Most often for me over the years, Easter is relatively unmemorable. The usual spending time with family (always welcome nonetheless), the usual stuffing your face, the usual stomach-ache afterwards. But on this past Sunday's Easter, it was a day I surely will never forget!
I met up with Kirk in Burlington by 7:30 am, then we headed off to Great Brook Farm State Park in Carlisle, MA to get our bird on, after having had a long, arduous and dull week at work. Yesterday was a much needed day outdoors, and Great Brook Farm (and Oxbow as I will mention later) did not disappoint!
We had had aspirations of coming across at least one of the 2 Winter Wrens at Great Brook, but we were in the wrong area (stayed around the Meadow Pond trails). But thats okay, because we were treated with something we had not seen before (though I have yet to see a Winter Wren....my nemesis bird!), something that one might find in a nature documentary on Animal Planet. After coming across numerous Palm Warblers and a few Yellow Warblers (they were also singing) near the juncture of the Maple Ridge Trail, we chanced upon 2 Pileated Woodpeckers on the same dead tree....one of which we had already come across early along the Maple Ridge Trail......but it was what these two Pileateds did that took our breath away! Kirk, having had spotted these woodpeckers first, had a feeling, with the way these two Pileateds were interacting with one another, that a love-making session might be in order! And sure enough (lasting only 5 seconds......hmmm, sounds like most guys huh ladies??), these 2 love-birds (no pun intended) got it on, the male spreading out his wings as he planted the seeds of life! Just something you surely don't see every day, 2 woodpeckers copulating, and Pileateds to boot! The female stayed on a large snag on the dead tree, preening herself while the male flew off after doing the dirty deed. Certainly an unexpected and unique treat! And no, we aren't voyeurs, even if I am indeed a pervert!
Other highlights were several Wood Ducks and Ring-necked Ducks on Meadow Pond, 2 singing Brown Creepers following one another along the Keyes Loop Trail, a myriad of singing Chipping Sparrows throughout (3 of which we were actually able to observe), a singing Ruby-crowned Kinglet (one observed, others heard) and 2 Black-and-white Warblers (one along the Maple Ridge Trail on our way back to the parking lot and one near the junction of the Corn Cob and Erickson Trails). A truly remarkable time at Great Brook Farm we had, all 3 hours of our time there, with a good variety of birds and fantastic weather conditions (lows 70s, light and variable winds, sunny).
Location: Great Brook Farm SP
Observation date: 4/24/11
Number of species: 27
Canada Goose - Branta canadensis 4
Wood Duck - Aix sponsa 6
Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos 5
Ring-necked Duck - Aythya collaris 6
Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias 2
Rock Pigeon - Columba livia 7
Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura 5
Pileated Woodpecker - Dryocopus pileatus 2
Eastern Phoebe - Sayornis phoebe 3
Blue Jay - Cyanocitta cristata 5
American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos 3
Black-capped Chickadee - Poecile atricapillus 9
Tufted Titmouse - Baeolophus bicolor 4
Brown Creeper - Certhia americana 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - Regulus calendula 1
American Robin - Turdus migratorius 13
Yellow Warbler - Dendroica petechia 3
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) - Dendroica coronata coronata 11
Palm Warbler (Yellow) - Dendroica palmarum hypochrysea 16
Black-and-white Warbler - Mniotilta varia 2
Chipping Sparrow - Spizella passerina 3
Song Sparrow - Melospiza melodia 3
Swamp Sparrow - Melospiza georgiana 1
Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis 2
Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus 13
Common Grackle - Quiscalus quiscula 7
American Goldfinch - Spinus tristis 7
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)
We left Great Brook by 11 am and made a fairly brief (about 45 mins) visit at Oxbow NWR in Harvard, MA. We didn't expect to see much, and we really did not, seeing more Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warblers and most notably, a singing Blue-gray Gnatcatcher! But the HUGE moment was coming upon a BLANDING'S TURTLE along Tank Road near the top of the hill underneath the tall white pines, that of which are fairly close to the junction of Turnpike Trail and Tank Road. This Blanding's was on the right-hand side of Tank Road if you are heading northwards on it. Kirk captured several pictures of the amazing turtle, and after going further up Tank Road for a brief spell, on our way back I observed the Blanding's splooshing into the pools of water lining the edge of the railroad tracks.
Truly what a remarkable way to end our morning on Easter, seeing that Blanding's Turtle, something of which both Kirk and I have been desperately hoping to see at Oxbow due to the fact the USFWS is managing breeding populations there. Happy birding everyone, and just think, the big Spring migration is just around the corner (starts salivating......**DROOOOOOL**)!!
Showing posts with label yellow-rumped warbler. Show all posts
Showing posts with label yellow-rumped warbler. Show all posts
Monday, April 25, 2011
Sunday, October 17, 2010
I have returned from my hiatus and am back in action!
It seems like it has been ages since last I graced you all with my presence and my whereabouts! Never fear, for bird watching will always be on my mind, just a matter of having the time and mula to do so.
At any rate, I usually spend my Saturday mornings to early afternoons with the fine folks and even more intriguing animals and birds over with Wildlife Care at Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary. I have been giving my time, roughly 3 hours at a time, once a week for the past several months since late January of this year. It truly is an honor and a privilege to work with the animals over at WLC, most in particular the birds they tend to there. From the American Crows to the Raven, to the raptors (American Kestrels, Broad-winged Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks, Turkey Vultures) and owls (Great Horned Owls, Barred Owls, Eastern-Screech Owls), to even the Mallards, Pekin Ducks, and our "ambassador" Canada Goose, I just can't get enough of them. It is my hope to continue working with these amazing creatures over at Drumlin for as long as possible, of course depending on what life throws at me in the future.
After my time was done today at Drumlin, I shot over to Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge to finally get some physical exercise, to find some sense of solitude, and to see what birds I could possibly find through all the fierce winds we had whirling about today! As expected, not much in the way of activity was observed, thanks in part to the winds and also the simple fact I was there from 12:15 to 3:30 pm when birds typically are not as active. Our avian friends are more apt to be active in the dawn to mid-morning hours and also during the late-afternoon to dusk hours. The best bird of the day was seeing a Brown Creeper while hiking along Petapawag Trail....just fantastic looks at one of my all-time favorite birds! What I found most amusing was its propensity to follow this one White-breasted Nuthatch around from tree to tree. While the nuthatch probed the tree by walking up and down all sides of the trunk and branches, the creeper would, as is characteristic, walk in a spiral from base to crown until the nuthatch moved on and then would keep following aforementioned nuthatch! Its like the White-breasted Nuthatch was the Brown Creeper's best buddy or older brother! Of further note was seeing good numbers of Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warblers and Dark-eyed (Slate-colored) Juncos. Here is the full list of birds seen....not many, but here they are all the same:
Location: Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge--IBA
Observation date: 10/16/10
Notes: Please also note that weather conditions were as follows: Mostly Sunny, temps in the mid 50s, winds at times in excess of 25 mph.
Number of species: 9
Canada Goose - Branta canadensis 11
Downy Woodpecker - Picoides pubescens 2
Hairy Woodpecker - Picoides villosus 1
Blue Jay - Cyanocitta cristata 5
Black-capped Chickadee - Poecile atricapillus 26
White-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta carolinensis 3
Brown Creeper - Certhia americana 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) - Dendroica coronata coronata 18
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) - Junco hyemalis hyemalis/carolinensis 18
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)
To finish the day, I joined up with my always dependable good buddy Kirk Marshall and attended a banding demonstration of Northern Saw-whet Owls over at Drumlin Farm from 7 to 9:45 pm. What a freaking treat that was! For one, neither Kirk or myself had ever seen a Saw-whet Owl, and for me, this was my first banding demonstration of any kind! These lovely little owls (they only average 7 to 8 inches in length, from crown to tip of tail) are just so damned cute, especially with those huge saucer eyes that are so very startling yellow in contrast with their black pupils, pale facial disk and rufous-colored, streaky chest! We got to see how the tags were put on and how they recorded the data they obtained from each owl they captured. By the time Kirk and I had left Drumlin, from my best recollection (I was too concerned with the individual owls themselves afterall), we had 7 Saw-whets captured, banded, data-recorded and released back into the wild. I do wish I could count these Saw-whets as a Life bird, but that would be cheating. Yes, they are wild birds, but they were not seen on normal, everyday terms, as in just being out birding and chancing upon one in the wild, unfettered and not tampered with. These wild owls were captured in nets, tagged, measurements taken and finally released. Oh well.....one day Kirk and I will chance upon a Saw-whet in the wild just doing its thing without human interference! I did take a few pictures, but they are on my camera phone and not readily accessible to download to my laptop and thusly, upload to Facebook and this blog. The memory however, shall always remain, etched in my mind!
Truly a superb day it was....now it is time to catch some shut-eye and sleep in! Happy birding to everyone!
At any rate, I usually spend my Saturday mornings to early afternoons with the fine folks and even more intriguing animals and birds over with Wildlife Care at Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary. I have been giving my time, roughly 3 hours at a time, once a week for the past several months since late January of this year. It truly is an honor and a privilege to work with the animals over at WLC, most in particular the birds they tend to there. From the American Crows to the Raven, to the raptors (American Kestrels, Broad-winged Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks, Turkey Vultures) and owls (Great Horned Owls, Barred Owls, Eastern-Screech Owls), to even the Mallards, Pekin Ducks, and our "ambassador" Canada Goose, I just can't get enough of them. It is my hope to continue working with these amazing creatures over at Drumlin for as long as possible, of course depending on what life throws at me in the future.
After my time was done today at Drumlin, I shot over to Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge to finally get some physical exercise, to find some sense of solitude, and to see what birds I could possibly find through all the fierce winds we had whirling about today! As expected, not much in the way of activity was observed, thanks in part to the winds and also the simple fact I was there from 12:15 to 3:30 pm when birds typically are not as active. Our avian friends are more apt to be active in the dawn to mid-morning hours and also during the late-afternoon to dusk hours. The best bird of the day was seeing a Brown Creeper while hiking along Petapawag Trail....just fantastic looks at one of my all-time favorite birds! What I found most amusing was its propensity to follow this one White-breasted Nuthatch around from tree to tree. While the nuthatch probed the tree by walking up and down all sides of the trunk and branches, the creeper would, as is characteristic, walk in a spiral from base to crown until the nuthatch moved on and then would keep following aforementioned nuthatch! Its like the White-breasted Nuthatch was the Brown Creeper's best buddy or older brother! Of further note was seeing good numbers of Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warblers and Dark-eyed (Slate-colored) Juncos. Here is the full list of birds seen....not many, but here they are all the same:
Location: Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge--IBA
Observation date: 10/16/10
Notes: Please also note that weather conditions were as follows: Mostly Sunny, temps in the mid 50s, winds at times in excess of 25 mph.
Number of species: 9
Canada Goose - Branta canadensis 11
Downy Woodpecker - Picoides pubescens 2
Hairy Woodpecker - Picoides villosus 1
Blue Jay - Cyanocitta cristata 5
Black-capped Chickadee - Poecile atricapillus 26
White-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta carolinensis 3
Brown Creeper - Certhia americana 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) - Dendroica coronata coronata 18
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) - Junco hyemalis hyemalis/carolinensis 18
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)
To finish the day, I joined up with my always dependable good buddy Kirk Marshall and attended a banding demonstration of Northern Saw-whet Owls over at Drumlin Farm from 7 to 9:45 pm. What a freaking treat that was! For one, neither Kirk or myself had ever seen a Saw-whet Owl, and for me, this was my first banding demonstration of any kind! These lovely little owls (they only average 7 to 8 inches in length, from crown to tip of tail) are just so damned cute, especially with those huge saucer eyes that are so very startling yellow in contrast with their black pupils, pale facial disk and rufous-colored, streaky chest! We got to see how the tags were put on and how they recorded the data they obtained from each owl they captured. By the time Kirk and I had left Drumlin, from my best recollection (I was too concerned with the individual owls themselves afterall), we had 7 Saw-whets captured, banded, data-recorded and released back into the wild. I do wish I could count these Saw-whets as a Life bird, but that would be cheating. Yes, they are wild birds, but they were not seen on normal, everyday terms, as in just being out birding and chancing upon one in the wild, unfettered and not tampered with. These wild owls were captured in nets, tagged, measurements taken and finally released. Oh well.....one day Kirk and I will chance upon a Saw-whet in the wild just doing its thing without human interference! I did take a few pictures, but they are on my camera phone and not readily accessible to download to my laptop and thusly, upload to Facebook and this blog. The memory however, shall always remain, etched in my mind!
Truly a superb day it was....now it is time to catch some shut-eye and sleep in! Happy birding to everyone!
Saturday, May 1, 2010
eBird Report - Hartwell Family Memorial Preserve, Littleton, 5/1/10
After having enjoyed myself with my colleagues and friends over at Drumlin Farm, and after getting something to drink at home, I decided to continue this fine day by checking out the Hartwell Family Memorial Preserve which is almost in my backyard! Went traversing around the trails there for about an hour and fifteen minutes, from 5 to 6:15 pm. Nothing unusual for this time of year, though seeing 10 TURKEY VULTURES soaring in wide-arcing circles over the entire preserve was pretty sweet. Its been a while since I have seen so many vultures all at once. The 9 MYRTLE WARBLERS was the highest count I have seen so far this year. I got a feeling though tomorrow might be a banner day (hopefully anyhow)! Heading to Parker River NWR with my good buddy Kirk early in the morn till when we feel like we've been worn out! Happy birding to all tomorrow, it looks like the spring migration is in full effect after seeing all of today's reports!
Location: Hartwell Family Memorial Preserve, Littleton
Observation date: 5/1/10
Number of species: 17
Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos 8
Turkey Vulture - Cathartes aura 10
Red-tailed Hawk - Buteo jamaicensis 1
Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura 3
Downy Woodpecker - Picoides pubescens 2
Blue Jay - Cyanocitta cristata 7
American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos 2
Tree Swallow - Tachycineta bicolor 3
Black-capped Chickadee - Poecile atricapillus 22
Tufted Titmouse - Baeolophus bicolor 9
American Robin - Turdus migratorius 14
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) - Dendroica coronata coronata 9
Eastern Towhee - Pipilo erythrophthalmus 1
White-throated Sparrow - Zonotrichia albicollis 13
Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus 25
Common Grackle - Quiscalus quiscula 7
American Goldfinch - Carduelis tristis 8
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org/
And here is the webpage from the Littleton Conservation Trust's website about the Hartwell Family Memorial Preserve
Location: Hartwell Family Memorial Preserve, Littleton
Observation date: 5/1/10
Number of species: 17
Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos 8
Turkey Vulture - Cathartes aura 10
Red-tailed Hawk - Buteo jamaicensis 1
Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura 3
Downy Woodpecker - Picoides pubescens 2
Blue Jay - Cyanocitta cristata 7
American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos 2
Tree Swallow - Tachycineta bicolor 3
Black-capped Chickadee - Poecile atricapillus 22
Tufted Titmouse - Baeolophus bicolor 9
American Robin - Turdus migratorius 14
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) - Dendroica coronata coronata 9
Eastern Towhee - Pipilo erythrophthalmus 1
White-throated Sparrow - Zonotrichia albicollis 13
Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus 25
Common Grackle - Quiscalus quiscula 7
American Goldfinch - Carduelis tristis 8
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org/
And here is the webpage from the Littleton Conservation Trust's website about the Hartwell Family Memorial Preserve
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