eBird Report - Pondicherry NWR, Jefferson, NH, 6/19/10 - Bears, otters and warblers, oh my!!

Despite this weekends fairly high temperatures, even for up in northern New England, my good buddy Kirk and I just had to make our first stop of the year to Pondicherry NWR in Jefferson, NH. I had been itching for weeks to get up there, for I consider this wonderful haven of mine to be my "paradise" in all of New England so far!! And so, I met up with Mr. Marshall in Burlington, MA by 6:30 am, and it was at 9:30 am that we arrived at Pondicherry!!! We certainly figured the flies would be horrendous, and they did not disappoint. They were still bearable, but they seemed to love Kirk far more than me, which is certainly a good spate of fortune on my part.

Kirk and I just love being up there, for it truly is "god's country" as the saying goes.....breathtaking panoramic views, crisp air with a hint of fresh pine aloft! We never know what to expect when we visit Pondicherry, but it never disappoints! The birds were hard to get on because it was so sunny and of course, so much foliage. Still, we had a few good birds. An Alder Flycatcher and American Kestrel were our first treats, though the Alder was heard only, for we all know how well Empids tend to blend in with their surroundings. We were hoping, when we got down to "Big" Cherry Pond that we would chance upon Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers and Chestnut-sided Warblers again, but alas, none such species were seen this go around. We then walked down to Moorhen Marsh, and sadly, no Marsh Wrens either, though a female Common Yellowthroat was chipping away at us and and displaying to protect her nest, a very peculiar and interesting show!

On our way back to Cherry Pond, a Common Loon was sighted, much to our pleasure, before us heading off to Little Cherry Pond to see if the pair of Black-backed Woodpeckers were still around. Sadly, this was not the case. However, on our way over to Little Cherry, we came across a bunch of Hermit Thrushes and a warbler of some question. There may have been 2 warblers in the same vicinity, for the bird that my binocs were sighted upon looked by all accounts to be a Canada Warbler. My good buddy, according to all that he saw, was a Hooded Warbler. I am not sure if we were looking at the same bird, and my observation skills were in error if so, but he was adamant it was a Hooded. But, I just have to go with my gut here based on what I saw, though at the time I did not protest this to Kirk. Thusly, I firmly believe what I saw was a Canada. For all intents and purposes, I hope it was another bird he was on and it was indeed a Hooded, for that would be a Lifer for him (would've been for me as well). As it is, the Canada is in fact a Lifer for me. If he reads this post, of which Kirk might indeed, he may be upset with me, but I just have to go with me gut on this. I saw a yellow throat and breast, grayish back and the black necklace that Kirk fondly calls dribbled chocolate sauce that is on the chest of the Canada. He firmly believes that bird he saw had the yellow face with black mask, which definitely indicated a Hooded. Here is hoping we were both on different birds!

Well, enough of that, after the warblers we chanced upon, we were treated to 3 river otters swimming across Little Cherry Pond, though sadly, no Black-backed Woodpeckers. That is alright though, we were able to come upon them last year while on the trail leading to Little Cherry!

The icing on the cake for us though was just before we came back to the parking lot. I saw a large black mammal about 75 feet in front of us dart across the path after giving us a quick glance. At first I thought it was someone's dog (Pondicherry was kinda busy that day, at least the most active in terms of visitors that we have ever experienced). But I quickly decided it was a black bear! And to prove it, another black bear darted across the path after the first one!!! The first live black bears I have ever seen without being killed by me (accidently killed off of Route 5 in the NEK of VT, hitting it with my old Chevy Celebrity wagon that I had back in 2001). The bears were the first ones Kirk had ever seen either!! What a way to end the day, that is for sure! I highly recommend everybody goes up to Pondicherry at least once a year! Happy birding to all!!

Location:     Pondicherry NWR, Jefferson, NH
Observation date:     6/19/10
Notes:     The Black-billed Cuckoo, Least and Alder Flycatchers were heard only.
Number of species:     37

Wood Duck - Aix sponsa     1
Common Loon - Gavia immer     1
Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias     3
Northern Harrier - Circus cyaneus     1
American Kestrel - Falco sparverius     1
Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura     2
Black-billed Cuckoo - Coccyzus erythropthalmus     1 (heard only)
Hairy Woodpecker - Picoides villosus     1
Alder Flycatcher - Empidonax alnorum     1 (heard only)
Least Flycatcher - Empidonax minimus     1 (heard only)
Great Crested Flycatcher - Myiarchus crinitus     2
Eastern Kingbird - Tyrannus tyrannus     2
Red-eyed Vireo - Vireo olivaceus     2
Blue Jay - Cyanocitta cristata     4
American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos     3
Tree Swallow - Tachycineta bicolor     3
Black-capped Chickadee - Poecile atricapillus     6
Tufted Titmouse - Baeolophus bicolor     4
Red-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta canadensis     2
Veery - Catharus fuscescens     3
Hermit Thrush - Catharus guttatus     5
American Robin - Turdus migratorius     4
Gray Catbird - Dumetella carolinensus     1
Northern Mockingbird - Mimus polyglottos     1
Cedar Waxwing - Bombycilla cydrorum     14
Yellow Warbler - Dendroica petechia     2
Black-throated Blue Warbler - Dendroica caerulescens     1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) - Dendroica coronata coronata     1
Black-and-white Warbler - Mniotilta varia     3
Ovenbird - Seiurus aurocapilla     1
Common Yellowthroat - Geothlypis trichas     4
Canada Warbler - Wilsonia canadensis     1
Chipping Sparrow - Spizella passerina     2
Song Sparrow - Melospiza melodia     3
Swamp Sparrow - Melospiza georgiana     2
Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus     4
Purple Finch - Carpodacus purpureus     1

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

Forest Society : Press Releases - 50 acres added to Pondicherry Wildlife Refuge

This information was originally posted on NH Birds by David Govatski, but I thought I would share this all with you because Pondicherry Wildlife Refuge in Jefferson, NH is a very dear place to me....and oh yeah, it kicks some serious ass!!

Forest Society : Press Releases

Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge Grows

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, assisted by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, recently culminated an acquisition that began in 2003 to add an important new 50-acre parcel to the Pondicherry Division of the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge.

The owner, Robert Tucker, was delighted to offer this land in Jefferson to the Refuge, where it would fill in a gap in the southeastern portion of the refuge in Jefferson, NH, between other Refuge land and property held by the Audubon Society of New Hampshire that extends to pristine Cherry Pond.
With 2,000 feet of frontage on both sides of Slide Brook, where it forms a broad wetland, the new Tucker addition protects valuable wetland habitat that adds depth and variety to the adjacent Refuge and Audubon lands. The area supports a wide variety of wildlife, including moose, bear, frogs, turtles, and 131 breeding species of birds that include warblers, flycatchers, and woodpeckers. The area is open to recreational activities including hunting and fishing in Slide and Mill Brooks, where eastern brook trout can be found.
“The Forest Society was pleased to facilitate this project in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,” said Forest Society President/Forester Jane Difley. “This is the most recent example of the success that can be realized through the collaborative efforts of public and private land conservation organizations.”
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Refuge Supervisor Janet Kennedy said this event illustrates the importance of partnerships and collaborations. “These acquisitions allow us to protect the connectivity of habitat for wildlife, and with so many of our conservation partnerships we do them together to achieve mutually beneficial conservation goals.”
Silvio Conte Refuge Manager Andrew French praised the assistance of the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests. “This tract of land is another piece of the puzzle we’re trying to assemble,” he said. “Without the critical assistance of the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, it might not have happened.”
This success was made possible by generous donors to the Forest Society, who pushed the funding effort over the goal line, and by the willingness of the Forest Society to step in at a critical moment to keep the land available while the Refuge completed its funding and due diligence processes. This type of cooperation between government agencies and private, non-profit, land trusts are a hallmark of New Hampshire’s conservation successes.
The Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge was established to conserve the abundance and diversity of native plants and animals and their habitats in the 7.2 million acre Connecticut River watershed in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Long been known for its rich, diverse assemblage of wildlife, particularly birds, the Pondicherry Division includes Cherry and Little Cherry Ponds and the surrounding complex of wetlands and swamps located in Jefferson and Whitefield New Hampshire.
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit http://www.fws.gov/.
Founded in 1901, the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests is the state’s oldest and largest non-profit land conservation organization. Supported by 10,000 families and businesses, the Forest Society’s mission is to perpetuate the state’s forests by promoting land conservation and sustainable forestry. For more information, visit www.forestsociety.org.