Last fall, I watched and attempted in vain to photograph several little birds fitting among low-lying bushes at a particular spot in the woods.

Eventually, I was able to get a good look at one and identify them as golden-crowned kinglets. Fitful for kinglets, they moved constantly. They sat still for only a second or two as they moved from one branch to the next. Most of the time, they remained concealed by leaves.

The other day, I walked by that same exact patch in the woods and noticed two small birds flitting among the bushes. My instinct was to move on without getting a better look, as I assumed they were golden-crowned kinglets that wouldn’t let me photograph them anyway.

Here’s a handsome, cooperative gray catbird I came across on my walk this morning.

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

Here is the original story.

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.

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.)

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

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.