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 - Great Meadows NWR--Concord Unit, 5/26/10 - Numerous Marsh Wrens....JOY!

I must tell ya, Marsh Wrens are my absolute favorite wren! Don't get me wrong, I enjoy all the wrens I come across immensely, but the Marsh takes the cake! Its gurgling, rattling, rolling trill makes me smile and laugh every time! And when it does pop out of the reeds, it flits around sporadically and on occasion will fly kinda like a miniature hovercraft from one section of reeds to another, gurgling the whole time! Man, ya just got to love all wrens....just zany, crazy, spunky little birds!

Anyhow, so yes, that was my highlight for today at Great Meadows NWR in Concord, being there from 8:30 am to 11 am. Sadly, no Moorhens, no Coots, no Pied-billed Grebe or Least Bittern (though I thought I might have heard the bittern's call, but am not confident about it). I must've been just a little too late in the morning. Plus, it was a bit sticky and fairly warm, and by the time I left, it was already about 90 out (its 94 now in Littleton, as of 1 pm). It was also a distinct pleasure to come across another Willow Flycatcher....just love their song (ritz-BEW!) And it was also sweet to see another small flock of another fave bird of mine, the Cedar Waxwing (Bohemians are just as amazing!). Well, enough from me, enjoy your day everybody and happy birding!

Location:     Great Meadows NWR--Concord Unit
Observation date:     5/26/10
Notes:     Marsh Wrens mainly found along center dike trail bisecting the Upper and Lower Pools, but also a few along both dike trails that parallel the Concord River; relatively small flock of Cedar Waxwings found along dike trail parallel to concord on the Lower Pool side; Willow Flycatcher found in wetlands in between Concord River and Lower Pool in small copse of deciduous trees.
Number of species:     37

Canada Goose - Branta canadensis     24
Mute Swan - Cygnus olor     4
Wood Duck - Aix sponsa     3
Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos     3
Double-crested Cormorant - Phalacrocorax auritus     3
Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias     4
Osprey - Pandion haliaetus     1 (seen flying over small creek that empties from the Lower Pool)
Red-tailed Hawk - Buteo jamaicensis     1
Lesser Yellowlegs - Tringa flavipes     2
Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura     1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - Melanerpes carolinus     1
Downy Woodpecker - Picoides pubescens     2
Eastern Wood-Pewee - Contopus virens     1 (Timber Trail)
Willow Flycatcher - Empidonax traillii     1 (Lower Pool Dike Trail)
Eastern Phoebe - Sayornis phoebe     1 (Bathrooms)
Eastern Kingbird - Tyrannus tyrannus     2
Red-eyed Vireo - Vireo olivaceus     1
Blue Jay - Cyanocitta cristata     2
Tree Swallow - Tachycineta bicolor     6
Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica     2 (buzzing by me along middle of center dike trail)
Black-capped Chickadee - Poecile atricapillus     7
White-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta carolinensis     3
Marsh Wren - Cistothorus palustris     11
American Robin - Turdus migratorius     6
Gray Catbird - Dumetella carolinensis     2
Cedar Waxwing - Bombycilla cedrorum     11
Yellow Warbler - Dendroica petechia     2
Ovenbird - Seiurus aurocapilla     1 (Timber Trail)
Common Yellowthroat - Geothlypis trichas     1 (near Overlook Tower)
Chipping Sparrow - Spizella passerina     6
Song Sparrow - Melospiza melodia     3
Swamp Sparrow - Melospiza georgiana     1
Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis     2
Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus     46
Common Grackle - Quiscalus quiscula     27
Baltimore Oriole - Icterus galbula     1
American Goldfinch - Carduelis tristis     9

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