Fox Sparrow!

 Some nice birds on this nice January Sunday: Two pairs of Carolina Wrens 

this very calm Cooper's Hawk

and best of all this lovely Fox Sparrow at the Pond. 

Busy times

Sunday morning: The gardens were quiet - the action was elsewhere. A Hairy Woodpecker was near the river - 

At the "pond" (dry for most of the summer) there was a nice mixed flock of sparrows - Song, Whitethroated, American Tree - and this continuing beautiful male Eastern Towhee.

The other busy spot was Duane's Lawn, near the Winchester St entrance to the park. First this immature Yellow-bellied Sapsucker made a brief visit - 

and then a Hermit Thrush strutted along the fence -

On my way back down to the lower garden, this Great Horned Owl flew in for a photo.

I can't resist posting this Field Sparrow from a few days ago, as well - 

Could this be a Swainson's Hawk?

Nice morning at Nahanton Park, after yesterday's rain. Becky was finding things, and later Reade. Warblers: Common Yellowthroat, Northern Parula, Black-throated Green, Nashville, Black-and-white, Magnolia, and this Tennessee Warbler in the upper garden. 

While I was looking around Woodcock Meadow, this bird flew over. I didn't have my camera set right, so the pictures are even worse than usual. I thought this was a Swainson's Hawk: White wing linings and underparts, long wings, short densely barred tail, hint of throat color and hood. But in fact it's an Osprey, just holding its wings out straight in migration. 

Here are a couple more warblers: 

Late April

 

April 26 at the Park -- 

Thanks to a text ms from Suzette, on April 28 I got to the upper garden in time to see this gorgeous adult male Summer Tanager! 

Even later fall ...

November 29 was a good day too. This Hermit Thrush was in the thicket behind the lower garden bat-house 

The Chat was still around - and was being seen by many till on Dec 8! ...

And this Red-shouldered Hawk obligingly paused for a moment in the woods between the lower garden and Duane's Lawn.

 

Late fall roundup

Not so many migrant sparrows this fall, as observed at Nahanton Park and elsewhere in Eastern Massachusetts. An exception: a good showing by Field Sparrows. But there were some good birds around anyway.  Several Orange-crowned Warblers were around (Oct 10, continuing for Linda's BBC walk on Oct 14, and much later, Nov 23), and also on Nov 23 I caught a glimpse of a very late Blue-winged Warbler at the back of the upper garden. 

On Nov 4 a very late flock of 4 Chipping Sparrows appeared on Duane's lawn. 

Eastern Bluebirds were around the upper garden from Nov 19 till today at least, when there were three.

And today there was a Yellow-breasted Chat near the bat-house at the lower garden! - the first I've seen here since 2015, and by far the latest in the fall.  

Bee Hives at Nahanton

Beekeeper Vasyl replacing food source for bees

One of Nahanton Parks excellent photographers Barbara S. was at the park a few weeks ago and was able to meet and photograph beekeeper Vasyl as he tended to his hives.

The honey was extracted in August but Vasyl needs to replace the bees food source that he took, so at intervals he inserts a sugary liquid to keep them happy through the cold seasons.

So next time you are at the park, check out the hives. The gardens are mutually beneficial to the gardeners and the bees!

Honey Bee

Another point of interest is that Katherine Howard and Jon Regosin from the Newton Conservators are working on a de-thatching project in Woodcock meadow on the east side in order to encourage germination of other species plant species who cannot grow because the thatch layer of little bluestem is too thick. They are creating 3 small test plots to see how the "scraping" method works before a potential larger project later on. The little bluestem will not be killed in the process as they have deep roots.
 

Please consider becoming a member of the Friends of Nahanton Park.

http://www.nahantonpark.org/