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

More FOY Birds

More birding again today and got out early before work again with Alan hoping to catch some migrators and headed off to Butler Farm again to see if we could get more birds with the winds calming down some. As soon as we got out of the car, we would hear many warlbers including a Black-and white, American Redstart, Ovenbird and the Blue-winged Warbler above. We would search around for a Magnolia Warbler as that is what's on the target list at the moment but alas, there would be none that we would know of.

I was very happy to get my first of the year Red-eyed Vireo though and was happy getting the views of warblers that I did compared to how challenging it was seeing them last week.
After work, we decided to look for Bobolinks in a place in Sutton where they usually are every year.
We wouldn't be dissapointed because we spotted them shortly after arriving. I had forgotten how much I missed their song and unique way of flying so it was nice to see they have returned.
After that we would take off to another place in Sutton where Grasshopper Sparrows are known to breed, but we didn't hold out much hope due to a project the owner of the land has going on, that we thought may turn the sparrows away so imagine our delight when we saw and heard them doing their "tick tack da zeeeeee" song.
The birds would fly out of the grass and land in deep brush which made getting a really good look at them somewhat challenging, but I was able to get a couple of pretty good record shots of one using Alan's scope.
And check out this photo with its wings spread. So wish the camera was more in focus as this was just such a wonderful pose!
I would have my eye on a couple of Red-tailed Hawks the whole time I was there including this male above who is flying with its legs down which is usually part of the mating ritual these hawks do and sure enough, there would be another right along side of him. Not sure what this means as most Red-tailed Hawks have bred already, but it was interesting to see just the same.

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.

This and That-Monday May 25th

Not much of serious birding done today for I had to be home by noon for cookouts, family, etc. I also overslept so didn't get out there until 8o'clock which totally threw me off. Anyhow, despite the small amount of time we had to bird, I was able to get some shots and see some birds. The picture above is of a Red-tailed Hawk that was soaring above the power lines in Sutton. I love seeing these magnificent birds and whenever I do, out comes the camera to test my progress in photographing them. I hardly ever see one perched anymore because they are too busy nesting, but have noticed plenty in flight the past few days. One thing I have noticed that I find strange is that I see them in groups of three at times. I can understand twos because they are mates but the threes throw me off because the hawks look far too big for one of them to be their young. Very weird but frequent along Route 146.

We went to the Millbury Bike Path and heard the now familiar sounding Willow Flycatcher. Not really a lifer because I have caught occasional glimpses of it and know it's call but I have not checked it off my list until now because I was able to get a really good look at this sweet little bird today. I don't know what it is about flycatchers but they fascinate me. I remember when I first started birding last October and I would leaf through my Peterson Guide and oooh and ahhh over all of the birds that I just had to see. Kind of like the way most women salivate over jewelry in a catalog but I do it with birds instead. The one that intrigued me the most was the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. Such a stunning bird and one that I will probably never see this far north but a girl can dream can't she! The Willow will just have to do for now. ;o)

Alan told me they lift up their head when they finish their call and sure enough this one did. Very entertaining to watch!

The Song Sparrows were over near the power lines again which confirmed to us that yes indeed they must have a nest nearby because every time we pass by it they perch on a tree and look at us with caution as if begging us to leave them alone which we do.

We were near a lot of farm land today and with farm land comes Barn Swallows. I just love their tails.

Speaking of farms, here is a pig we saw at a pig farm near some woods we went to in an attempt to get a look at an Eastern-wood Pewee. I heard these birds everywhere I went yesterday but today they were silent. Very frustrating but will get one next weekend if it kills me!

While we were in these woods we came to an area where we heard little cries that almost sounded like European Starlings. It didn't take us long to realize that the sound was not that of a bird, but of a critter of some sort. There in a large tree hole was a baby raccoon who heard us and must have mistaken us for its mother and was begging for food. The picture came out blurry but it was the best I could do because it went right back into hiding after is saw me and I didn't want to stress it out anymore, plus we had no idea where mamma was but didn't want to be there when she returned if we could avoid it.

And since I appear to be on a critter role, check out the Snapping Turtle that was in the middle of the road! Don't worry it was rescued, but not before I took its picture. ;o)

Toward the end of the morning the weather was getting downright hot and these cows had the right idea by lounging around to escape some of the heat. Not a great day for a total bird count but it was fun just the same. I often become so fixated on birds that I forget all of the other neat things that are out there for me to see. I guess I needed the reminder but can't wait to get out there again next weekend to make that 130 bird count that I have set for a goal by the end of this month.

Have a great week everyone.

Leucistic Rose-breasted Grosbeak and Others

I did a little birding yesterday evening with a friend and check out one of the birds we came across over at Fisherville in Grafton. We were getting in the car to go to our next destination when suddenly I saw an odd looking bird hidden in some brush in front of us. I pointed it out to my friend and he thought that perhaps this is a Leucistic Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Leucistic, basically means an animal with reduced pigmentaion. Notice the white on its back. I wish I could have gotten better photos but it was rather far away and I was taking it through the windshield which always makes photos a little more fuzzy.I looked at my Peterson Field Guide and usually the white ends around the mid wing section of the Rose Breasted. You will see in the photos above that this extends way beyond the mid wing section. I sent my friend these photos to observe more in order to verify the fact that this may indeed be a partial albino. Very cool find!
My first ever decent photo of a Turkey Vulture taken yesterday morning before work. He and his crew were all on the power lines soaking up the sun and getting ready for the day. Very fitting for Mothers Day weekend as he has a face only a mother could love.

The male Peregrine Falcon taking off from the ledge of the 446 Main Street Building this morning. I didn't see the female at all today.

Here he is striking one of his many adorable poses. There is deep thought in those mesmerizing eyes of his.

My first ever Blue-winged Warbler. LIFER!! Such a striking bird. Check out the black around its eyes which almost gives it a mysterious Asian look.

Brown Thrasher photo. LIFER!! I wish I could have gotten a closer photo but it wanted to part of us so this will have to do.

And finally some American Kestrel pictures taken today in Sutton, MA. You will notice the lack of that pretty orange and/or brown in its plumage that may suggest this is a juvenille.

I will have more later today or tomorrow as we are headed to South Quabbin to search for more warblers this morning.

Peace all and get out there and bird!

My 100th Bird for the Year!! Guess Who!!!

96.. Black & White Warbler. Lifer!!!!

97...Chestnut-sided Warbler...Lifer!!!!!!

98.......Common-yellowthroat Warbler.....Lifer!!!!!

99.........Blue-headed Vireo.....Lifer!!!!

And number 100.....Drumroll please............The humble yet lovable Ovenbird. Lifer!!!! Of course my number 100 was one of the most difficult bird to photograph as it is so skittish hence the lousy photo. You would think I would be happy to stop at 100, but that is impossible for someone as obsessive/compulsive as I. Ready for more????!!!! Good, me too!!

101........Red-breasted Nuthatch...Lifer!!!!! I couldn't get a photo to do this one justice so this will have to do for now.

102............Swamp Sparrow........Another bird difficult to photograph. I guess I had better get used to it......I will be leaving at 6am tomorrow for more!! My new goal is 110 for by next Sunday. Let's see if I can do it!!!

Seriously, the 100 birds I have seen this year have been fantastic. Each and every one of them in their own way. I am glad I could share some of my birds with all and in return see all of yours. Blogging is one of the many things that has kept me motivated to bird as seriously as I do. I would also like to give thanks to a few people who have really helped me in my birding the past few weeks.

Special thanks for Fran who always offers me words of wisdom and makes me stop to think of birds and their behaviour. Fran has decades of birding experience behind him and I consider it an honor whenever he teaches me something new. I hope one day I too can teach others about birds but I am still learning myself. Thanks to Joan as well for use of her spare boots when I was unprepared and her words of encouragement on my blog. Joan is another very experienced birder and its nice to have fellow female birders out there to learn from and bird with.

Special thanks to both Beth and Paul who helped me pick up a couple of these lifers. Beth and I email each other often and she has taught me so much through her patience and her good ears and eyes that I have yet to have. Looking forward to more birding with both of you!!

And last but by no means least, a VERY SPECIAL thank you to Alan who I consider my birding mentor of sorts. If I had never met up with Alan, I would still be going to all of the same spots and looking at a lot of the same birds. Alan has taught me so much in the past few weeks than I have learned during the past few months of my birding. He also has the patience of a saint watching me attempt to take pictures of birds with my camera and its lack of adequate zoom. You are the best Alan and I am so thankful to have met you.

Peace all and get out there and bird!!!