Great weekend

Friday had sunshine and warmer temperatures. The trees are finally convinced Spring will happen. Buds are becoming fatter and bursting out of their bud sheaths. Trout Lily photo was taken a year ago; I have seen the leaves growing in the forest this week and am hopeful for flowers soon.
Sue and I drove north to Plum Island for birding and eventually to NH for a family visit. We found spring migrants at Plum Island to delight a winter-weary birder. Marshes held Greater Yellowlegs, Green winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, and an Ibis. Glossy Ibis was the easy choice, and birders gathered to view the Ibis all seemed to agree. We continued down the road stopping to hike at Pine Trail and Hellcat Trail. Warblers Pine, Palm and Yellow-rumped flitted in the trees. Dark-eyed (Slate-colored) Juncos, a Red-breasted Nuthatch, Golden-crowned Kinglets hopped from branch to branch looking for tasty morsels. A Hermit Thrust sat quietly in a thicket, a Catbird called out from its patch of underbrush, and a White-eyed Vireo was foraging in a Maple tree. !!!!! This is far to the north of the usual range for a White-eyed Vireo. Also exciting was, this is a new life bird for Sue.
I can't forget the Sparrows: Field, Song, White-throated, and Swamp. 3 Swamp Sparrows were in beautiful fresh plumage. The other species were singing.
It rained most of Saturday. We read postings on Internet to answer our question, had other birders seen the White-eyed Vireo ? Even more astonishing, we discovered, was information on the Ibis. Photos taken with those very long lenses we had seen in action, clearly showed a pink-red patch of skin on its face. A White-faced Ibis !! A stop at Plum Island on our way south again was definitely needed.
Sunday afternoon we re-visited the Ibis, and added a few species to the weekend list. Dunlin at Joppa Flats are growing in their black belly feathers, an Eastern Towhee and a Ruby-crowned Kinglet came out of the dense brush for a short view. We found Gannets, and Red-throated Loons on the ocean.
Total count for the weekend: 72

Heavy rain yesterday evening and last night. The river is overflowing into the forest, again. Not really a flood, the skunk cabbage is underwater by a few feet. Sun is trying to come out and chase the clouds away. Exciting birds today: Sue found a Louisiana Waterthrush, I saw 2 Palm Warblers.

I photographed the Maple flowers. They don't last long.

photo credit Sue Hochgraf.

More photos

Catkins on Alder bushes.

Turtles are happy its Spring.

Starting out

Hello world, friends, relatives,


Skunk Cabbage growing

      Only a few weeks until I start driving west to Wyoming for my job at Grand Tetons Park.  Spring has been coming to northeast Connecticut slowly.  Its mid-April and the trees are just starting to show signs of new buds waking up.  Skunk cabbage is more advanced, and turtles are sunning themselves on logs.