175 (and a noteworthy 176)!

Birded New England (this time at Windsor Meadows State Park) again this past weekend, and I picked up life birds 175 and 176.

175 was a Ring-necked Pheasant (aka, long-tailed chicken); 176 was a Peregrine Falcon. The latter is certainly not a rarity, but somehow it eluded me all summer/fall. And although I didn't see it "in action," the perched falcon still made quite an impression. That's a bird I'd not want to bump into in a dark alley.

The Ring-necked Pheasant was the biggest surprise, though. Hell, I didn't even know the bird existed until the moment I nearly bumped into it in the brush!