Mother's Day Bird Walk

Our Group

Today was the Mother's Day Bird Walk, led by Alison Leary and Haynes Miller, two excellent bird watchers. It was co-sponsored by the Newton Conservators and the Friends of Nahanton Park.

We started at the Charles River entrance where we heard the constant warbling of a warbling vireo. Saw some orioles, titmice, a barn swallow, downy woodpecker and catbirds. The phoebe is in her nest and looks like one of the babies is sitting up and looking rather large!

Baltimore Oriole

As we walked through the woods, we saw a male wood duck in the far end of the pond as well as lots of turtles basking on logs and a veery was seen nearby. As walked through the soccer field, we saw yellow warblers, orioles and a magnolia warbler. As we neared the little rotary, alison heard and saw a glimpse of a black-throated blue warbler and we also saw the northern parula, a goldfinch, and a green heron flying overhead.

House wren

It was sunny and comfortable as we toured the lower gardens where we saw tree swallows, song sparrows, house wrens, robins, mourning doves and lots of yellow warblers. We then headed to the upper gardens and saw more house wrens, cedar waxwings and finally saw the striking black, white and red, rose-breasted grosbeak singing it lyrical song high atop a tree.

Lady Slipper

We then cut through the woods to walk around the JCC to see what might be in the woods. The lady slippers are in full bloom. We heard and then saw the red-bellied woodpecker. A chipping sparrow lured us up to the JCC in hopes of also finding some pine warblers, but we never did see them. As we continued through the woods, we heard the KREEEET of a great-crested flycatcher and were finally able to view it in a bare branch in the distance.

Scarlet Tanager

Black and White Warbler

We ended up in Woodcock meadow and stayed there for quite a while as there were two scarlet tanagers, a least flycatcher, a juvenile orchard oriole, a black and white warbler, cedar waxwings, an Eastern kingbird, American Redstart and a cowbird to keep us looking in every direction.



For Haynes' Official List, see below:

Canada Goose 5 Wood Duck 1 m Ring-billed Gull 2 Chimney Swift 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker 2 Downy Woodpecker 1 Hairy Woodpecker 1 Northern Flicker 4 Least Flycatcher 1 Eastern Phoebe 2 Great Crested Flycatcher 3 Warbling Vireo 5 Red-eyed Vireo 1 Blue Jay 4 Tree Swallow 14 Barn Swallow 5 Black-capped Chickadee 1 White-breasted Nuthatch 1 House Wren 4 Wood Thrush 2 American Robin X Gray Catbird X Northern Mockingbird 1

European Starling X Cedar Waxwing 6 Black-and-white Warbler 1 American Redstart 2 Northern Parula 3 Magnolia Warbler 1 Yellow Warbler 6 Black-throated Blue Warbler 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler 4 Black-throated Green Warbler 2 Eastern Towhee 1 Chipping Sparrow 1 Song Sparrow 6 Scarlet Tanager 2 m Northern Cardinal 1 Rose-breasted Grosbeak 2 Red-winged Blackbird X Common Grackle X Brown-headed Cowbird 5 Orchard Oriole 2 1 m, 1 im m Baltimore Oriole 12 American Goldfinch 4