Birding Uxbridge and Prison Camp Road, Rutland

Alan and I did one more day of birding before I head back to work tomorrow and decided ONCE AGAIN to try for the elusive Worm-eating Warbler as we are now both determined to find this little bugger after spending so much time lost in the woods looking for it. Fran had told us to try Lookout Rock in the same general area as he has had success with them there in the past so off we went as we crossed our fingers because we seriously didn't want to have to enter those windy and confusing woods again.

We would get to the rock which offered some spectacular views from below as the sound of Ovenbirds, Baltimore Orioles, Black-capped Chickadees and a lone Wood Thrush could be heard which was a great way to greet the morning despite the gray skies. We stood there and drank it all in as we listened carefully for any sign of the warbler and its trill like call. I would finally hear a trill from rather far away and ask Alan to play the Worm-eating Warblers song again so I could distinguish it from the Chipping Sparrow as they sound very familiar.
Suddenly a tiny bird would appear and land on a small snag and stare at us as if to try and make out the situation as the song sounded an awful lot like his, but not quite right. We would take this is a good sign that the song was being heard and perhaps the warbler was not far behind.
A few minutes later, another bird would fly near us and give us the same curious stare as the Chipping Sparrow and who else would it be, but another triller the always adorable Pine Warbler. I had to laugh when I saw him as he couldn't hide the look of confusion he had on his face. Neither he nor the Chippy would sing back at us because it could never quite make out the sound it seemed so instead of getting into a singing match with a potential competitor, they just stood there and stared. We would turn off the IPod and sit there for a while hoping for the warbler but it would soon be apparent, this bird didn't feel like wishing us a good morning so off we went to the other place in the same woods hoping for luck there now that we had better directions on how to get there.
So once again we entered the "woods from hell", as I fondly refer to them as due to the fact that Alan and I have spent a lot of time in here lately wondering aimlessly through windy trail and no recognizable landmarks to make navigation easier. I would forget my navigation device at home but we didn't think much of it because surely we couldn't get lost again as heck, we should know these woods like the back of our hands by now.
The place we were looking for is an area within the Blackstone National Heritage Corridor called Lover's Leap and is a rock within the woods which according to legend, a tortured woman committed Suicide due to a romance gone bad. Now Alan and I would search these woods last week and always be on the lookout for a large rock with a dramatic drop where the woman would take her final breath, but the problem was we would never find a rock that dramatic but rather rocks where once could stub a toe or at worst, break and ankle if they leaped from them.
Bart told us yesterday that the rock is kind of hidden by trees and leaves and the dramatic drop we were looking for is hidden from view from the path, so we went there today looking at any kind of rock formation that might fit that bill. We would find plenty of rocks with that potential, but never find the drop so once again, we gave up and headed back down the path again because we didn't want to get lost like last week.
We would go down the windy paths and as the bird sang, including the Scarlett Tanager above, but it wouldn't take us long to realize we were lost again. I would be kicking myself for forgetting my navigation device as we swatted away mosquitoes and were taunted by chipping chipmunks with their chip and trill like call, almost taunting us in a way as they dashed about to escape our footsteps. We would finally come to a path leading to a street and decided to find our way back to the car through roads vs. woods as we just couldn't take being in there one more minute.
We would finally make our way to the junction where the car was and would come across the garage above which was rather fitting considering the situation we were in!
I think this would be the 1st time in a year where I was thrilled to see cars and people speeding by and welcomed the usual neighborhood birds like the Blue Jays, Gray Catbirds, Carolina Wrens and even a very helpful American Robin who was kind enough to give us directions to the car as you can see in the photo above! ;-)
We would also see quite a few other interesting birds along the way like the cute little owl above. So needless to say, we either have to settle for the fact that the warbler may not be in our cards this year or we will have to kidnap Bart on his way to the market one morning and not release him until be brings us to the exact location even if we don't get the warbler because at this point we just want to know where the dam rock is!! Just kidding of course..........Well......Kind of.... :-p
And speaking of owls, we decided to head to Prison Camp Road in Rutland after our trauma in Uxbridge as we found out from Dan and Deb, that this is a known breeding location for them and are known to respond to calls during the day so off we went as this would be yet another life bird for me. I would have had my coffee by now, so my eyes were sharper than before and I was thrilled to see this Broad-winged hawk perched on a tree as we made our way along the road.
And my caffeine induced eyes would also spot a tiny little hummingbird teed up on a tree and looking at the world which is one of my favorite ways to see hummingbirds as they always look so tiny and rather odd when I see them this way.

We would find our way to the gate we were referred to and knew right away that this was definitely Saw-whet Owl territory based on the habitat which is perfect for them to breed in.

As we made our way along the path, we would see and hear quite a few really good birds including the always photogenic Cedar Waxwing above. We would play the call a few times and patiently await a return call, but that call would never come. We would hear a very noisy Alder Flycatcher from across the water which is always welcome to the ears, but would have preferred the owl even more. They are definitely in there, but we will just have to find out when the best time to get there would be as it is obviously not mid morning.
As we left, we would see this very handsome and vocal Red-eyed Vireo above so I just had to take its picture. All in all, another great day of birding despite not getting our two target birds for the day because after all, birding is great when you get some lifers and FOY's but seeing the regulars can be just as rewarding as all birds are wonderful if you just take the time to notice and study them

Take care all.

Forbush Bird Club-Oxbow and a Recurring Nightmare

I attended the Forbush Bird Club trip today which was led by Alan at the Oxbow WMA. We would arrive a little early to scout the area for birds before the others arrived and one of the first things we would see was this impressive flock of Cedar Waxwings all teed up on the branches as we drove down the street.
One of the first stops we made as a group was the bridge at the beginning of the entrance where we would see/hear quite a few birds including this pair of Canada Geese with goslings in tow
There are so many other things to look for at Oxbow like the various wild flowers so I stopped and took a picture of this Lady Slipper.
As well as quite a few frogs which I never tire of!!! I was very happy to see this Green Frog trying to hide from us but as you can see he wasn't successful!
We would walk along the path and Alan was great in getting us some birds, but the one we would not be successful with was the Red-headed Woodpecker which Alan had discovered in the first place. Not sure if it has moved on or in hiding but no one would either hear or see it. We would leave Oxbow after a great morning of birding and make a quick stop on the street to see if the Willow Flycatcher was around as that is usually a guarantee, and while we wouldn't get the Willow, we were thrilled to get an Alder instead. There would also be the usual Northern Mockingbird in its usual place.
There would also be some Bobolinks in one of the fields as well as Red-winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles and Tree Swallows. All in all, a great trip with 61 birds in total and that is not including the Wild Turkey a hunter brought it who had seen its final day.
I would go home after that and was a little tired so figured I would lie down for a while because quite frankly, all of this birding lately has made me exhausted!! I would wake up 1/2 an hour later by a somewhat recurring nightmare that I have that is of course bird related so figured I would share it with you all because perhaps this action will cause the end of this once and for all which would be welcome indeed!

It always starts off with a Pileated Woodpecker and I am always by myself when I spot it. Anyhow my first dream, I see a Pileated and ID it with my eyes. I then whip out my camera take a picture and go home where I proceed to post my findings on Rick's site and my blog. I proceed to upload my photos from my camera onto my computer and to my horror, it's not a Pileated Woodpecker per say, but rather a stuffed animal (one of those cheesy ones you get at the carnival) and it looks like a cross mix between a Pileated and Ivory-billed!!! I am mortified of course and wondering how I could have screwed up the ID on the bird. The endings are not always like this (one of them I am trying to chase the woodpecker up a tree as I climb up it to get it away from a cat and once I reach him, it's that dam stuffed animal again.) In todays dream, I somehow got stuck leading a Forbush Field Trip for a bunch of people from Japan and no other Forbush members around so I don't know how I got put into this situation. I am leading them along a path and am thrilled to see a Pileated Woodpecker because I am convinced the foreigners have never seen a bird like this before so they will be very impressed with my birding skills. I finally get all of their eyes on the beautiful woodpecker and low and behold, it's that frickin stuffed animal again!

Freud would have a field day with this for sure, but I think I can help him out some. You see, the first time I started posting on Rick's site and meeting many of the local birders in my area was when I had the Pileated Woodpeckers in Grafton and I remember being very nervous about posting because I was a complete newbie (heck I was calling a Bufflehead a Bafflehead only the month before so that should tell you something :-O). Anyhow, the Pileated Woodpecker is the symbol of the beginning of my birding and the beginning when I was trying to build up some credibility with my new birding network I have been blessed to meet. The mis-ID's I get in my dreams all stem from the deep insecurity I still have with my birding at times I am guessing which would be re-introduced again this week when Alan and I were on Coldbrook road and I excitedly told him I had a Wilson's as I saw its black crown and to my horror it turned out to be a Common Yellowthroat (little bugger!!). I would get frustrated over this as they look nothing alike but I wanted a Wilson's Warbler so bad that day that I would have probably done the same if it was a Blue Jay in that bush! Sometimes one sees what they want at a quick glance and that's why it's so important to make sure you get a really good look at a bird if you can't hear it song and the song is unmistakable.

So anyhow, to make a long story short, the dream I had this afternoon shook me up so bad that I went out and did what I always do when I'm in a funk which is bird. Some people hit the bottle or the fridge, but I much prefer the woods so decided to hike around my neighborhood and see what was around.
There would once again be all of the usuals (including that gorgeous Orchard Oriole) as well as this very handsome Baltimore Oriole above.
And more pretty wildflowers. The highlight would be a Field Sparrow and a Blue-winged Warbler as it seemed as if the hot sun made the birds hunker down low with no singing to escape the heat.
I would make my way out of the woods and onto the sidewalk and what would I see. Why a Gray Catbird of course! What does this angle remind you of??? Anyone want to guess???? A Wilson's Warbler with that black crown of his and at this angle to boot. HA!!!! I swear the little bugger was playing with my mind some out of complete boredom as being a bird sure must get dull at times.
I would go home with tired legs and a better spirit and can't wait to get out again tomorrow. I'm just hoping I don't run into any Pileated Woodpeckers that's all.

Take care.

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

Birding Coldbrook Road

Alan and I did some birding today along Coldbrook Road and the Warre River Watershed searching for migrators and the usual summer residents. We would make a stop and one of the first warblers we would see and hear would be the Magnolia Warbler which figures after we spent the past 10 days trying to find one. I have noticed I am picking up on a couple of things this year and that is to always remember where you get your target birds for the following year because one can waste a lot of time looking for certain warblers if you are searching for them blindly. Coldbrook road will be one of the first places to go next spring to get both the Magnolia and Nashville next year as well as other warblers.

I have also noticed how much more frustrating birding for warblers is this year. I was telling Alan that it seemed so much easier last year and that the warblers would just appear and all would be well. This year is much different and that's because he says I expect more which is probably true. I am holding myself more accountable this year with bird song, ID and use of my binoculars and I get frustrated if I mis- ID a bird song or a bird which is adding to the stress. Not to mention how difficult birding for warblers is. People say hawkwatching is hard, but I find it easier in that all though they are often dots in the sky, they are not hidden by leaves or brush. That's not to say I don't enjoy birding for warblers as once you see them you are more than rewarded its just that one must work very hard for that reward more often than not!

We would also see this Eastern Towhee above who was singing in a way I had never heard one sing before which was a Chick Bur-r-r-r--r. I would spend a few minutes trying to figure out what bird was doing the singing before Alan told me. You learn something new every day. We would also get a Nashville Warbler here as well as all of the others that are to be expected this time of the year.
We would be driving along and hear an Indigo Bunting so made a stop to see if we could see it and we would see a real kettle of raptors in the sky. It was interesting in that there were quite a few Turkey Vultures in the kettle and three Red-tailed Hawks in there as well so it was really cool to see them side by side. Again, I would hope for a Red-shouldered but once again I would be out of luck but that's the way its been for me this year.
We would finally see the Indigo Bunting which was a real treat. I was very happy to have immediately recognized its song because this was one song last year that would always throw me off, so while I still have so much to learn in my birding, it's nice to have a reminder on occasion how much I have learned in just a year.

While we would get a lot of really great birds along the watershed we soon realized how much more difficult it is to get the much wanted FOY so went all the way to Sterling Peat for an Alder Flycatcher because we got a really nice look of one there last year. We would get a really good look at an Osprey hunting for fish along the water and even get to see it perched up in a snag and taking a break. We never would get an Alder, but there are quite a few Willow Flycatchers there now who were singing away and claiming their territory.

Will be back out again tomorrow taking advantage of the nice weather and May birding. Will also be out tonight looking for Whip-poor-wills, which will be a life bird for me believe it or not so am looking forward to it.

Take care all

Finally got my FOY Magnolia Warbler and another FOY Bird

I did some birding with Alan this morning and decided to do Old Coldbrook road which is an area full of birds, but one we never explored much so decided to do it today. We had a couple of birds on our list today with the 1st being the Magnolia Warbler. Fran had told us a place to go off of this road when we saw him on Friday evening and as always, Fran was right as we got the bird within 5 minutes of us arriving. We would hear its song and after swatting away mosquitoes and searching the tree tops, we would find one. The lousy picture above will give you an idea on how challenging looking for warblers can be (as if you don't already know!). Seriously, look at the size of the bird compared to the tree tips. It almost makes me look forward to fall warbler birding and that is saying a lot as they are so confusing then.
We would continue on this road and would stop frequently as there was so much to see including this very handsome Rose-breasted Grosbeak above who was engrossed in song.
We would make our way less than 1/10th of a mile before I did my usual STOP! as I had heard a bird doing a "choo choo choo" type ending and now that the Magnolia Warbler is checked off the list, the Wilson's Warbler has quickly taken its place as the must have bird for the week. We would look around and soon find out it was the Nashville Warbler above which is always nice to see even if it wasn't the Wilson's!
After that we would take off to Gate 43 at Quabbin after hearing about the Olive-sided Flycatcher that was there yesterday. We figured it wouldn't be there, but knew none the less there would be some interesting birds there so were on our way. There would be many of the usuals since the last time we were there two weeks ago on Tom's trip, but we would also get some new ones like the Eastern Wood-peewee and the Red-eyed Vireo above. Again, not the best picture in the world, but I have made a decision this year to focus more of my birding using my binoculars and not my camera so by the time I get the camera on the bird it is thinking of taking off so usually not that good of a picture.
We would never see the flycatcher, but it was a nice day for a hike and we got a really good look at a Scarlett Tanager which is always nice to see.
I would go home and grab a coffee at Starbucks and go to an area close to home to see what was there. The first bird song I would hear would be that of an Orchard Oriole so I looked around and was happy to see the 1st summer Orchard Oriole I had there a couple of weeks ago is still around. I was somewhat surprised as I had brought Alan there after I had seen it and it was a no show so figured it was just migrating through but that's obviously not the case. I was reading my Dunne's Field Guide Companion and that this was interesting "Insofar as 2nd-year males are most likely to push the limits of the bird's range and will be calling attention to itself by singing from the tops of trees or saplings." This is exactly what he was doing. Not sure what this means and whether or not it will stick around for any period of time, but its nice to have one nearby while it lasts. The bird was actually fairly tame and would fly past me without so much as a glance so I hope it stays for a while because I like to go here often and just watch the birds while having a coffee and this would be a nice one to study.

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..