Gray Whale. The story highlights how difficult it is to determine if an endangered species has "recovered" if no historical data on the species exists. Without a baseline, researchers can't tell if the population is at 50%, 10%, or 5%. Unfortunately many times the only hints at the historical size of a population are anecdotal records. I feel that a lot of these reports are exaggerations. But, if they are accurate, it just shows the extent that humanity has affected these animals.

Cape Cod Day 3: Nauset Marsh (7/30)

2007-09-13T17:10:00.000-05:00

On our third day at the Cape we tried to get up early and see what birds were feeding at Nauset Marsh. The tide was just perfect when we got to the boardwalk. Unfortunately the weather wasn't. It was dark and humid and it felt like the skies could open up at any minute.

We quickly set up the scope and started looking around. All of the common birds were present. We saw Semi-palmated Sandpipers, Dowitchers, a few Egrets, a Great Blue Heron, and an Osprey on the platform.

It was hard to identify the birds thru the growing fog. But we just enjoyed the morning. Eventually we moved from the boardwalk onto the trail the encircles the marsh. My Mom and I wandered a bit down the trail looking for butterflies. But, most of them were in hiding. It turns out that they were the smart ones. We watched as the sky got progressively darker. Then a bolt of lightning struck unbelievably close to us. The thunder clap was enough to take your breath away. Needless to say, we high tailed it back into the wood and got to the car just in time to avoid getting soaked.

Cape Cod Day 2: Wellfleet Bay MAS (7/29)

2007-08-28T11:07:00.000-05:00

On Sunday everyone got up, had some breakfast, and headed over to the Wellfleet Bay Massachusetts Audubon Society sanctuary. The morning started out relatively cool but it got steamier as the day went on.

We started at the visitor's center where we happened to run into Dan Berard. We met Dan during one of Mark Lynch's bird classes at Broad Meadow Brook. Dan was working for Wellfleet Bay and was actually on his way out to the bay to release a baby Diamondback Terrapin. He showed us the turtle in his bucket and then headed out into the field. We enjoyed the displays in the visitor's center for a little longer before following him out.

We caught up with Dan again at Goose Pond where he had stopped to sort out the sandpipers. A Painted Turtle swam back and forth in the brackish water and a Belted Kingfisher perched on a large pole in the center of the pond. Yellowleg or two ran haphazardly in the shallows and several Green Herons stalked small fish in the deeper water.

We moved on down the trail switching positions with Dan. He caught back up to us where the trail opens up to the salt marsh. We were admiring the holes made by hundreds of Fiddler Crabs. Dan told us that there were actually two species of Fiddlers on the sanctuary: Mud Fiddler Crabs and Sand Fiddler Crabs. I tried to catch a few of them to check out the difference but they were too quick (or maybe too smart) for me.

As we got closer to the bay, Dan found a good place to release the baby Diamondback. He carefully took it out of the bucket and placed it in the sand. Dan and I both took this opportunity to take some pictures of the turtle who seemed to look up at our lenses inquisitively. He moved around a bit and eventually took some shelter from the sun beside my sister's sandal. He looked pretty hot.

And so were we. We made it out to the bay and looked around a little. My parents were able to spot a Piping Plover amongst the more common birds (like the Least Sandpiper). Soon we were just too hot to stay any longer and we headed back to the visitor's center. With the sun out, the nectaring animals had gathered in the flower garden. We spotted a American Lady and a Ruby-throated Hummingbird. At this point, we were so hot that we fled to Marconi Beach for an afternoon by the water.

Cape Cod Day 1: Travel (7/28)

2007-08-28T10:50:00.000-05:00

The last week of July was the annual Walker family vacation on Cape Cod. Shannon came out to spend the first weekend with us. She and I left Connecticut early and rendezvoused with the rest of the clan at the Bird Watcher's General Store around noon. After browsing the store for a bit we headed next door to get some Chinese food for lunch.

While we were in the restaurant, there was a light rain shower. When we left, the rain had stopped but it was still pretty cloudy. So, we headed over to the Cape Cod National Seashore visitor's center to look at the exhibits and catch a viewing of "The Sands of Time".

By this time we could finally get into our summer rental. After unpacking, Shannon, my parents, and I all took a drive to Nauset Light Beach for a swim. Refreshed, we came back to the house and had dinner.

After dinner, we made the short drive over to First Encounter Beach to do some birdwatching and watch the sun go down. The bird activity was fairly light but the sunset was nice.

Helen Carlson Wildlife Sanctuary: Portland, CT (7/21)

2007-08-17T18:31:00.000-05:00

On Saturday the 21st I took a morning hike at Helen Carlson Wildlife Sanctuary in Portland. My bird list was pretty small. I even tried to call in the Worm-eating Warbler with a recording but he didn't bite. It was so quiet that I didn't take any bird photos. I did manage to take a couple of usable shots. The first was an unidentified dragonfly and the second was another Red Admiral (they certainly were common this year).

Birds: Blue Jay, Eastern Phoebe, Common Grackle, Red-wing Blackbird, Baltimore Oriole, Hermit Thrush, Tufted Titmouse, Black-capped Chickadee, Mallard, American Goldfinch, Mourning Dove, Belted Kingfisher, Red-eyed Vireo, Hairy Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Eastern Kingbird, Northern Flicker

Northampton/Amherst 4th of July Butterfly Count (7/22)

2007-08-11T10:06:00.000-05:00

On Sunday the 22nd, my parents, Elise Barry, and I participated in the Northampton/Amherst 4th of July butterfly count. We had a great day and counted a good number of butterflies. Unfortunately it was many weeks ago and I don't remember too many details. Here's a summary of the count from Mark Fairbrother:
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With 2-3 precincts still to report, the totals for today’s Northampton/Amherst area 4J count stand at:

44 species,
2160 individuals.

Butterfly highlights include Hickory Hairstreak, 6; WHITE-M Hairstreak, 1; Common Sootywing, 97.

Taken from the clutches of a spider or assassin bug was a duskywing which may turn out to be a Horace’s Duskywing.

The compilation for this count is held at the State Reservation on top of Mt. Sugarloaf in South Deerfield. The avian highlight of the day was watching a very vocal pair of Peregrine Falcons chasing each other at length, generally at eye level and occasionally within 50 feet of the observers.

Glastonbury, CT (7/15)

2007-08-11T09:29:00.000-05:00

During the heat of the day I spotted a Monarch and a Common Buckeye at Shannon's rental house on Naubuc Ave. Later in the day the clouds rolled in and it started to rain. When the heavy precipitation ended we decided to take a walk around the block at her home. It was pretty dark and there was still a good deal of mist in the air. To my surprise, I spotted two bats flying around. Their size suggested Big Brown Bats but I certainly can't be sure. The bats seemed to be hunting for insects. I'm guessing that the rain would play havoc on their sonar but they seemed to be swooping and diving anyhow. I couldn't tell if they caught anything but it was fun watching them try.

Blackstone Valley Corridor 4th July Butterfly Count (7/14)

2007-08-08T11:12:00.000-05:00

My next butterfly count was the Blackstone Valley Corridor which is hosted by my friends, Tom and Cathy Dodd. This was our best count of the year with tons of butterflies (individuals and species). Unfortunately, being over a month ago I don't remember many of the details.

The most memorable sighting of the day was a smallish turtle sticking its head out of a small pool in a revine. The water was nothing more than a large vernal pool so I don't think that the turtle lives there permanently. But, it was still really cool to see.

I'm guessing that it was a Musk Turtle but it could have been a small Snapper as well. When we tried to get a closer look, he retreated into the muddy bottom of the pool.

Butterflies: Black Swallowtail 26, Tiger Swallowtil 26, Spicebush Swallowtail 29, Cabbage White 41, Clouded Sulphur 72, Orange Sulphur 66, American Copper 111, Bog Copper 3, Coral Hairstreak 13, Banded Hairstreak 5, Hickory Hairstreak 1, Striped Hairstreak 9, Gray Hairstreak 1, ET Blue 30, Summer Azure 29, GS Frit 55, Aphrodite Frit 6, SB Frit 9, Pearl Crescent 104, Baltimore 37, Question mark 2, Ea Comma 10, Milbert's Tortoiseshell 1, Am Lady 16, Red Admiral 103, C Buckeye 3, Red Sp Admiral 2, Viceroy 16, N Pearly-eye 3, Eyed Brown 7, Ap Brown 38, Little Wd Satyr 172, Com Wood Nymph 436, Monarch 73, Silver Sp Skipper 92, Horace's Duskywing 8, Wild Indigo Duskywing 6, Common Sootywing 10, Least Skipper 7, European Skipper 6, Tawny-edged Skipper 2, Crossline Skipper 18, Northern Broken dash 42, Little Glassywing 63, Delaware Skipper 41, Mulberry wing 15, Broad-winged Skipper 1, Black Dash 7, Dun Skipper 84, Two-spotted Skipper1, Large Frit (spp) 20

Totals====>1958
Total Species===>50
# of participants 12
Party Hours 39.5
(car) 6
(foot) 33.5
Party Miles 108.7
(car) 87.4
(foot) 21.25
Count Date 7/14/07
Compiler Tom Dodd

Hammonasset Beach State Park: Madison, CT (7/8)

2007-07-19T11:09:00.000-05:00

On Sunday the 8th, Shannon and I took another trip out to Hammonasset Beach. It was a very hot day so we spent most of the day in the water or under the umbrella. But, we did take a long walk in the late afternoon. We headed out to the point in hopes of finding the Little Blue Heron at the pond. But, we lucked out and he wasn't around when we go to the pond. Making things even worse, I had forgotten my binauculars making any bird identification very difficult.

Cromwell Meadows: Cromwell, CT (7/7)

2007-07-19T11:06:00.000-05:00

I rolled out of bed on Saturday the 7th wanting to take a quick morning hike. Since Cromwell Meadows is right around the corner from my house and I hadn't been there in a few weeks, I decided that it would be my destination.

It was still early morning when I got there and the property was empty (as usual). The sun was out and the temperature was starting to rise so I thought a walk thru the woods would be good. But I only got a 1/4 mile or so down the trail before the mosquitoes enveloped me. So, I turned around and headed back to the parking lot.

I didn't want to leave so I decided to try another area. I walked down one of the access roads which ran parallel to the river. The beginning stretch of the road runs by a marshy area filled with reeds. I noticed a few Purple Loosestrife plants had started to "invade" the area. They were particularly beautiful covered in morning dew.

After passing by the marsh, the road quickly transitioned back into the woods again. For some reason there were no mosquitoes in this area though. Maybe it was just later in the morning and the sun had forced them to retreat.

Anyhow, the walk was nice if not full of activity. There were a few sparrow here and there plus some other common birds but nothing special. The butterflies were a little better. I found a few Appalachian Browns, a Red Admiral or two, and one Eastern Comma. Near the end of the road I found a couple Eastern Cottontails which posed for me for a minute or two before I got too close and scared them into the bushes.

Bent-of-the-River: Southbury, CT (7/4)

2007-07-19T10:53:00.000-05:00

Shannon and I spent the 4th of July at hiking at Bent-of-the-River. The entire day was pretty overcast and it actually started to drizzle at the start of our hike. But we were undeterred. And surprisingly there was still some butterfly activity even in the rain. We saw several Common Wood Nymphs flying around in the sheltered areas and Shannon even spotted a Great Spangled Fritillary when the skies cleared temporarily.

But the sanctuary was pretty quiet otherwise. Other than a Cooper's Hawk that we spooked off its perch on the edge of the main meadow, we didn't have any really memorable sightings. We even hiked up to the Pileated Woodpecker nest but we didn't hear or see any signs of the birds.

But regardless we still had a nice hike. And the weather had one benefit: we had the entire property to ourselves. Also the moist conditions were perfect for Red Efts. We found this little guy moving about in the leaf litter.

Worcester County 4th of July Butterfly Count (7/1)

2007-07-11T11:13:00.000-05:00

My parents and I participated in the Worcester County 4th of July butterfly count on Sunday the 1st. Our territory was Sterling. We had a pretty good day specieswise but there weren't too many individual butterflies flying. Highlights were an Appalachian Brown that we found at a marshy area along the road and Banded Hairsteaks at Sterling Peat. But the sighting of the day was a Harvester that my sister found at Sterling Peat.

It was actually a better day for dragonflies than it was for butterflies. They were everywhere... different shapes, sizes, and colors. I'm not very good at identifying odes but I knew the Ebony Jewelwing. And these guys can be frustratingly hard to photograph so I was happy to get a couple nice shots.

My father also spotted a Brown Snake in one of the meadows that we survey but I wasn't close enough to get there before it slithered off.

Speaking of snakes, when everyone returned to Wachusett Meadow to tabulate the results, my sister and I found a Milk Snake on the rock wall between the sanctuary headquarters and the road. When we came upon it, the snake appeared to be fighting a Chipmunk. I'm not sure who was the antagonist but the Chipmunk ducked back down his hole when we approached. The Milk Snake chose to stand his ground instead. I ran back to the group to see if anyone was interested and got a whole bunch of takers. Brian Cassie actually ran out and picked up the little guy before he could disappear into the wall. Initially the snake was agitated and it attempted to bite Brian several times. But, it eventually calmed down enough so that anyone who wanted to hold it got a chance. I passed but I took the opportunity to take some pictures. After a few minutes we put the snake down and let it crawl back into the wall.
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Summary of the count by organizer, Carl Kamp:

Twelve observors covered 6 routes and reported 3887 butterflies among 43 species compared to an 11 year average of 3823 butterflies among 44.8 species. I had some trouble sending the complete list and will send it when I can.
Among the species seen some showed record high numbers and others came in with record lows.

(NOTE: 2007 Count numbers listed followed bt the 11 year avearage in parnetheses.)

High numbers

Cabbage White 1968 (204)
Red Admiral 50 (6)
Little Wood Satyr 52 (18)
Long Dash 22 (4)

Low numbers
Clouded Sulphur 19 (111)
Orange Sulphur 15 (55)
American Copper 3 (633)
American Lady 2 (19)

Milkweed and dog bane were mostly in full bloom but were also surprisingly lacking many nectaring butterflies.

Plum Island (6/24)

2007-07-11T11:09:00.000-05:00

And no trip to Newbury is complete without a stop at Plum Island. The bird activity was pretty light but we still had some nice sightings.
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Birds: Song Sparrow, Glossy Ibis, Canada Goose, Eastern Kingbird, Bobolink, Snowy Egret, Red-wing Blackbird, Mute Swan, Greater Black-back Gull, Herring Gull, Rock Pigeon, Purple Martin, Lesser Yellowlegs, Common Tern, Blue Jay, Osprey, Mallard, Brant, Yellow Warbler, Willet, Northern Mockingbird, Brown Thrasher, Common Grackle, Gray Catbird, Savannah Sparrow, Double-crested Cormorant, American Crow

Mill Pond Recreation Area (6/24)

2007-07-09T11:02:00.000-05:00

After getting done at Martin Burns, we followed the trip leaders, Sharon and Joe Stricter, to the nearby Mill Pond Recreation Area. The meadow in this property is known for its Baltimore Checkerspots and it didn't disappoint. We found adult butterflies, caterpillars, and crystallises.

Other interesting sighting during our short visit were a pair of American Redstarts and a Garter Snake that my sister found slithering over an old log.

Martin Burns WMA: Newbury, MA (6/24)

2007-07-06T10:46:00.000-05:00

On Sunday the entire Walker clan spent the day out at the North shore. We started the morning on the Massachusetts Butterfly Club trip to Martin Burns WMA. We arrived a bit late so the group had already started out on their hike. But with all of the butterflies to distract them they didn't get far. As we rushed to catch up, I noticed a single Indigo Bunting perched at the top of a large tree. He was contently singing until he saw me and ducked back into the foliage.

We eventually caught up with the rest of the group just in time to see some nice Harris' Checkerspots. A pair was even hard at work perpetuating the species. The area was practically alive with all the activity. There were plenty of dragonflies and butterflies to train our binoculars on. And it was easy to see why since the summer flowers were in mid-season bloom. There was lots of Daisy Fleabane, Hop Clover, Dogbane, and Spurge along the trail. Investigating it closely, I found an ant on one of the Spurge blooms. It looked like he was sucking liquid (water or nectar?) off the flowers.

But, the insect weren't all that we found. My sister and I found an American Toad sitting in the shade of the flowers. This guy had to be the fattest toad that I have ever seen (for his size). Also, a bit later one of the hikers found a deceased Star-nosed Mole. We couldn't tell how it had passed but it was interesting to see this secretive mammal.

But, in the end the trip was about the butterflies. We had some really nice sightings including Great Spangled Fritillary, Spicebush Swallowtail, and Red Admiral
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Birds: Common Yellowthroat, Northern Cardinal, Baltimore Oriole, Scarlet Tananger, American Goldfinch, Indigo Bunting, Eastern Towhee, Black-capped Chickadee, Cedar Waxwing, Prairie Warbler, Chimney Swift, Blue-wing Warbler

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Butterflies: Eastern Tiger Swallowtail - 5, Spicebush Swallowtail - 1, Cabbage White - 2, Eastern Tailed-Blue - 7, Great Spangled Fritillary - 10, HARRIS' CHECKERSPOT - 13, Pearl Crescent - 1 alive, 1 dead specimen, anglewing spp. - 1, Red Admiral - 4, American Lady - 3, Red-spotted Purple - 1, Viceroy - 1, Eyed Brown - 1, Little Wood-Satyr - 16, Silver-spotted Skipper - 16, cloudywing spp. - 1 , Juvenal's Duskywing - 1, duskywing spp. - 2, Least Skipper - 2, European Skipper - 3, Peck's Skipper - 1, Long Dash - 6, Little Glassywing - 2, Hobomok Skipper - 5

Broad Meadow Brook: Worcester, MA (6/23)

2007-07-04T08:57:00.000-05:00

Shannon and I drove up to Massachusetts on Saturday the 23rd to meet my family. But, before stopping by the house I had to bring her to Broad Meadow Brook. We got to the sanctuary in the early afternoon and, after talking a bit with Deb Cary, started off on our hike.

We had some really nice sightings on our hike, but I didn't write them all down. So, from memory, here are the highlights. We started down Holdredge Trail and almost immediately saw a pair of butterflies fighting. I didn't get a good look but I'd guess that they were a Red-spotted Admiral and one of the anglewing species. We took a left onto Frog Pond trail and startled a Garter Snake who had been sunning himself on the boardwalk. At the pond we actually found one Green Frog submerged up to his throat in the slime.

We walked up Sprague and stopped for a while to admire the brook. We continued on to the power lines which were absolutely alive with activity. We found this cool dragonfly in the leaf litter and saw a Hummingbird Moth flittering about. It moved so fast that I never got a good shot of it. We also saw three Monarchs, two Harris' Checkerspots, lots of skippers, and an Eastern Tailed-blue.

We eventually made it down to the stretch where we had the sightings of the day. Halfway down the trail Shannon spotted a strange shape in the water. It was a Snapping Turtle (possibly the same one that I had photographed out of the water a year ago?). The turtle took a breath at the surface and then dropped down into the mud.

Then, towards the end of the road we came upon a Great Blue Heron wading in the brook. From the picture you can tell that he was only about 10-15 feet away from us. And the strangest thing was that he didn't spook and fly away. He just slowly moved up the brook to an area which provided more space between him and us. He was so calm about the situation that he even stopped to catch and eat a fish as he walked.

Our last sightings of the day were some more butterflies. At the intersection of Frog Pond and Holdredge I spotted a Eastern Tiger Swallowtail sunning itself on a bush. And, further up the hill we found two anglewings engaged in a territory dispute. It was a great visit to a special place.

Union Pond Park: Manchester, CT (6/22)

2007-07-04T07:55:00.000-05:00

Shannon and I took an afternoon walk at Highland Park in Manchester. When we got to the park we noticed a large flock of Canada Geese and Mallards browsing on the grass. There were a few adult geese but most were goslings. There was one group of young goslings which were just so cute. They were just little bundles of fluff with tiny wings.

By this time the skies were beginning to darken. But we're adventurous so we still took our walk. We made it almost all the way down the trail before it really started to rain. Luckily the trees acted as a giant umbrella allowing us to enjoy the rain on the lake.

Talcott Mountain: Simsbury, CT (6/17)

2007-07-02T10:55:00.000-05:00

In the afternoon I met up with Shannon and we drove out to Talcott Mountain for a hike. It was a beautiful afternoon and there were lots of families out enjoying the day. There's one large trail up the side of the mountain and the hiking is not particularly difficult. Even so, we stopped several times to take in the view of the valley below.

After about 30 minutes, we got to the summit of the mountain. The state maintains a very nice tower at the top but we didn't bother to take the stairs to the top. Instead we sat on the picnic tables and relaxed. While we were talking I spotted a Scarlet Tananger near the top of a nearby tree. We also saw a gray bird chasing a Blue Jay. I never got a good look at the smaller bird so a positive ID was impossible.

Then it was back down the mountain. On our return hike I heard a Black-throated Green Warbler calling. But, by this time it was late afternoon and everything had quieted down.

Wood Turtle (6/17)

2007-07-02T10:42:00.000-05:00

Driving home from Helen Carlson I spotted a turtle making its way across the road. There was no traffic so I put my hazard lights on and got out of my car to help it. To my surprise it wasn't a common Painted Turtle or Snapping Turtle but rather a rarer Wood Turtle. Praising my luck, I picked him (?) up and moved him to the grass by the side of the road. He clammed up for a few minutes but finally became comfortable enough with me to start walking away. But, he started back into the road and walked parallel to traffic. I watched both directions hoping that he would pick a destination and I could move him over.

Finally, a local drove up and explained to me that there were a number of Wood Turtles in the area and that they liked living in the nearby fields. He moved the turtle out of the road again and put it on his Aunt's lawn. I took a few more shots in the mid-day sun and then watched as the turtle lumbered off.

Helen Carlson Wildlife Sanctuary: Portland, CT (6/17)

2007-06-30T07:25:00.000-05:00

On Sunday the 17th I spent the morning over in Portland at the Helen Carlson Wildlife Sanctuary. This is quickly becoming my favorite spot for a quick hike since its relatively close to my house in Cromwell and it has some great habitat.

But during this particular visit there wasn't too much to see. There were lots of Catbirds, Red-wing Blackbirds, and Grackles flying around the bog but that was just about it for birds. I saw a few Painted Turtles sunning themselves but the Spotted Turtles were nowhere to be found.

I did hear what I think was the Worm-eating Warbler again. And it was in the same location (deep in the woods next to one of the trails) as the last time. But, like before, I couldn't ever find him. Next time I'm going to bring my call and see if I can get him to come in.

Other than that, my best sightings of the day were some plants. The first was a strange fungus that I found growing on a rotting log. I also found some of these fuzzy flowers growing deep in the woods. I didn't know what they were so I looked them up on the Connecticut Botanical Society's web site. I found that they were Patridgeberry. And, a cool fact about this plant is that the flowers always grow in pairs. Once fertilized, the two flowers fuse into a single berry.
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Birds: Gray Catbird, Red-wing Blackbird, Common Grackle, Mourning Dove, Veery, Eastern Wood Peewee, American Robin, Worm-eating Warbler (?), Great Blue Heron, Wood Duck

CT Audubon Sanctuaries (6/16)

2007-06-28T18:51:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, June 16th, Shannon and I got together to visit a couple of the Connecticut Audubon Sanctuaries that I'd never been to before. We started by driving south from my house to the Connecticut Audubon Society Center at Fairfield.

This was actually a really nice facility. We started inside looking thru the simple displays. There were the obligatory stuffed specimens of several common birds but they had some live animals as well. The Red-eared Slider was nice but my favorite was the Blue-tongue Skink. He was so fun to watch.

The sanctuary also had a Bird of Prey compound on its ground. All the birds in the facility had been seriously hurt and couldn't be returned to the wild. All the common raptors were represented including Barn Owl, Barred Owl, Great Horned Owl, Red-tailed Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Peregrin Falcon, Turkey Vulture, etc. It was so sad to see these beautiful birds cooped up in there cages but at least they are well fed and cared for.

Next we decided to take a nice hike thru the Roy and Margot Larsen Wildlife Sanctuary that abuts the Connecticut Audubon property. We started by heading towards the largest pond on the map. Tree Swallows were swooping back and forth over the water and a Veery called to us from his perch on the fence. We walked down several trails stopping ever so often to admire a mushroom or watch the Water Striders "skate" back and forth over the water. The trails were very nice with several small ponds that supported turtles, Wood Ducks, and the ever-present Red-wing Blackbirds. There was even a special Fragrance Trail at the end of the walk. Unfortunately there wasn't much in bloom during our visit so we had to admire the view instead.

My plan for our next stop was to head over to Connecticut Audubon Society Coastal Center at Milford Point. But, as we made our way back the skies began to seriously darken. Just as we pulled up in the sanctuary's parking lot the rain started. We scampered in a small covered kiosk and watched the lightening in the distance. It really was incredible to watch the rain as it advanced over the bay.

After about a half hour of rain, the skies finally cleared enough for us to take a quick look around the area. The office was already closed but we did look over the bay from the observation platform before taking a walk along the beach. This is definitely a place that I'd like to try again but we probably won't ever have the place to ourselves again.

Decline of Common Birds

2007-06-27T10:43:00.000-05:00

CNN.com has a great article on the decline of some "common" bird species in the United States over the last 40 years. Some of these bird populations have dropped over % over this time period (gallery). It would be tragic if these species become rarities in my lifetime.

In this same vein, the Connecticut Audubon Society also has posted its State of the Birds report for 2007. This year's report details the most pressing threats to birds in the state.

Cotton Hollow Preserve: Glastonbury, CT (6/10)

2007-06-25T10:47:00.000-05:00

Back in Connecticut, Shannon took me to Cotton Hollow Preserve, a small conservation area near her house. The property is owned and maintained by the Glastonbury Parks and Recreation department. It boasts lot of nice trails most of which run parallel to Roaring Brook.

As we began our hike the skies became very overcast. It didn't rain on us but the threat was always there. But, even in the low light the view of the river was fantastic. We stopped several times to take photos of the river before continuing on.

Eventually we got to an area of the river where the water pooled up deep enough for swimming. One brave soul was waist deep in the cold water as we passed. We stopped for a while to admire the scenery before turning back for home. But, this is definitely a place that I'd like to hike again (preferably when its sunnier).

Dauphainais Park: Grafton, MA (6/10)

2007-06-21T11:00:00.000-05:00

Sunday we were off to Dauphainais Park for a Massachusetts Butterfly Club field trip led by my Mom's friend, Dolores Price. I went alone to the park a bit early hoping to do some birding. But, it was actually VERY quiet and I didn't turn up many birds at all.

So, after a while of searching I headed back to the parking lot to meet the rest of the group. The butterfly trip was very nice and we found a total of 31 species. But, my favorite was actually a moth that gave me ample time to take its photograph.

I didn't stay for the entire trip since I needed to get back to meet my friends Kate and Eric back in Auburn. But, I've posted the trip totals anyhow.

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Butterflies: 2 Black Swallowtail, 3 Eastern Tiger Swallowtail , 2 Cabbage White , 2 Clouded Sulphur , 2 Orange Sulphur, 5 American Copper , 1 Eastern Tailed-Blue , 1 Spring Azure (violacea), 66 Pearl Crescent , 3 Red Admiral , 3 American Lady, 1 Painted Lady, 5 Viceroy , 2 Red-spotted Admiral, 30 Common Ringlet , 85 Little Wood Satyr , 1 Common Wood Nymph , 1 Hoary Edge, 8 Silver-spotted Skipper, 3 Dreamy Duskywing , 21 Northern Cloudywing, 1 Juvenal's Duskywing , 6 Common Sootywing , 5 Least Skipper , 20 European Skipper, 22 Peck’s Skipper , 1 Tawny-edged Skipper , 1 Long Dash, 14 Hobomok Skipper , 3 Dusted Skipper, 1 Pepper and Salt Skipper

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Birds: Blue-wing Warbler, Gray Catbird, Prairie Warbler, Red-winged Blackbird, American Robin, American Goldfinch, Eastern Phoebe, Northern Flicker, Song Sparrow, American Crow, Eastern Towhee, Blue Jay

Quabbin Reservoir (6/9)

2007-06-20T14:48:00.000-05:00

It was another weird overcast day on Saturday June 9th. But this didn’t stop us from taking a trip out to Quabbin Reservoir. I hadn’t been out to the reservoir in some time and it was good to get back.

We started in the Gate ?? area. Even though it was later in the morning, the birds were all still singing loudly. Became really difficult to pick out individual songs but we did our best. As we hiked, we heard Wood Thrushes, Veerys, Black-throated Green Warblers, and Ovenbirds. In a small clearing my Mom thought that she could hear a Chestnut-sided Warbler so I decided to call it in. The second that I played the recording, the small male bird appeared. He looked at us inquisitively before disappearing again into the trees.

We continued up the road until we got to a small marshy area. Common Yellowthroats were calling from the bushes and we spotted a Great Blue Heron on the opposite shore from us. As we watched, a Cooper's Hawk dove down out of a tree and escaped into the woods.

In this area I came across a strange sight. It was a Red Eft who had climbed near the top what must appear to him to be a giant boulder. I can’t imagine why he would do this but it made for a really nice shot.

After a bit more, we turned around and headed back to the parking lot. As we walked we noticed Pink Ladyslippers in full bloom all around us. They were absolutely beautiful.

Once back at the car we decided to drive out to the boat launch area to have our lunch. The boat launch was also a pretty good site for birdwatching. There were Tree Swallows everywhere and one even perched on a piece of wood one a few feet from our picnic table. With all the boat activity, the water was relatively bare but my Dad did find one Loon.

After lunch we walked around the area a bit more and turned up some really nice birds. On the water was a family of Canada Geese. And, while we were admiring the goslings an adult Bald Eagle soared overhead.

Since we weren't dead tired yet, my Mom and I decided to walk along the road. From there we heard Cedar Waxwings, a Warbling Vireo, lots of Redstarts, and at least one Great Crested Flycatcher. But the best bird of the day was the Blackburnian Warbler that we spotted in the trees. That's such a handsome bird. It was a nice end to the day.
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Birds: Black-throated Green Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Veery, Black-capped Chickadee, American Robin, Wood Thrush, Ovenbird, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Mallard, Eastern Phoebe, Chipping Sparrow, Common Raven, Tree Swallow, Great Blue Heron, Cooper's Hawk, Gray Catbird, Black and White Warbler, Eastern Towhee, Tufted Titmouse, Chestnut-sided Warbler, American Crow, Red-eyed Vireo, Scarlet Tananger, Barred Owl, Blue Jay, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher, Eastern Wood Peewee, Pine Warbler, Red-winged Blackbird, Canada Goose, Eastern Kingbird, Red-tail Hawk, Yellow Warbler, American Redstart, Common Loon, Cedar Waxwing, Warbling Vireo, Great-crested Flycatcher, Bald Eagle, Blackburnian Warbler, Turkey Vulture

Bent-of-the-River: Southbury, CT (6/8)

2007-06-18T10:45:00.002-05:00

On Friday the 8th Shannon and I spent the afternoon at Bent-of-the-River in Southbury. It was a beautiful summer day and we had the entire sanctuary to ourselves. We got to the barn and were treated to some good sightings. I spotted my first Ruby-throated Hummingbird of the year and the feeders were filled with all sorts of common birds (Blue Jays, Mourning Doves, Goldfinch, etc.). There were also Chipmunks everywhere. These guys were taking full advantage of the bounty of seed. They would pack their cheek pouches full of food and then scamper down their holes to fill up their winter food cache. After spending a while enjoying the display we decided to start our hike.

We hiked by the river, thru the meadows, and up the Zig-Zag Trail. The bird activity was relatively low but we did have a few nice sightings. We spotted a male Indigo Bunting in the field. I also was able to locate the Pileated Woodpecker nest hole and we got a glimpse of what I'm guessing was the (almost fledged) chick sticking its head out of the hole.

We headed back down the road before taking a quick side trip to the Cascades. On the way there we found some shiny red shelf mushrooms growing on a dying tree. They we very beautiful. When we finally got to the waterfall it was a bit disappointing. The waterfall has been reduced to a trickle. But there still was enough of a pool at the bottom for Shannon and I to take our shoes off and cool our feet off.

AS we were putting our shoes back on, Shannon spotted a Millipede in the leaf litter. It was amazing that something with so many legs fell down so often but this bug was really flopping around. I took some pictures before he disappeared under the leaves.

We hiked back to the barn and decided to spend a little time on the observation platform. This was actually the best birding of the day. We watched all the birds come in to the feeders for an evening snack. My favorite were the Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. Shannon liked the Mourning Doves (which were everywhere). Other highlights were an Indigo Bunting, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Goldfinches, a Bluebird, and a pair of sparring hummingbirds.

Before leaving for the night we stopped at the wildflower garden and saw that the Columbine was in bloom. The Dogwood trees were also very pretty.

This was an incredible afternoon at a unique place with a special woman. I can't believe that no one else took the opportunity to get out for a hike.

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Birds: House Finch, Black-capped Chickadee, Eastern Phoebe, American Goldfinch, Blue Jay, Eastern Bluebird, Mourning Dove, Indigo Bunting, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Turkey Vulture, Wood Thrush, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Song Sparrow, Tufted Titmouse, Black and White Warbler, Northern Cardinal, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Wild Turkey

Delaney WMA (6/3)

2007-06-18T10:45:00.001-05:00

Trying to take advantage of the end of the migration season, my parents and I took a trip over to Delaney WMA. It was a dreary overcast day and the birds were pretty hard to find. But we tried our best anyhow.

We started the day at the "back" of the property. As we drove to the trail entrance we stopped a few times to look over the water. There were all the usual suspects present: Red-wing Blackbirds, Yellow Warblers, Orioles, Cedar Waxwings, etc. We also saw at least one occupied Great Blue Heron nest.

After this casual birding we decided to take a hike into the property. Right near the start of the trail we were lucky enough to see two Hairy Woodpeckers interacting. But, the main problem with the rest of our hike was that it was still very overcast and the mosquitoes were out in force. They swarmed around us for the entire time. Eventually it got so bad that we turned around and headed back to the car.

But, we weren't completely discouraged so we decided to try the "bowl" area. This part of the property is fairly open and doesn't have anywhere near the population of mosquitoes. But, there are a lot of dog walkers which can make things interesting (to say the least).

The highlight of this second part of our day were the swallows (both Tree and Barn). They were everywhere swooping over the water picking off bugs. For some reason a good portion of the activity was centered on the area where the lake drains into a stream. It was fun to watch the birds swoop, bank, and dive like little jet fighters.

We continued down into the "bowl" hoping to find a few Silvery Blues. But, it is the end of their normal season and the day wasn't exactly conducive to butterfly watching. Even given these shortcomings, my Mom was still able to spook up two Blues.
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Birds: Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow, Wood Duck, Eastern Wood Peewee, Great Blue Heron, American Robin, Cedar Waxwing, Hairy Woodpecker, Tufted Titmouse, Black and White Warbler, Eastern Towhee, Common Yellowthroat, Blue Jay, White-breasted Nuthatch, Chipping Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Mallard, Baltimore Oriole, Common Grackle, Mute Swan, Black-capped Chickadee, Chimney Swift, Canada Goose, Killdeer

Draper Park/Milford Power Lines (6/2)

2007-06-14T10:35:00.000-05:00

On Saturday June 2nd there was another field trip for the Broad Meadow Brook butterfly institute. This one was led by two of my good friends, Tom and Cathy Dodd. The group was pretty small (Tom, Cathy, my parents, and Martha Gach from BMB) but we had a lot of fun.

We started at Draper Park. My parents and I had explored this area a few times before and its always good for butterflies. This trip was no exception. We had some really nice butterflies including Red Spotted Admiral, Spicebush Swallowtail, and Pepper and Salt Skipper. We also found a Ringneck Snake hiding out under some sheet metal. This was only my second sighting of this species in Massachusetts so it was a great find. We also found an Eight Spotted Forrester Moth and one of the strangest black wasps that I've ever seen.

After finishing up at the park we headed over to the power lines in Milford. By this time it had gotten pretty hot but we decided to take a short hike anyhow. We adding a couple more butterfly species including Harris' Checkerspot and Spring Azure to our list. We also stumbled across a Red-tail Hawk nest one top of one of the poles. Both adults spent a lot of time trying to distract us from their chick. The little guy was still al fuzz but he was getting to be pretty big.

The only disappointment of the day was that I didn't find any Spotted Turtles. I've found them at one site along the power lines on two separate occasions. But, as hard as I looked I didn't spot them this year.

Butterflies (Draper Park/Milford Power Lines): 1/1 Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, 1/0 Spicebush Swallowtail, 1/0 Cabbage White, 1/2 Clouded Sulphur, 2/0 Red Spotted Purple, 1/3 American Copper, 1/1 Eastern Tailed Blue, 0/1 Spring Azure , 12/5 Pearl Crescent, 0/3 Harris Checkerspot, 1/1 American Lady, 8/0 Little Wood Satyr, 1/2 Viceroy, 11/0 Ringlet, 2/0 Juvenal's Duskywing, 0/1 Wild Indigo Duskywing, 0/2 Duskywing species, 1/0 Northern Cloudywing, 1/1 Pepper and Salt , 1/0 Hobomok skipper, 5/4 Peck's skipper, 5/3 Dusted skipper, 1/1 Long Dash, 2/0 Tawny-edged skipper

Broad Meadow Brook MAS: Worcester, MA (5/27)

2007-06-13T10:33:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm really far behind with my posting again but I'm trying my best to catch up. Spring and summer are always the toughest times to do this because there are some many places to see. And the more pictures I take the longer it takes to get them all posted.

Anyhow, on Sunday May, 27th I spent the morning over at Broad Meadow Brook. My Mom was leading a field trip there as part of the Butterfly Institute classes that she is organizing for the sanctuary. The trip wasn't until the late morning but I got up early and headed over there to see what I could find.

I parked at the Dunkirk entrance and headed down the stretch. I had a few nice birds but nothing too spectacular. Right at the parking lot I found a Rose-breasted Grosbeak. At the other end of the stretch I spooked a Green Heron which took off for a "safer" part of the brook.

From the stretch I headed over the stone bridge and up the hill towards the power lines. Both sides of the trail were covered with False Solomon's-seal. The flowers were nice but the mosquitoes were vicious so I continued on.

When I got to the power lines I stopped to take a few pictures for my gallery. Looking though a year of photos it is interesting to see how the area has changed since the cut. I've been noticing more bushy plants starting to take over. Before we know it, it will be time for another cut.

It was still early morning but the butterflies were already out. I found a Tiger Swallowtail some Pearl Crescents, and various Duskywing species on my trip. I hiked most of the road before heading towards Granite St to meet up with my parents. When I finally found them, they were admiring an Eastern Bluebird who was perched on the power line. I hope that he was using the nesting boxes that John Shea put out last year.

Instead of heading back into the sanctuary proper we decided to go back to Granite St and head up the hill. We saw a few nice butterflies including an American Lady and some Wild Indigo Duskywings. At the top of the hill near the soccer field I turned over some trash and found some salamanders, Leadbacks and Redbacks. After taking some photos I carefully replaced the debris and headed on. A little further up we heard a Prairie Warbler and were lucky to get real good looks at it. By this time we needed to start back to meet the rest of the trip attendees.

The field trip was pretty good. We found a good number of butterflies including Spicebush Swallowtail, Red Admiral, Dusted Skipper, and two Cobweb Skippers mating. We even found a few dozen Harris' Checkerspot caterpillars happily munching on Flat-top White Aster.

As we headed back down the stretch at the end of the trip we noticed that the beaver dams showed signs of being repaired. The sanctuary employees told me that there were signs of beavers moving into the vacated lodge. That is certainly great news.

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Birds: Brown-headed Cowbird, American Robin, Tree Swallow, American Goldfinch, Song Sparrow, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Red-winged Blackbird, Prairie Warbler, Chipping Sparrow, Blue Wing Warbler, Eastern Bluebird, Gray Catbird, Eastern Towhee, Eastern Wood Peewee, Green Heron, Mourning Dove, Rock Pigeon, Chimney Swift, Baltimore Oriole, Willow Flycatcher, Downy Woodpecker, Common Grackle, Red-tail Hawk, Mallard, Wood Thrush, Blue Jay, Turkey Vulture

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Herps: Garter Snake, Bullfrog, Redback Salamander

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Butterflies: 3 Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, 2 Spicebush Swallowtail, 2 Black Swallowtail, 12 Cabbage White, 4 Clouded Sulphur, 2 American Copper, 1 Eastern Tailed Blue, 6 Azure sp., 23 Pearl Crescent, 1 American Lady, 1 Red Admiral, 1 Viceroy, 2 Silver-spotted Skipper, 1 Dreamy Duskywing, 4 Juvenal's Duskywing, 1 Wild Indigo Duskywing, 15 Duskywing sp., 2 Cobweb skipper, 1 Peck's skipper, 1 Dusted skipper

Horseneck Beach Area (5/26)

2007-06-06T10:58:00.000-05:00

On Saturday it was back to the shore again. This time it was Horseneck Beach for a butterfly field trip to Allen's Pond MAS. My parents and I decided to explore Gooseberry Neck before meeting the rest of the group at Allen's Pond. It was nice morning and there were lots of animals out and active. We heard lots of Common Yellowthroats and Yellow Warblers plus at least one Willow Flycatcher. On the water were a group of Common Eider and a Double-crested Cormorant.

We even found a few butterflies (mostly American Coppers and Pearl Crescents). I also found this cool looking beetle while sitting at the edge of one of the tide pools. But, the animal of day was the Fowler's Toads. There seemed to be two or three every time you looked down. I find it really amazing that these toads can live in such a sandy and salty habitat.

We don't usually come out to this area in the early summer so we were treated to a totally different group of flowers. A lot of the bushes were in bloom and there was lots of Rugosa Rose flowers everywhere. I also found some Yellow Stargrass plus this one that I haven't been able to figure out.

After spending the morning at Gooseberry Neck we headed over to Allen's Pond for the field trip. Our leader, Lauren, brought us over to Barney's Joy where we searched the fields for butterflies. We found a good amount for early summer but nothing too spectacular. We were, however, able to find some great birds including Brown Thrashers, Savannah Sparrows, and a field full of singing Bobolinks. We also spotted this Tree Swallow perched on top of a medium sized stump. He was very cooperative because his mate was sitting on the next close by.

We also found some cool flowers including Blue-eyed Grass, Mouse-ear Chickweed, and Bird's-eye Speedwell.
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Birds: Northern Harrier, Yellow Warbler, Mourning Dove, Common Yellowthroat, Song Sparrow, Double-crested Cormorant, Osprey, Common Eider, Gray Catbird, Eastern Towhee, Willow Flycatcher, Prairie Warbler, Red-winged Blackbird, Willet, Greater Black Back Gull, Brown-headed Cowbird, Savannah Sparrow, American Robin, Barn Swallow, Brown Thrasher, Tree Swallow

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Butterflies: Black Swallowtail 8, Monarch 1, American Copper 20, Pearl Crescent 9, Clouded Sulfur 11, Cabbage White 12, Eastern-tailed Blue 3, Red Admiral 1, American Lady 1, unknown Ladies 3

Herps: Fowler's Toad

Hammonasset Beach State Park: Madison, CT (5/25)

2007-06-05T19:15:00.000-05:00

Shannon had the day off on Friday so I decided to take one too. We got up early and headed down to Hammonasset Beach State Park. We were surprised how short the drive was and we were out of the car walking along the beach before we knew it. It was a beautiful morning and everyone was happy to be at the shore.

After spending a few minutes on the beach we decided to head over to the trails while it was still relatively cool. First we stopped at the butterfly garden at the Meigs Point Nature Center. Unfortunately there weren't too many flowers in bloom so the garden was devoid of butterflies. We sat for a few minutes watching the Grackles and Robins bathe in the running water before starting our walk.

Before we even made it to the trail, we found lots of great birds. The nature center has several colony nesting boxes for Purple Martins and we saw dozens of the birds. Tree and Barn Swallows were also swooping about looking for insects. While we were watching the swallows, a small flock of Glossy Ibises flew over. They are really cool to watch.

The trail itself was short but very nice. We walked out to the most extreme point where there was a very nice viewing platform. From the platform we saw an Osprey on the nest and heard several Willets along the water's edge. I even spotted a Ruddy Turnstone as it flew past.

We started back and on the return trip for a great spot for warblers. We spent several minutes watching and listening and identified several species: Black and White Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Northern Parula. As we left the path, Shannon spotted a Northern Oriole singing proudly from the trees.

Next we spent some time near one of the brackish pools by the nature center. Several Common Terns were diving into the pool and a few even came up with small fish. By this time the nature center was open so we took a quick walk thru. It had several displays including stuffed specimens and natural history displays. There was also a touch pool and several live reptiles upstairs (Copperhead, Garter Snake, Painted Turtle, Snapping Turtle, Box Turtle, Milk Snake, etc.).

After a busy morning we spent the afternoon relaxing. We had our lunch on the covered deck and then laid on the beach for a while. After a nice walk along the beach we played an original game of stacking Pocketbook Shells.

Before heading for home we decided to do a little more birding. We found a Least Sandpiper searching for food in the muddy banks of one of the pools. In the same pool, I spotted a small heron which I later identified as a Little Blue. We watched him hunt, head bobbing back and forth, for a long time. Every so often he would stab at the water and come up with a fish. Then he would fly off to the next fishing spot. While we watched the heron, we also got great looks at a Yellow Warbler happily defending his favorite tree.

On the way out, we made one final stop to take some pictures of the Rugosa Rose. These flowers were everywhere and most were in perfect bloom. When I looked up the plant's name I was surprised to learn that it isn't native to North America.

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Birds: Purple Martin, Barn Swallow, Mourning Dove, American Robin, Common Yellowthroat, Song Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, House Finch, Common Grackle, American Goldfinch, Glossy Ibis, Ruddy Turnstone, Common Tern, Herring Gull, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, Black Duck, Osprey, American Restart, Yellow Warbler, Willow Flycatcher, Black and White Warbler, Northern Parula, Scarlet Tananger, Baltimore Oriole, Brown-headed Cowbird, Least Sandpiper, Fish Crow, Little Blue Heron, Mallard, Yellowlegs species, Chimney Swift, Turkey Vulture.

Maj. Michael Donnelly Land Preserve: South Windsor, CT

2007-06-01T10:55:00.000-05:00

Next we headed over to a place that I'd discovered a few years back, Maj. Michael Donnelly Land Preserve. Its a nice property in South Windsor jointly owned by the Town of South Windsor and the State of Connecticut which has been dedicated to Maj. Donnelly. Donnelly, a resident of the town, contracted ALS during the first Gulf War and dedicated his life to exposing the truth about Gulf War Syndrome before succumbing to the disease in 2005.

The reserve is a very nice place for a hike. There is ample parking at the Sullivan Ave entrance. The trail slopes down from the parking lot to a small pond filled with cattails and reeds. A boardwalk brings you around the pond and into a brushy habitat. I've never come to the property specifically for birds but its probably a great site for spring migration. I wasn't paying too much attention to the calls but I did hear the common warblers, Common Yellowthroat and Yellow Warbler, throughout the hike. We also spotted a Red Admiral patrolling his territory in one of the woodier sections of the trail. As we looped back to the parking lot, we came across a Green Frog sunning itself on the boardwalk. We also found a few flowers that I have been unable to identify.

Oak Grove Nature Center: Manchester, CT (5/20)

2007-06-01T10:42:00.000-05:00

I headed back to Connecticut in the late morning and by the time I got to Shannon's house the clouds all cleared and it was a beautiful day. We decided to take an afternoon hike at one of her favorite places, the Oak Grove Nature Center in Manchester. I lived in Manchester for around 5 years but I'd never been to this property.

It was a really nice place for a walk. The centerpiece of the property is a large pond which is rimmed by a nice trail. The trail even goes over a picturesque covered bridge. We did the loop and were amazed by the number of Painted Turtles that were out basking in the sun. But, I guess they needed some solar energy after the cold damp weekend.

Hodges Village Dam (5/20)

2007-05-30T11:10:00.000-05:00

After a nice day of Bird-a-thon birding, we got up early and headed over to the Paige Lane entrance to Hodges Village Dam. It was still very damp and overcast but we made the best of it. The birds were pretty much the same as we had seen on Bird-a-thon. Surprisingly we even found another Wilson's Warbler.

Walking thru the woods we did find some nice flowers. The first was some Fringed Polygala. It wasn't opened yet but was still pretty. We also found a Pink Lady-slipper which hadn't quite turned pink yet. As we admired the flowers, my Mom spotted a Red Eft crawling thru the leaf litter. It was so wet that he had free reign.

Bird-a-thon 2007 (5/18 - 5/19)

2007-05-29T10:52:00.002-05:00

Bird-a-thon was a few weeks ago. This is a fundraiser for the Massachusetts Audubon Society and is essentially a birding scavenger hunt. Teams representing the different Audubon sanctuaries go out and try to find as many species as possible. Its a ton of fun and I look forward to the event every year.

I've done Bird-a-thon for 6 or 7 years now. Being at the middle of May, the weather is always a toss up. We've had some really hot days and some cooler ones. We have had more than our fair share of rain. The worst was last year when it rained heavily all day.

This year it was pretty dreary too. We started at 6:00 on Friday night at the Worcester cemeteries. Then headed over to downtown Worcester to see if we cold locate the Peregrin (we didn't but my Mom did spot it from the road on Sunday) followed by a quick trip to Institute Park. We didn't turn up anything rare in this time and it was starting to rain more heavily so we called it a night.

It was still raining when we got up on Saturday morning so we didn't race to get out of the house. We hit a lot of places in Worcester County so I'll try to give the highlights of each stop.

All Faith's Cemetery: We found a Wilson's Warbler hopping around the trees near the entrance to the cemetery. I wish that I could have gotten a better look at it but it was particularly hard to see in the foggy morning light. Plus my glasses are binauculars were constantly wet.

In the Parking Lot for Duck Pools: We actually did really well here. I found one Cormorant on the water. We also had a small flock of Chimney Swifts, a Redstart, and a Warbling Vireo.

Newton Hill: This was my first time at Newton Hill and I can see how it is a great site for birding. But, the conditions were really bad when we arrived so the activity was at a minimum. We did hear a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and a Pine Warbler though. Plus, we had the strangest sighting of the entire day. Foraging on the trail was what we later discovered was a hybrid Lady Amherst Pheasant/Golden Pheasant. These birds are native to Asia so this was animal was obviously an abandoned pet. It was certainly strange.

Sylvester St: Here we had our first raptor of the day: a Red-tailed Hawk. We also had a Rose-breasted Grosbeak and lots of Orioles along the road. In the field we had a good amount of warblers including Black-throated Green and Black-throated Blues.

Asnebumskit Hill: Went up to the hill hoping to find the Ravens but it doesn't look like they were nesting there this year. We did get to see/hear several Black-throated Blue Warblers though.

Worcester Airport: We got lots of good grasslands birds at the airport including Bobolinks, Wild Turkeys, and Savanah Sparrows.

Boynton Park/Cascades: This was probably our best spot of the day. We got tons of warblers there including American Redstart, Magnolia, and Chestnut-sided. Like every year, we were able to call in a male Indigo Bunting. We also heard one of the Pileated Woodpeckers and some Wood Thrushes. We also had at least a couple Scarlet Tanagers.

Wachusett Reservoir: We stopped several different places at the reservoir. The water birds were pretty sparse but we did find 6 Common Loons. In the woods around the reservoir we ticked off Prairie Warbler. Baltimore Orioles were prevalent but we missed the Orchard Orioles. Other new species were Willow Flycatcher and Belted Kingfisher.

Dike: At the dike we had one of the best sightings of the day: a Merlin perched at the top of a tree. Coninuing one we stopped to talk to our teammates, Fran and Joanie, and get a look at the nesting Bald Eagles through their scopes.

UMASS Medical Center: We stopped here in hopes of finding the Great Egret which had taken up temporary residence in the small pond. Instead we found a pair of Least Sandpipers and one Spotted Sandpiper. There were also plenty of Barn Swallows zooming back and forth over the water.

Auburn Flood Control: At the flood contol we had one new species: a Blackpoll in the trees. As we drove away we were buzzed by a Sharp-shinned Hawk.

All Faiths Cemetery: Our last minute stop was back at the cemetery hoping that we could find the Green Heron or an Eastern Kingbird. We missed both species but did identify an Eastern Wood Pee Wee and a Wood Duck.

In the end we tallied 81 total species. Not our best day ever but a good total given the habitat and weather. And it was a fantatstic day regardless of what we found. The BMB team as a whole found 121 total species. Again not the best tally ever but it was respectable. If you'd like to make a donation to support the organization, you can still pledge online. Thanks.

Birds: House Finch, House Sparrow, Mourning Dove, Northern Cardinal, American Robin, Common Grackle, Chipping Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Rough-wing Swallow, Northern Flicker, Brown-headed Cowbird, European Starling, American Crow, Baltimore Oriole, Mute Swan, Canada Goose, Tree Swallow, Yellow-rumped Warbler, American Goldfinch, Great Blue Heron, Downy Woodpecker, Common Yellowthroat, Song Sparrow, Mallard, Killdeer, Rock Dove, Gray Catbird, Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, Black-throated Green Warbler, Tufted Titmouse, Wilson's Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, American Redstart, Warbling Vireo, Chimney Swift, Double-crested Cormorant, Herring Gull, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Red-eyed Vireo, Indigo Bunting, Ovenbird, Eastern Towhee, Black and White Warbler, Scarlet Tananger, Wood Thrush, Pileated Woodpecker, Magnolia Warbler, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Pine Warbler, Bobolink, Savannah Sparrow, Wild Turkey, Eastern Phoebe, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Red-tailed Hawk, House Wren, Blue-wing Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Turkey Vulture, Peregrin Falcon, Common Loon, Willow Flycatcher, Brown Thrasher, Prairie Warbler, Belted Kingfisher, Northern Mockingbird, Field Sparrow, Merlin, Eastern Bluebird, Bald Eagle, Ring-bill Gull, Barn Swallow, Least Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper, Blackpoll Warbler, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Wood Duck, Eastern Wood Peewee

Greenbriar/Hodges Village Dam/Wells State Park (5/13)

2007-05-29T10:52:00.001-05:00

Mom and I spent Mother's Day exploring central MA. We started the morning at Greenbriar Park in Oxford. We chose to walk our normal route: around the pond and then a short distance up the trail towards Hodges Village Dam.

During the hike we had some nice birds. The first one attracted us with its song. We couldn't immediately find it but after some diligence we finally spotted it: a House Wren. Its amazing that a bird so small can make such a loud noise (and that it can intimidate the other birds).

We continued on around the pond. The whole area was packed with Yellow Warblers. We saw and heard them everywhere. There was also a few Common Yellowthroats and a Redstart or two. As we walked through the woods, we found a Black and White Warbler and one Brown Creeper.

We hiked deeper into the woods to the area where we've had Waterthrushes in the past but we didn't hear one on this trip. So, we started back and had one last good bird, a Blue-wing Warbler, as we were about to leave the park. Also, by this time all the Wood Anemone had fully opened making for a great photo.

From there we made a short trip over to the dam. By this time it was late morning and the sun was out. Near the parking lot we heard the song of a Dark-eyed Junco. At their usual spot, we found plenty of Rough-wing Swallows. As my Mom and I looped around in an attempt to find some butterflies, my Dad spotted a pair of Black Swallowtails in the field. Surprisingly, they were very photogenic (usually these swallowtails don't stay still for more than a half second or so). As we were leaving the field, Mom spotted a pair of Brown Thrashers in the bushes. As we crossed the bridge we got a great look at a Great Blue Heron eating a fish. He really had to struggle to swallow it but it was worth it.

After lunch we headed over to Wells State Park hoping that the Rat Snakes would be out. Unfortunately we couldn't locate them in their normal tree. So, we decided to take a hike through the park and down the power lines. The forest flowers were really popping out. I found one I recognized (Starflower) and another that I didn't (Nodding Trillium). We finished the day hiking up the power lines listening to the calls of the Prairie Warbler.

Helen Carlson Wildlife Sanctuary: Portland, CT (5/12)

2007-05-21T19:28:00.000-05:00

After a late night at Foxwoods seeing one of my favorite artists, Chantal Kreviazuk, perform I dragged myself out of bed and headed over to Helen Carlson Wildlife Sanctuary. This property is quickly becoming one of my favorite places in Connecticut. And I had another nice visit. I'm just glad that I made it home (more on that later).

I got to the property around 7:30. It was a beautiful spring morning and the bog was filled with singing birds. They were mostly Grackles, Orioles, and Red-wing Blackbirds but it was still an interesting chorus. I started the loop around the bog admiring the woods in the morning light. As I walked around the first turn I noticed a Beaver munching on a newly felled tree. He stayed put for a few minutes which gave me enough time to take a few photos. Unfortunately the density of the bushes made focusing difficult and I didn't get any really good shots.

After the Beaver swam away I continued on to the portion of the trail where the water has overflowed its banks. I was hoping to find some Spotted Turtles but instead found a few Water Snakes sunning themselves on the beaver dam. Seeing me, they quickly dove into the water to escape.

Instead of getting my feet wet, I doubled back and headed up the hill into Meshamasic State Forest. I've been to the area a few times now so I decided to explore it a bit deeper. The journey started out great. From the trail I heard what I'm sure was a Worm-eating Warbler. I did some bushwhacking to try to find the bird. But, its call makes it maddeningly difficult to locate. I tried several positions (including on top of a large boulder) but never spotted it. I did find a Scarlet tanager though.

I continued on down the trail taking different forks as I hiked. Eventually the trail exited the woods near the Portland Reservoir. The area was a large field with two white tanks. A dirt road led from the tanks, over a bridge, to a residential neighborhood. As I walked to the bridge I heard several songs. There were plenty of Chipping Sparrows and Phoebes but the most persistent call was from a male Blue-wing Warbler. I chased him long enough to get at least one nice picture.

I headed up towards the reservoir but unfortunately it had restricted access. From the road I did see some Rough-wing Swallows swooping up and down over the water. I headed down the road a bit to see if there was anything to be found. I'm glad I did too since the call of a Red-eyed Vireo drew my attention to one particular tree. As I was looking for the vireo, I spotted a Magnolia Warbler working the branches for food. Before finally turning back I took a quick detour into the woods for a look at the stream that drained from the reservoir.

I headed back to the tanks and then decided to explore one more trail before heading back. I heard several more Scarlet Tanangers and other woodland birds. When I came to an area with lots of pine bark littering the ground, I couldn't help but turn a few pieces over. The second piece was hiding a Garter Snake. I took some close-up shots of this beautiful creature before replacing the bark and leaving him in peace.

This is where it started to get a little dicey. I took a trail that I thought was the way out but after a half a mile or so I realized that it was the wrong path. I backtracked to the tank area and found another trail. This one looked much more familiar. But, I still made some wrong turns before finally making it back to the bog.

As I hiked thru the mid-mourning the butterflies really started to emerge. I spotted several Juvenal's Duskywings and one Spring Azure. One the ride home I saw a pair of Tiger Swallowtails, some Cabbage Whites, and one Lady species.

Birds: Veery, Red-tailed Hawk, Red-wing Blackbird, American Robin, American Crow, Baltimore Oriole, Northern Flicker, Canada Goose, Gray Catbird, Blue Jay, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Common Grackle, Downy Woodpecker, Ovenbird, Northern Cardinal, Black-capped Chickadee, Brown-headed Cowbird, Mallard, Mourning Dove, Tufted Titmouse, Scarlet Tanager, Worm-eating Warbler, Wood Thrush, Chipping Sparrow, Blue-wing Warbler, Black and White Warbler, Eastern Phoebe, Rough-wing Swallow, Song Sparrow, Red-eyed Vireo, Magnolia Warbler, Great Blue Heron, Hairy Woodpecker, Eastern Kingbird

Cromwell, CT (5/11)

2007-05-21T19:27:00.000-05:00

In my back yard on Friday the 12th I heard a Black-throated Green Warbler and a Winter Wren.

Cromwell Meadows: Cromwell, CT (5/10)

2007-05-21T19:17:00.000-05:00

On Thursday the 10th I decided to play hokey from work and head over to Cromwell Meadows for a early morning walk. It was muggy and overcast which made finding the birds really difficult. Plus, the meadows is actually a swamp so there were mosquitoes everywhere. But, it was still better than being at work.

I wish that I could say that my initiative was rewarded with a big list but sadly that wasn't the case. I did have a couple nice birds though. Right at the entrance to the property I found a Rose-breasted Grosbeak. About halfway in I heard a Northern Parula. I could see the bird high in the trees but I never got a good look at it due to the conditions. The best that I could do is identify it by its call.

Birds: Gray Catbird, American Robin, Red-wing Blackbird, Yellow Warbler, Downey Woodpecker, Song Sparrow, Baltimore Oriole, Blue Jay, White-throated Sparrow, Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Common Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird, Northern Cardinal, Wood Duck, Canada Goose, Common Yellowthroat, Belted Kingfisher, Tufted Titmouse, Great Blue Heron, Chipping Sparrow, American Goldfinch, Warbling Vireo, Black-throated Green Warbler, Black-capped Chickadee, Mallard, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Northern Parula

Oxbow NWR and Bolton Flats (5/6)

2007-05-15T10:56:00.000-05:00

My parents and I got up early on Sunday and headed over to Oxbow NWR. It was a cool morning so the the bird activity was low and we got off to a slow start. We did hear and see a Black and White Warbler in the trees around the parking lot. As we started down the main dirt road I heard a Common Yellowthroat calling from the marsh area. A bit further up a singing sparrow drew our attention. We tried unsuccessfully to identify it before it flew off into the woods. We continued on to the beaver pond where I heard my first Ovenbird of the year. We also had a few Eastern Towhees in the bushes plus at least one Pine Warbler which called from the trees. We rounded the bend heading down towards the pond I was hoping that we might find some Blanding's Turtles backing in the sun. But, even though it was a beautiful day, it must have just been too cool for them. The view of the pond wasn't to be missed though. The trees were all in process of sprouting leaves and the deep blue sky reflected off the perfectly calm water.

After enjoying the view for a couple of minutes, we decided to continue on. Before leaving, I did notice a small yellow flower that I didn't recognize. I took some pictures for identification purposes and later determined that they were Small-flowered Crowfoot.

A bit up the trail I spotted an immense Garter Snake sunning itself in the bushes. I've found that Garter Snakes really have a good deal of variation in their colors and this one had a pinkish stripe running down its back. He wasn't exactly frightened of us (or maybe he was just really sluggish) so we admired him for a few minutes before proceeding. We actually had several snakes during our hike. They were most likely all garters but I didn't get a look at every one. Some Painted Turtles were also out enjoying the sun.

As we walked past the pond and into the more forested area our sightings really started to pick up. This is strange since the early morning is usually the best time for birding. My guess is that they were waiting for the temperature to rise.

We started hearing more song from the woods. The first warbler species in this stretch was a pair of Palm Warblers. Then, as we got to the area where the trail bends 90 degrees to head back to the parking lot, we hit the jackpot. For some reason there were dozens of birds in this area. Most were Yellow-rumped Warblers but we did find several Black-throated Green Warblers and one Black-throated Blue Warbler. Also, at the top of one tree my Mom spotted a Blue-headed Vireo. We stayed in this area for a good amount of time and got great looks at all of these birds.

When we started back we had heard more good bird. I originally thought that it was the squeaky call of a Goldfinch but when we finally located the bird it ended up being a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. We saw several more of these birds on the return trip.

Just as we were getting back to the main road, we found the mystery sparrow that we couldn't identify earlier. After several minutes of observation and looking thru the guidebook, we finally were satisfied that it was a Lincoln's Sparrow... a life bird for me.

After finishing up at Oxbow, we headed over to Bolton Flats for a short walk after lunch. Our best birds there were a small flock of Lesser Yellowlegs, a Spotted Sandpiper, and a few Savannah Sparrow. In total we "netted" 52 species. Not bad.

Oxbow: Black and White Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Eastern Phoebe, Blue Jay, Red-bellied Woodpecker, American Robin, European Starling, Mourning Dove, American Goldfinch, Black-capped Chickadee, Brown Creeper, Song Sparrow, Downy Woodpecker, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Belted Kingfisher, White-breasted Nuthatch, Northern Cardinal, Chimney Swift, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Canada Goose, Mallard, Tufted Titmouse, Pine Warbler, Ovenbird, Tree Swallow, Palm Warbler, Common Grackle, Yellow Warbler, Wood Duck, White-throated Sparrow, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Warbling Vireo, Northern Flicker, Blue-headed Vireo, Black-throated Green Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Towhee, Hermit Thrush, Lincoln's Sparrow

At Bolton Flats we added the following species: American Crow, English Sparrow, Spotted Sandpiper, Eastern Kingbird, Gray Catbird, Red-tailed Hawk, Double-crested Cormorant, Eastern Bluebird, Savannah Sparrow, Northern Harrier, Lesser Yellowlegs

Wachusett Reservoir (5/5)

2007-05-14T20:31:00.000-05:00

We spent the afternoon at Wachusett Reservoir. Our highlights there included 2 Prairie Warblers, 4 Yellow-rumped Warblers, a Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and several Flickers (a few of which were nesting in a hole in one of the telephone poles).

We also took a trip to see the Bald Eagles and were lucky enough to see the two birds switch positions on the nest. While we were there we spotted two butterflies: a Mourning Cloak and a Pine Elfin.

The wildflowers weren't all out yet but I did find a couple. There was lots of Mayflower out at the reservoir and this plant was widespread along the road. It may have the coolest flower name ever... Spurge. Sounds deadly.

All Faiths Cemetery: Worcester, MA (5/5)

2007-05-14T20:08:00.000-05:00

On Saturday morning my Dad and I spent some time birding at All Faiths Cemetery. We started at the main entrance where there was actually a good deal of activity. I saw a few Black and White Warblers picking thru the tree bark for insects. All around them were Yellow-rumped Warblers. I wish that I had counted them from the beginning but I would guess that there were at least 50 in the small cemetery. A bit further up we found one or two Palm Warblers but unfortunately that was it for the warblers.

We did have a few other welcome migrants though. I found one Green Heron in a tree across the river from the cemetery and we saw one Killdeer looking for a place to nest. We even found a pair of Warbling Vireos in the trees closest to the landfill.

But the strangest sight of the day was a Canada Goose flying low to the water with a Mute Swan literally biting its tail in flight. It was like a slow motion dogfight.

Birds: Black and White Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Palm Warbler, Green Heron, American Robin, Chipping Sparrow, Mallard, Common Grackle, European Starling, Blue Jay, American Goldfinch, Northern Flicker, Northern Cardinal, Downy Woodpecker, Black-capped Chickadee, Mute Swan, Red-winged Blackbird, Canada Goose, Eastern Kingbird, Killdeer, Tufted Titmouse, Warbling Vireo, Song Sparrow, Northern Mockingbird

Connecticut Audubon Society at Glastonbury (4/29)

2007-05-08T11:08:00.000-05:00

After driving home from Portland, Shannon and I stopped at the town park in Glastonbury. We walked the trails and I noticed that the forest floor was covered with Trout Lily. Shannon found some a couple of buds but they weren't open yet. This week the trails should be carpeted with yellow flowers.

As we approached the frog pond we could hear the trilling of hundreds of American Toads. We spotted one near the shore and sat and watched him for a while. It was amazing to see how much his throat sack inflated as he called. We walked around the pond and heard a Bullfrog or two calling as well. At one corner of the pond we several pairs of toads in amplexus. In the water near them were strings of eggs. The fresh strands looked like small black pearls. But, they were quickly covered with silt making them look like extremely long worms. I'm guessing that the water is going to be thick with tadpoles before too long.

As we turned to leave we heard a Belted Kingfisher call as he flew over the water. I wonder if he would eat the toad tadpoles.

Helen Carlson Wildlife Sanctuary: Portland, CT (4/29)

2007-05-07T10:58:00.000-05:00

When I got back to Connecticut, Shannon and I took a trip over to Helen Carlson for the afternoon. I was hoping that we'd find the Spotted Turtles that I had discovered the week before. But, even though it seemed like it was good basking weather, we only found Painted Turtles.

As for other Herps, we did spot two Northern Water Snakes. The first was coiled up in a bush getting some sun. The second was swimming in the bog looking for something to hunt. I'm guessing that he was after some of the frogs in the shallow water. They were abundant and called incessantly. I identified at least one as a Green Frog but there may have been other species as well.

We walked down the trail where I'd found the Spotted Turtles and stopped where the trail was flooded. Looking for a way to cross, I saw a pair of eggs in the water. I'm guessing that they were Wood Duck eggs since I've seen these a couple of times while working on the nesting boxes at Broad Meadow Brook. Also, there was a nesting box in the area that the eggs could have fallen out of. It was sad to see, but hopefully the female Wood Duck will lay some more eggs before the end of the season.

Hindered by the water, we turned around and made a partial loop thru the sanctuary. We encountered many of the same birds as I found the week before. The standouts were a couple Palm Warblers, a Yellow-rumped Warbler, and an immature Cooper's Hawk. We spooked the hawk from his perch on one side of the bog and watched him fly across the water. Later we got a better look at the same bird closer to the road.

As for butterflies, we had a couple of Spring Azures and a Mourning Cloak. Unfortunately not many flowers were in bloom.

All Faiths Cemetery, Worcester (4/29)

2007-05-07T10:53:00.000-05:00

Before leaving Massachusetts on Sunday I took a quick morning walk around All Faiths Cemetery. It was still pretty early in the migration cycle so there wasn't too much new coming though. But, I did have around 20 Yellow-rumped Warblers.

Birds: Mourning Dove, American Robin, Common Grackle, European Starling, Chipping Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, Song Sparrow, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Wood Duck, Canada Goose, Downey Woodpecker, Mallard, American Goldfinch, Blue Jay, Mute Swan, Northern Flicker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Northern Mockingbird

Wood Turtle

2007-05-02T19:40:00.001-05:00

After the Earth Day cleanup on Saturday I went over to a location in Central Massachusetts that I had heard has a population of Wood Turtles. I can't disclose the location since I'd be worried that a collector would go to the site. Anyhow, I'd been to this site 8-10 times since I heard the report of the turtle. As hard as I tried, I never found the animal. But I kept trying since I'd never seen a Wood Turtle before.

And my persistence was finally rewarded. I walked down the main road to the sandy bottom stream (which is a favorite habitat of these turtles) and started to scan the area with my binoculars. But, there was no sign of the turtle. Disappointed, I decided to try looking around some more. When I turned to leave I looked down and there was a turtle right at my feet (literally 5-10 feet away). Trying not to overstress it, I kept my distance and watched it for some time. After it got used to me, I sat down in the grass and took tons of photos. After a while it got sick of me and started to slowly walk away. At this point I didn't want to bother it any more so I left it to its travels.

Amazingly, my fantastic day was not over. I continued on to a small pond in the area and noticed a pair of Brown Thrashers. They disappeared into the brush around the pond and I followed. When I got to the banks of the pond I spooked a large bird. Its size, color, and posture gave it away. It was an American Bittern. I took three or four photos before it decided that it was no longer camouflaged and flew into the trees on the opposite bank.

So, I did something good for the earth and I was rewarded with some great animals. Instant karma.

Broad Meadow Brook MAS: Worcester, MA (4/28)

2007-05-01T10:43:00.000-05:00

I got up early on Saturday morning hoping to do some birding at BMB before the annual Earth Day cleanup. For some reason, this time I parked at the Granite St. entrance and hiked into the sanctuary from there. As I hiked parallel to the power lines I could hear the Eastern Towhees calling, my first of the year. As I came to the intersection on the trail and the power line road I spotted a nice flock of Field Sparrows feeding on the ground. They were joined by a few Goldfinches who perched on the dead stems of last years meadow plants. Several of these stems had small patches of intricate spider webs that were coated with water droplets from the last night's rain.

My plan was to make the normal circuit: the power lines, down to the stretch and back again. But, I took a side trip down to Green Heron Pond in hopes that I might find some rails. There is also a new beaver lodge there and I was hoping that it was still early enough to catch its owner out and about. And it turns out my luck was good since as I came down the hill I noticed a Beaver sitting on the lodge eating. I took a few shots and then tried to creep closer. The Beaver heard me and took to the water. But instead of slipping into the lodge, he took the offensive. He slapped the water with his tail causing a loud smack and a huge splash. As I stood and watched, he circled the small pond several times doing the tail smack every 15-30 seconds or so. I got a few nice photos and then "retreated".

I resumed my hike down to the stretch stopping only temporarily to take some documentation photos of the power lines for my collection. Looking through these photos, its really interesting to see how the meadow has changed over just one year. There appears to be many more woody plants now. I wonder how long it will take them to overrun the area again?

When I finally got down to the stretch I was a bit disappointed by the lack of any really interesting birds. I did find one Spotted Sandpiper but the majority of the singing was the common birds (Song Sparrow, Red Wing Blackbird, Robin). I didn't find any warblers during the entire trip.

But that isn't to say that I didn't find anything to photograph. On the way back I found this neon orange fungus that I later identified as Yellow Brain-fungus. And, back near the power lines, I ventured off the trail to get some shots of one of the streams that feed the brook.

Birds: Eastern Towhee, Eastern Phoebe, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Cardinal, American Robin, White-breasted Nuthatch, American Goldfinch, Brown-headed Cowbird, Northern Mockingbird, Blue Jay, Field Sparrow, Tree Swallow, Red Wing Blackbird, Northern Flicker, Wild Turkey, Mallard, Tufted Titmouse, Song Sparrow, Black-capped Chickadee, Common Grackle, Mourning Dove, Spotted Sandpiper

Cromwell Meadows: Cromwell, CT (4/22)

2007-04-30T19:13:00.000-05:00

After driving back to Cromwell, we decided to take a short afternoon walk at Cromwell Meadows. But, with all the recent rain, the river was abnormally high and the main trail was completely flooded. So, we took a quick walk around the dirt road that runs parallel to the road. First we walked towards the marsh but the water height stopped us after only a few yards. The water was filled with Painted Turtles sunning themselves on all of the debris that had gathered in the shallow water. We found a Mourning Cloak flittering about in the bushes and also spotted an Osprey flying over with the strangest, eel-like fish in its talons.

We started back and headed the other way. Again, we didn't get too far before the road was impassable. As we drove home, I spotted an adult Bald Eagle soaring above a church in the area. This was my third sighting this spring of what I'm guessing was the same bird. We had great looks at it as it circled several times before it straightened out and flew towards the river.

Bent-of-the-River: Southbury, CT (4/22)

2007-04-25T10:39:00.000-05:00

My parents came down to visit me in Connecticut this past weekend and we decided to take a trip to Bent-of-the-River on Sunday. We got to the property relatively early and had it pretty much to ourselves. There was still a lot of bird activity but we didn't see anything special. The North Meadow had Bluebirds, Goldfinches, and Red-wing Blackbirds. At the feeders near the barn we found Mourning Doves, Blue Jays, White-throated Sparrows, and Juncos. The river had Mallards, Wood Ducks, a Common Merganser, and a Great Blue Heron. We found wild Turkeys at several stops on our hike.

But overall I was a little disappointed. I was hoping to see some warblers especially since I had so many on Saturday morning. I guess that I'm just rushing the season a bit.

We did have two memorable sightings though. First, we found a Hermit Thrush during our walk thru the woods. And, I brought them to the tree where I had seen the Pileated Woodpeckers working on what I thought was a nest hole. When we got there I could see that the hole had be substantially opened up since my last visit. And, as we watched, the male Pileated flew into view. On his approach, the female poked her head out of the hole. The male landed on the tree and tapped a "secret knock" on the bark. The female flew out of the nest leaving the male perched over the hole. For some reason he just sat there for several minutes. Finally three hikers coming down the road appeared to scare him and he retreated into the hole. But, he was only there for 30 seconds or so before he flew away as well. At this point we were worried that we could be scaring him off the nest so we continued on.

We headed back to the barn via the road. According to the sanctuary's map, this area is noted for its spring flowers. We saw lots of evidence of plants such as Trout Lily and Bloodroot but we could only find four flowers (all Bloodroot). It was surprising to see flowers growing on such a rocky cliff face. Some of the plants seemed to be growing right off the moss covered rock (with very little soil to support them).

The rocks themselves were really cool too. We found several that appeared to have amethyst crystals embedded in them. As the surrounding rock eroded, the amethyst poked out all over.

We continued on and took a side trip to the Cascades. The waterfall was really flowing and we spent some time just sitting on the rocks enjoying the sun. As we left the area, we noticed the trees were in bloom. They looked similar to a magnolia by the petals were pointier. I'm thinking that they may be Star Magnolia but I'm not sure.

We finally made our way back to the parking lot and sat by the river to eat lunch. Several times we heard calls from a Belted Kingfisher ring out but we never located the bird. After lunch, we headed back to the barn. On the way we found a dead Brown Snake in the road. It was strange too since he didn't appear to be crushed. I could only find one small mark on the body. But, I guess when you're that small, a car can literally scare you to death.

After relaxing on the picnic table for a few minutes we decided to take one more look around before heading out. There's a small native garden located between the barn and the river and we were happy to see that some of the flowers had started to bloom there (maybe because its warmer in the sun than it is in the deep woods. We saw some Bloodroot and Round-lobed Hepatica that were in full bloom. As we admired the flowers, a beautiful Eastern Comma flew by and paused for a few seconds in the leaf litter. We also spotted what I'm guessing was a young Garter Snake.

Our last sighting of the trip was another bug... a Six-spotted Tiger Beetle. These guys are an incredible emerald green in the afternoon sun.

Birds: Black-capped Chickadee, Killdeer, American Crow, Song Sparrow, American Robin, Red Wing Blackbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, American Goldfinch, Chipping Sparrow, Eastern Bluebird, Tree Swallow, Northern Cardinal, Brown-headed Cowbird, Tufted Titmouse, Downey Woodpecker, White-breasted Nuthatch, White-throated Sparrow, Wild Turkey, Eastern Phoebe, Mourning Dove, Double-crested Cormorant, Dark-eyed Junco, Blue Jay, Common Merganser, Wood Duck, Pileated Woodpecker, Field Sparrow, Great Blue Heron, Mallard, Northern Flicker, Turkey Vulture, Cooper's Hawk, Hermit Thrush, Belted Kingfisher

Butterflies: Mourning Cloak, Spring Azure, Eastern Comma