Late Day Birding at Bolton Flats

I would do very little birding today, due to the fact that I made myself promise that I would spend the entire day spring cleaning because it needed to be done due to the consistent neglect I've been giving the house since Mid April due to bird migration so decided to tackle it sooner rather than later as it was getting on my nerves. The promise would soon be broken when Alan sent me an email last night letting me know Tom had reported a Common Moorhen at Bolton Flats and he was considering going and wanted to know if I wanted to tag along and who was I to refuse such an offer!!!

As soon as we arrived the rain would start which was a blow to the stomach as it was nice out the entire day while I was slaving over the floors so wouldn't you know the rain would wait until I got outside to release its wrath.

We played the tape a few times over the course of about 20 minutes or so and wouldn't hear anything in return. While we never got to see the Moorhen, we both SAW AND HEARD the American Bittern which was such the treat. The bird was pumping rather closely and after a while would fly off to another part of the marshes which allowed us a really good look at it and it was awesome. We would be scanning the mud flats for shorebirds where we saw both a Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs as well as one Least Sandpiper when suddenly we would both hear "Cowcat"coming somewhere in the area of the flats which would be none other than a Ring-necked Pheasant LIFER!! :-p. HA, Alan and I have had a joke going around regarding me getting the pheasant as many people question whether or not these birds are considered countable considering many are raised and released for hunting but it's still countable on eBird and I am trying to get well above my record of 171 last year in total so I will take what I can get at this point. So funny to finally get it though because it's been one bird I haven't wanted to get passionately because you know I will have it on eBird as my last bird saw due to the fact that the FOY birds have been tougher to get now that migration is almost over with and I already have most of the breeding birds out there.

Anyhow, the picture above is one of three Virgina Rails we would see as we were walking back to the car. They would be in the path as well, but just a little further away from us so I just had to take out my camera for an attempted picture, despite the rain that was falling fairly heavily at the time.

Not sure how much birding I will due tomorrow due to more work I need to do around the house, but will get out there bright and early tomorrow with Alan for our first day of Operation Black Vulture. What is Operation Black Vulture you ask???? Well allow me to tell you!!!!

You see, I was at my computer this afternoon, feeling really good about myself as my windows sparkled and my house smelled of Lysol when suddenly I would get an email from Alan and all it would say was Black Vulture in a huge font and nothing else. I would sit there for a moment staring at the heading and afraid to click it, due to the fact that I didn't go to the Forbush Field Trip today because I REALLY needed to get this housework done as it couldn't wait any longer. I would stare at the email and picture opening it with Alan's breathless email on how all members of the club who attended the trip had this gorgeous Black Vulture teed up in a tree and how everyone got killer looks at it and even some cool photos which he would include of course, just to torture me more. "Mom, my kids suddenly cried in protest, are you going to get off of that computer and help us in the kitchen". "Just a minute, I replied back as I clicked my reply to Alan which would consist of "What, Where????. The smell on Lysol that once smelled so appealing to me suddenly made me nauseous as I kicked myself for deciding to spend one day being a domestic goddess vs. bush whacking the woods covered in Off looking for birds. After a long torturous wait, Alan would finally email me back saying that Bart saw a Black Vulture at the Millbury Bike Path before Alan would get there so he would be looking for it tomorrow morning of course as it appeared to have lifted off with the Turkey Vultures in the morning who roost somewhat close to my house.

What is funny about this is I was just telling Alan about a month ago that I had a gut feeling we would see a Black Vulture this year in Central Massachusetts and we would get one in Millbury no less, but it was more like wishful thinking in a way as we do that often while driving when we are thinking of what the next bird will be that we will get to get our lists higher (yes we are that dorky). So with that said, Alan and I are going to be camping out around the bike path every morning when the vultures all lift off, hoping to see that Black Vulture Bart was fortunate enough to see. And while we are on the subject of Bart, does anyone notice he gets all of the good birds. A Scissor-tailed Flycatcher while watching for hawks, a Black Tern at Gate 40 and now a Black Vulture at the bike path after Alan and I have spent months scanning the skies in this town for one! Not fair I tell ya, totally not fair!!! ;-).

I will let you know how we all do.

Take care all.

Whip-poor-wills, Dowichers, Marsh Wrens and others

I did some more birding Thursday night and attended a Forbush Bird Club trip in Lancaster that started off at Bolton Flats. The trip was led by Bart and he would already be there and locate a Short-billed Dowicher (FOY) which was a pleasant surprise as it was unexpected which made it even sweeter. I would attempt photos but they came out so bad, I am too embarrassed to post them and that's saying a lot! There would also be a pumping American Bittern and a Sora calling and Common Nighthawks flying overhead as the warm sun still shone bright so it was a fantastic way to start off the trip and end the day.

We would take off to the Lancaster WMA for Whip-poor-wills but got much more than that including a Vesper Sparrow!, Grasshopper Sparrow! Field Sparrow and Song Sparrow, so it was a really good sparrow trip which is pretty darn impressive considering it's not fall yet when that's when you normally bird for the sparrows. We would finally get to a location where the skies rung with the sound of amphibian's which made listening for the Whip-poor-wills rather challenging. We would finally hear them which made me very happy because this is a life bird for me, and I don't get them nearly as often as I did last year. As we were leaving, we would hear Whip-poor-wills calling, and an American Woodcock peenting which was one of the loveliest sounds I have heard this year in the evening thus far, but the mood would kind of be ruined by the sound of gunshots being heard at Fort Devens, but I am starting to get used to that noise with all of the birding I am doing at Oxbow lately.
Alan and I would head to Uxbridge this morning looking for the elusive Worm-eating Warbler and once again, we would go through a maze of bike trails and thick woods and never find the area they are supposed to be at but it wouldn't be as bad as earlier this week because we weren't lost and it wasn't raining out. This warbler is now the official nemesis bird for the month of May so we will get back there this weekend as we are now on an official mission as that bird is so cute I just have to see it!
We would then head all the way to the Winamusett WMA hoping for an Alder Flycatcher and we would hear the bird shortly after arriving, but the darn bird would never grace us with its physical presence so we had to settle for 2nd best which was hearing it. As we were leaving we would see a Rose-breasted Grosbeak nearby and the bird was kind enough to sit still while I attempted a photo which has become much appreciated lately.
While we were leaving, we would drive by a farm and I would do my usual STOP! which usually means a bird of interest so imagine Alan's surprise when he sees me ooohing and aahhing over this miniature horse. Sigh, I have seen pictures of these beauties but never seen one with my own two eyes so I was immediately swept away by it. So cute!
Since we were in the area we decided to hit Brookfield in hopes for the Marsh Wens that are known to breed there and we had almost given up hope as we walked along the railroad tracks as the hot sun beamed down at us from above. Just as we got to the ends of the cat tails we would hear them which was great because while I got these wrens last year at the Great Meadows in Concord, I would never have them in Worcester County so this is a new Worcester County bird for me so I left there very happy.

Take care all

Very little Birding this Week

I have done very little birding this week due to severe allergies that have kept me indoors and out of work but snuck in a bit here and there with Alan as I figured birding may just be what the Dr ordered as Bolton Flats always makes me feel better, especially when a new shorebird is reported being there like the Semipalmated Plover Bart reported seeing.
The plover as well as the other birds would be fairly close to the path because the mud is starting to dry up which made getting pictures easier but I really wish we had more rain yesterday because the waters are starting to dry up quickly which means bye bye to all of these wonderful shorebirds (really wanted a White-rumped before they all head north to breed)
There would also be the regulars like the Greater Yellowlegs above.
And quite a few Lesser Yellowlegs which is always nice to see. There is no more water fowl here, but scores of swallows which is turning into another fun hobby of mine to try and differentiate each species method of flying to look for differences which is hard to do in itself because they are very fast flyers.
We would also go to Sterling Peat to check on the Bank Swallows and there would be some there and working on a nest so it was nice to see they have decided to nest fairly close by. We would also get our FOY Willow Flycatcher here as well which was nice to see.
I did some birding on my own after work and was elated to see the Green Herons at St Philips being more visible as they have been in hiding lately. Last time I saw them I only saw one, so was happy to see two this time including the one above who was fairly close by, but alas the leaves were once again in the way so I attempted a photo in between branches and my camera finally decided to focus on the bird instead of the leaves.
I would see not that many warblers there (but wasn't doing any heavy birding as it was getting dark). The only warblers I would see would be the now familiar Yellow-rumped Warblers. Not the best photo per say, but liked this one as it shows off that horseshoe of theirs that they have on the chest which is a good field mark when looking at these warblers from afar.
I would also see the lone Savannah Sparrow I saw when I had the migrating Rusty Blackbirds so its nice to see it has decided to stick around.

Will be posting more this weekend as Mass Audubon is having their bird-a-thon and you know I will be doing that!

Take care all

What else but Birding of Course-Even in the Rain!

Alan and I headed out to Lancaster this morning with our first stop being Oxbow, and were hoping for some migrating warblers despite the rain that pelted against the windshield and the dirt path. We would continue along our way when Alan would wonder out loud "if anyone else would be there today besides us", as migration is in full swing. Alan was wondering of course because there are times when both of us question our sanity when it comes to birding as most folks don't bird during downpours and thunderstorms, but I can't help to wonder why as one can get a lot of good birds during a good old fashioned rain storm. "Maybe there will be", I say in return because after all it is May and there are birds to be seen as I think back to our field trip to Royalston for winter finches when it was 40 below zero with wind gusts and think this is rather mild in comparison.

The parking lot would be bare as we got out of the car, but we would hear tons of birds coming from every direction including Blue-gray Gnatcathers, Yellow-throated Vireos, Baltimore Orioles and American Redstarts. We would make our way along the path with our final destination being the small body of water with the bird blind because there are usually lots of warblers there so we were hoping they would be out there singing away rain and all. We would come across the wave of warblers with most of them being Yell0w-rumps and a few Yellow Warblers thrown in as well. Our binoculars would be going from tree to tree as warblers would fly at every angle into thick cover as we tried to get an id on all of them which was yet again overwhelming when there are only two people trying to id a dozen or so warblers. Suddenly I would see one land in some vegetation in the middle of the small pond and I would get my bins on it and be left speechless momentarily as the most beautiful Canada Warbler I have ever seen stared back at me in return. My breath would be caught in my chest for a moment as I marveled at its gorgeous white eye ring that contrasted beautifully against its gray head. I would get Alan on the bird too so he could confirm and it would be indeed our FOY Canada Warbler. Score!! Rain and all. We would do a little more birding and decide to head to Bolton Flats and on our way back Alan would hear a Veery doing its "Veer" song and soon enough I would recognize it too as I was a little rusty with its veer song vs its more typical one.
After that it was onto Bolton Flats for shorebirds of course as well as a chance to see the Magnolia Warbler that was reported there yesterday so we would hope our lucky streak would continue. There would be a ton of Yellow Warblers as well as American Redstarts but no Magnolia unfortunately, so we decided to console ourselves by looking at shorebirds as that always does seem to lift the spirits some. There would be quite a few shorebirds around including both Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Spotted Sandpipers, my FOY Least Sandpiper and a couple of Solitary Sandpipers like the one above who was having itself a little breakfast. We would be scanning the mudflats with our scopes when suddenly Alan came across a bird that warranted further investigation, so we made our way a little closer and were psyched to see it was one of three Black-bellied Plovers!
They would still not be in full breeding plumage but it didn't take away from how lovely they were to see, especially on a day as gloomy as today.
The weather conditions would make getting clear photos of the bird challenging, but we could still get really good looks at them through our scopes and Alan pointed out their behavior while feeding and how it differs from some of the other shorebirds and I would soon pick up on that so it was fascinating to watch.
We would make our way out of Bolton and I would hear a Virginia Rail as well as a Common Yellowthroat above.
Our last destination would be one of Alan's atlas blocks in hopes of one of the Nashville Warblers he has had there the past couple of years and it wouldn't take us long to see the two of them. The rain would continue to fall at this point so getting decent pictures of the bird was not possible due to both the rain and the fact that the birds didn't want to come down any lower, but I was happy to see them just the same and to hear their song of course.

All in all a fantastic day rain and all.

Take care..

Forbush Bird Club-Leicester and other birding

I attended the Forbush Bird Club Trip in Leicester today which was led by Susan which started off at Mullbury Street and as soon as we arrived we would be inundated by bird song which was wonderful to hear because it was a clear indicator that we would see a lot of good birds which we would soon find out. Susan has super sharp hearing and could hear a Black- and White Warbler so off we went to go search for it and as we were looking we would hear our FOY Ovenbird which was a sound that was welcome to hear after the long, dreary winter we had. We would continue along our way and see quite a few other birds with the highlight being the Black-and white Warbler finally but the lighting was so bad I never would manage to get a decent picture of it, but was very happy with the look I got of it through my binoculars.

We would all get in our cars and make our way to our 2nd destination and Susan had stopped the car caravan because she had heard something distant yet again, which turned out to be our FOY Blue-winged Warbler which is without a doubt one of my favorite warbler songs because it was one of the 1st ones I remembered so it would be another great bird to get for the day. We would all be looking around with our bins to get a visual on it, when Alan would spot our FOY Scarlet Tanager so needless to say, that was quite the productive stop!
We would continue onto Sylvester Street where there would be song coming at every angle and while it was indeed welcome, it was a little overwhelming because they were all singing at once. We would hear more Ovenbirds here, some Black-throated Greens, a Northern Parula and finally hear and spot a FOY Black-throated Blue which was another great bird to get this early in the year. Seriously, they must have all migrated over night because we got some fantastic birds we wouldn't think we would get this early in the year so it was like an early Christmas or something. ;-).
And not only would the birds be showing off their brilliant colors but so would the woodland flowers including this very lovely Purple Trillium above.
We would make our way along the path where we would bump into pockets of birds here and there including another Northern Parula, more Ovenbirds, Blue-headed Vireos and this very bizarre looking Cedar Waxwing above.
The most numerous of birds the entire day were the White-throated Sparrows in which we easily saw well over 50 of them. They would be going past us by the dozen and landing in brush or directly on the path and we would all put our bins on them making sure we didn't have anything in there that was not a white throat. They would sing their beautiful song and we would get some incredible looks at the very handsome males in their breeding plumage, but the highlight would be seeing a couple of them enjoying themselves in a puddle smack in the middle of the path. A couple of them would be drinking which was fun to watch as they tipped their heads back to get a good drink, and then a couple more would be doing one of my favorite things to watch birds which is take a bath. So cute to see them getting their little bodies in the tiny puddle and shaking about and you could clearly see they were really enjoying themselves.

Suddenly, we would be delighted to see a Palm Warbler join in on the fun and it was obvious this bird really takes his bath time seriously as he bathed for a good five minutes as we all stood their watching his every move. Bruce would have his really nice camera and the bird was so absorbed in his bathing that he was able to get some shots so it will be really interesting to see how they come out. One of the highlights of the day (which is saying a lot because there were many). I have never seen a warbler bathe before and the sun would shine in such a way that his vibrant plumage of his sparkled which was a feast for the eyes.
Here is another lousy, distant shot, but I like it just the same. Seriously, I have a list of "so cute" moments in my head with different birding experiences I have had since I started birding and this is in the top 10. So cute!!!!

We would end the trip with a very impressive list of birds including some House Wrens and another Blue-winged Warbler so all it all, it was a great way to spend a Saturday as spring definitely seems here now, so enough of the lousy weather and bring on more warblers!
After that Alan and I would head to Bolton Flats to look for the Lesser Yellowlegs as we had missed them where we were there yesterday morning and it didn't take us long to find them as there were three of them. I really like this shot because it shows off that smaller bill it has compared to the Greater Yellowlegs. Another thing I would pick up on was how dainty it walks compared to a Greater Yellowlegs. It's steps are a lot more graceful almost ballerina like vs. the Greater who would clearly needs dancing lessons if ever given the opportunity as he walks more the a T Rex. Another highlight would be seeing two of them chasing after each other which was interesting to see as they are not on breeding territory. One would be more dominant and chase the other off, but the other one would return defiantly only to be chased off again.
I would take off on my own for Assebet/ SuAsCo in Westborough to see if the Yellow-throated Vireos were back yet and I would immediately hear a Ruby-crowned Kinglet when I got out of the car. I would spend a couple minutes looking for it, but would never see it. I would make my way down the trail and hear many warbling Vireos and then finally the Yellow-throated. I would manage to get one good look at it with my bins and then it would proceed to fly up higher into the trees and leaf cover so I was never able to get a photo. I figured I would do better further down the path as last year I got a fantastic photo of one in a spot there so off I went. Suddenly I could hear some scolding like sounds coming from the spot I saw the vireo last year and was able to locate the bird but it wouldn't turn out to the the Yellow-throated Vireo, but a FOY Baltimore Oriole instead! I would also get one of the Brown Thrashers here as well as a Gray Catbird so I was glad I decided to get over there to check on the vireos as I got some other bonuses mixed in.

Take care all!

A great way to end the month! More FOY Birds

I had the day off today so took off to do some birding w/ Alan as the weather was so nice and the winds had died down some so we were hoping we would get some first of the year birds, with warblers being on the top of our list. We would decide to head to Oxbow and of course we rubber necked some of the spots at Bolton Flats that could be seen on the way from route 117 and we would see this one lone Greater Yellowlegs in the middle of a very small body of water. I am really trying to focus some of my learning this year on shorebirds and have been reading up on the this bird in particular and have read they are often in deeper water than many of the other shorebirds which you can clearly see here as it is so submerged in water, you can't even see its yellow legs.
After that we would go to Oxbow and the first bird we would hear when we got out of the car would be a Warbling Vireo. I was very happy I knew the song once I heard it as last year I would always confuse this song with the House Finch but that would not be the case this morning, so I am hoping the mental cramp from last year is a thing of the past. FOY bird for me and a lot easier to see than the Blue-headed Vireos so I was able to get a lousy photo of one before it flew off across the path
We make our way around the paths and to an area the Northern Water Snakes are known to be at so took our time in the area hoping to see some, but there wouldn't be any today, but we did see this Great-blue Heron above. Not the best photo by any means but thought it was interesting due to that spot of blue you can see near its scapulars. Have never noticed that before today and not sure if its normal or not.
We would continue along the way and come across a few pockets of birds including the many Blue-gray Gnatcathers like the one above. A little further down the path we would come across our first pocket of warblers with all of them being the Yellow-rumps but then suddenly we would hear a different warbler song coming from the other side of the river which was indeed music to our ears as it hadn't been heard since last year and it would be that of the Northern Parula!!

At first we would hear a rather faint zeeeeeeeeeeee-yup and we would stop dead in our tracks and look at each other as recognition started to take hold but we weren't sure yet as we were not expecting it today. Alan would play the Ipod song of the bird to confirm it was in fact the parula song and that would draw the bird a little closer to us where not only would it sing its typical song, but its other song that sounds like Porky Pig singing his classic ah-bee ah-bee, ah-bee that's all folks!! He would do that song a couple of times and then switch back to his normal song with a few call note in between. The warbler would never make it close across our side of the river to get a visual on it, but there would be no mistake that it was a Northern Parula so it will be interesting to see how long it decides to stick around.
On our way back we would get another reminder that it is indeed spring as we saw this pair of Canada Geese crossing the path and entering the water with goslings in tow!
We would head back to Bolton because I really wanted to get a look at the Pectoral Sandpiper as I have been striking out on it and as soon as we got out of the car we would hear many Yellow Warblers like the one above. Such a fantastic bird to see and another FOY bird for me (should also note there was a Warbling Vireo here too)
When were first scanned the mudflats we would see no shorebirds, but soon enough some Greater Yellowlegs flew in and shortly after that we would see two Pectoral Sandpipers so I decided to try and digiscope one despite how far away it was. Another FOY for me and one I have wanted for over a week now so it was nice to finally get.
We would head to Barre Falls next hoping to finally get that Louisiana Waterthrush I couldn't get last weekend and while we never did get that bird, we did get our FOY Black-throated Green Warbler that I managed to get a lousy photo of. Seriously, I have forgotten how challenging getting decent photos of warblers can be because they are so darn small and too darn quick. Not to mention they like to be up high and now there are leaves on the trees so it makes it quite the challenge. Still nice to see because it's such a beautiful bird and another one of my favorite songs to hear when in the coniferous woods. We would also hear the unmistakable call of a Broad-winged Hawk in the locality and get a quick look at it as it flew somewhat low in the forest under story which was nice to see.
After that I would go home but take off on my own later in the evening. Not much to see but I did finally flush a Ruffed Grouse from Brierly after trying now for only the past couple of months so it was nice to finally get it there and then I would see this Eastern Towhee above in the midst of a tune at one of the local powerlines. There would also be some Yellow Warblers there too so I am guessing this weekend there will be more of them and other warblers which can't come soon enough for me.

Take care all

Birding at Bolton Flats & Other Places

Another gloomy day, you know, the kind of day where one tends to sleep in late to wake up and enjoy a leisurely breakfast and a hot cup of coffee while reading the morning paper. That is unless you're a birder during the month of April when new things appear just about daily lately, and the only way you can keep up is to get out there rain or shine so that's exactly what Alan and I did this morning. Since it was rather gloomy outside, we didn't hold out much hope for passerines but instead chose to go to Bolton Flats to look for ducks with the Northern Shoveler being at the top of the preferred list.

We made our way carefully and quietly to the north side, to only have a huge flock of ducks (mostly Green-winged Teal), take the the air in panic as we had been discovered yet again! We would take out our scopes and scan the waters which was challenging in itself with the fog and drizzle which is unforgiving to the optics as many of you are aware. Finally, Alan would spot a bird of interest and try and zoom in on it, only to have a set of two fly on over to the south side of the flats. We packed up our scopes and were making our way to the south side, when Alan hears a Blue-gray Gnatcather high up in a tree so we are both looking above trying to locate it. As we are looking up I am convinced I hear the call of a Virginia Rail but then it doesn't call again so we assume it must have been a Red-winged Blackbird or something as we walk back to the car as the gnatcatcher appeared to have taken off as well.

We go onto the South side to see nothing (the Snow Goose is still there though), so decide to hit the north side at a different angle and again nothing, so off we go toward the general store for some coffee and what do we see on the South side away from the parking lot, but the darn Northern Shovelers and in really good view from the car in the middle of the very busy road!! We back up into a parking place and make our way past the guard rail on foot and in the mud, as route 117 can be rather dangerous and as we make our way closer, off they go again onto the north side! So what do we do? Why we get back in the car and follow them again of course!

The only thing is, they are not there..... We scan the waters for a couple of minutes and start making our way back when suddenly we both hear the call of the Virginia Rail this time. We can tell by the call that it's fairly close so Alan takes out his IPod and plays the call for a few seconds and it doesn't take long for the bird to respond.
And as you can see by its facial expressions it is not at all happy with a new guy coming onto his turf and is going to make everyone at Bolton Flats very aware of it!
We stop the IPod after a few seconds to not tick him off anymore and he decides to stick around for a while which gave us a really good look at him. We would also see another one in some thick vegetation that peeked its head out long enough for us to count it. We would also finally see the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and Ruby-crowned Kinglet in this same location so it's just as well that the shovelers led us on this wild goose chase!
Our hands would be raw at this point so we went off to the general store for one of their nifty coffees and while we were drinking them, we would see a flock of 5 Cedar Waxwings directly above us in a crab apple tree eating last years leftovers. Soon enough some House Sparrows decided to join in too and then another visitor.
Which would be the Northern Mockingbird above. So there you have it all, and this is how a birder spends their time on a rainy Saturday-stalking a pair of ducks as if an episode of Dragnet and staring at birds in a tree outside of a general store while drinking a cup of Joe. We birders are a unique group of people that's for sure, but I wouldn't have it any other way ;-).
After that it was time to head home but the skies appeared to have lifted some so I decided to venture off on my own after lunch and went to the Assebet Conservation area for some light birding and just some hiking in the woods as I sometimes find it very relaxing to walk in the woods in the rain. As soon as I got out of my car, I would hear the familiar one note call of the White-throated Sparrows and would be treated to a gorgeous male who would be at eye level to me and was kind enough to remain that way while I got a couple of photos like the one above.
There would also be a few warblers like theYell0w-rumped above who decided to engage me in a game of peek-a-boo for a few minutes as it went along the tree path and I followed, only to have it tease me on occasion with a peek here and there.
The Palm Warbler on the other hand continues to be a regular ham for the camera.
And would even be so bold to allow me a couple of photos while it preened and tried to shake off some of the rain.
The warblers would be part of a flock of woodland birds that were all following each other and in this flock would be a couple of Downy Woodpeckers just like always.
I would finally leave the flock to head off on my own where I would see a Blue Jay who was as quiet as a mouse on a tree adding material to a nest. I take out my camera to get a photo and get spotted and off it flies into some bushes. I back up for a moment to give it its space and hoping it will come back so I can get a photo of it, but it was onto my game and wanted no part of it.

On another note, I decided to do my morning run in Grafton this morning right before sunrise in an area where Great Horned Owls are known to be so I was hoping I would hear them. No sooner would I get to a slow jog, would I hear one on one side of the road doing it's "Who's awake, me too......Immediately after that would be another Great Horned across the street responding with a two hoot call. I stopped running at this point and just kept walking toward the sound of the owl as daylight was just starting to appear so I was hoping I could get a look at it. I make my way on top of a hill as one flies above my head and over to the other side of the street to be with its mate. This is most likely the pair that just experienced a recent nest failure so find it rather interesting that they are doing their territorial hooting and not sure if this is normal after a nest failure or not.

Take care all.

Birding Lancaster-Blue-winged Teal and a new sparrow!

Alan and I went back to Bolton Flats today to attempt yet again to get the Blue-winged Teal as now its getting personal because every birder who has gone to Bolton Flats in the past week or so has gotten the darn bird except for the two of us so we were on a mission!!!! We decided to go to the South side 1st to try our luck there as opposed to dragging our scopes out to the main parking lot area as quietly as we would to scan the waters that are more vast, hence, more difficult as you have more to scan. Needless to say, we wouldn't see the Blue-winged Teal here (we did have the Snow Goose though), so we did wind up going to the Main area to scan in the FREEZING COLD by the way and once again, no luck!!

After that we decided to go to another area close by to try for the Vesper Sparrow where we run into Strickland Wheelock who is there leading an Audubon Trip and he proceeds to tell us, that he had just left the South side a few minutes after we had left and guess what he had......Go on, guess.............Why the darn Blue-winged Teal, that's what and on the convenient South side to boot! Alan and I rushed back and did another scan and low and behold, no Blue-winged Teal. We sat there for a while scanning the waters hoping for a miracle and then suddenly a bird flew into view and guess what it was...
Why the Blue-winged Teal that's what (lifer)! We were both very happy at this point as we looked at the bird and I got some really good looks at it so attempted to take a photo. I would have to settle for the lousy one above because there were so many Canada Geese in the water that they essentially took up the whole pond so every time I would try and get a photo, either a goose or a Mallard would get in the way and block my view.
After that we decided to head back to try and get the Vesper Sparrow, but didn't have much hope due to how cold it was this morning. We would arrive there and wouldn't hear any bird song, which is not a good sign when you are looking for birds because it means they are hunkered down low vs. teed up and singing. Alan takes us to an area he thinks would be ideal as it is sheltered from the strong winds of today, and the closer we got, the louder a particular call note would get and it sounded reminiscent of a Vesper Sparrow and after a little pishing, this little guy popped up to see who was causing all of the racket.
None other than the Vesper Sparrow (lifer!). As soon as it popped into view my breathing stopped for a moment and heart gave a little pitter patter because the bird was rather sweet looking as it glanced our way and sang its song. I was thrilled to get a picture of him singing as you all know how fond I am of pictures where I can get a bird with its bill open as its belting out a tune!!

Snow Goose now on the other side of Bolton Flats with all of the Canada Geese and Gulls because there were Crow hunters on the South side

After that we decided to hit Bolton Flats one more time in hopes for the Northern Shoveler. While driving there, I was telling Alan how nice it would be to get a Northern Harrier in Worcester County in the spring vs fall because I am essentially obsessed with my raptors and want them all on my list before June :-p. While walking to the waters from the main parking area, we see a raptor appear out of nowhere and it is none other than a female Northern Harrier. HA!! No pictures though as it was a total surprise and I wasn't prepared, but a pleasant surprise none the less.
We would also have a Red-tailed Hawk there and an Osprey who was carrying fish in its talons. Lousy photo though but what else is new lately.

Finally it was time to head a little closer to home but decided to make a quick stop at St Philips. We wouldn't see much there, except for a now very familiar scene to me which were the Northern Flickers chasing each other around while making their super cute flicKa, flicKa call. Take a look at the photo above and you will see the birds I am referring to. Are they not adorable or what?? Here they are gazing into each others eyes as spring has sprung and this is what birds do this time of the year right???

Not so fast.......Take a good look at both of their faces and what you see??? Notice something consistent with the two of them?? How about the black malar that is on both of their faces which only means one thing and that is both of them are male!! It's not what you think really it isn't. ;-). What you are seeing here is a good old fashioned case of male rivalry going on as they are both fighting over a female who isn't in any of these pictures. All she does is fly around while these two fly after her in return in between staring each other down and giving some pretty evil looks to each other if you ask me.

Like the look above. Seriously, talk about ice cold. HA!! All in all, a really good day. It is getting harder and harder to get life birds now that I am not as new as I was last year, so it was quite the treat to get two of them in one day no less!

Take care all.