After weeks of cool weather and rain the heat and humidity have finally arrived here in Connecticut. I have been here for three weeks now and soon my time here will come to an end. I hit the ground running upon arrival and went immediately to New York City the first weekend here. From there I traveled to New Jersey to go birding with Rick Wright. It was my first time birding in that state and with his help I raised my New Jersey Life List from three species seen along the highway as I travelled through last August to 85 species for that state, 2 of which were Life Birds for me! I have taken lots of photos and will post pictures and stories upon my return to Arizona. I returned to CT on Monday, June 10th and by Tuesday, June 11th was in Maine. After spending 3 days there I returned to CT and went birding in Rhode Island at the Norman Bird Sanctuary in Middletown, RI. Since then I have birded with friends around Connecticut and by myself around town. I am continually amazed by all the green and all the water. I particularly enjoy listening to rain and when I first arrived, sleeping with the window open and having to add extra blankets to my bed all the while knowing it was over 100 degrees in Arizona! I have since learned that it has been over 100 degrees every day in June and there is a good chance it will continue to reach that temperature or higher. If it does, it will be the first time ever that it has been over 100 every day of the month of June in Tucson. I am hoping that by the time I return the Monsoon will have started and I will get to see and hear some storms as well as feel the temperature drop!
This week in Connecticut is all about family with numerous family birthdays and a high school graduation going on. Over the weekend we were suppose to have our annual Adams Family Road Race, but it was postponed until August for various reasons, so we just had a family get together instead. Tomorrow if all goes well I will reach my goal of birding in Litchfield County, CT as well as in Vermont. Litchfield County is the ONLY Connecticut county I do not have a bird list in YET, and Vermont is the only New England state I have not counted birds in. I have been busy helping my Mom around the house and planting flowers for her in her yard. She has a virtual wildlife habitat here with her bird feeders and her fountain. Though she lives in the center of town, her yard backs up to a vacant lot filled with young saplings and bushes. I have counted up to 18 species of birds in her yard on a single day and she has numerous mammals that frequent her yard, including a family of groundhogs, families of gray squirrels and red squirrels, chipmunks and, at last count, at least 5 cats, some of which are feral. It is not uncommon for the neighbors to see me run screaming and hissing out of the house to chase the cats away from beneath the feeders! I can do a pretty mean mad cat impression!
Around town I have been counting birds at Cohen Meadows, Lion's Pond, and Savin Lake. I have also counted birds at Comstock Covered Bridge and one evening I counted birds at Day Pond. I would like to go back there as I arrived just at sunset and was hearing and seeing so many birds but they were just locking the gates for the night and kicked me out! I spent a lovely day birding with Lin Sandpiper and her husband at Hammonassett Beach State Park and I have plans to go birding with Larry from the Brownstone Birding blog this weekend. I feel my life is so rich and full and I have so much to be thankful for. While I have not added any life birds since my return to New England, I have added several species to individual state and county Life Lists.
I feel I am a person torn in two by my love for my family and New England, and my love for the desert and my husband. In the end I am thankful for both and for the birds that populate each place filling my life with songs, beauty and wonder.
As always, there is poetry happening at Kathie's Poet Tree! I have been writing some poems about Nature and New England and Life with a few more to post before I return to AZ! There is a special poem posting on Thursday in honor of my mother's birthday with a photo of a painting she did for me. I hope you will check it out if you have time. Thank you to everyone who continues to read and comment on my blog! and for the latest story from Arizona, scroll down a post or click on the link to read about The Magic of Madera.
Links:
Kathie,
ReplyDeleteI love reading about your journeys!
Being torn is not a lot of fun, but we do the best we can.
You are double blessed to have family in New England and Arizona, both places you can bird to your hearts content.
ReplyDeleteIt's wonderful to be able to live in both worlds. Enjoy the rest of your trip and I'll see you hopefully with some cooler weather.
DeleteA lovely post expressing, in the end the realization, how lucky you are to have both places to hold dear in your heart. It seems both so different, but both so lovely in their unique way.
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I so far have not travelled north east, maybe one day. I enjoy your writing and your beautiful photos of one of my favorite things - birds.
Sheila, I am glad you like the photos and stories. the northeast is a wonderful place to visit and I hope you get there one day!
DeleteHi Kathy, how lovely that you have been visiting with family and getting some birding in also,and writing poetry. Happy 4th of July!
ReplyDeleteThanks Denise! I feel very rich in family and friends!
Delete