eBird Report - Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge--IBA, 5/14/10

I decided to do some warming up for this weekend's MAS 2010 Bird-a-thon, which of course starts tonight at 6 pm EST. So, I chose to hit up Assabet River NWR, being there from 9:20 am to 1:40 pm. I also had a target bird in mind at Assabet that I wanted to scout out for my Bird-a-thon team, that being the Northern Goshawk that has been reported there not too long ago by USFWS' Jason St. Sauver. Well, it would've been a nice target bird to shoot for tomorrow, for I am assuming it is there. And I say assume because Towhee Trail has been roped off. Since it is blocked, I am assuming the goshawks are still there. However, sadly, this means we won't be able to go for this particular raptor, the trail being blocked off for good reason. Besides making sure the goshawks aren't overly stressed out and disturbed by passerby, it also prevents any unassuming hiker/birder from being bombarded. Oh well, still plenty of great birds out there!

As the list below shows, it still was a pretty good day of birding, despite the ravenous storm-clouds of mosquitoes that harassed me the whole time I was there. So yes, I had to douse myself in bug spray, and it kept them at bay, but not enough from buzzing around me incessantly. Highlight birds were several OVENBIRDS, SCARLET TANAGERS, ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAKS, BALTIMORE ORIOLES, an EASTERN KINGBIRD and EASTERN TOWHEES, among other good birds.

The route I chose to traverse is as follows: Hudson Rd Parking Lot - Petapawag Trail - White Pond Road - Harry's Way - Otter Alley - Taylor Way - Winterberry Way - Puffer Pond Trail - Winterberry Way - Sandbank Trail -  Winterberry Way - Harry's Way (near new visitor's center) - Pine Garden Trail - Tri-town Trail - Hudson Road Parking Lot: Total Approx. Mileage: 7.2 miles.

So, to those who dare venture at Assabet River NWR, be warned and advised, bring plenty of bug spray or suffer the consequences!! Good luck to all this weekend during the Bird-a-thon and happy birding!!

Location:     Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge--IBA
Observation date:     5/14/10
Number of species:     41

Canada Goose - Branta canadensis     6
Wood Duck - Aix sponsa     4 (in marsh area to left near jct of Harry's Way and Towhee Trail)
Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos     9
Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias     9
Red-tailed Hawk - Buteo jamaicensis     1
Merlin - Falco columbarius     1 (near jct of White Pond Road and Harry's Way)
Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura     7
Hairy Woodpecker - Picoides villosus     1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) - Colaptes auratus [auratus Group]     1 (checking out a dead tree to my right from fishing dock along SE shore of Puffer Pond, off of Puffer Pond Trail)
Eastern Phoebe - Sayornis phoebe     3 (near jct of White Pond Road and Harry's Way)
Eastern Kingbird - Tyrannus tyrannus     1
Blue Jay - Cyanocitta cristata     6
American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos     3
Tree Swallow - Tachycineta bicolor     47 (all over marsh areas in between Otter Alley and Winterberry Way as well as Puffer Pond)
Bank Swallow - Riparia riparia     8 (wetlands nearest Puffer Pond)
Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica     2 (wetlands nearest Puffer Pond)
Black-capped Chickadee - Poecile atricapillus     34
Tufted Titmouse - Baeolophus bicolor     13
Red-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta canadensis     3 (others heard, all along Petapawag Trail and White Pond Road)
White-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta carolinensis     2
House Wren - Troglodytes aedon     1 (near jct. of White Pond Road and Harry's Way)
Eastern Bluebird - Sialia sialis     1 (off of Taylor Way in between Otter Alley and Winterberry Way)
Veery - Catharus fuscescens     1 (Petapawag Trail)
Hermit Thrush - Catharus guttatus     2 (Petapawag Trail and Tri-town Trail)
Wood Thrush - Hylocichla mustelina     1 (Petapawag Trail)
American Robin - Turdus migratorius     26
Gray Catbird - Dumetella carolinensis     5
Pine Warbler - Dendroica pinus     4
Ovenbird - Seiurus aurocapilla     8 (Petapawag Trail, Tri-town Trail, Pine Garden Trail, Harry's Way)
Common Yellowthroat - Geothlypis trichas     1
Scarlet Tanager - Piranga olivacea     4 (White Pond Road and Harry's Way)
Eastern Towhee - Pipilo erythrophthalmus     11 (White Pond Road, Harry's Way, Winterberry Way)
Chipping Sparrow - Spizella passerina     5 (parking lot off of Hudson Road and along Taylor Way)
Savannah Sparrow - Passerculus sandwichensis     1 (Otter Alley)
Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis     3
Rose-breasted Grosbeak - Pheucticus ludovicianus     4 (near jct. of White Pond Road and Harry's Way as well as near jct. of Harry's Way and Towhee Trail)
Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus     38
Common Grackle - Quiscalus quiscula     11
Baltimore Oriole - Icterus galbula     8 (White Pond Road, Harry's Way and Winterberry Way)
Purple Finch - Carpodacus purpureus     2 (wetlands along Winterberry Way, nearer to Puffer Pond)
American Goldfinch - Carduelis tristis     9

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