eBird Report - Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge, 6/8/10 - WHITE-EYED VIREO!!

I am never sure what to expect when I visit Oxbow NWR, but I always know that there is usually a good variety of birds there besides the fact I just love the landscape. I was rewarded with a few good birds I had already seen, but by far the highlight was seeing the WHITE-EYED VIREO around 9 am (I was there from 8:15 to 10:30 am). Before I got on him, I had thought it was a really weird sounding, whacked-out Gray Catbird. I chose to stick around to verify whether or not it really was a catbird, and by-god it was not.  This vireo had all the field markings, the white eye, the yellow specs, the bold wing bars, the yellowish flanks, the olive-green back. When I came home, I quickly hopped onto Cornell's All About Birds, and sure enough after listening to the song (from Peterson: "...sharply enunciated CHICK-a-per-weeoo-CHICK. Variable; usually starts and ends with chick.", I was 100% positive that it was a White-eyed Vireo, which of course, was obviously a Lifer for me! I found the White-eyed Vireo while walking the Turnpike Trail heading east towards Tank Road. He was active within some shrubbery and thickets off to my left before you come to the beaver lodge that you essentially walk over whilst on Turnpike Trail (He did not fly off when I walked passed him to continue down the trail).

Whew, so yes, I was very excited to come across this bird, knowing he is fairly uncommon in our neck of the woods. I do wish I had a quality camera, or else I would've tried to take pictures. Sadly, I am a poor fool. So, if others want to confirm, please do, though I know I am 100% sure of what I saw and heard! Other notable birds was a Yellow-throated Vireo along Riverside Trail, several Great Crested Flycatchers (Tank Road and Riverside Trail), a few Veerys and a female Wood Duck with 6 ducklings in tow in the swamp off of Tank Road.

I do hope this bird sticks around and others can enjoy him!

Directions to Oxbow NWR from USFWS: From Massachusetts Route 2, take Exit 38 (Route 110/111) south toward Harvard; bear right to stay on Route 110 at Harvard Center; and, turn right onto Still River Depot Road at the Still River Post Office. The refuge parking area is at the end of Still River Depot Road, past the railroad tracks.

Happy birding to all!!!

Location:     Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge
Observation date:     6/8/10
Notes:     White-eyed Vireo seen and heard on Turnpike Trail in between bridge closest to beaver lodge and the beaver lodge (walking eastbound towards Tank Road); viewed for at least 10 minutes, did not fly off when I walked passed it; song and ID verified via All About Birds website as well as pouring over my Sibley, Peterson and Smithsonian guides. I initially thought it was a whacked-out catbird before I got on him. Had distinctive white eye, yellow spectacles, yellowish flanks, wing-bars, the whole nine-yards. I wish I had a good, quality camera, otherwise I would've tried to take pictures.
Number of species:     34

Canada Goose - Branta canadensis     2
Wood Duck - Aix sponsa     1
Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias     7
Red-bellied Woodpecker - Melanerpes carolinus     1
Downy Woodpecker - Picoides pubescens     2
Eastern Wood-Pewee - Contopus virens     5
Great Crested Flycatcher - Myiarchus crinitus     6
Eastern Kingbird - Tyrannus tyrannus     1
WHITE-EYED VIREO - Vireo griseus     1 (Turnpike Trail heading towards Tank Road near beaver lodge that one walks over along the trail)
Yellow-throated Vireo - Vireo flavifrons     1
Warbling Vireo - Vireo gilvus     4
Red-eyed Vireo - Vireo olivaceus     5
Black-capped Chickadee - Poecile atricapillus     10
Tufted Titmouse - Baeolophus bicolor     5
White-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta carolinensis     7
Brown Creeper - Certhia americana     2
Eastern Bluebird - Sialia sialis     2
Veery - Catharus fuscescens     3
American Robin - Turdus migratorius     17
Gray Catbird - Dumetella carolinensis     5
Cedar Waxwing - Bombycilla cedrorum     9
Yellow Warbler - Dendroica petechia     4
Black-throated Green Warbler - Dendroica virens     3
American Redstart - Setophaga ruticilla     2
Ovenbird - Seiurus aurocapilla     6
Common Yellowthroat - Geothlypis trichas     6
Chipping Sparrow - Spizella passerina     2
Song Sparrow - Melospiza melodia     4
Scarlet Tanager - Piranga olivacea     1
Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis     6
Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus     11
Common Grackle - Quiscalus quiscula     9
Baltimore Oriole - Icterus galbula     2
American Goldfinch - Spinus tristis     8

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