eBird Report - Hartwell Family Memorial Preserve, Littleton, 8/29/10 - Some midday hometown birding!

I had desires to get up this morning and to make a day of it hiking/birding out in the Marlborough area at Sudbury Valley Trustee's Sawink Farm and Cedar Hill Reservations, but I thought better of it, desiring more to get a good night's rest and to sleep in! Plus, I didn't fall asleep until say 1:30 am after watching several episodes of LOST and reading a bit afterwards of Patrick Rothfuss' debut novel, "The Name of the Wind". And so, sleep in I did, not getting up until around 10:20 am!


And so I thought since I didn't get out and about 'til much later than usual that I would not see much in the way of birdage, and also considering the fact that it was/is a bit breezy and temps in the low-90s! Nonetheless, there is a reason why I love it here in my "hometown" of Littleton, MA, for the wildlife here is always evident and in good variety! To make a point, just a couple nights ago (Friday evening/night), 6 Common Nighthawks were catching flying insects overhead of our backyard, thusly signifying to me that their migration is in full swing. But that was not all for that night, for while out enjoying a fire in our firepit that resides in our backyard, a Barred Owl startled the wits out of my Dad and myself, giving a very loud and piercing "ooo-aawww" with a bit of their characteristic warble at the end of the vocalization. Besides giving us the heebie-geebies, it woke up Mourning Doves and Northern Cardinals from their slumber! Now, not an hour later, from across the street of our home, an Eastern Screech-Owl gave its clear, tremulous whinny! This was the first time I have ever heard a Screech-Owl's call here at home, let alone anywhere! What a treat that night was!


But I have gone off on a tangent again and must come back to today's exploits! Since I had started the day so late (but the sleeping-in part was nice nonetheless), I chose to get my bird on locally, traversing Hartwell Family Memorial Preserve that is owned and generally maintained by the Littleton Conservation Trust. I took my time in the preserve, being in its midst from 11:30 am to 2 pm, despite the heat. I was just enjoying myself and surprised at the birds I did observe at that time of day! A full list of results, as always, will be below my lovely little narrative. Highlights are as follows:


The most exciting bird I got to see is my favorite little falcon, the American Kestrel! Such a beautiful little raptor, gliding and swooping over the wetlands that border Beaver Brook and then flying off over the tree-tops towards the "summit" of Proctor Hill. I was also fortunate to observe a number of warblers, such species being a pair of Black-throated Green Warblers, a Black-and-white Warbler, a handful of American Redstarts, a pair of Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warblers and a few Northern Parulas! Simply lovely! What birder doesn't love seeing warblers, no matter what time of year! The thing to remember is to always check the little flocks of Black-capped Chickadees that always seem to be chattering away (as I learned from Kirk) that come through, for it seems various other woodland species like to join in on the fun. That is how I saw ALL of the warblers I observed today, for very few were vocal (only the Black-and-white and Myrtles were a bit vocal). I also had the pleasure of seeing a Northern Flicker perusing the grassy areas along the trail and 2 juvie Red-bellied Woodpeckers making quite the racket as they went from tree to tree!


Again, it goes to show, even if you don't get yourself up early in the morn to try and see birds when they tend to be most active, that you never know how many birds and types of species you'll see at any given time of the day! Even had I not seen what birds I did perchance on today, I would have enjoyed my time of solitude out in the woods and wetlands of the Hartwell Preserve! Happy birding everyone, and get out there!

Location:     Hartwell Family Memorial Preserve, Littleton
Observation date:     8/29/10
Notes:     Red-bellied Woodpeckers seen were both juveniles; American Kestrel seen swooping and gliding above the tree-tops and edge of the wetlands that run along Beaver Brook (looking towards the summit of Proctor Hill).
Number of species:     24

Red-tailed Hawk - Buteo jamaicensis     1
American Kestrel - Falco sparverius     1
Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura     3
Red-bellied Woodpecker - Melanerpes carolinus     2
Downy Woodpecker - Picoides pubescens     5
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) - Colaptes auratus [auratus Group]     1
Eastern Wood-Pewee - Contopus virens     1
Eastern Phoebe - Sayornis phoebe     1
Blue Jay - Cyanocitta cristata     12
Black-capped Chickadee - Poecile atricapillus     25
Tufted Titmouse - Baeolophus bicolor     7
White-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta carolinensis     8
Hermit Thrush - Catharus guttatus     1
American Robin - Turdus migratorius     23
Gray Catbird - Dumetella carolinensis     2
Northern Parula - Parula americana     3
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) - Dendroica coronata coronata     2
Black-throated Green Warbler - Dendroica virens     2
Black-and-white Warbler - Mniotilta varia     1
American Redstart - Setophaga ruticilla     5
Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis     5
Common Grackle - Quiscalus quiscula     6
Baltimore Oriole - Icterus galbula     1
American Goldfinch - Spinus tristis     9

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

eBird Report - Hubbardston Wildlife Management Area , 5/21/10

I decided to take up the offer and join Lydia Rogers and Dan Stimson of Sudbury Valley Trustees on a ramble through the woods and wetlands of Hubbardston Wildlife Management Area. This was my first time being there and was looking forward to the experience! While Dan and Lydia were focused on tracking animals that had been through the area (ie fox, deer, moose, raccoon, porcupine, beaver, etc.), I of course was interested to see/hear what birds could be found there! I would have to say Hubbardston is as diverse bird-wise as Bolton Flats is, though of course, there are is a much greater wooded area than the aforementioned.

Highlights of the excursion (from Noon to 4 pm) were the Black-throated Blue and Green Warblers, Eastern Wood-Pewees (though sadly, only heard....damn foliage) and my truly ultimate "Nemesis Bird", the Winter Wren (again, only heard....boooooo). I am so mesmerized and enthralled by that wee-little wren's explosive, complex and long song....just amazing....yet, sadly, no matter how many times I have heard that dastardly little bird (like the numerous Winter Wrens heard up at Pondicherry Wildlife Refuge in Jefferson, NH), I can NEVER GET ON IT!! GAAARR!!! Oh well, such is life. However, I plan on getting on one at Pondicherry....it will occur goddammit! Okay, enough ranting. Hubbardston is a wonderful area, comprised of "600 acres of hills and valleys" of "mixed hardwood and conifer forest interspersed with agricultural and brushy fields with some alder and grass hummock marshes" (State of MA Fish & Wildlife). Please note, do bring some bug spray and prepare to do a little bushwhacking (plenty of fallen trees down, probably still from the ice storm of 2008)!!

Directions: take Route 2 west to Exit 25 for Routes 2A & 140. Take 140 S/2A W briefly, then take a right onto 2A W/Main St. (at traffic light for on-ramp to Route 2 eastbound). About .75 miles on 2A, take a left onto South St. Follow this road (South St. will become New Westminster Road at Mare Meadow Reservoir) for a total of 6.4 miles. There will be a parking lot on your road just before the bridge spanning Joslin Brook. (Please note, there is a placeholder for a sign that would mention you are at Hubbardston WMA, but at present, it is not up yet.)

Location:     Hubbardston Wildlife Management Area
Observation date:     5/21/10

Notes:     Please note we only heard the following species: Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Brown Creeper and Winter Wren.

Number of species:     24

Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias     1
Turkey Vulture - Cathartes aura     2
Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura     1
Belted Kingfisher - Megaceryle alcyon     1
Hairy Woodpecker - Picoides villosus     1

Pileated Woodpecker - Dryocopus pileatus     1 (heard only)
Eastern Wood-Pewee - Contopus virens     3 (heard only, but unmistakable)

Eastern Kingbird - Tyrannus tyrannus     3
Red-eyed Vireo - Vireo olivaceus     2
Blue Jay - Cyanocitta cristata     1
Tree Swallow - Tachycineta bicolor     2
Black-capped Chickadee - Poecile atricapillus     3

Brown Creeper - Certhia americana     1 (heard only)
Winter Wren - Troglodytes troglodytes     1 (heard only.....damn you little bird!!)

Veery - Catharus fuscescens     2
Gray Catbird - Dumetella carolinensis     1
Black-throated Blue Warbler - Dendroica caerulescens     2
Black-throated Green Warbler - Dendroica virens     4
Ovenbird - Seiurus aurocapilla     5
Common Yellowthroat - Geothlypis trichas     6
Scarlet Tanager - Piranga olivacea     3
Swamp Sparrow - Melospiza georgiana     1
Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus     3
Common Grackle - Quiscalus quiscula     1

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