eBird Report - Great Meadows NWR--Concord Unit, 8/2/10 - Nothing like doing a wee bit of birding after work!

For a multitude of reasons, I chose to do myself a favor and enjoy myself after a dull and monotonous day at work by doing what I love best....birding! Of course, one never needs any sort of excuse to go birding, for its always a good idea to get your bird on! I chose to hit up the Concord subdivision of Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge because 1) this was the best day weather-wise for this week; 2) I usually go birding on Sundays, whether by myself or with my good buddy Kirk, and so, I want to sleep in this upcoming Sunday; 3) needed to find some solitude in one of my favorite locales to visit; 4) it had been quite some time since last I was at Great Meadows; and 5) just a few days ago, Brian Cassie reported seeing 13 immature Black-crowned Night-Herons at Great Meadows! So, there ya have it! The last reason being the main reason I just had to get out after work!


And so I spent 2 hours and 20 minutes at Great Meadows (5:20 to 7:40 pm), trekking around the dike trail that runs along and bisects the Upper and Lower Pools. Since my main objective was the Black-crowned Night-Herons, I made my way to the man-made pools found near the border of Great Meadows just beyond the Upper impoundment. And most fortunately, I was blessed to observe 4 of these mysterious, skulking freshwater wader! Yet another Lifer for me (though such things happen relatively often when you are a novice birder like myself). Its too bad no full-fledged adult Night-Herons were around, but no complaints here, for I take what I can get, ya know?!


Other highlights were as follows: An Osprey gliding low overhead, heading towards the Lower Pool; 2 Blue-gray Gnatcatchers and 2 Warbling Vireos while searching for the Night-Herons; a Pine Warbler along the dike trail running in between the Upper Pool and Concord River; a Spotted Sandpiper in non-breeding plumage teetering and tottering its rear-end whilst perusing the juncture of the spillway into the Concord River that enters from the Upper Pool; and lastly, an immature Green Heron warily keeping an eye on me from about 75 yards out from the bridge spanning the spillway that leads into the Concord River from the Lower Pool. Oh, and while trekking along the Upper Pool, from best I can tell, and from what I just read online, a Meadow Jumping Mouse went hopping across the path from the riverside into the reeds. It had to be one, for I have never seen a mouse hop in any manner, for every mouse prior to today has always just hurriedly scampered along! Its hops were about 3 inches in length, and like most mice, was a wicked cute little bugger!


Ultimately, a wonderful, tranquil and leisurely stroll of about 3 miles I had at GMNWR, enjoying the solitude and taking in all the sights and sounds such a wonderful array of habitats that Great Meadows offers! I'll be back again soon enough for the shorebird migration and for the Nighthawk migration as well! Happy birding everyone!

Location:     Great Meadows NWR--Concord Unit
Observation date:     8/2/10
Notes:     Snowy Egret, 4 immature Black-crowned Night-Herons seen along the edge of the man-made pools found beyond the Upper Pool; immature Green Heron seen on edge of creek going down center of Lower Pool nearest the Concord River.
Number of species:     34

Canada Goose - Branta canadensis     28
Wood Duck - Aix sponsa     2
Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos     13
Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias     7
Snowy Egret - Egretta thula     1
Green Heron - Butorides virescens     1
Black-crowned Night-Heron - Nycticorax nycticorax     4
Osprey - Pandion haliaetus     1
Spotted Sandpiper - Actitis macularius     1
Least Sandpiper - Calidris minutilla     1
Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura     3
Downy Woodpecker - Picoides pubescens     2
Eastern Phoebe - Sayornis phoebe     1
Eastern Kingbird - Tyrannus tyrannus     5
Warbling Vireo - Vireo gilvus     2
Blue Jay - Cyanocitta cristata     3
American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos     5
Tree Swallow - Tachycineta bicolor     11
Bank Swallow - Riparia riparia     5
Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica     6
Black-capped Chickadee - Poecile atricapillus     11
White-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta carolinensis     5
Marsh Wren - Cistothorus palustris     6
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - Polioptila caerulea     2
American Robin - Turdus migratorius     37
Gray Catbird - Dumetella carolinensis     2
Cedar Waxwing - Bombycilla cedrorum     6
Yellow Warbler - Dendroica petechia     2
Pine Warbler - Dendroica pinus     1
Common Yellowthroat - Geothlypis trichas     1
Song Sparrow - Melospiza melodia     2
Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis     4
Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus     21
American Goldfinch - Spinus tristis     22

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

eBird Report - Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary--IBA, 6/1/10 - Sedge Wren = YES!; numerous Bobolinks!

I had the darndest time trying to get some sleep last night. I was awoken by thunder at 2, then was in and out of sleep until I said screw this and got up at 4:20 am. I took a shower, got dressed, ate breakfast and decided to do something with my day since I was up. So, what better to do then to go do some birding when one is still unemployed (sadly)! I had been reading the earlier posts about the Sedge Wren being reported at Daniel Webster in Marshfield, so I figured that was where I was going to go!

It was a fairly long drive, but being up so early, I beat all the morning traffic and got to Daniel Webster by 7:30 am (stayed until 9:30). I must say, what a truly beautiful parcel of land Mass Audubon has here....there should be more grassland habitat like this, that of which is found at Daniel Webster! There were BOBOLINKS everywhere! Too bad there weren't any Eastern Meadowlarks yet, surely they would love this place! The PURPLE MARTIN colony was in full swing, nearly every box inhabited by a Martin. CEDAR WAXWINGS were quite numerous as well, especially going through the red maple swamps found along the River Walk Trail and Secret Trail.

But of course, the highlight and target bird was the SEDGE WREN that of which is still found near the Fox Hill Observation Platform (along right-hand side of pathway leading up to platform). Fantastic looks, but of course it was its "dry, staccato chattering" that alerted me to its precise location. Even if I did not get this bird, it was well worth heading out to Marshfield to experience this MAS sanctuary! Thankfully, the Sedge Wren was very cooperative, and we all know how much I adore wrens!

Anyhoo, happy birding to all, and I hope everybody had a great Memorial Day Weekend!

(Above photo of SEDGE WREN was taken by Joe Vincent)

Location:     Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary--IBA
Observation date:     6/1/10
Number of species:     39

Canada Goose - Branta canadensis     12
American Black Duck - Anas rubripes     3
Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos     6
Wild Turkey - Meleagris gallopavo     4
Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias     1
Great Egret - Ardea alba     1
Green Heron - Butorides virescens     3 (wet panne nearest observation blind off of Fox Hill Trail)
Osprey - Pandion haliaetus     1 (flying over fields near parking lot)
Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura     4
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) - Colaptes auratus [auratus Group]     2
Willow Flycatcher - Empidonax traillii     5
Great Crested Flycatcher - Myiarchus crinitus     2
Eastern Kingbird - Tyrannus tyrannus     1
Red-eyed Vireo - Vireo olivaceus     1
Blue Jay - Cyanocitta cristata     4
American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos     5
Purple Martin - Progne subis     28
Tree Swallow - Tachycineta bicolor     27
Black-capped Chickadee - Poecile atricapillus     2
House Wren - Troglodytes aedon     2
SEDGE WREN - Cistothorus platensis     1 (Fox Hill Observation Platform)
Eastern Bluebird - Sialia sialis     3
American Robin - Turdus migratorius     3
Gray Catbird - Dumetella carolinensis     8
Cedar Waxwing - Bombycilla cedrorum     37
Yellow Warbler - Dendroica petechia     12
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) - Dendroica coronata coronata     2
Common Yellowthroat - Geothlypis trichas     11
Eastern Towhee - Pipilo erythrophthalmus     4
Song Sparrow - Melospiza melodia     6
Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis     2
Bobolink - Dolichonyx oryzivorus     46 (throughout all the fields)
Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus     31
Common Grackle - Quiscalus quiscula     11
Brown-headed Cowbird - Molothrus ater     4
Baltimore Oriole - Icterus galbula     1
House Finch - Carpodacus mexicanus     2
American Goldfinch - Spinus tristis     15
House Sparrow - Passer domesticus     18

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

Here are the directions from MAS' website to Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary:

From Rt 3 north or south: Take exit 12 (Rt 139). Follow Rt 139 east for 3.7 miles to Marshfield Center. Turn right at light onto Webster Street. Follow Webster Street 1.5 miles and turn left onto Winslow Cemetery Road. Sanctuary parking is 0.7 miles ahead (at the end of the road).