Break Over, Time for 2015

So I haven't posted in a while and I have an excuse.  My wife had a baby!  So birding time has gone way down!  I've managed to do two CBCs here in Georgia and add a couple of birds to my life list and I've thought decided to tone down my goals and focus on a few specific goals.  Here are a couple of the pictures from my end of the year.  

American Kestrel

Canada Goose and 2 Ross's Geese

Brown Thrasher, My new State's Bird!

Juvenile Rufous Himmingbird

So that's the end of the 2014.  I got some great times and some great events.  I am not going to set any real ambitious goals or specific goal birds.  At least not publicly.  I am still getting to know my new state and would like to get my Georgia list.  Currently, my Georgia list is at 180 species and I'd like to at least 230, maybe 240 if I get lucky.  With my little one by my side, I am hoping to get some new birds on my Georgia list and pass on her love of birding.  Here's how 2014 ended for me:

Acadian Flycatcher

Alder Flycatcher - Lifer

American Avocet

American Bittern - Lifer

American Black Duck

American Coot

American Crow

American Goldfinch

American Kestrel

American Oystercatcher

American Pipit

American Redstart

American Robin

American Tree Sparrow

American Wigeon

American Woodcock

Baird's Sandpiper

Bald Eagle

Baltimore Oriole

Bank Swallow

Barn Swallow

Barnacle Goose

Barred Owl

Barrow's Goldeneye

Bay-breasted Warbler

Belted Kingfisher

Bewick's Wren

Black Skimmer

Black Tern - Lifer

Black Vulture

Black-and-white Warbler

Black-bellied Plover

Black-billed Cuckoo - Lifer

Black-capped Chickadee

Black-chinned Hummingbird

Black-crested Titmouse - Lifer

Black-crowned Night-Heron

Black-headed Gull

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Black-throated Green Warbler

Blackburnian Warbler

Blackpoll Warbler

Blue Grosbeak

Blue Jay

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Blue-headed Vireo

Blue-winged Teal

Blue-winged Warbler

Boat-tailed Grackle

Bobolink

Bonaparte's Gull

Brant

Broad-winged Hawk - Lifer

Brown Creeper

Brown Thrasher

Brown-headed Cowbird

Brown-headed Nuthatch

Bufflehead

Cackling Goose

Canada Goose

Canada Warbler

Canvasback

Cape May Warbler - Lifer

Carolina Chickadee

Carolina Wren

Cedar Waxwing

Cerulean Warbler

Chestnut-sided Warbler

Chimney Swift

Chipping Sparrow

Clapper Rail

Cliff Swallow

Common Eider

Common Goldeneye

Common Grackle

Common Loon

Common Merganser

Common Nighthawk

Common Raven

Common Tern

Common Yellowthroat

Cooper's Hawk

Crested Caracara - Lifer

Dark-eyed Junco

Double-crested Cormorant

Downy Woodpecker

Dunlin

Eared Grebe

Eastern Bluebird

Eastern Kingbird

Eastern Meadowlark

Eastern Phoebe

Eastern Screech-Owl

Eastern Towhee

Eastern Wood-Pewee

Eurasian Collared-Dove - Lifer

Eurasian Wigeon

European Starling

Field Sparrow

Fish Crow

Fox Sparrow

Gadwall

Glaucous Gull - Lifer

Glossy Ibis

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Grasshopper Sparrow

Gray Catbird

Gray-cheeked Thrush - Lifer

Great Black-backed Gull

Great Blue Heron

Great Cormorant

Great Crested Flycatcher

Great Egret

Great Horned Owl

Great-tailed Grackle

Greater Scaup

Greater White-fronted Goose

Greater Yellowlegs

Green Heron

Green-winged Teal

Hairy Woodpecker

Harlequin Duck

Hermit Thrush

Herring Gull

Hooded Merganser

Hooded Warbler

Horned Grebe

Horned Lark

House Finch

House Sparrow

House Wren

Iceland Gull

Indigo Bunting

Killdeer

King Eider

Lapland Longspur

Laughing Gull

Least Bittern - Lifer

Least Flycatcher

Least Sandpiper

Least Tern

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Lesser Goldfinch

Lesser Scaup

Lesser Yellowlegs

Lincoln's Sparrow

Little Blue Heron

Little Gull - Lifer

Loggerhead Shrike

Long-eared Owl - Lifer

Long-tailed Duck

Louisiana Waterthrush

Magnolia Warbler

Mallard

Marsh Wren

Merlin

Monk Parakeet

Mourning Dove

Mute Swan

Nashville Warbler

Neotropic Cormorant

Northern Cardinal

Northern Flicker

Northern Gannet

Northern Goshawk - Lifer

Northern Harrier

Northern Mockingbird

Northern Parula

Northern Pintail

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Northern Shoveler

Northern Shrike

Northern Waterthrush

Olive-sided Flycatcher

Orange-crowned Warbler

Orchard Oriole

Osprey

Ovenbird

Palm Warbler

Pectoral Sandpiper

Peregrine Falcon

Philadelphia Vireo - Lifer

Pied-billed Grebe

Pileated Woodpecker

Pine Siskin

Pine Warbler

Piping Plover

Prairie Warbler

Purple Finch

Purple Martin

Purple Sandpiper

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Red-breasted Merganser

Red-eyed Vireo

Red-headed Woodpecker

Red-necked Grebe

Red-shouldered Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

Red-throated Loon

Red-winged Blackbird

Redhead

Ring-billed Gull

Ring-necked Duck

Rock Pigeon

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Ross's Goose - Lifer

Rough-legged Hawk - Lifer

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Ruddy Duck

Ruddy Turnstone

Ruffed Grouse - Lifer

Rufous Hummingbird

Rusty Blackbird

Saltmarsh Sparrow

Sanderling

Savannah Sparrow

Scarlet Tanager

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

Seaside Sparrow

Semipalmated Plover

Semipalmated Sandpiper

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Short-billed Dowitcher

Snow Bunting

Snow Goose

Snowy Egret

Snowy Owl

Solitary Sandpiper

Song Sparrow

Sora - Lifer

Spotted Sandpiper

Spotted Towhee

Stilt Sandpiper

Summer Tanager

Surf Scoter

Swainson's Thrush

Swainson's Warbler - Lifer

Swamp Sparrow

Tennessee Warbler - Lifer

Tree Swallow

Trumpeter Swan

Tufted Titmouse

Tundra Swan

Turkey Vulture

Upland Sandpiper - Lifer

Veery

Vesper Sparrow

Virginia Rail - Lifer

Warbling Vireo

White-breasted Nuthatch

White-crowned Sparrow

White-eyed Vireo

White-faced Ibis - Lifer

White-rumped Sandpiper - Lifer

White-throated Sparrow

White-winged Dove

White-winged Scoter

Wild Turkey

Willet

Willow Flycatcher

Wilson's Snipe

Wilson's Warbler

Winter Wren

Wood Duck

Wood Thrush

Worm-eating Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Yellow-billed Cuckoo - Lifer

Yellow-breasted Chat - Lifer

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Yellow-throated Vireo

Yellow-throated Warbler

I hope you all have a lovely start to 2015.  Now that its the new year, I will make posting on my blog a more regular occurrence as I had been for most of 2014!  Enjoy and go outside!

A visit to the Wetlands

Bird Quiz #4: What Bird is this?????

The answer to last week: Osprey!  Congrats to all who got it right!

In my new home, I visited the Newmans Wetland Center and the E.L. Huie Ponds in Clayton County (Link here).  I've been to this site before, but never in the fall.  Fall does not hit the Southeast like it does in the Northeast.  There are one or two trees that are changing here, but not many.  Back in the cold northeast, many trees are changing and fall is marked by nice long drives through the mountains, and fall-ish things like Apple and Pumpkin picking and, of course, fall migration.

The Southeast has its own wonders and it is nice to be a new place and experience a new season.  So far Fall here has a lot of rain and clouds mixed with some real sunny days.  But it is fall migration and a trip to the wetlands would hopefully yield some migrants.  While the trip yield some great shots of birds (see below), there weren't many migrants to speak of.  Hummers were still around and many titmice as well.  A few waterfowl were about as well to round off the trip. A great and interesting site and worth the visit any time!

Until the next time, get out and go birding!

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

Young Great Blue Heron

Palm Warbler

Wild Bird Wednesday - Link here

Lakes in Georgia

I've been told that there are no native lakes in Georgia.  Almost all the one's you'll encounter are man-made in one way or another.  But as long as they have water, shoreline, and food, birds don't really care if your lake is man-made, accidentally made, or "organic."  Birds are opportunists like we are all are aren't going to pass up a food source just because it wasn't there before... although it may take them a while to find it.

I visited a local lake, Lake Hartwell.  It is managed by the Army Core of Engineers and has a lot of trails, picnic grounds, and water ramps.  Great places to find birds.  My visit there proved that very point.  We were greeted by a great number of birds, Canada Geese, Great Blue Herons, Blue Jays, Mockingbirds, Sanderlings, and other great birds!  I've included a link to the Lake and its grounds, as well as the local rules that must be followed!

Next Time, we'll visit the State Botanical Gardens, until then, Get out and Go Birding!

Links to Lake Hartwell - Link here

A Sanderling on a red shore

Gulf Fritillary

Bird Quiz #4: Post your Guesses in the comments!

Wild Bird Wednesday - Link Here

Eastern Kingbirds are quite Democratic

Eastern Kingbirds or tyrannus tyrannus are fairly common flycatchers of East of the Rockies.  Kingbirds have an awesome black and white contrast going on.  Their key look is their white chest and the white tip to their tail.  They seem to enjoy wet habitats.  Its probably good for cultivating their main food source, flies.  They are pretty adaptable birds as you find them across different habitats and they have such a huge range.  Kingbirds, like most flycatchers, have their song programmed and don't learn them like warbler do.

Just a few facts about your friendly neighborhood Kingbird...

Eastern Kingbird on a branch near the nest

Eastern Kingbird watching a Pond

All About Birds - Eastern Kingbird - Link here

Wild Bird Wednesday - Link here

Look! Many Seagulls!

More gulls you say?  These aren't just any gulls.  They are Bonaparte's gulls.  Bonnie's are one of the smallest gulls around and are often described as the most tern like gull in most guides.  This certainly makes them interesting bird to observe in the wild.  They appear off in Long Island Sound to eat the eggs and larvae of various invertebrates.  Bonnies, as they are lovingly called, come and feed off of these blooms and larvae.  While small, they are durable and can bring with them great European Rarities like Little Gulls and Black-Headed Gulls.  While I got the BHGU (no pictures sadly) I have yet to see a Little Gull.

Gulls are great animals to see and witness in the wild.  Bonnies and other gulls are great reminders that there are endless adaptations to simple forms.  Can't wait to go and see more gulls and other birds as migration comes closer and closer.  Bonnies are great gulls to see and enjoy.  Hopefully you'll find some soon.  Until next time, Go outside and bird!

Couple of Bonnies

Herring Gull with Great Views of the top wings

Yep, More Gulls!

Sorry for the short hiatus.  I was away birding in Texas.  Photos up Later!

Feeding Frenzy of Gulls

During the past couple of outings, I have noticed an odd number of gulls congregating off shore.  As Spring nears, invertebrates are getting ready to release their eggs and with that comes birds and migration.  To migrate, a bird needs flight (duh), a place to go (nesting spot), and food along the way.  The food often presents the most troubling step for birds.  While I can go on and on, I want to talk about the struggle of food.

On a visit to Hammonasset, I witness a real dogfight between some gulls.  They were fighting over food that people had left behind.  This will of course cause problems when the other breeding shore birds start to show up.  But these gulls were really going at it over this food.  There was dynamic flying, calling, and a real sense that this food was absolutely vital to their survival.  As the fight went on, I was impressed with the determination of the gulls and how they had adapted.  All the birds made opportunity cost calculations.  The one with the food was attempting to fly away with as little effort as possible.  As the dog fight continued, fewer and few gulls remained.  They figured that their probability of getting food was low enough that staying wasn't worth their time.  Eventually, the gull who found the food was able to hold off the other gulls...

A Dark Juvenile Herring Gull

The Distant raft of gulls

Herring Gulls fighting, yelling, and flying over food

It was a real dogfight!

Not Quite Migration

Everyday Spring migration draws nearer and nearer.  Or so they tell me.  While the last storm missed Connecticut, we got a good burst of cold wind and weather nonetheless.  Of course, that doesn't keep the New England Birder at bay.  Well, actually, it takes the New England Birder right to the Bay.  I visited several parks that were near open water this past weekend with great success.  I found an Eared Grebe that had been a winter resident near Greenwich Point Park.  While I had seen the EAGB in Texas, it was nice to add this rare bird to my Connecticut List.

The 2 most exciting birds that I got this last outing were the Long Eared Owl and a Glaucous Gull!  Both were great finds in the state of Connecticut.  It was hard to snap photos of the better birds due to distance and folliage, but all 3 were great birds to find for different reasons.  The Owl was just a great find.  Its silence and almost magical flight around me made me truly feel special to share space with that bird.  The Glaucous Gull was a bit more of a workhouse find.  Visiting Southbury where hundreds of Gulls have been visiting and to find the Glaucous, I had to sort through the Gulls.  Sitting out, against the wind, I had to sort through hundreds of Gulls and when I found the Glaucous, I felt like all those hours of reading and work finally paid off!  

I can't wait til the next weekend comes.  Until the next time, get outside and go birding!

A House Finch

Red-Bellied Woodpecker

Juvenile Eastern Bluebird

Downy Woodpecker

Long-Eared Owl

2014 Year Birds: 127
CT Year Birds: 120
Notable Additions:
Long-Eared Owl *Life and Goal Bird*
Eared Grebe
Glaucous Gull *Life Bird*

The Empire Shrikes Back

To many birding puns?  NEVER

During this past trip to Minnesota, we dipped out on seeing a Golden Eagle and a Townsend's Solitaire.  Either would have been a life bird for me.  But we got great looks at a Northern Shrike...

Shrikes are interesting birds as they are fierce predatory song birds.  Northern Shrikes have stark colors that make them great inhabitants of northern territories.  Like most birds, they are great listeners and Northern Shrikes have the capacity to mimic or ape the calls of other song birds to bring them out it the open.  They can grab and catch small mammals and hawk insects in the air.  Versatile hunters make for successful hunters.

The Back of the Northern Shrike

A Profile of the NOSH

The Northern Shrike in Flight with Prey

Seeing the Shrike hunt, kill, and carry off its prey was just awesome.  The sailed across and through brambles of the roadside and just pounced on its prey.  You can't help but be impressed by the small shrike's ability to hunt.  Until the next time, go birding!

Roughing the Birder!

Flag on the play.  Roughing the birder.  Loss of 5 yards.  Repeat 3rd down!

Not quite the call you'd hear on field today for the Super Bowl.  But cold weather can be rough on birders.  So when Connecticut's Weather was going to hit mid to high 40's I made sure to get out and about!   I dipped on the Mew Gull that had been seen in Southbury, so I won't bore you with that story.  Long story short, I am now more than familiar with Ring-Billed Gulls than I was before.  

Yesterday morning, I got to add a couple birds to my state, year and even life list.  The Rough-Legged Hawk, a smallish buteo of marshs, was something that had eluded me during the winter.  I finally got to add this magnificent buteo to my life, state, and year list.  We found the RLHA in the area of the park called the sparrow lanes.  This also allowed us to spend some time look at and practice identifying sparrows.  At first we were just seeing American Tree and Song Sparrows.  Then we got two lucky birds.  An Eastern Meadowlark flew in and then we found a Chipping Sparrow!  Great Day of birding, even without a Mew Gull...

Rough-Legged Hawk over looking Silver Sands SP

A Close up shot

Can you find the Grey Ghost?

Rabbit Tracks in the Snow

2014 Year List: 115 (135 to go)

CT Year List: 110 (115 to go)

Notable Additions:

Eastern Meadowlark

Cackling Goose

Rough-Legged Hawk (A Lifer)

Life List: 329! (71 to go!)

Book Review: What the Robin Knows and How to be a Better Birder

(C) Young & and Houghton Co., Lovitch & Princeton UP

In the past few weeks, I finished two great works on birding, birds, and connecting with nature.  One involves a push to listen more closely to nature and the other provides the tools for a better scientific understanding of forces that move birds around and affect their interactions with nature. They are an excellent pair of books to use to help reflect and improve how we act and understand birds in the field.

What the Robin Knows advocates for a basic principle of listening and trying to understand the different messages that nature is telling us.  Young proposes many different skills and exercises for improving how we listen to nature and respond to the birds around us.  Finding a listening spot and learning how to listen for the alarms, signals, and communications from birds.

Young provides some great rewards for what knowing and listening to "Bird Language" can bring.  Great insights into nature and amazing lessons that birds can teach us.  Knowing and figuring out how to listening to birds beyond iding a species can yield great rewards.  Earlier this year, knowing bird language helped me and a birding friend find a Great Horned Owl.  Hearing lower-than-usual Junco chips told me something was up and doing a little looking through the canopy revealed an owl!

I can't wait to put more into Young's lesson into practice and improve my observations and listening skills!

Jon Young's Bird Language Website - Link Here

How to Be a Better Birder provides the best scientific background to couple with Young's book.  Lovitch does a great good of outline skills from plant identification, weather observation, and knowing the scientific migration of birds.  From basic skills, good practices, and improving your reading list, Better Birder honestly provides the tools to be a better birder.  It is a delightful example of truth in advertising!

Better Birder for me really outlined some key skills that I felt that I had been missing.  Namely the weather.  On my own and through a few readings, I had started to pick up on the rules of judging and using weather to find and track birds!  I can't wait to start looking at the upcoming winds and storms.

Both books are great reads to helping birders understand being in the field and how to better find and listen to birds.  I can't wait to get out and look at birds with deeper appreciation of all the forces and aspects that make birding so exciting.  

Waterfowl, Waterfowl, and more Waterfowl

With cold weather birding comes the invasion and challenge of identifying waterfowl. At first glance, waterfowl seem to be an easier subject than the flighty warblers of spring.  After all, there's no such thing as "Waterfowl Neck".  I've written before about the wonders of waterfowl so I won't go into them here.  Well, I will because I can't help myself.

The waterfowl that breed in the tundra make their way down to the rest of the US during the winter.  While some birds have their favorite spots and refuges, storms and strong winds mean that the possibility of a rarity exists in a variety of spots.  This winter has yielded a variety of types of waterfowl.  I got a Tundra Swan (a lifer) that was hanging out with some Mute Swans and a Trumpeter a few days later.  Which means that I've gotten 3 kinds of swans in as many days.  The only thing left would be a Whooper Swan but that's a real rarity.  As only 2 records of Whoopers in New England according to ebird, I am not going to press my luck.

Still seeing the variety of waterfowl makes me happy.  While they don't bring warmer weather with them, they do provide a great amount of color for the season and excellent practice!  So go out there and enjoy some waterfowl!  Watch the DUCKumentary if you haven't yet!  In the end, get outside and go birding!

4 Canvasbacks in the Quinnipiac River

Some Canada Geese Flying Overhead

Couple of Ring-Necked Ducks and Domesticated Greylag Geese

2014 Year List: 105
Notable Year Birds:
Tundra Swan *Life Bird*
Horned Lark
Iceland Gull
Surf Scoter

Polar Vortex: Cold Weather Birding

January 2014 is off to a strong start.  So far 90 species with in the state of Connecticut and not much birding done outside the state.  I didn't set any specific goals for this first month, but I was hoping to get at least 100 birds which I had never done before.  According to ebird, my Januarys have shaped out to something like this:

2013: 63 Birds (notable: Northern Saw-Whet Owl, Lapland Longspur, Common Redpoll)
2012: 37 Birds (notable: Redhead, Common Eider, Ruddy Turnstone)
2011: Not really a birder....

So I wanted 2014 to be different.  To be something more serious.  Something that would connect me better to the birding world and the environment of Connecticut.  This doesn't mean that I feel any more the expert.  I feel under even more pressure to see more, notice more, and practice more.  And whatever I miss or can't see, makes me wish I was outside more and birding more.  Partly pride pushes me on.  But for the most part the love of being outside brings me the greatest joy.  I have to keep that front and center.  If I don't, then the joy and benefits of being outside is diminished.  I've had some great experiences out in the field and I have to keep that in mind and at the heart of my outings.

In the meantime, I am going to try to think about feathers.  With this latest polar vortex, I am amazed at the adaptations and survival skills of birds.  Feathers are a truly amazing adaptation.  I am going to try to take some great pictures that really embrace the adaptations birds make to survive the weather.  Until next time...

2014 Year Birds: 91
Notable Additions:
Lesser Black Backed Gull
Monk Parakeet
Bald Eagle
Barred Owl

2013 Year in Review

So 2013 is coming to a close.  And I need some reflection and goal setting to make sure that 2014 is a successful year.  2013 was a pretty good year for birding for me.  Neil Hayward has a bit of a better one (LINK HERE and ANOTHER LINK) but I didn't do to shabby.  Here's a run down of 2013 by the numbers.

Birds Seen This Year: 277
In Connecticut: 209
New Birds: 74
States Visited: 12 (ME, NH, CT, MA, NY, NJ, PA, DE, VA, GA, FL, TX)
Best Birds of the Year: Barnacle Goose, Fork Tailed Flycatcher, Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher, and Northern Lapwing, American Golden-Plover

Goals.  I meet almost all of my goals.  The only goal bird that I missed was the Parasitic Jaeger so that will go back on the docket.  Otherwise, I am feeling pretty good about my goals.  Without any set birding trips, I was a bit conservative about my goals and goal birds.  I'd love to hear any feed back and any tips on places to go to and see some great birds.

Life List Goal: Reach 400 (71 to go!)
Year Goal: Reach 250
CT Year List: 225
Goal Birds:
Parasitic Jaeger
Yellow-Breasted Chat
Golden Eagle
White-Rumped Sandpiper
Long-Eared Owl
*Get Beaver Ponds Park in New Haven up to 150 Birds*

In the meantime, as you reflect on 2013, enjoy some great shots of birds!

Black Skimmers in Milford

Rose-Breasted Grosbeak in Maine

Piping Plover in Milford

Black-Bellied Whistling Duck in Texas

Flickers Courting Each Other in Madison

Please feel to comment on my goals and tell me yours.  What do you want birding to look 

Merry Birds of Prey

Happy Holidays everyone.  As 2013 wraps up, I've got a couple things on my mind like a few more books to read and why my goals of 2014 will be.  How do I want to grow as a birder?  I guess I have a few things to reflect on before I can answer that.  I'll save that heavy lifting for another blog.

Some of the birds I admired before becoming a birder are birds of prey.  Admiration for birds of prey are far and wide spread.  Cruises to watch Bald Eagles are often filled and they are almost universally seen across the world as symbols of strength.  The Golden Eagle is the animal that most often appears on shields, family crests, and flags.  It is a symbol of tremendous strength and beauty.  Owls are also seen across the work as 

On one of my last walks in Connecticut, the group I was with was lucky enough to see 2 amazing birds of prey.  A Merlin and 2 Great Horned Owls.  They are 2 amazing birds.  Merlins are small and powerful falcons that prey on other birds.  They were known before as pigeon hawks.  Its easy to see how these powerful birds can prey on other birds and mammals.  The Merlin we encountered presented themselves well to the whole group and everyone was able to get great shots of them.  Merlins are built tough and look the part.

The Great Horned Owl seems to be different as they seem more slender and less stocky than the Merlin.  But the Great Horned Owl is also an incredible bird of prey.  Pound for pound it is one of the fiercest birds of prey in North America.  They can take down a Canada Goose that is almost three times heavier than the average owl.  Seeing them in the wild is an impressive sight.

Recently I visited the American Museum of Natural History and they had 2 cases full of Birds of Prey.  Amazing sights to see and enjoy.  A great exercise to really get a feel for the difference between the different Birds of Prey of North America.  Until next time, go birding!

Most definitely a Merlin

A Merlin for Sure

Can You see the Owl?

Between a Rock and Hard Place

This blog isn't about birds.  Well, not entirely.  Recently the Peabody Museum (Link here) ran a geology hike though New Haven's East Rock Park (Link here) lead by Copeland McClintock, one of their Geologists.  The idea of understanding more of the geology and natural history appeals to me.  While I didn't expect to become an expert after just one walk, I thought that any information would benefit my understanding of the natural world.

Thoughts of a simple passive walk were quickly disspelled by the fact that when I first arrived, articles, clipboards, maps, and colored pencils were shoved into hands.  We were also put to work learning the three different kinds of rocks (sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic) and then we were quizzed with samples.  McClintock then took us on a whirlwind history tour of the planet and then East Rock.  We were introduced into the Cooling Columns of Basalt and the New Haven Formation of Arkose.  The Triassic New Haven Arkose and the Jurassic Basalt helped us understand how rocks interact and showcase our planet's history.

We also learned to look at and use the tools of a geologist.  Learning how to look at rocks, measure angles of rock intrusions, and how to identify the evidence of glacial activity.  While I am not going to even pretend to think that I could do this on my own, I did enjoy learning how to see the world how a geologist see it.  As a birder, I most often use that lens to see the natural world.  Geologists look at East Rock and see the movement of rock, intrusions of igneous rock, and the evidence of glacial activity.  I enjoyed the Peabody's walk and can't wait to get out and see more of the natural world!

Told you there would be some birds on this one

Cooling Columns of Basalt at East Rock Park

A Geology Station in College Woods

A Sample of the New Haven Formation, mainly Arkose

More Arkose!

Above, a demonstration of a Sill Intrusion

This is an example of a Dyke Intrusion

These are pebbles that have been sheared into the Basalt by a Glacier

Lunar Scars of left by a Glacier and a Pebble