Over March vacation I went on a trip to Charlotte, North Carolina. My sister moved down there a few months ago and we decided it was time to visit her new apartment and get to see the new city she is calling home. She stayed in an apartment complex in NoDa which is a part of Charlotte known for its art and entertainment. I can tell you this much… it certainly is not known for its wildlife. It was hard to find parks within easy walking distance and the ones that did exist didn’t offer much. I ended up settling on a nice stretch of trees that bordered her complex. The trees featured there were Red Maples, a few oaks, and some other trees and shrubs I didn’t recognize. What I did recognize, however, was the bird life that inhabited the small parcel of trees. Carolina Wrens, Mourning Doves, Northern Cardinals, and Song Sparrows are all birds that I can witness in CT and VT. However, there was something really cool about seeing the birds that inhabit my backyard, in someone else’s. The two highlights of the walk came when I heard and saw and Eastern Towhee. It is a bird I will see and here quite regularly in CT but it was awesome to see it a few months ahead of schedule. The other was a life list bird for me. A Brown Thrasher singly proudly atop a dead tree. Not many species were seen but definitely put me in the mood for spring migration.