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Writer's pictureBarbara Seith

Focusing on Joy and Polar Bears

I have a Haikubox on my porch that records and reports to me & Cornell Labs the birdsong it hears from my porch. I love reviewing it a few times a day and listening to what it hears. It's pretty accurate at the Medium and High levels, but sometimes it comes up with some really fun stuff on the Low level.


I live on a busy road, so it has to deal with traffic noise and sometimes the traffic becomes birds at that Low setting. The most obvious one is the Eastern Screech Owl, which sometimes shows up when an emergency vehicle passes by. I've also gotten a "call" of the Northern Saw-whet Owl which sounds remarkably like the beep when a truck backs up.


Clearly just like Merlin's Sound ID, it needs to be taken with a grain of salt, particularly on Low.


Haikubox (the company) sends me e-mails too and the following came this week:


The Role of Mindset


You already know that birdwatching brings joy. Whether we seek birds on a nature walk or observe them in our own backyards, seeing a variety of birds or hearing birdsong can bring us happiness.

The way we approach birdwatching can have a great impact on how it makes us feel.


One study tested whether the way British birdwatchers recorded their observations affected the happiness they felt. Birdwatchers were split into two groups, both of which were asked to observe their gardens (backyards) and note the species identified. The “count” group simply counted the number of birds of each species, while the “joy” group rated their feelings of joy on seeing each species. While both groups had improved wellbeing, anxiety and nature connection, participants who activated a sense of joy (the "joy watchers") experienced the greatest decreases in anxiety.


What a great idea -- I am going to do that today (Friday) maybe even instead of counting!


Shortly Thereafter -- A little late going out birding this morning and I pulled out my road to this Great Blue Heron in my neighborhood. I have never seen one on the ground here (have flyovers all the time) and it’s a very odd place to find it. It looked at me like- where have you been?


What a joyful bird moment - the photo is with my iPhone because I did not want to disturb it.


Just this morning I was reading something that suggesting measuring the joy you feel when you have a bird encounter instead of counting them. What a lovely idea…


Shortly after I saw two Bald Eagles tussling in the sky - so cool. So far this morning’s joy quotient is a 10.


Bring on the joy!


Monday I stayed close to home and still had some bird moments. A Great Egret in a tree (and tolerant of me snapping photos nearby) and a couple of Lapland Longspurs in the Misquamicut State Beach Parking lot.


Niantic Pond

Great Egret

Misquamicut State Beach

Lapland Longspur

Horned Lark

Lapland Longspur

Tuesday I didn't keep a list or take many photos -- I stayed around Westerly because I had things to do. I ran into Betsy Staples looking for the Lapland Longspurs that have been hanging out at Misquamicut. I helped look and didn't see one, but she followed me to the Watch Hill Lighthouse -- where it was a lovely morning and we saw a butterfly and lots of ducks, but not the duck (Female King (Queen) Eider) we were looking for. Betsy went back to Misquamicut and was able to find the Longspurs!


Watch Hill Lighthouse

Cloudless Sulpher

Went to Newport on Wednesday expected more ducks at Brenton Point -- only 14 scattered Common Eiders -- surprising since there have been quite a lot at Watch Hill Lighthouse.


Started at Moonstone Beach Road on Thursday and was rewarded with an amazing sighting of a Merlin eating another bird -- I missed the capture, but it didn't care that I was there taking photos while it ate. It IS a Bird eat Bird world! Then had some time with one of my favorite freshwater ducks -- Northern Pintail. Got to practice taking video too -- need more practice!


Moonstone Beach Road

Merlin eating breakfast (not sure what kind of bird -- maybe Robin?)

Next stop -- Perry (Firehouse) Pond

Northern Pintail

Friday again I decided to take it easy because I still had a bunch of prep to do for my Polar Bear trip. I got going a little late and this bird was waiting for me in the neighborhood...


Newbury Drive

Great Blue Heron

Spray Rock Lookout

Double-crested Cormorant

Happy to report the joy continued -- I spotted two birders I hadn't seen in awhile at the Watch Hill Lighthouse (I even got out of the car - despite the chill). They had seen the female King (Queen) Eider I missed a few days ago and I was lucky to refind it in some photos I took on the way out.

It was a mixed flock and a good comparison photos for those wondering how you tell these ducks apart - Good Luck!


Watch Hill Lighthouse

Ducks!

In the back from left, Female Surf Scoter, Immature Male Common Eider, Female Black Scoter - front Female Common Eider

Clockwise from back, Immature Male Surf Scoter, Female Surf Scoter, Female King (Queen) Eider, Female Common Eider. Note the dark bill and slight smile on Queen Eider.

Front - Female Common Eider, back - Female King (Queen) Eider - note dark bill, smile & white eyebrow

Guess!

Back to front - Left - Female Surf Scoter, Female King (Queen) Eider, Female Common Eider, Right - Female Surf Scoter, Immature Male Common Eider, Female Common Eider.

Saturday, my last birding day this week, was quiet but at Sue's Pond (where we had a Juvi Common Gallinule & a Sora at the same time 2 years ago) I found some Wood Ducks -- only one male was cooperative, but since I was yet to see any birds in that pond this season, it was welcome


Sue's Pond

Male Wood Duck


Off to Canada tomorrow - will do a trip blog when I return, but who knows when I will get to that. Be back soon!


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