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/massaudubon/)


And here is the webpage from the Littleton Conservation Trust's website about the Hartwell Family Memorial Preserve

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.

Birdcountr : iPhone and Android bird list app

birdcountr : iphone and android bird list app

Now this looks extremely promising! All I need now is a Google Android-based smartphone (sorry Apple.....NOT) and the hope that eventually iBird will make its way to Android as well!

“The Road to Nowhere” Proposed Road through Izembek National Wildlife Refuge

Izembek NWR - Road to Nowhere

I thought this would be of pertinence to all fellow birders, even if this is for a wildlife habitat so far from our own region. It just irks me to no end now that the Obama administration seems to be less and less environmentally sound as I first supposed back in the beginning, and especially during Obama's campaign for the presidency. I still support Obama, but he truly needs to live up to the his billing, of maintaining and keeping his promises, especially that of being a more environmentally responsible administration aimed at making our country greener and a shining example to the rest of the world.

It is such a proposal like that mentioned in the aboved-linked article where having a road bisect critical habitat like that found in Izembek National Wildlife Refuge of the Aleutian Island chain in Alaska that makes me question the validity and viability of our current administration. Surely, Obama so far has been more responsible than the Bush administration ever was, but he has a long ways to go before becoming what he needs to be for keeping America in a more progressive path. What sort of impact could this have on such amazing and rare birds as the Steller's Eider and Pacific Black Brant and their populations? Obviously, probably not anything positive. Live and let be, mankind has already mucked up far too much, beyond recourse. Here are a couple images of the aforementioned birds found through Google Images:

Certainly, such a proposal cannot be in the public interest, and more definitely, not in the interest of the wildlife that call Izembek home.

A fine day it was yesterday (04/24/2010) with Wildlife Care at Drumlin Farm!

Hopefully volunteering over at Wildlife Care on MAS Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary will open some new pathways, some new doors down the road, but even if it doesn't, the memories I have garnered will last a lifetime!

After having complete morning chores (cleaning indoor and outdoor enclosures, laying food out, etc), A'ndrea Cutler, the interim Wildlife Care Supervisor (sadly she'll be leaving this upcoming Sat, the 1st of May) gave Andrea Coughlan (Wildlife Care Assistant) and myself a brief intro into handling a couple of the birds that at times go on program. Both Andrea and I got to have a red-morph Eastern Screech Owl and an American Kestrel perch itself on our outstretched hands (gloved of course). It was truly amazing to be so very close to these beautiful creatures, to see them in all their glory (even if they are captive and imprinted).

Afterwards, I assisted A'ndrea with the installation of new perches and ladders for our 2 non-flighted Broad-winged Hawks that have an outdoor enclosure on "Bird Hill". Then I assisted A'ndrea with the Broad-wingeds' health check-ups and then not too long afterwards, proceeded to release these beautiful raptors into their newly renovated "home"!

I then assisted in afternoon chores, including feeding the mammals and birds some afternoon snacks, and then when it was time to close up, help usher in the Pekin Ducks, Canada Goose, Mallards and female Turkey Vulture back into their indoor enclosures. I know not every day will be like yesterday, but I most certainly and thoroughly enjoyed myself!

Here are the pics of me with the red-morph Eastern Screech Owl and the American Kestrel: