On one of the least-pleasant days of the year for birding, it was still worth spending a few hours squinting against stinging wind and sun.

The Red-tailed Hawks were out and active, and a Cooper’s Hawk prowled Heritage State Park. Along Heritage Street I heard a faint squeaking in the trees above and, after several minutes of staring into the dense pine trees, I found the source: a small group of Golden-crowned Kinglets.

There are still a few patches of open water on the Connecticut River. There, a pair of Common Mergansers coasted in the current and about 15 Canada Geese napped on ice. Nearby, a pair of Mute Swans foraged in the swift, cold water.