For the Birds: Tree frog make rare appearance

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

I nearly stepped on the subject of this column. One more step without looking at the ground, and the critter would have been underfoot. Thankfully, I looked down just in time.

I was taking my daily short walk at work and rounding the final bend when I looked down to see a gray tree frog. It was directly in the middle of the trail, and since tree frogs can change color to match the environment, it was difficult to spot.

To make matters worse, it just sat there instead of hopping away frantically like most frogs encountered in the wild. You’d never see a leopard frog or wood frog just sitting there on the trail. They start scampering away like their feet are on fire long before they are nearly underfoot. But this tree frog just sat there.

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For the Birds: Myths that seem funny now

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Photo by Chris Bosak – Dragonflies are harmless to humans.

In reaction to my column on blue jays from a few weeks ago, John from the Monadnock Region wrote to say that he too grew up hearing that blue jays were “bad birds.” Blue jays warn other birds in the forest of a hunter’s presence (hence essentially ending the chances of a successful hunt) and rob the nests of other birds.

Those are indeed facts about blue jays, but he has since come to appreciate blue jays for their intelligence, vocalization range and beauty. Taking photos of blue jays in flight is a favorite hobby of his. (One of his shots may be found at birdsofnewengland.com on the “reader submitted photos” page.)

The email from John got me thinking about how stories we hear as children can stick with us for a long time, even into adulthood. Whether or not blue jays are “bad birds” is still a matter of opinion, but there are some things we heard way back when that are clearly not true.

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For the Birds: A flurry like no other

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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

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

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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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For the Birds: House sitting is not such a bad gig after all

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Photo by Chris Bosak An Eastern Bluebird rests on a birdhouse at Mather Meadows in Darien, Conn., April 2015.
Photo by Chris Bosak – Bluebirds were a common sighting during a house- and dog-sitting experience in New England.

I agreed to house- and dog-sit for a friend recently. I had never been to the house before so when I parked in the driveway, I did what I always do upon visiting a house for the first time: evaluate the birding potential of the yard.

When I visit a home in a city or busy part of a suburb, I don’t expect much but remain optimistic. Sometimes I’m disappointed and sometimes I’m pleasantly surprised. If the house is in a rural area, I assume the best and expect to spend many enjoyable hours on the porch or deck listening to and watching birds.

This particular house was in “the country” and lived up to all expectations.

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For the Birds: Warbling vireo lives up to its name

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Photo by Chris Bosak
A warbling vireo does what it does best: sing from a branch of a deciduous tree.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently added a story on their website about the red-eyed vireo and mentioned, jokingly, that it is sometimes referred to as “the bird that doesn’t shut up.” The short post says the bird can sing more than 20,000 times per day and that their “incessant singing” makes up for their rather drab plumage.

I can’t dispute what the article says, as red-eyed vireos do indeed sing a lot, and I’ve heard them frequently throughout this spring and early summer. But this year, I’ve been more taken by the red-eyed vireo’s cousin, the warbling vireo.

Seemingly every walk I’ve taken this year from late April on has included a sighting of a warbling vireo. Well, maybe not always a sighting, but at least a hearing. It is usually the first bird I hear as I approach the woods. “Yup, another warbling vireo” has been a frequent refrain on my walks this year.

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Happy Fourth of July from BirdsofNewEngland

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

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

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Photo 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

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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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