Well, it finally happened
Swainson's Hawk, nemesis no longer. To say that I've wanted to see a Swainson's Hawk in Connecticut for a long time is one way to put it. But that does not tell the whole story. There are nemesis birds and there are nemesis birds . This was unequivocally the latter. Over the past 25 years, most of which I have spent as a resident of Connecticut, I shudder to think about how many hours I have spent watching the local skies for raptors during fall migration. Though at first glance hawkwatching appears to be perhaps the most passive form of birding, it is actually a grind of constant sky-scanning, often against bright blue skies that cloak high-flying birds shockingly well. Even when a group of observers are present, with folks looking in all directions, it is easy to miss birds if you aren't paying close attention. Great focus is required. This energy can be difficult to maintain in practice, especially when the wind chill is frigid or if you are trying not to be rude in ...