Doing some good and worthwhile work at Oxbow NWR!!

There are many days where I really wish I had a job (I wish I had a job period right now) working for an esteemed organization like that of the US Fish & Wildlife Service, Sudbury Valley Trustees, Mass Audubon or the Trustees of Reservations. Today I joined Alan Bragg, Ziggy and Frank of USFWS at Oxbow NWR around 8 am. We worked together as a team clearing fallen trees, brush, weed-whacking the boating ramp parking lot and main parking lot, you know, general trail and property maintenance. I was there with them until 12:30 pm. It was solid, worthwhile and enjoyable work with a trio of fine gentlemen. I've met Alan before at Great Meadows NWR (Concord Unit) when doing some birding there. It was just such a pleasure being outside, helping maintain my "little piece of paradise" in this region while also doing some spot birding. Highlight for me was seeing an American Woodcock out in broad daylight (Ziggy saw another one earlier in the day), both along Tank Road. I love those bizarre Snipe-ish birds! I am including a partial list of what we all casually observed today while working. Alan may send me an updated list later on today with anything else I might have missed/he observed.

Location:     Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge
Observation date:     5/6/10
Notes:     Casually noticed these birds as we were going along performing trail and property maintenance at Oxbow NWR with Alan Bragg, Ziggy and Frank from USFWS. Many other birds were heard, but not seen, like American Redstarts, Yellow Warblers, Common Yellowthroats, etc. I am sharing this list with Alan Bragg since he may have more to add to this report. It was fantastic seeing the timber doodles out in broad daylight (well, sort of, off and on rain/thunder showers).
Number of species:     15

Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos     2
Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias     1
American Woodcock - Scolopax minor     2
Belted Kingfisher - Megaceryle alcyon     1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - Melanerpes carolinus     1
Eastern Phoebe - Sayornis phoebe     1
Warbling Vireo - Vireo gilvus     2
Tree Swallow - Tachycineta bicolor     2
American Robin - Turdus migratorius     3
Gray Catbird - Dumetella carolinensis     1
Black-and-white Warbler - Mniotilta varia     1
Rose-breasted Grosbeak - Pheucticus ludovicianus     1
Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus     4
Common Grackle - Quiscalus quiscula     3
Baltimore Oriole - Icterus galbula     1

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org/massaudubon/)