November in New Haven
Cold fronts in November are no joke. When I stepped out of the car this morning at Lighthouse Point in New Haven, with the temperature near freezing and the wind howling at 15mph, my enthusiasm was punched square in the mouth. "$%&# it's cold" is a thing I said a few times this morning. Once the shock had worn off, I angled the car perpendicular to the wind and parked myself in its lee. Forgetting my wind pants at home did not help matters, but there was nothing to do about it now. November cold fronts usually mean a viz-mig watch along the coast. Today I chose Lighthouse Point for its ability to deliver a combination of finches, swallows, and raptors. And because I would be able to keep my car right next to me for periodic warm-ups. As expected, birds were moving. Below average temps and a harsh northwest wind tend to do that. The volume of finches was actually somewhat low compared to the numbers that had been pouring through on less windy days. Still, AMERICAN GOL