Photo by Chris Bosak
A female Wood Duck swims at Wood’s Pond in Norwalk, spring 2016.
I’ve already done two posts about the Wood Ducks I saw the other day. Here’s one more of a female Wood Duck. They are beautiful in their own right, even if the male Wood Ducks grab all the attention with their fancy plumage.
Photo by Chris Bosak
A Wood Duck swims at Wood’s Pond in Norwalk, spring 2016.
The other day I posted a few photos of female Wood Ducks and their chicks. Well, here are some more — some with the chicks and some Continue reading
Here’s the latest For the Birds column, which runs weekly in The Hour (Norwalk, Conn.) and The Keene (NH) Sentinel.
Photo by Chris Bosak
A Wood Duck mother swims with one of her babies at Woods Ponds in Norwalk, Conn., spring 2016.
The Mallards were scattered along the grass and I didn’t think twice about it. I’m used to Mallards being tame and not walking away, or even flinching, when someone draws near.
With many Mallards, even with babies in tow, they show little or no fear of humans. In fact, many even welcome the approach of humans as the ducks hope to get some food.
Photo by Chris Bosak
A Wood Duck mother swims with two of her babies at Woods Ponds in Norwalk, Conn., spring 2016.
But in this particular flock of ducks, two females and their babies quickly retreated to the nearby pond. These ducks weren’t Mallards at all, but rather they were Wood Ducks. Two female Wood Ducks and their babies were “hanging out” with the Mallards in the grass near the pond before I pulled into the parking lot.
While the Mallards in the group, which consisted of most of the birds, did not even bother to wake up from their midday nap, the Wood Ducks’ instincts told them to retreat.
But the scene was still extremely surprising to me. First of all, you don’t always see Wood Ducks hanging out with Mallards. And, second of all, Continue reading
Photo by Chris Bosak
A young groundhog stands between two rocks in Danbury, Conn., 2016.
Because we can’t get enough of those young groundhogs — at least until they grow up.
Below are some shots of them during a Continue reading
Photo by Chris Bosak
A young groundhog stands on a rock in Danbury, Conn., spring 2016.
These guys or gals will grow up to eat vegetables out of your garden, dig holes on your property and wreak havoc on your yard. But for now, aren’t they cute?
(Personally, I think they are pretty neat at whatever age.)
I saw these young groundhogs (or woodchucks) near my house the other day.
Photo by Chris Bosak
A young groundhog stands on a rock in Danbury, Conn., spring 2016.
Photo by Chris Bosak
A young groundhog rests on a rock in Danbury, Conn., 2016.
Photo by Chris Bosak
An Osprey sits in a nest at Veterans Park in Norwalk, Conn., spring 2016.
You know a bird species is doing well in an area when you take a short break from work to get a nice photo of the bird and return to work a handful of minutes later with good results. The Osprey in coastal Connecticut is one such bird and area. Southern Connecticut, of course, is not the only place where “fish hawks” are thriving. They are doing well up and down the East Coast and many parts inland, too. They nest along salt, br Continue reading
Photo by Chris Bosak
An Indigo Bunting perches in a tree in Ridgefield, Conn., spring 2016.
Did I make these sightings happen? Probably not, but it was pretty strange nonetheless.
I was checking out a new birding spot, Bennett Pond State Park in Ridgefield, that a few people had told me about. They told me about the pond, which had beaver and Wood Ducks, and told me how to get there. To paraphrase, they said: “Walk to the field, into the woods and you’ll get to the pond.”
I love ponds. They are perhaps my favorite habitat to explore, especially if there are swamps nearby, too. But the word that really stuck out to me was “field.” I know where plenty of ponds are, but fields are becoming a scarce resource these days. Just ask all of the bird species that are in peril because they rely on fields.
Of course I took the wrong trail to get to the pond. I read the trail map wrong (what else is new?) and ended up taking a very wooded trail. The trail was pleasant enough and I heard some good birds — Ovenbird, Veery, Wood Thrush, Worm-eating Continue reading
Photo by Chris Bosak
A beaver swims in a pond in Ridgefield, Conn., spring 2016.
I’m always on the lookout for birds, of course, but nature of all sorts thrill me. The moose, for instance, is my favorite sighting — hands down. So I’m looking for “other things” too when I’m out there birdwatching.
Here are a couple rodents I saw during some recent birdwatching outings. The word “rodent” has such a bad connotation, but these two rodents are pretty Continue reading
Photo by Chris Bosak
A young Barred Owl clings to a branch in the woods in Danbury, Conn., spring 2016.
I looked up to try to pinpoint the source of the screeching. I didn’t have much hope in finding the source because I had heard birdsong during the entire walk up to that point and hadn’t been able find a single bird with the woods and leaves so thick.
But the source, as it turned out, was very easy to find. It was a Barred Owl family high in a tree. Two youngsters and an adult in one tree and another adult in an adjacent tree. Even through the thick leaves, the size of the owls gave away their whereabouts.
Knowing that owls are easily disturbed I didn’t venture off the trail. I didn’t have to as they were perched in a tree right near the trail. I snapped a few photos in the tricky lighting and moved along. I was happy to have seen the owls. I typically have poor luck finding owls, but the screeching led me right to them. The source was one of the youngsters calling for a parent. Later in the walk I heard in the distance the more familiar “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you aaaallll?” song of the adult.
Barred Owls can be active during day and night. They are not strictly nocturnal like many owls.
It was a nice surprise and certainly the highlight of the pleasant walk.
Photo by Chris Bosak
A young Barred Owl rests on a branch in Danbury, Conn., spring 2016.
Photo by Chris Bosak
A Barred Owl looks down from a dead tree in Danbury, Conn., spring 2016.
Photo by Chris Bosak
A Red-bellied Woodpecker takes a peanut from a homemade birdfeeder in Danbury, Conn., spring 2016.
I wrote a few weeks ago about Blue Jays and how they love whole peanuts. They literally wait on nearby branches waiting for me to put some down on the platform feeder.
Now the Blue Jays have competition. A male Red-bellied Woodpecker discovered the peanut station and visits daily to take as many peanuts as I’ll put out there.
Here’s a few more photos of the Red-bellied Woodpecker.
Photo by Chris Bosak
A Red-bellied Woodpecker perches near a homemade birdfeeder in Danbury, Conn., spring 2016.
Photo by Chris Bosak
A Red-bellied Woodpecker takes a peanut from a homemade birdfeeder in Danbury, Conn., spring 2016.
Click here to see the post on Blue Jays.
And click here for the follow up post with more photos
Birds of New England.com 