100 Towns Surveyed!!!
My 100th town surveyed was Pomfret. While the Pomfret town line is just 3 1/2 miles from my house, It took me a year before I got around to surveying it. To be honest, the nearby towns were left for those days when I needed to get out and be active but didn't have the time to go too far afield. I was going to be solo over Memorial Day weekend, so I was planning a birdathon to get some exercise and travel.
The rains finally started to move out of the area Friday evening, so once the drizzle ended I headed out for Pomfret... the last of the nearby gaps in my 251 Town Birder map. I made my way to one of the more remote, wooded sections of town, and parked my car. I try to choose a variety of settings and habitats, to gain as diverse a cross section of the state's birds that I can.
Hiking along Hidden Ridge Road, I enjoyed the calls of several Ovenbirds, Hermit Thrushes, a pair of Robins, and even a Brown Creeper. But the highlight was slowly making its way across the road as I reached Webster Hill Road... an adult Porcupine. He (or was it She) did not take kindly to my approach, and as he turned away from me, up came a huge fan of quills. I kept my distance, but still got close enough to snap a few rough photos before moving on.
My 100th town surveyed was Pomfret. While the Pomfret town line is just 3 1/2 miles from my house, It took me a year before I got around to surveying it. To be honest, the nearby towns were left for those days when I needed to get out and be active but didn't have the time to go too far afield. I was going to be solo over Memorial Day weekend, so I was planning a birdathon to get some exercise and travel.
The rains finally started to move out of the area Friday evening, so once the drizzle ended I headed out for Pomfret... the last of the nearby gaps in my 251 Town Birder map. I made my way to one of the more remote, wooded sections of town, and parked my car. I try to choose a variety of settings and habitats, to gain as diverse a cross section of the state's birds that I can.
Hiking along Hidden Ridge Road, I enjoyed the calls of several Ovenbirds, Hermit Thrushes, a pair of Robins, and even a Brown Creeper. But the highlight was slowly making its way across the road as I reached Webster Hill Road... an adult Porcupine. He (or was it She) did not take kindly to my approach, and as he turned away from me, up came a huge fan of quills. I kept my distance, but still got close enough to snap a few rough photos before moving on.