Elite Birder's Club Was April Fool's Joke

We've been having all kinds of ducks showing up at our local fairgrounds including the less common Blue-winged Teal (above) ,  a rare visit from a Common (Eurasian) Teal which looks like a Green-winged Teal but without the white stripe on the side. 

 It was the frustration of not being able to get good photos of these ducks that made me think about how nice it would be to have access to some effective photography/bird blinds. I thought about doing a post about the types of blinds I'd like to see built but then decided to turn it into an April Fool's joke post.

I decided that it would be more interesting if my imaginary blinds were constructed by an elitist birding club. I knew that the idea of elitist birders would ruffle a few feathers. 

 Once I uploaded the post I realized the joke was on me because people believed it but didn't get the punchline. No one was clicking on the link that gave it away. I should have known better and made it more obvious that I was kidding at the end. 

 If there were such a birding club I don't think that I would fit in well because:

1. My little 1995 pickup truck has 230,000 miles on it and has riveted sheet metal covering the rust holes on the side. I'd probably need something a little more stylish to fit in with the elite birders.
2. I've thought about taking one day courses about shorebirds or sparrows for the last 5 years but never got around to it. It's hard for me to imagine taking a 6 week course about birding.
3. I don't have elite equipment and don't have elite birding skills.
4. I  wouldn't pay $400 to join a club with a name like- The Elite Birder's Club of America. I'm more an average Joe who just isn't into champagne and caviar.

I do appreciate those who played along with this April Fool's post and apologize to those who didn't catch on.

The EBCA Offers Use Of Best Bird Blinds In USA

Getting a close up view of birds can make a big difference when your birding. It makes for more exciting observation and makes it a lot easier to photograph them.

 Using a bird blind is one way of increasing your odds of getting a better view.  I have been disappointed with the permanent blinds that I've come across at various locations in Connecticut. Some are set up facing in the wrong direction so that the sun is shining in your eyes instead of on the birds. Others have obstructed views and most of the time I don't see birds anywhere near them anyway. Maybe there's some good blinds out there but I haven't found one yet.

 Recently I was taking a walk in a secluded wooded area when I came across a group of people who were constructing what looked like a 50 foot tall artificial tree. I asked them what they were doing and they told me they were making a specialized type of blind that allows birders to climb up to the top to give them a view of certain birds at eye level!The height of the tree is adjustable and can be moved to a location near any of the trees in the surrounding area. It is completely concealed by realistic looking branches and foliage. They were building it in an area that is known to have Cerulean Warblers during spring migration. This is a species that is difficult to find in Connecticut and also tough to get a good view of when you're on the ground looking up into the treetops. I've been invited to test this new blind out in the spring and I'm  excited about it!

The organization that was building this blind is the soon to be launched Elite Birders Club Of America (EBCA). They have been quietly purchasing land with prime habitat for the past 4 years in 38 states across the nation,  including Connecticut. Their plan is to combine innovative designs with the latest technology to create the world's best bird blinds. They then set these blinds up in areas that are all but guaranteed to give you a great view of certain desired species. They even alter the habitat as necessary to attract the species they are looking for. Here is an example of a few of the projects that are already underway:

• They have one design for a blind that looks like a beaver lodge. It has tunnel that leads to the lodge which looks like a strip of land with small trees growing on it. This way you are able to get out to the blind without scaring off all the ducks.
• The EBCA has purchased 2,000 feet of prime shoreline property in Connecticut. They plan to construct artificial sand dunes and jettys each with built in blinds.
• They have already built a rail car which allows birders to travel along an old rail line through a marsh.The car keeps the birders totally concealed and is operated by remote control.

Right now I rely mostly on luck to get close-up views of birds and that doesn't seem to happen enough. Being someone who has a point and shoot without much knowledge of photography, I can use all the help I can get.  

When the EBCA officially opens some time in May I plan to become a member. In order to qualify for a membership you must first pass a 6 week course which looks to be difficult. I know that you have to memorize all the parts of a bird like you see in the field guides. One of the exercises requires you to pick out the songs of various bird species against a noisy background such as city traffic or loud music. There is another part of the training in which you play a jeopardy type of game in which you compete against top birders in the area. It sounds a little intimidating to me but being a member allows you free entry  into any of their exclusive sanctuaries after paying your yearly dues of $400. Non-members will have to pay a  $40 entry fee for each visit to any of the preserves.
Their all will be secured so that no one but members or those paying the entry fee will be allowed in. It is set up in a way so that there will be minimal disturbance to birds and wildlife as you enter the area where the blinds are set up. Most of the preserves are currently in the United States but the EBC is already in the process of expanding to other parts of the world. If it sounds to good to be true please don't take my word for all this.

If something seems a little fishy about this post I suggest you   
click on this link for the real story behind the EBCA.
(-and don't forget what day it is Monday).

photos from top to bottom: Northern Waterthrush, Worm-eating Warbler, Red-shouldered Hawk, Eastern Screech Owl, and 1 hungry moose.

Interview With Diving Bird Magazine

Robert: Hello Larry and thank you for participating in one of our magazine's regular features: " Through The Objective Lens With Robert Cormorant." Shall we get started?

Larry: Thanks for featuring me Robert. I've been a fan of your work for a long time. Go ahead with your first question.

Robert: What type of birding have you been doing lately?

Larry: I recently visited Wangunk Meadows with some other birders. Conditions were unusually dry and we had to work for the birds. We saw 5 species of sparrow including: Lincoln, White-throated , Song, and Swamp but our best view was of a Savannah Sparrow which was perched in a leafless tree at a height of about 15 feet. The view of the bird through the scope was really clear because the lighting was falling on it just right. (Savannah Sparrow in top photo was from a previous trip to Hammonasset). Another interesting sighting for us was seeing 11 Great Egrets fly over. Birds of prey included Osprey, Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk, and Red-shouldered Hawk. The only warblers seen were Yellow-rumped and Common Yellowthroat.

Robert: Is Wangunk a native American word?

Larry: Yes, the Wangunks were a tribe of Native Americans that lived in the area. Most of the Wangunks had left the area before 1800. The word Wangunk is said to refer to the big bend near our section of the Connecticut River.

Robert: What do you find to be the least and most difficult parts about blogging?

Larry: The easiest part for me is coming up with an idea. The hardest part is taking decent photos and finding the right words to express that idea in a post. A lot of times I abandon my original idea for a simpler one because I realize in the middle of a post that my words are running on and on. English was always my worse subject.

Robert: What have you been seeing of interest besides birds?

I took this photo of mushrooms last week because I was impressed by their clean appearance. They look like a basic mushroom so I figured it should be easy to find out what kind they are by doing an Internet search. It turns out that there are a lot more varieties of mushrooms than I realized. I didn't want to get into another type of field guide but I think it's time I do. Does anyone know what kind of mushrooms these are?
Robert: What is your approach to birding these days?

Larry: I find that the multitask method of birding doesn't work well for me so I try not to concern myself with what I should or shouldn't be doing. Instead I just choose a spot and try to appreciate whatever is best about that particular morning. It could be great viewing conditions, a lot of species, camaraderie of other birders, a zen-like experience, a time to study one particular bird, or any other number of things.

Robert: Have you been keeping records of what you see?

Larry: I try to but not of everything all the time. If I find something out of the ordinary, like the Lincoln's Sparrows I saw in our local meadows the other day, I will enter the sighting on e-bird.

Robert: How would you rate yourself as a birder?

Larry: Mediocre-I still have a lot to learn. birding by ear is probably my strong point when it comes to finding birds.

Robert: What are you doing to work at improving your birding skills?

Larry: I don't like to force feed myself information. If there is something I am curious about then I'll try to learn more about it. Some days I'm more receptive to new information than others. I'm in no hurry.

Robert: How would you describe your ideal birding day?

Larry: It's early in the morning when I arrive at a place that is far removed from the nearest sign of civilization. The only sounds I hear are that of wildlife and the gentle trickle of a clear running stream. Beams of sunlight are seeping through the woods reflecting off of a damp mist that is rising from the forest floor. All of my senses are heightened. I can hear the crack of a twig in the distance and the sound of birds as they start to move closer. Birds are moving all around me but don't seem to be aware of my presence. I feel as though I'm invisible and nature has absorbed my existence. It doesn't matter what kind of birds I've seen or how many-just that I am there.

Robert: What was the purpose of inventing an imaginary magazine -(Diving Bird) and an interviewer -(Robert) and then granting yourself an interview?

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Larry: I was having a case of bloggers block. The photos I wanted to use didn't seem to flow with the ideas I had. besides, I've always found it easier to give an answer when you're being asked a question.

Robert: Aren't you concerned that when you do silly posts like:
BwBTC Find Proof Of Avian Life On Mars , The Dangers Of Listing and Roast Meat Hill Road that no one will take you seriously and you will be given the Boy Who Cried Wolf Tag?

Larry: How about "The Man Who Cried Eastern Coyote"? I'm too old to be a boy and the last wolf in Connecticut was killed near Bridgeport in 1837. The world is serious enough place already so I doubt that I'll upset the balance by making light of things on occasion.

Robert: You've mentioned that you haven't done much birding outside of Connecticut. Does it ever get boring to you?

Larry: I wouldn't say it gets boring but some days seem more interesting than others. I like to find overlooked places and see if it turns up any unexpected surprises. Just the other day, I took a ride past a farm in Middletown that was unfamiliar to me and saw Turkey Vultures sitting up on fence posts. It wasn't a big deal because I see Turkey Vultures all the time. For whatever reason, that was an enjoyable sighting for me at that particular moment. You never know where a surprise is going to come from and what it's going to be. I guess that's why they call it a surprise!

(photo of accipter from last year-what do you think-Coopers or Sharp-shinned?)

Robert: Have you gone on any hawk watches this Fall?

Larry-I went to a hawkwatch at a place called Booth Hill in West Hartland Connecticut. I probably saw a dozen or two hawks on the morning I went including: sharpies, Coopers, Red-shouldered, Osprey, Red-tailed, and Bald Eagle. I went to check the total count on the hawkwatch site a couple of days later and noticed that they had seen 1500 hawks at the same place the day after I was there. I guess I picked the wrong day!

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Robert: You tend to mix things into your post besides birding and you rarely give a complete list of the birds you see-why is that?

click to play

Larry: I find it too repetitious to list all the species I see each time I'm out. I have to squeeze in all my birding and other interests into a weekend so I try to include those other interests in my posts. For example, there was a bluegrass festival taking place on the same road as the last hawkwatch site I visited so I stopped by the festival after I left the hawkwatch. The video is of the band Acoustic Blue performing one of their songs titled: "Workin' Man Blues". I hadn't heard of them before that day but they sounded pretty good to me. I like the harmonizing and the intensity at which the acoustic instruments are played in bluegrass. I was googling to see if I could find any birding/bluegrass connections and I found this: Birdfest & Bluegrass Festival

Robert: I think that about wraps it up for now. Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions.

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Larry: Any time Robert. I'll look forward to part 2 some day.

BwBTC Find Proof Of Avian Life On Mars

Birders gathered from around the universe this weekend for what was billed as a fun-filled social event for birders who blog, tweet, and chirp but the true purpose of this trip was something of a more serious nature. For many years scientists have theorized the existence of an avian species living on the planet Mars. A team of birders arrived on the red planet using special equipment (high spf sunscreen) to help them deal with the harsh atmospheric conditions.

For the first time the BwBTC group has obtained photographic evidence of an avian creature on the surface of mars which has remarkably similar features to the sandpipers that are found here on earth. The creature in question is pictured here emitting a form of infrared light from its abdominal area. It is believed the purpose of the light is to help the sandpiper detect water sources that are invisible to the naked eye.

This is another avian species believed to be transmitting data back to its mother ship. Some may think this is just plain cuckoo but we know otherwise.

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I'm sorry to say that much of the information which was collected is classified, so no further details can be divulged at this time. Until then, you can read more about the earthbound portion of this trip by continuing to monitor the following blogs:

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Living in Brooklyn and Longing for Maine
The Birdman Of Bridgewater

BIRDINGGIRL

Nature Observances

please note: Anyone looking to add these two species to their list should wait for verification by the proper authorities before making any travel plans.

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(It was a lot of fun seeing some familiar faces again and meeting others for the first time. The birding was great and it was a great trip overall!

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Special thanks to: Dawn & Jeff for hosting the trip. Hope to see you all again next year).

Legend of the Carrot-Nosed Mottlebird

When I'm indecisive about what type of birding to do, I often refer back to a link on the COA website titled "A Connecticut Birding Year", written by David Provencher back in 2000. After reading Part 3, which includes the summer months, I decided that I would do a good portion of my birding along the shoreline for the next month or so.

On Saturday, I visited a place called Chaffinch Park that I had found on the Connecticut Coastal Access Guide website. Two things caught my attention about this park. One was that it was listed as a place that was good for birdwatching and the other was that there was no entrance fee. I spent only a short time there because there weren't as many shorebirds as I had hoped. I did see an Osprey nest with 4 Osprey in it. I filmed a video but didn't include it here because it was of poor quality. There were a lot of robins and other birds feasting on berries in several of the fruit trees located in the park.

Somewhere along my travels in the town of Guilford, I noticed a large bird perched on a power line with its wings spread out like a cormorant or vulture. When I stopped to take a closer look I identified it as a Red-tailed Hawk. I'm guessing this is a younger bird. I've noticed that some of the younger red-tails seem to settle themselves in unusual places. I've seen them sitting on the ground at beach parking lots or perched on places that don't solidly support them like the tops of cedar trees. This one seems to be trying to figure out the logistics of how to turn that Rock Dove into a meal.

When I first started birding a few years ago, I came across what turned out to be a Black-crowned Night-Heron perched in a tree. It was near the Connecticut River, not much more than 100 yards from my house. I had no idea what it was so I started sketching a picture that included any noticeable field marks. Then I noticed it a reddish eye and some sort of plume feathers on the back of its head. Was it some rare bird that had accidentally flown in from a tropical location? I started checking through my field guide. Ah-ha! Black-crowned Night-heron. An interesting bird to find so close to home even though it wasn't the rare bird I hoped it would be. Sandy Point is a good place to find these birds. I have been there three times and seen them during each visit.

Many years ago in a small village near the ocean there lived an obnoxious species of birds, which were referred to by the villagers as mottlebirds. The mottlebirds were a large bird with brown bodies and dark heads . They were often seen walking about the town green putting on displays. They would spread their wings and then slowly turn in circles while holding their bills in an upward direction. This type of displaying seemed to give them an air of conceit. The merchants in the village did not like them because they were constantly stealing food from their carts. The mottlebirds were also known for harassing other birds and animals that came within their range.

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During one particular winter, a snowman had been built on the town green. This did not seem to sit well with the mottlebirds who were constantly pecking and squawking at it. People joked that the snowman, with his brightly colored orange carrot nose, did not live up to their standards. The mottlebirds, with their perfectly shaped shiny bills, seemed to be fixated on that carrot nose! They kept up this harassment every day from dawn till dusk.

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One morning it was noticed that the snowman had been moved from one end of the green to the other; and the very next morning the snowman was seen on the other side of the road near the hardware store! Residents joked that the snowman couldn't take any more abuse, but assumed that children had moved it during the night as a prank. Each time the snowman moved, the unrelenting mottlebirds followed him. The snowman's final day of existence ended when he reached the shoreline and was overcome by an exceptionally high tide. All that was left of him was the carrot nose that had washed up on the beach. It was promptly eaten by the greedy mottlebirds.

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Later that summer, when the eggs of the mottlebirds began to hatch, an odd thing happened. Instead of shiny little beaks, the baby birds were born with gigantic orange bills. The babies were ostracized by their parents and chased away from the village. The young birds eventually settled along the shoreline. They soon discovered that their giant orange bills came in handy for opening oysters and other bivalves. This new generation of birds were a modest species and had none of the mean traits that their parents possessed. They were named oystercatchers and till this day they are still with us. The original mottlebirds disappeared from the village and were never seen again.

click to play

The main attraction for me at Sandy Point were the Black-crowned Night-Herons and American Oystercatchers seen in this video. I noticed a Peregrine Falcon resting on a distant sandbar. It sat there for over an hour with something next to it, which may have been prey it had captured. There were very few terns as it had been explained to me that their nests had previously been wiped out by stormy water conditions. I did see one piping Plover and 2 dowitchers as well. It was reported that a Whimbrel had been spotted in the area too, but I didn't get a chance to see it before I had to leave.

The Dangers Of Listing!

It was a cool Fall morning with the temperatures only in the 40's. I parked along the side of a dirt road and started to gather my birding gear as I usually do; vest, field guide, camera, notebook, pen, and of course, binoculars.

As I walked around the perimeter of the pond, I could see fog rising off of the water. I reached the entrance to a trail that would lead me deep into a little known area of Connecticut woods. Although I wouldn't consider myself a lister, I decided that I would try to find at least 35 species this morning. I didn't want to pick a number that would be too difficult to reach. I figured 35 would be just enough to make a game out of it. The first species I saw was a Blue Jay that hopped out on the edge of a gnarled Oak Tree branch. It called out with brashly with an its alarm that sounded like- thief! thief! thief! The Jay scraped its bill across the bark at an angle that showed off its crest nicely. I started to add to the list as I moved along : Carolina Wren, American Robin, Northern Cardinal, Belted Kingfisher, White-throated Sparrow, American Crow, and Chipping Sparrow were quickly added to the list. I went a bit further and a loud squeeeak! came for the top of the top of a dead tree-Northern Flicker-#9, 21 more to go. A Red-shouldered Hawk cried out kyear kyear and flew from a nearby tree to another one further off in the distance.

As I approached a chain-lined fence reached the first fence, I noted my species count was at 17 .

I really don't want to specify the exact location I was birding in. It is a private area surrounded by multi-million dollar homes with advanced security systems. Behind the homes is a large tract of woods which is of limits to the public. It is bordered by an old chain link fence covered with vines and hidden behind heavy shrubs. A friend of mine who does landscaping told me about a portion of the fence which had been pulled away, creating an opening through which to enter. I crawled through the opening , pushing away the vines and shrubs as I forced my way through. My shirt temporarily got caught on a sharp piece of the metal making my adrenaline rise as I didn't want to get caught in the act.

Many years ago, when I was just a young boy, I used to fish in this area with my father. I miss the days when we were able to catch feisty native trout in some of the streams that run through here. They were darker than the stocked varieties and covered with brightly colored spots.

I couldn't find any trails so I had to walk straight up the middle of a small stream. I continued to walk for about a mile. Most of the stream was fairly shallow and the banks were lined with a massive tangle of shrubs and thickets. I added Yellow-rumped Warbler, Pine Warbler, and White-breasted Nuthatch along the way. As I was climbing out of the stream bed, I slipped and managed to get one of my feet wet. Fortunately, I had extra socks in my vest.

An old trail went at least 2 miles deeper into the woods before leading me to another fenced in area. I remembered my father warning me to stay away from this particular neck of the woods. He never went into much detail as to why I should stay away, just that it was dangerous. Over the years I have heard stories about this area. Everything from UFOs, government experiments, haunted woods, to Bigfoot like creatures were rumoured to have been seen here. I wasn't buying any of it. The UFOs were probably attributable to swamp gas or some sort of military aircraft. The Bigfoot-like creatures were reported by kids but they may have been Black Bears which have been known to wander through on occasion. Still, other people have said they have heard strange voices seeming to come from underground. If you've ever spent long periods of time in the deep woods like I have, it's easy for your imagination to get carried away. The sounds of trees rubbing together on a windy day can create eerie sounds that can make your imagination run wild.

The second fence would be much tougher to penetrate. As I approached it, a Gray Catbird popped on top of a shrub near the fence. It let out several of it cat squawks as I approached it, almost as if it were forbidding me to go in-"hello to you Mr. Catbird"! I said to it quietly.

I was thinking maybe I could climb it but with barbed wire at the top, this would be a very difficult task. instead, I followed it along the edge for about 300 yards before coming to a spot where it appeared that some of the soil had eroded from underneath the fence. It was filled in with some small boulders so I started to pull them out and throw them aside. After all of them had been removed, there was a trench leading under the fence that was almost big enough for me to squeeze under. I spent the next 20 minutes digging the hole out to make it bigger using a large, flat, rock as a tool. I got on my back and wiggled my way through to the other side.

The habitat in the second area was a little more open. There were thick areas of Mountain Laurel, a small swamp, evergreens, and mixed hardwoods. I walked away from the fence into a wooded area. I could hear the drops of dew falling from the trees, dampening the layer of leaves that now coated the ground. A Red-bellied Woodpecker flew over to the top of a dead standing tree. My view of the woodpecker was obstructed but I could hear it tapping its bill on the hollowed wood. Its pattern of tapping was interesting as it seemed to vary in speed and intensity. It reminded me of Morse code, which I had learned from a chart on the front of my walkie- talkies when I was a kid. They had a little red button that we pushed to send Morse Code signals to each other. Just for laughs, I followed the pattern of the woodpecker's tapping to see if I could come up with some letters. This is what I came up with: I_tr_der. I couldn't figure out the 2nd and 4th letter but I found it an odd curiosity that if the letters were n and u , it would spell out the word intruder. Of course woodpeckers don't know Morse code so this was just a strange coincidence. Still, the pattern of its tapping seemed unusual. The Red-bellied Woodpecker was my 33rd bird, so I only needed two more to reach my goal of 35.

I came to a patch of shrubs too thick to get past so I worked my way back out toward the fence. It was then that I saw a Black-capped Chickadee fly from the outside of the fence and land in a nearby tree. that was number 34. It let out a chicka-dee-dee-ee call. Immediately after that 3 more chickadees darted in and surrounded the first bird. I noticed something different about these other ones though. All three of them had a large white patch around their eyes. It made their eyes look as if they were bulging out. That's not all either. These birds had a different call that I had never heard from any other chickadees. It was a louder, slower and raspier call that sounded more like a checka-checka-dee-duh-duh-dee. I know that certain birds can be partially albino but these chickadees were huge by chickadee standards. They were more like the size of a Fox Sparrow, with larger bills too. What are the odds of seeing three birds like this? Very strange. What happened next I found to be very disturbing. I can't even bring myself to describe the way these 3 chickadees reacted towards the normal chickadee. I felt awful for the poor bird desperately trying to defend itself against the others but in the end it didn't have a chance. As much as it would be exciting to discover some new species, I hope these birds aren't capable of reproducing more of their kind.

-Note: After they are done checking the video and photos for authenticity, I will post them on this blog for those of you who are interested in seeing them. I will have to take them down after that because they would be too upsetting to look at for most people.

After my disturbing encounter with the mutant chickadees, I decided that I had enough birding for the day. I really didn't care any more whether or not I reached my goal of 35 species. I took a short cut by cutting across a small stream. Then I picked up a wide dirt trail on the other side. I was looking down admiring my shadow when I heard something large passing through the woods along side me. I was thinking it might be a deer but I was shocked when I caught a brief glimpse of what looked to be a man(or woman) wearing a black hooded sweatshirt moving rapidly through the woods. Why wouldn't they use the path? I wondered. They ran so fast that he was out of my sight within seconds. I started running a little myself because at this point, I really wanted to get out of there. I climbed on top of a big rock and looked downward to the bottom of a steep hill. I could see a large rock ledge with an opening to some sort of cave leading into it. I could also make out what looked to be some sort of metal table set up in the opening of the cave . It was what I saw next that absolutely shocked me! (I wish that I could describe it to you but I was told that I have to block out the next paragraph until they are finished with their investigation).

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I was so scared that I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. Still, I felt that I needed to get more photos as evidence but my memory card was full. I remembered that my old memory was still in my camera case so I quickly changed cards. After snapping off another 50 photos, I started running, trying to retrace my steps to where I started. Finally I started to see some familiar territory and knew that I didn't have much further to go. I stopped to catch my breath and saw two woodpeckers that looked like either Downy or Hairy Woodpeckers. They were acting very agitated, making a lot of loud Pik! and squeak! noises as they moved erratically around the base of a large tree. Either species would have brought my total up to 30. I bent down to tie my shoe and both of them buzzed so close by my head that I think they might have actually made contact with my hair. That was the last thing that I remembered.

When I first opened my eyes, I was very disoriented. Everything was dark and I was lying on something that was very uncomfortable that had some sort of ridges on it. I started to panic a little. What time is it? Were people looking for me? I didn't like that feeling. Then it dawned on me where I was. I was lying in the bed of my pickup truck. The ribbed thing I was lying on was my plastic bed liner. It was dark because I had a black vinyl top covering the back. I pried up the back of the cover and opened the tailgate. It was still daylight--phew!!! -But what on earth had happened to me? I wasn't hurt . My camera was missing but I still had my binoculars and my notebook. My last 50 pictures were gone with my camera but I still had all of the photos on my first card. I looked at my notes to try to help piece things together. As I was looking over the ABA checklist of birds I noticed that someone... or something, had added another species to my list. There was a small but prominent hole poked through the checklist immediately to the right of what would be my 35th species, Hairy Woodpecker-number 35. Listing birds can be a very dangerous game.

I'm sure it's obvious that this post is completely fictional but I just wanted to make this clear. I saw no mutant chickadees, Morse-Code tapping woodpeckers or hooded people. I didn't break through any fences or get transported to my truck in a state of unconsciousness.

Roast Meat Hill Road

I was a kid when I first passed by a street called Skunk Misery Road and remember being very impressed with such a bold name. Were the skunks miserable or the people who lived there? Skunk Misery Road was the strangest name for a road in my book until the day I saw: Roast Meat Hill Road. Over the years I passed by that street sign many times but never actually drove on the road itself. I'm not sure why that is. Maybe I was afraid of what I might find there. Last weekend something told me that it was time to finally go down that road.

I actually drove past it a couple of times because the top of the road sign had been removed where it intersects with Route 81. Why did someone remove the top of the street sign? Did someone want it as a souvenir or is someone or something trying to keep people away from this mysterious area? Then I noticed this little stone sign set on the ground and covered with leaves. When I brushed the leaves way, it revealed the street name I was looking for. It looks like a scene from one of those movies where a hand is ready to pop up out of the ground, doesn't it?

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Even before I started my drive along Roast Meat Hill Road, many questions came to mind: Do any vegeterians live on this road? If a child becomes a vegeterian, is he excommunicated from the neighborhood? Do the neighbors get together for a yearly ritual in which they partake in the roasting of meat? Is there a neighborhood cookbook which features a variety of roasted meat recipes? What's it like for residents of this road to place phone orders? Do people believe them when they give their address? --And the most important question: How did Roast Meat Hill Road get its name?

I came across some strange and interesting things as I passed through this area, like this old well , for example. Perhaps it was used by people many years ago to quench their thirst after they gorged themselves on roasted meat.

I walked down one of the nature trails that I found and was shocked to find this piece of meat wedged between some sticks. Was it roasted? It had the consistency of beef jerky and was actually quite tasty! Is this evidence that the descendants of ancient meat roasters may still exist in these very woods? If so, where are they? Where do they live?

When I saw the inner structure of this tree it all started to come together. That's it! They're living inside the trees! They must be a carnivorous version of those cookie-baking elves!

Just around the corner on Route 80, I found this car wedged up in the middle of the tree. Is this just the work of someone with a warped sense of humor, or was it those meat-roasting gremlins wreaking havoc on the neighbors?

Is this really a nature center or is it just a front for a secret meat-roasting factory?

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Okay, let's get a little bit serious now. I apologize to any residents of Roast Meat Hill Road who may come across this blog post. Of course, none of these wild ideas are true-(at least not that I know of). I was just having a bit of fun with such a unique name for a road. Roast Meat Hill Road is actually a beautiful country road with nice homes, farmland and a few historic buildings. I found out that they even have a nature center called The Platt Nature Center (above). There are hiking trails behind the nature center and another one across the street that leads to a reservoir. I did see some birds along the nature center trail including Tufted Titmice, Northern Cardinals, House Finches, and a few woodpeckers. I decided my best bet would be to come back in May and search the reservoir vicinity for spring migrants. It is also right down the road from Chatfield Hollow State Park which is known to be a pretty good birding spot.

My favorite sighting was that of this little Black-capped Chickadee searching for bits of??? -in this dying tree. Hmmm-I wonder what kind of food he found?

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Oh yes-I almost forgot. What is the origin of the name Roast Meat Hill Road? An internet search turned up an urban legend about how several cows were struck by lightning on a farm along this road many years ago. If anyone has more information about how this road got its name, please let us know.

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What is the strangest name for a road that you've ever seen in your area?

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By the way, don't forget there's a total lunar eclipse tonight. It will be in its totality between 10:00pm and 10:52pm here in CT.