Bird News From Nahanton Park and Other Musings
Monday, November 18, 2024
Busy times
Sunday, September 22, 2024
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:
Sunday, April 28, 2024
Late April
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!
Sunday, December 3, 2023
Even later fall ...
November 29 was a good day too. This Hermit Thrush was in the thicket behind the lower garden bat-house
Sunday, November 26, 2023
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.
Sunday, November 5, 2023
Bee Hives at Nahanton
Beekeeper Vasyl replacing food source for bees |
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.
Tuesday, October 10, 2023
More fall warblers
Bumpy overcast giving way to scattered clouds this morning, and cool. Warbler in the upper garden turned out to be an Orange-crowned --
I met up with Paul McPartland and we refound the OCWA. The Juncos are back in force, and there was a Field Sparrow and Indigo Bunting in the upper garden. Common Yellowthroat and Nashville in lower, and a reclusive and quite late Magnolia in the trees at Wayne's Lawn.
.. and a Pine Warbler in the upper field....