eBird Report - Memorial Forest, Sudbury, MA, 4/30/10

Sudbury Valley Trustees' largest reservation, the General Federation of Women's Clubs of Massachusetts Memorial Forest (in short, Memorial Forest) is by far, so far, my favorite property to visit that is owned and maintained by SVT. I had spent about 4.5 hours hiking around the majority of the trails on the property, from 10:45 AM to 3:15 PM.

I certainly wasn't entirely sure what I would see today, but seeing 7 EASTERN TOWHEES was definitely a pleasant surprise! Most of them (4 of the 7) were found along Pipeline Trail, while the rest were found along Desert Trail. They were singing and calling ("drink-your-tea" and "chewink"), music to my ears! Other highlights were the RED-SHOULDERED HAWK found by its vocalizations at first ("kee-yer")....simply gorgeous, especially with the sunlight showing its translucent crescents in its wings! PINE WARBLERS were heard everywhere, but I could only get on a few of them, and fantastic looks too! The PILEATED WOODPECKER I struck upon was heard first, off of Pipeline Trail near Cranberry Brook, caught a brief glimpse whilst it made its irregular, Flicker-like call numerous times. RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES throughout, but particular along Desert Trail and Loop as well as Ocean Bypass. I have never seen a BROWN CREEPER sing before, and its song has always been a fave of mine!

A fine day indeed (and the weather couldn't have been better!) Happy birding to all!

Location:     Memorial Forest, Sudbury, MA
Observation date:     4/30/10
Number of species:     27

Canada Goose - Branta canadensis     2
Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos     2
Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias     1 (near boardwalk spanning Cranberry Brook on Heron Spur Trail)
Turkey Vulture - Cathartes aura     1 (seen soaring over area near jct of Desert Trail and Pipeline Trail)
Red-shouldered Hawk - Buteo lineatus     1 (flying over Cranberry Brook near Heron Spur Trail)
Red-tailed Hawk - Buteo jamaicensis     2
Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura     6
Downy Woodpecker - Picoides pubescens     2
Pileated Woodpecker - Dryocopus pileatus     1 (off of Pipeline Trail near Cranberry Brook)
Blue Jay - Cyanocitta cristata     4
American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos     5
Tree Swallow - Tachycineta bicolor     7
Black-capped Chickadee - Poecile atricapillus     X
Tufted Titmouse - Baeolophus bicolor     X
Red-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta canadensis     6 (observed birds seen off of Desert Trail and Desert Loop)
White-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta carolinensis     5
Brown Creeper - Certhia americana     1 (off of Heron Spur Trail)
American Robin - Turdus migratorius     8
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) - Dendroica coronata coronata     1
Pine Warbler - Dendroica pinus     3
Eastern Towhee - Pipilo erythrophthalmus     7 (along Pipeline Trail & Desert Trail)
White-throated Sparrow - Zonotrichia albicollis     2
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) - Junco hyemalis hyemalis/carolinensis     4
Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis     2
Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus     15
Common Grackle - Quiscalus quiscula     26
American Goldfinch - Carduelis tristis     7

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

And here are the directions to SVT's Memorial Forest: From Sudbury Center (the intersection of Concord Road and Route 27), take Hudson Road west (staying left on Hudson rather than following Route 27 north) for 2.0 mi to Dutton Road on the left. Take Dutton Road 1.8 mi, staying on Dutton Road by bearing right at intersection with Garrison, to an unpaved access on the right into a parking area under pine trees. There is an SVT sign at the entrance to the parking area.