There was a cool half moon out in Connecticut early this morning (Feb. 20, 2025).
Cool half moon this morning
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A few icy non-bird photos
I posted the last two days photos of birds following a weekend ice storm. Here are a few shots without birds in them.
More icy photos
Here are a few more photos from the ice storm in New England, February 2025.
A white-throated sparrow perches on an icy branch in New England, February 2025.
Backyard birds battle the ice
A snowy mix covered much of New England this weekend. It started as snow, then changed to freezing rain, and finally just plain, old rain. The freezing rain formed a hard covering over the snow and sheathed every branch in ice. While walking or driving in these conditions is not advised, it’s always fun to look out the window and see how the birds are handling it. As the photos suggest, they are doing just fine. (Sorry for the grainy photos. Not a whole lot of light to work with.)
The other things in the woods
Birds are my primary target on my walks in the woods, but other creatures often make an appearance, and I’m just as happy to photograph them. This young white-tailed deer stood its ground near a trail as I walked past the other day.
For the Birds: Great Backyard Bird Count coming right up
I’ve seen a ton of robins this winter. On several occasions, I’ve seen them in big numbers attacking bushes and trees and stripping them of fruit.
I’ll always remember the first time I saw this spectacle. It was more than 20 years ago, and I was a relatively new birder. I walked into the woods and the trees were alive with bird life. Birds were darting from tree to tree all around me.
I was finally able to focus on a few and discovered that they were all robins. I was surprised because, at the time, I still thought of robins as spring and summer birds in New England. They are the harbinger of spring, aren’t they?
Continue readingRed-shouldered hawk visits work
I looked out my window at work and saw this bird staring at me. Thankful for nature every day.
Red-shouldered hawks are slightly smaller than red-tailed hawks, which are also common in New England.
For the Birds: Flushing a Cooper’s hawk will get the heart pumping
I was walking along a short but windy trail in southern New England the other day in search of overwintering warblers. This short path is known for harboring these tiny songbirds during the winter, as it is adjacent to a water treatment center that features open water on even the coldest days.
I came around one of the many bends and jumped back as I flushed a large bird that was on the ground next to the trail. With my heart racing from the surprise, my immediate reaction was that it was a ruffed grouse. It flushed with the familiar exuberance and noise of a grouse, so my mind immediately went there. Ruffed grouse, however, do not live in that area of New England any longer, and the habitat wasn’t right for the popular game bird.
Continue readingDIY mesh birdfeeder design
February is National Bird-Feeding Month, a time to celebrate and educate the public on feeding wild birds. Here is a quote taken directly from nationalbirdfeedingmonth.com, “We are reminded every February to take extra care of our feathered friends during this particularly harsh month – and throughout all the cold winter months – to ensure they have everything they need to thrive.
To celebrate the month, I want to share the designs for a DIY birdfeeder. It is a mesh cylindrical feeder that requires minimal tools to build and will hold a variety of foods to attract birds. Compliments of my new friend Orsi, author of the article that accompanies the design plans, here is the website with instructions.
Today’s bird walk at Sherwood Island
I took a trip to the coast this morning to check out Sherwood Island State Park in southern Connecticut. I have birded there a lot in the past, but it has been several years since I’ve been to the large park on Long Island Sound. I finished the day with 32 species with a good mix of water and land birds. A few photos from the walk are included below.
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Birds of New England.com 