Along the Air Line... 2024 - Fall, Part 12
The Air Line Trail in Eastern Connecticut - Stan Malcolm Photos
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November 14th. Lots of Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) flocking.

 

 

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This one checking out a Wood Duck house, as were several yesterday.

 

 

 

 

 

At 27 degrees, thin ice covered most of the marsh except where Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) kept the water moving.

 

 

 

 

 

I've seen the banded male here before.

 

 

One of about four Rusty Blackbirds (Euphagus carolinus) this morning.

 

 

Lousy pictures, but any picture of these rare birds is worth sharing.

 

 

.At the pond east of Route 207, I saw this pair of Ring-necked Ducks (Aythya collaris).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lots of Mallards there too, but not clustered together as at Raymond Brook Marsh.

 

 

 

 

 

Twentyseven degrees and much of the marsh had a coating if ice.

 

 

A flock of Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) took off from a small area of open water, observed by a small group of Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) on a smaller area of open water.

 

 

I think this is another Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus). Backlit, it was not quite as black as in this photo. It was part of a small flock of Icterids that might have included Common Grackles and even Red-winged Blackbirds.

 

 

November 16th. Rusty Blackbirds (Euphagus carolinus) for sure! The bird at the right crossed the trail always in the shadow of a tree.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No ice so the Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) were spread out. This is a fraction of the 60 or more that I saw.

 

 

A Cecropia Moth (Hyalophora cecropia) cocoon. Note the slit at the left so likely the pupa has been eaten by a bird. For pictures of the moth and its full life cycle, visit here: https://performance-vision.com/cecropia/index.htm

 

 

Rippled reflections.

 

 

 

 

 

.November 18th. Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus)...

 

 

...one of six that soon flew down to the trail surface.

 

 

Here the darker one from the first photo has joined the other five..

 

 

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Looks like the one on the right is banded.

 

 

.In the afternoon, four Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) at the pond east of River Road.

 

 

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November 19th. Twenty-six Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) in this photo - and there were many more in nearby shrubs.

 

 

Always on the move.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Late afternoon at Cranberry Bog. Several Canada Geese (Branta canadensis)...

 

 

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...and several Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos)..

 

 

November 20th. After more than 50 days without rain, there's hardly any water at Raymond Brook Marsh. At least an inch predicted for tomorrow.

 

 

Some of the 13 Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) at the pond east of River Road midday today..

 

 

.Three Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) too.

 

 

Nice to see a male Autumn Meadowhawk dragonfly (Sympetrum vicinum).

 

 

Water-lily pads on a ripply surface..

 

 

.More rippled reflections.

 

 

A short walk east of Cook Hill Road. No barnyard animals around..

 

 

.I heard this male Northern "Yellow-shafted" Flicker (Colaptes auratus) before I saw it.

 

 

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