For the Birds: Fishing, birding: It’s all good outdoors

Posted on August 31, 2024 by Chris Bosak

Photo by Chris Bosak – A semi-palmated plover rests on a log near Long Island Sound earlier this month.

My oldest son Andrew, who somehow is now a full-blown adult at age 21, recently took up shore fishing as a hobby. I was happy when he told me because any hobby that requires spending a lot of time in the great outdoors away from screens and technology is a good thing.

I was equally happy when he asked me to come along on a recent outing. I have fished on and off throughout my life, but the hobby never really grabbed me in the same way as some other outdoor pursuits. I have great memories of trout fishing with my brother when we were teens and teaching my boys to fish when they were youngsters, but other than that, my fishing experiences are rather few and far between.

I purchased a few marine fishing licenses online, and Andrew and I headed to the Connecticut coast of Long Island Sound. I brought my camera just in case there happened to be birds there too.

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A few more gray tree frog photos

Posted on August 19, 2024 by Chris Bosak

Here are a few more photos of the gray tree frog spotted the other on a trail at work.

Here is the original story.

Photo by Chris Bosak – A gray tree frog sits in the middle of a trail in New England. Gray tree frogs can change color (from gray to green) depending on the surroundings.

For the Birds: A flurry like no other

Posted on August 3, 2024 by Chris Bosak

Photo by Chris Bosak An eastern towhee perches on a branch in New England, April 2019.

Birdwatching can be a roller coaster at times with next to nothing happening for long stretches and then, seemingly out of nowhere, short bursts of activity will lift your spirits and make it all worthwhile.

When the birdwatching is slow, particularly in the winter, birdwatchers always hold out hope for that flurry. While spring offers a more consistent level of sightings, summer can be similar to winter on that roller coaster ride.

In the winter, the flurry usually consists of a mixed flock of titmice and chickadees with perhaps other species such as nuthatches and goldfinches joining in. In the summer, the flurries may consist of robins, catbirds, blue jays, cardinals and other New England nesting birds.

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For the Birds: Choose the binoculars that best your individual needs

Posted on July 25, 2024 by Chris Bosak

Photo by Chris Bosak A Scarlet Tanager sings in a tree in Danbury, Conn., July 2016.

It’s hard to know who or what to believe anymore. One news channel will tell you one thing and the rival channel will tell you the opposite.

Sometimes, things you see with your own eyes are denied or distorted by the media or politicians. I believe that is called gaslighting, but I’m not entirely sure what that recently overused phrase actually means. Again, people seem to have different opinions on how to use the term.

It comes down to trusting your own instincts. The internet, the major source of “news” for so many people these days, is littered with opinions masquerading as facts.

I kept seeing a click-bait ad showing a banana with the text saying something along the lines of “these are the top 10 foods to avoid.” Are bananas bad for you? I asked myself. I did an internet search to find the “facts” and was amused with the results. Of the 10 stories that came up on the first page of the search, five said bananas were good for you and five said they were bad for you. (I think the argument against bananas is that they are high in sugars. The banana positive articles highlighted the vitamins and minerals in the fruit.)

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For the Birds: An owl experience to remember

Posted on July 20, 2024 by Chris Bosak

Photo by Chris Bosak A young Barred Owl rests on a branch in Danbury, Conn., spring 2016.

Owls have always been somewhat of a blind spot for me in terms of finding birds. I love owls (who doesn’t?) and spend inordinate amounts of time in their habitat, but rarely do I see these mystical birds.

It’s not that I never see them. I’ve seen the occasional barred owl and a few great-horned owls in my day, and even snowy owls a handful of times, but the sightings are few and far between.

There was a winter a few years back when everyone was seeing barred owls. I was able to see a few during that spurt. Remember the “winter of the snowy owl?” The Arctic birds were showing up everywhere along the coast and even inland. I saw three snowy owls that winter. Then there was the great gray owl that delighted birders in Newport in 2017. I saw that one too. Under “normal” circumstances, however, my owl sightings are rare.

With my actual owl sightings at a minimum, I was happy to vicariously experience a neat owl experience relayed to me by Mary Ellen of Keene. Mind you, she and her family live not far from downtown Keene.

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Happy Fourth of July from BirdsofNewEngland

Posted on July 4, 2024 by Chris Bosak

Happy Fourth of July everyone. Thanks for your support of http://www.birdsofnewengland.com

Ruby-throated Hummingbird at Errol Hotel in Errol, NH.

Photo by Chris Bosak A bald eagle looks over a lake in northern New Hampshire, July 2020.

Fritillary cooperates for photo

Posted on July 1, 2024 by Chris Bosak

This meadow fritillary was nice enough to sit still for an iPhone photo during this evening’s walk, so I figured I may as well post it.

For the Birds: Blue jays need to eat too

Posted on June 29, 2024 by Chris Bosak

Photo by Chris Bosak A blue jay perches on a branch in New England.

It’s no secret that Facebook is rife with links to a lot of really dumb articles. Many of the links are either clickbait or gateways to completely useless drivel.

I learned a long time ago to not even bother clicking on the links because they inevitably lead to disappointment. But, I came across an article on Facebook the other day that I just had to click on. The headline for the post read, “Why You Should Avoid Inviting Blue Jays into Your Yard.”

I know some people have issues with blue jays, but I had never seen an article devoted to keeping blue jays out of people’s backyards. I’ve seen plenty of articles on how to keep squirrels, bears, house sparrows and grackles away from feeders, but never blue jays.

Blue Jays are strikingly beautiful birds and native to the U.S. Why would anyone want to keep blue jays away from feeders?

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