Song of the Common Yellowthroat

I was going through my bird song recordings from this spring and ran across a great recording of a common yellowthroat from my last walk at Nahanton. While there are two other warblers in the recordings, the common yellowthroat takes center stage.

I was in the lower gardens and spent about 15 minutes trying in vain to get a recording of the ovenbird when I grew frustrated and chose to move on. In the far corner of the gardens the rolling "witchity-witchity-witchity" alerted me to the common yellowthroat. He was hiding deep in the tangled woods and brush, but his voice was loud and clear. So I caught this recording and then tried to "pish" him out into the open. I generally dislike disturbing birds, so I try to "pish" only on occasion and never play recorded songs to lure birds in. He popped up and I got some great recordings, but unfortunately he behaved like a typical warbler flitting from branch to branch making it very hard to get a picture. I know that the yellow warblers breed in Newton, but I'm pretty sure that common yellowthroats do as well, given their sightings during the warmer months. They tend to love wet thickets and grassy areas and like to stay in the underbrush. As our second most common warbler, they are a familiar sight at Nahanton and the males thick black mask and yellow throat makes him instantly recognizable.



Ironically, I later realized that the ovenbird I was trying to record before actually gave a few of his "teacher-teacher-teacher" notes at 7 and 45 second marks. Also yellow warblers are hear throughout the background.

The Meadow Slowly Recovers

Black Eyed Susan

61 degrees and sunny on Sunday.

Not much to report, but black-eyed Susans are now blooming in the meadow! Did they come by themselves or did they grow from seeds that Donna spread around? We'll never know, but they are adding some much needed color.

Lots of house wrens - some on second broods and others on their first. Our regulars are in full attendance: robins, song sparrows, yellow warblers, catbirds, house finches, red-wing blackbirds etc. The numbers of tree swallows seems to have lessened unless that is my imagination.

Dragonfly

I saw the phoebe down by the river, but have a feeling that her babies have left the nest now. I'm so excited that they seem to have successfully reared two broods. On leaving the park, I encountered 4-5 wild turkeys. There's something about them that always makes me chuckle.

A black bear seen on the cape has now passed from Medfield to Dedham to the Newton/Needham line near Nahanton (last seen on 2nd Ave.). Will it make it's way to Nahanton?

Mulberry Madness

Double-decker swallow babies

It's been quite cool for the last week or so and today was no exception. It was 57 degrees at 7:15 a.m. but I'm a fan of this type of weather.

The park has generally been rather quiet as the birds have been nesting and here is the perfect example. I was greeted by these double-decker tree swallow babies waiting for tasty treats from mom or dad. They were rewarded shortly after taking this picture.

Yellow warbler baby

The main attraction today was the mulberry tree situated on the path from the lower to the upper gardens. The white fruit is out. It's like a new restaurant opened up and everyone had to try it out. First, I saw a strange looking little bird - mostly gray with a bright yellow tail. I thought it might be a yellow warbler baby, but wasn't quite sure. Luckily, mom or dad showed up to feed it, so it was definitely confirmed as a yellow warbler. Among the steady customers at the new Mulberry Cafe, were catbirds, robins, goldfinches, cedar waxwings and several greedy chipmunks.

Rose-breasted grosbeak female

All our regulars were in attendance between the upper and lower gardens. A few blue jays, lots of song sparrows, tree swallows, a cardinal, and a house finch family.

On the path by the soccer field, I had a close encounter with a female grosbeak which I have to assume means she is breeding here at Nahanton. I remember when we saw the babies towards the end of the summer last year and I hope we see them again!

Two baby phoebes were looking rather plump in their nest and crying for their food with large, open beaks. That means that this year, both broods were successful!

Other birds seen or heard include a baltimore oriole, nuthatch, red winged blackbird, red-bellied wood pecker, flicker, mourning doves and a rough winged swallow.

Very Sweet!

Yellow Warbler

58 degrees this morning and sunny - a lovely morning at 6:15 a.m.

As I drove down the driveway, a deer jumped across the road and it all happened so fast, I only caught a glimpse of it's hind quarters and a flash of it's white tail!

I decided to head to the upper gardens first. The wildflowers in the meadow improve weekly. Today some bright yellow coreopsis were in bloom along with some white campion, purple vetch and the white fleabane.

Coreopsis

In addition to other house wren families nearby, a pair I've been watching have finally moved in to the house next to the tree swallows as you walk the path to the lower gardens. They were very busy taking turns piling in the nesting material.

Tree swallows are feeding their young. Robins and catbirds abound as well as goldfinches, song sparrows and yellow warblers. I saw a family of Baltimore orioles in the upper gardens. The young brother and sister were still with their parents in a tall tree at the back of the gardens. A brightly colored red winged blackbird was extremely vocal.

Wild Rose

The vegetable gardens everywhere are looking incredible. The gardeners have put in so much work and so far, it looks like it's going to be a great season for them. The lettuce looks healthy and full, carrot foliage is looking strong, pea plants are as high as people's fences and the tomatoes are bulking up and looking strong. All the rain we had last week, combined with the sunny weekend is sure to add inches to everything!

Caught in the act!

Didn't see a whole lot today in the lower gardens. Saw a family of yellow warblers, several cowbirds and a barn swallow as well as our regulars. My favorite wild roses are blooming. The color of the pink is just glorious.

Heard a peewee calling from the woods as I headed down to the pond. Across the river was a lone cedar waxwing high up in a tree. This baby rabbit was caught red-handed. Luckily for the gardeners, it was in a weed patch near the river and was very happy with a plantain leaf.

Very Quiet...

Aquilegia (Columbine)

The temperature was a little cool this morning at 57 degrees, but it wasn't raining, so I decided to head to the park for a nice walk.

It's fairly quiet over there as the birds attend to their parental duties. Saw most of our summer regulars including, of course, the tree swallows, a few barn swallows, robins, titmice, mourning doves, song sparrows, cow birds, blackbirds, grackles, yellow warblers, cat birds etc. Saw two cedar waxwings sitting in a tree looking very elegant. Their coloring is one of those miracles of nature.

The house wren family, in the bird box on the golf course side of the lower gardens, have babies that are quite vocal now. It made me laugh to hear them. Mom or Dad came back with some goodies and they were so excited.

I've been checking the meadow out each week to see if more wildflowers are coming back and today I saw purple dames rocket, fleabane and yellow coreopsis blooming. Not a lot, but it's something.

Canadian geese family

It seems like the upper gardens have been extraordinarily quiet compared to other years. I could hear a warbling vireo, but never caught a glimpse. Some goldfinches were hanging out, the tree swallows were in abundance and I could hear a flicker, some chickadees and more house wrens. Two cormorants flew overhead.

Down by the river, the phoebe still sits on her second nest while Canadian geese families glide down the river for a Sunday outing. I saw two families together today - one with two babies and one with three.

Settling Down...

Cedar Waxwing

I was unable to post last weekend due to my son's college graduation. I ran into Paul, an avid bird watcher and the highlights we saw or heard last Sunday, included: peewees, a couple of blue-gray gnatcatchers (glimpse only), a wood duck, a mallard with over eight little yellow fluffy babies following mom all around the pond, the phoebe in nest adjacent to the previous one starting a 2nd brood and a pair of green herons flying down the Charles River flyway.

The migration excitement has definitely quieted down. Today it was 70 degrees at 7:00 a.m. and a little hazy. The business of nesting and rearing young is in earnest.

Common Yellow Throat Male

Donna's Poppies

Heard and saw the usual in the lower gardens i.e., robins, house wrens, tree swallows, yellow warblers, catbirds, mourning doves and goldfinches. However, I heard the tell-tale high pitch noise of the waxwing and finally saw this beautiful bird doing gymnastics in the tree in the middle of the gardens. As I was watching it, I heard the witchety witchety of the common yellow throat. They're so elusive in a large shrub, but finally, after several minutes of searching it appeared towards the edge where I could see it.

Wild Turkey

Several cowbirds were strutting around someones garden and Donna's poppies are spectacular! I saw something quite large in my peripheral vision, and realized a large turkey had come from the golf course side and was marching down the path headed towards some cover. I followed it and it knew I was following, so we both sped up and finally I was able to get a picture of it.

Foxgloves

The invasive multi-flora roses with little white flowers are in full bloom, along with raspberries. I was thinking about the word "raspberries" today and wondering if the thorns have anything to do with the word "rasp" used for a tool that has sharp edges. I'll have to look that up. I've been watching the meadow to see if the planted cosmos would turn up, but not a sign of one so far. The wildflowers are in short supply after the snow dumping fiasco last year, but a few are making their way back. I saw some ox eye daisies and some purple clover. At least that's something…

The upper gardens were pretty quiet. The tree swallows are feeding young so they're pretty low key. An oriole couple had some little argument, but then made up. Lots of vegetables are coming up - the lettuces are almost formed into heads for picking. One gardener had some beautiful foxgloves blooming just outside their fence.

No excitement in the pond save for some frogs with their deep-throated noises. There's a robin nest in a tree adjacent. We saw her building it last weekend, but now all is quiet and she is probably sitting in it.

Saw a few tufties and then some barn swallows down by the river and of course the warbling vireos down there were warbling away!

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