lifers: cliff swallow & least flycatcher

When Julia called to tell me about The Swimming Hole, one of my first thoughts was the birds. My instinct was to pull up eBird and check out the area for any potential lifers, but I held off. Lately I’ve been practicing what I call “letting birding happen to me” rather than going birding. There’s a great satisfaction in just allowing myself to feel the surprise of each individual rather than holding a list in my hand ready to record at a moments notice.

lifers: greater-scaup, long-tailed-duck, dunlin, bonapartes-gull, horned-grebe

Ray and I took a day trip down to Hammonasset to finally get out of the house after sheltering from the literal feet of snow we’ve gotten over the last few months. The weather was going to be warm, or at least warmer than the below freezing it had been for the better part of six weeks. We set off after lunch and yapped the whole time. Philosophy, shaggy dog hairstyles, and jamming to Dolly.