Bird-a-thon 2010

I did my first bird-a-thon ever this weekend which is a fund raiser for Mass Audubon where you can bird from 6PM Friday to 6PM Saturday with the objective to get as many birds as you can within that time frame. I did it around my local area with Alan and while we wanted to get a good bird count, we were not doing it to be competitive per say, but just thought it would be the perfect excuse to get out there and bird hard without thinking we had a birding addiction or anything like that as we were doing it for science and it was our citizens duty of course!!

Our first stop would be Oxbow as Alan had discovered a very cool bird there earlier in the day and I would find out by one of his torturous emails he loves to send me while I am office bound. Anyhow, we decided to go there before Bolton as I really wanted to see it because it would be a Worcester County first for me. We had met up with Kevin B there and we all searched for it again and Kevin would finally spot it. I would manage one REALLY bad photo above, but thought I would share it anyhow, to test all of your skills. Anyone want to take a guess???

Why it's a Red-headed Woodpecker of course! HA. Not exactly the "killer looks" I had in Dracut last year of one, but I find this one more special because it's Worcester County which makes in even sweeter. Seriously, what a way to kick off a bird-a-thon so thank you Alan!
After Oxbow, we would head to Bolton Flats and the parking lot would be full with birders all participating in the bird-a-thon. As soon as we got out of the car we would get the American Bittern that has been there recently as well as the usual Yellow Warblers and Blue-gray gnatcatchers. The mud at Bolton is starting to dry up but we did manage to get a good amount of shorebirds including Semipalmated Plovers, Least Sandpipers, Killdeer and both Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, like the Lesser above.

We would also run into Fran and Dave at the parking lot and do some chit-chatting as the sun was just starting to set and were lucky enough to hear one lone American Woodcock peenting which is always the perfect way to end an evening of birding (would have loved it even more though if there was a Eastern Screech-owl to go with it though, but beggars can't be choosers I'm afraid.
We would head out bright and early again this morning with our first stop being Brierly to get all of the breeding birds that reside there as well as some hopeful migrators passing through. The woods would be alive with bird song coming from every angle including the Song Sparrow above
We would also come to an area with quite a few warblers including a Black- and-white, Blue-winged, a couple of American Redstarts, Common Yellowthroats and Ovenbirds. There would also be a Baltimore Oriole, Scarlett Tanager and the Rose-breasted Grosbeak above thrown in for good measure.
We would soon find out he had company as the misses decided to reveal herself as well which was very welcome because I haven't see a female yet this year.
As we made our way back we would hear a Wood Thrush, Eastern Wood-Peewee, Great-crested Flycatcher, Veery and the Chestnut-sided Warbler above.
We left there and made a couple of quick stops at other places and got some raptors including the American Kestrel above which we are going to keep our eyes on as there are two of them and we are hoping they are nesting. We would also see the two Red-tailed Hawks in Sutton with the male doing this display fight again?? as well as the Osprey in Grafton where we could see an Osprey in the nest. Also wanted to note we got the Grasshopper Sparrow in Sutton while we were there which is always a bonus and a Turkey Vulture that was totally loving the wind gusts we had today as it flew around the open land never having to lift a wing. There would also be a Wild Turkey there who was lurking around and staying real low as it wasn't 12 noon yet so it still had the potential of being on someones dinner plate this evening due to turkey hunting season that is still ongoing.
Another highlight would be seeing this beautiful Solitary Sandpiper in Sutton. Seriously, there is something about seeing a shorebird that will automatically tranquilize me and I can watch them all day. It puts me in the same zone as hawk watching in that it's almost a form of therapy for me kind of like yoga because it's so calming vs. birding for warblers which is more like gymnastics at times so it's always a treat to get a shorebird, especially in places where you don't expect them!
Sigh, such a beautiful bird and one we were glad to get today because we didn't get them at Bolton last night. We would hit a spot or two looking for a Spotted Sandpiper to complete our list, but alas not today.
While we didn't get the Spotted Sandpiper at the Millbury Cemetery, we did see this very large Snapping Turtle above, as well as both the House and Carolina Wren (we actually found their nest), a couple of Northern Rough-winged Swallows as well to add to our list.
We would make another stop in Millbury to check on the Common Ravens and I was thrilled to see that nesting was successful this year as you can see in the picture above where you will see at least three youngins peeking out of it.
Of course what would any local birding be without a stop at St Philips where we would get one of the Green Herons, a first of the day House Finch, as well as the Belted Kingfisher above.
Our last stop would be the Great Meadows in Grafton as it was getting late and the birds were starting to quiet down, but I hadn't been there since last year and wanted to see if there was perhaps a Magnolia Warbler there. I would see the pretty wild flower above and take a picture as it was so tiny and pretty. Have no idea what it is, but love it.
There would be plenty of the usual warblers there including this very handsome American Redstart above and its mate would be close by gathering nesting material.
There would also be quite a few Tree Swallows like the one above.

Our last stop would be Brood Meadow Brook to drop off our lists and donations and I couldn't resist one more photo of the many Chipping Sparrows we would have today!

All in all, it wasn't too bad as we were able to get 81 birds today. I would only get one first of the year which was the pee wee, but there is always tomorrow of course! ;-)

Take care all

Saturday Birding-Worcester County

I did some birding with Alan today with the fist stop being the Worcester Airport in hopes of getting my first of the year Eastern Meadowlark. We would get out of the car and all would be quiet on the birdsong front, except for one lone Savannah Sparrow that could be heard at a far distance. It would soon be apparent what was causing it as I would spot an American Kestrel perched on a branch while another one was in the air.
The American Kestrel was in the air trying to escape attack from an American Crow which was rather interesting considering Kestrels are known for their spunk and you don't see them backing down from anything. We would also have a Cooper's Hawk here so it seemed to be very popular with bird eating raptors, hence the bird silence I suppose.
While there would not be that many birds, we would see two deer in the section of the airport where the runway is. Love the picture and the one on the right because it's ears are so big in comparison to its body and I am thinking it's a youngin.
Since we were striking out at the Airport we went on to Mullbury Street to try our luck there, and despite there being a Sharp-shinned Hawk, we would finally see an Eastern Meadowlark who was perched up high on some wiring and singing its heart out for us.

As you can see in the photo above. Seriously, such a stunning bird and one I have missed. Not only is it beautiful, but its song is intoxicating to hear, especially on a day as nice as today with warm sunshine and blue skies.

After that we would take off to Bolton Flats and while I don't have any pictures, I did see some pretty cool birds including a first of the year Greater Yellowlegs. There would be three of them in the same area who were running around in search for food. We would make out way to the "T" at the flats and would be lucky enough to hear another cool bird song which would be that of the Sora who was in another area of the flats but rather vocal so it was easy to ID by ear which would be another bird to add to the yearly list. Since we were on a roll we headed to Mount Wachusett where I got my first of the year Winter Wren. The place would be too crowded for dilly dallying so after we got the wren we decided to head to another area in Princeton where there are known Northern Waterthrushes to see if they had returned yet.

It wouldn't take us long to verify that they were back as less than two minutes of us arriving there, we could hear their "nice old ladies don't chew, chew, chew" song. Yes, that is how I have it programmed in my head as that is how I learned it from one of my CD's and it obviously worked because I knew it right the minute I heard it coming from some thick brush. HA. If you think that's a doozy you should hear some of the other ones. ;-)
A very cool bird to get this early in the year. I should also note that this is the first year I am seeing the warblers with my binoculars. Last spring, I did all of my birding with my camera and let me tell you seeing a warbler up close and personal with your bins is wonderful. I will still normally go for my camera first for a record shot, and once I get that out come the bins for a view and I will always lose my breath for one brief second as I drink in all of the lovely detail I can see on the bird. Sigh, I just love spring.
In the afternoon, I would take off on my own to SuAsCo in Westborough where I would hear a familiar noise coming from the brush pile, so I knelt down low to try and locate it. It wouldn't take me long to spot a Brown Thrasher who was having himself a little snack. This bird is not a neat picker by any means as it would lift up leaves furiously and loudly with its bill. I knelt down like that for 3 minutes or so and it wouldn't even notice me because it was so absorbed in its task at hand.
I would soon find out this thrasher was not alone because I would walk further along the path and run into another one that was on the ground.
And like they say on TVLand, Three's Company and I would see another male perched in a tree and singing its heart out. Another love triangle going on it appears and it will be interesting to see how this turns out. What would be funny is that there would be two males singing away in fairly close proximity to one another and it was so loud you couldn't hear any other bird song because of it.
But while you couldn't hear the birds singing, you could see them including this very handsome Chipping Sparrow above.
And finally a lousy shot of my first of the year Green Heron I would get yesterday morning before work. Wondering where the Great Egret is from last year though and not holding out much hope that it will be around anytime soon as they seem to be somewhat delayed this year with their arrival in Massachusetts. MassBird isn't even reporting on them much yet.

Take care all

Rusty Blackbirds in Grafton and other stuff

I had to work in Boston today and decided to make a quick stop at St Philips in Grafton as it is on the way to the train station. I would get out of the car and hear the usual birds including the very vocal various blackbirds like the Common Grackles and Red-winged Blackbirds, but then I heard a call coming from that immediate area that sounded different to me so I immediately zoned into it and was thrilled to hear that of a Rusty Blackbird. I would listen intently for a moment as I have never really heard a Rusty sing before, but have heard it through one of my birding field guide CD's and have been able to pick up on it fairly well because it is an easy one to remember. The field guide says it sounds like a squeeky door, but I prefer it to the sound of a bird saying candy and that's exactly what this bird was saying so off I went to try and find it.
I would use my ears as my guide while I put my binoculars on the various blackbirds. There were now a couple of them singing their song so it made it easier for me as I came to a tree where I would see five birds in another part of the tree and somewhat separate from the Red-winged Blackbirds. I was at a compete disadvantage due to lack of daylight still and the fact that they were perched high up in the trees, but wanted to get some pictures as record shots.

Now of course the funny thing would be that I was dressed in my "smart clothes" as I call them as I was headed to Boston for the day so try and dress up some so here I was in my freshly pressed Ann Taylor trousers that are beige by the way and I was now in the bushes directly underneath the blackbirds in an attempt to get a better angle of them so I could document that pale iris of theres. Finally the misses (I believe) above was kind enough to pose for a moment as I got my first picture of her that would show all of the classic field marks.
And then finally a male would grant me the same honors. A very cool bird to get and one I never thought would be as easy as it was because looking for different blackbirds out of flocks really intimidates me because it can be so overwhelming, but this small flock here made it very easy with their singing. Once again folks, learn those bird songs! If I didn't know that call, I would have most likely over looked them as I was stretched for time to get to Boston.
As I would leave I would also hear the song of a Savannah Sparrow in some shrubs so I pished it out and it posed momentarily for a photo.
I decided to get to Boston a little earlier than normal because I wanted to see if there were any interesting migrators overnight at Post Office Square. I would only have about 10 minutes or so and couldn't do a thorough job and the only birds of note would be the very many White-throated Sparrows that seemed to all be in one concentrated area (I would count 10 in total). Thought this photo was interesting in that I had never noticed yellow flanks on a white throat before so figured I would share the picture.
I would end the day at South Station and had a few minutes before the train so decided to wait outside and just look up at the gulls as there were not only the usual Ring-billed Gulls flying overhead today, but the Herring Gulls as well and being the total dork that I am, I figured it would be fun to distinguish between the two different species while waiting for my train :-p.

Anyhow, I didn't want to appear to be a total dork so would only have my camera and binoculars would be in my bag but then I would see a gull mixed in with the others that caught my eye and I would kick myself for not having the bins handy. I turn my camera on and manage one shot and then off it flies past a tall building that would block my view. I came home, blew the photo up on my screen and this is what I would see. Now obviously the first thing you will most likely notice which was the 1st thing I noticed was the lack of any prominent black wing tips that always sets off a red flag to me. It was smaller than a Herring Gull (at least to my naked eye) and the shape of the head is round like a Ring-billed Gulls so I decide to look in my various field guides for pictures of Iceland Gulls. I am not liking what I see when I compare it to my photo because the gull in the photo above appears to have too much charcoaly gray in the leading edge of its wings but that may be due to my picture and lighting. The tail looks a little too dark for me (and according to Sibley, page 184, the juvenile Iceland "always lacks contrasting markings", which is what I believe I see here), so am not really sure what I have and it doesn't help matters much that I can't see the color of the legs or even the bill for that matter. I have spent the past two hours since I got home pouring over my field guides and still don't have an answer I am comfortable with. It's times like these where I wonder why I didn't pick up an easier hobby like knitting or checkers or something like that as birding still continues to be tough for me at times. Any ideas?y Don't worry, I won't be embarassed if you tell me it's a Ring-billed or Herring Gull, I will just wonder why I didn't see any black wingtips that's all! ;-)

Edited to Add: On hour number three of checking out this bird and decided to blow it up more and can see the dark upperside of the bird. Now thinking this is a very funky looking Ring-billed Gull that is not showing its wingtips that well due to the position of the sun. Officially stopping now as it was driving me crazy but figured I would keep the photo and my ramblings above just so you can see how challenging birds can be with certain lighting conditions. I could be wrong again obviously and will most likely spend another two hours tomorrow morning pouring over other field guides. ;-)

Take care all.

Stop & Shop or Rather Stop & Bird

Well I finally put off the inevitable and did my weekly dreaded chore of grocery shopping and decided to motivate myself a little more by switching grocery stores. I am usually an avid Price Chopper shopper, not really for their prices or vast selection, but more so because they are directly across from the water treatment plant which is a favorite hang out of the Ring-billed Gulls so it's always a treat to look at them from the Price Chopper parking lot, hoping for some tagged gulls and aging the others while perched on top of the light posts. :-p. Anyhow, there will be no more of that for the time being and have decided to head to Stop & Shop in Grafton from here on out because I have to drive by St Philips which is the perfect reward after the stressful decisions at the grocery store like whether or not I should buy Macintosh or Granny Smith apples this week.

I would do the same as I do every time I enter there, which is to roll down all windows and listen to bird songs to see if I can pick up anything interesting while driving in, before getting out of my car so not to scare them. I would hear only a couple of American Robins this evening which I thought was strange given it was two hours or so before sun set and usually the place is alive with song. While driving to my usual parking place I would see a Cooper's Hawk nearby, having a little din-din. I slowly got out of my car and took some pictures and watched it for a while. The hawk actually appeared to be done with its meal and was just relaxing some to aide in digestion I assume! After about 10 minutes or so, the hawk finally left which gave me the opportunity to go see what it had gotten.
Not 100% certain what it is, but willing to wage some bets on a Northern Flicker.
It appears as if the love triangle between the three flickers of last week has come to an abrupt end as nature has determined its fate. I would not hear the familiar flicKa, flicKa, flicKa call I have grown so accustomed to as I did a quick scan of the wetlands before returning home to put away groceries.
But the opposite of death is life and with life comes new beginnings which was evidenced in quite a few places at the cemetery. I would see the Great-blue Heron at the nest site from two years ago sitting on her nest.
The male would be down below crouched down low and in its usual somber mood. It will be interesting to see if they nest here this year as last year I watched their courtship display of building the nest, to only see them abandon it afterwards. Whatever the outcome, I hope they build upon it to make it nice and sturdy for any other birds who may find it appealing as it has seen better days as many of us know.
The Great-blues are not the only ones attending to nests as you can see in photo above. The Mute Swans appear to be attempting to nest here this year too which is a first. Late in the summer last year we had two Mute Swans arrive but never nest so I am not sure if its the same or not. What I can tell you is it was very apparent that the female was on eggs as the male spent his entire time bullying one lone Canada Goose who was just as stubborn as the swan. The swan would give chase to the goose only to have the goose fly forward just a tad and then continue with its business. I would see no Wood Ducks or other waterfowl here this evening which is unusual and am not sure if it has anything to do with the new watch dog of the wetlands of St Philips.

Take care all.

Evening Birding-Sutton & Grafton

I decided to delay grocery shopping another day and instead head out to do some birding. I figured I would try Purgatory Chasm again and hiked about 3 miles of it which was wonderful because there were not half as many people there as this past weekend so it was nice and peaceful. One of the 1st birds I would hear were the many Blue-headed Vireo's that were scattered throughout Charlie's Trail in which I counted 4 in total. I would attempt to take pictures of the 1st one but then gave up after a while because while the bird would be kind enough to hop down briefly for a look at it w/ my binoculars, it was in no mood for pictures and given it was going to be evening soon, I figured it would be best to move on to get the most of the little daylight hours that would remain. I would also hear the familiar call of a Red-breasted Nuthatch which was nice because I hadn't heard one of those since the Uxbridge Christmas Bird Count.

The Pine Warblers would be everywhere and one of the nicest things about birding Purgatory is that some of the trails are almost the same elevation as the higher tree branches which means you can actually see these warblers which is saying a lot because the Pine Warbler is not one who likes to venture down low. While the picture above isn't great, I was happy with the fact that I would actually get a photo of it's body this time as opposed to its butt which has been the norm this year with this particular warbler. Another plus would be seeing my 1st female Pine Warbler and actually being able to identify it! She was not making a peep but I would see movement in a pine tree and low and behold there she was. It just goes to show that studying those field guides definitely pays off (allthough I do have to admit it wasn't that hard as there are not that many warblers to chose from this time of the year).
After that I decided to head to St Philips and I would be welcomed by both a Brown Thrasher and Northern Mockingbird in the midst of what appeared to be a singing competition. Both were belting out their songs and not getting a breath in edge wise and were so loud they would drown out all of the American Robins, Red-winged Blackbirds and other birds combined. So funny to see and hear!
As you can see in the photo above he is really belting out those tunes!!
Another highlight would be seeing my 1st Barn Swallow of the year. It would be by itself in the midst of over 20 Tree Swallows who were all away from the wetlands and actually hawking for insects I was very impressed in being able to get a fairly clear shot of the bird with my first shot as these birds can be quicker than the Tree Swallow and that's saying a lot!
All in all, a much better way to spend an evening vs the grocery store. Besides who needs kitchen staples when you can have take out pizza! ;-)

Take care all.

Woodcocks and Other Birding Here and There

Doing things in reverse order here. Alan and I went out to the Westborough WMA this evening to look for Woodcock as I have struck out twice thus far, but that's because we went to different places to see if we can find them but it was never a guarantee.
As we were walking along before the sunset we could hear them peent so off we went to the area we knew they would be at and one in particular put on quite a show for us. Getting pictures of these birds can be rather tough with lack of light but I was glad to get the one above because I wouldn't even know that I got it until I got home and blew the pictures up on my computer screen!
We would also have a see one of the resident beavers there like the one above. They have built up quite the dam since the last time I was there!
While walking along a different path we would come across this very tame Red-tailed Hawk that who appeared fixated on getting a bite to eat before retiring for the evening. The hawk would look at us on occasion, but it was more interested on what could potentially be on the ground below instead of what we were up to.
I also got out at lunch today to see what was at Institute Park. With April here, I try and get out more at lunch and before and after work until mid June as there is so much to see! Not much here to speak of, but a funny photo of some Ring-billed Gulls with a Herring Gull and Killdeer thrown in for good measure. So funny to see them all together on the island that has appeared in the middle of the pond since the last time I was there.
The forsythia would be in full bloom there as well which is so pretty to see this time of the year.
As well as a Red-tailed Hawk that I saw when I first got out of my car. It was funny in that it was up fairly high, but then there was another raptor in the same location but much higher. It actually looked like an Osprey to me with its crooked wings, but would never be certain.
And then before work I ventured over to St Philips to see if I could spot a Yellow-rumped Warbler as I got one there around this time last year. The Northern Flickers would still be chasing after each other and displaying which is so fun to observe.
And then finally, my first half way decent shot of a White-throated Sparrow this year. Very fitting I suppose in that they will be leaving soon and I will miss them.

Take care all