The Yellow-throated Warbler was fun to watch as he worked this tree limb for lunch. And the colors are stunning.
He was closer to the ground than any other song birds we saw this day but unfortunately the angle and lighting did not cooperate for a clear shot.
Northeastern Connecticut is dotted with small ponds, lakes and reservoirs. Now that we are fully into “brown” season we explored a few last week and were rewarded with smooth water and reflections. The evergreens in the photo above were the most colorful thing around. We didn’t see much for wildlife this December day, either.
Hampton Reservoir and the pond at Brown Hill Marsh were as smooth as a mirror, with puffy cloud reflections. (Click to enlarge photo or view as slide show.)
After seeing the Bobcat on Sunday the rest of our walk was quiet. Birds were mostly elusive, leaving me wondering if the big cat was watching.
The White-throated Sparrows and Song Sparrows did make an appearance and nature still has plenty to show as November ended.
Click to enlarge images or view slideshow.
Disorienting fog hung over the river yesterday morning; the water was like glass where you could see it. Little would you know that the water stretches about 1000 feet to the opposite bank. We could hear plenty of song birds around and a larger bird, perhaps an Eagle, winging up or down the river, but very few came into sight. The woodpeckers’ drilling was muted in the heavy air.
The sun was up and blue sky appeared and disappeared overhead.
The frost on the nude branches formed into drops as the air warmed, adding to the eerie feeling as they drop, drop, dropped.
During yesterday’s visit to Essex, CT we saw more than birds. A walk-able village that caters to tourists, Essex homeowners and shopkeepers are detail oriented with fall themed decorations everywhere you look.
The most unexpected thing I saw was a carriage of politicians being pulled by “Dime” and his colleague “Nickel.” I hope the names don’t speak to the state of the Essex government on election day.
The “Three Blind Mice” wreath fit with the literature theme of many of the Halloween decorations still in evidence. I last photographed the bird house with eight inches of snow covering the doorways. No decorations but it appears to have a fresh coat of paint–protection for the coming winter.
And the dog was waiting patiently for his owner to return, ball at the ready.
Click on any photo for larger view or slide show.
We stopped by a few of our favorite bird spots today, including Rocky Neck State Park and Essex, Connecticut. The calendar says November but the temperature felt more like early September with a beautiful clear sky. Wading birds and small woodland birds were taking advantage of the nice day.
A number of Great Egrets have yet to migrate south. The Snowy Egrets appear to have moved on.
Nuthatches could be heard at the edge of the marsh. The one I spotted on the ground didn’t result in a good picture. The size of this one’s feet explain how they are able to travel upside down on a tree.
I like birch trees. They add something to a landscape in all seasons, the white bark providing contrast in any environment. In New England it is not uncommon to see birch trees snapped in two after a heavy snow. The slender trunks bend under the weight and at some point it becomes too much. Even if they don’t break the first time they don’t always stand back up, leaving birch arches, that while pretty, are even more susceptible to damage.
In the above stand of birch at the edge of the big pond at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Hartford each tree is standing tall: a testament to resilience after last winter’s heavy and constant snow. The ones below are listing a little. They have all shed their leaves in preparation for another winter and I hope to see them still standing in the spring.
On a recent hike along the Connecticut River we discovered a tree that had fallen over the summer. Stretching out into a field of wild flowers and weeds it turned out to be a perfect spot for sunbathing and spotting a meal.
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The view of Stony Creek Harbor through the frame created by the artwork shown above changes with every step as you pass by, allowing you to focus on individual elements of a busy scene.
Unexpected in this seaside village, I continued on to what turned out to be an artsy walk.
The piece below is on the same lawn as the frame. A giant knot? Is the small orb on the ground just under the left edge part of the piece or a stray golf ball? I’m no visionary when it comes to interpreting art but I like this.
The next image is not of “art” but seemed artful to me. An abundance of horizontal and vertical lines intersecting, but not quite perpendicular. Level on one line makes crooked on another.
Nature and man combined to make this an artful view.
This one is all nature, beach roses hanging on as fall closes in.
