Tuesday, September 28, 2010

How the Days Fly!

I cannot believe I have been here for almost a month now! Since my last post I have been to Arizona and back.  I brought my bins with me, but somehow did not have the heart to take them out and use them. My empty feeders hung from their hooks in the yard and I filled only one with the leftover thistle seed I had in the garage. A few hummingbirds were buzzing around.  My son and his wife did attempt to feed them.  I got a brief glimpse of a Rufous hummingbird and a Black-chinned.  The Costa's are still there in force feeding from the Cape Honeysuckle I planted to attract them.  Butterflys flitted all around and I couldn't help thinking that Doug Taron would love to be there right now.

But mostly I was busy.  Too busy to stop and think until the last day when I was there alone in the almost empty house.  Walls stipped bare of artwork. Trees stripped bare of feeders.  After three days of blazing hot weather a storm moved in and the air cooled to 70 degrees in the afternoon!  I changed into my bathing suit and soaked in my hot tub one last time.  It felt so good on my sore muscles. Then I got out, showered and dressed and drove away.  I did not look back.  I did not take even one photograph. I boarded the plane the next day and came back to New England.

 And I started counting birds once again.

I saw an Osprey as I crossed the town green in Colchester. I discovered there are Turkey Vultures hanging out on top of the steeple of the Federated Church.  I have been trying to count birds on a regular basis at the Lion's Pond on Halls Hill Road. I can tell you that there is almost always a Great Blue Heron hanging out there if you want to see one.

I have not seen anymore Life Birds since the Piping PloverI saw in Rhode Island, but today I spotted a new bird for my Connecticut List: a Cooper's Hawk that was flying over Salmon River State Park.  I wanted to go out birding today, and indeed I did, but the rain foiled my plans and soon sent me home where I had a cup of tea and a nap instead. This stormy autumn New England weather makes me moody and wild and creative.  I wrote poetry all evening.  Some of it will show up on my poetry blog, Kathie's Poet Tree.

For those of you who are birders, here is what I saw today in various places:
  1. Turkey vulture
  2. Cooper's hawk
  3. Great Blue Heron
  4. Mourning dove
  5. American Crow
  6. Blue Jay
  7. Black-capped chickadee
  8. Tufted titmouse
  9. White-breasted nuthatch
  10. Northern Cardinal
  11. House finch
  12. House sparrow

And here is an update to the stats I posted last time (changes are in bold):

Life Birds-386 species/387


Total species for the Year-250/261

So far this month 31 species/67

Connecticut Life Birds 94 species/97

Maine Life Birds 85 species/85

Massachusetts Life Birds 18 species/36

New Hampshire Life Birds 8 species/8

Rhode Island Life Birds 2 species/15

Vermont Life Birds 0 species/0

We move into our apartment next week.  I hope to have my own computer up and running by then and I hope to have the photo thing all work out as well.

Come visit me on Kathie's Poet Tree where poetry is happening!

10 comments:

  1. Hopefully you will see some more new birds Kathie. There has to be some positives to all this and they will become apparent to you in time.
    I always think things are meant to happen for a reason.

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  2. Hoping the stress settles down for you and look forward to seeing your CT list grow :)

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  3. Good to hear from you again! I'm sure you will see lots of birds in CT.

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  4. Welcome to your new home. Where birds will always be for you to count Kathy.

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  5. Looks like you're making the best of things. I'll look forward to keeping an eye on what birds you are seeing now that you're living in the area.I'll have to check out some of your poems when I get a chance. Welcome back to New England!

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  6. I have not seen all the birds on your list.

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  7. You're moving on Kathie. Slowly, but surely. Not very easy emotionally but, you are doing it! Enjoy New England birding.

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  8. Hi Kathie, looking forward to hearing about your adventures in New England. May your new home be blessed in every way.

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  9. Welcome East, Kathie Dear! I know you will miss Arizona, but also know you will make happy in New England

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  10. So glad you have made it back to your home town. May you have many wonderful adventures there starting with the spectacular fall colours.
    Nice to hear that you are inspired to write more poetry. There will be plenty of scope there while sitting by the fireside.

    Whatever you are doing Kathie dear, enjoy it to the fullest.

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Welcome to my nest! I hope you will enjoy spending time here with me and the birds. Thank you for your comments. I will try to get back to you as soon as I get back from counting more birds.