Forbush Bird Club-Oxbow-May 23rd

I joined 17 other members of the Forbush Bird Club today at Oxbow Wildlife Sanctuary in Harvard, MA. The trip was co-led by local birding experts Fran and Alan and we were able to record 61 species of birds and various other critters such as toads, frogs, snakes, chipmunks, a butterfly and even a dead raccoon.

The air was chilled and the sun was hidden by clouds but signs of summer were all around us as eager eyes searched the leaf filled trees for signs of warblers and other birds. It's amazing how much the world can change in just a few days. I went birding this past Tuesday and getting pictures and glimpses of birds was much easier than today when leaves are now in full bloom.

There was one bird who decided to give me a break though and that was the Common Yellowthroat who sat perched on a branch for a few minutes while I and another birder watched it.

There were signs of life all over the refuge including the one above of an American Robin feeding her nestlings! We were also treated to glimpses of other nests including that of the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher.

The skies were overcast for most of the morning so picture taking was difficult for me. Here is a picture of a Yellow-throated Vireo (LIFER!).

Warblers were still plenty and I saw my first female Common Yellowthroat.

As well as one of my favorite warblers which is the Blue-winged Warbler shown above.

I decided to do some practice on butterfly shots and was happy to see that one of them actually stayed still for me. The butterfly expert on our trip told me what kind of butterfly this is but of course, I forgot. I tried doing a google search for "orange butterfly" and got a lot of info that didn't help me to identify it. Help?? I think I will continue to stick w/ birds as they are much easier for my overwhelmed brain to comprehend.

A Tree Swallow on a wire taken during the end of the trip. It is so nice to see these birds sitting still on occasion because it seems so rare to me.
In the afternoon, Alan and I decided to check out what has been going on at Saint Philips Cemetery in Grafton. I had not been there for at least a month and wanted to check on the Great Blue Heron and Pileated Woodpecker to see if they were nesting still. I was able to get a pretty good look at a female Red-winged Blackbird. While the picture came out blurry, I really liked the fact that I could see that orange on her wings.

The Bluebirds were still there and one was perched up on a branch and just begging to get her photo taken. I practiced pishing (which I feel very uncomfortable doing) and guess what!! It worked! HA. It's not half as hard as I thought. ;o) Here she is responding by looking at me in a cautious manner.

Such a sweet little bird.

The Pileated Woodpeckers were nowhere to be seen and we looked at the nest cavity they had been working on over the spring but saw no evidence of them coming or going. We did see around 4 Great-blue Herons though including the female above who continues to be on her nest.

I will be doing more birding tomorrow and guess what!!! I will be doing it solo. There are no more trips planned for this weekend with it being Memorial Day and other birders have plans so it is time to see if all of this intense birding with more experienced birders has helped me in my own birding. I have not done solo birding in close to two months now and have been spoiled by others knowledge and expertise. Tomorrow and Monday will be the true test in how much I have learned. Wish me luck and cross your fingers that I don't get a bunch of Black-capped Chickadees and the occasional Tufted Titmouse which the usual case with my single birding ventures. Enjoy the long weekend everyone!