Family Day & Eastern Kingbird!

Mourning Dove and two babies

It was 66 degrees at 7:30 a.m. A few wispy clouds and the moon still out, but a nice sunny, summer day.

It was definitely bird family day at the park. A few birds are still in the nest, but mostly the young are out with their parents, learning the ropes.

Yellow Warbler baby

In the lower gardens, there were still a few tree swallows, but their numbers are vastly reduced. As I may have mentioned in a previous post, the house wrens have taken over most of the boxes and are feeding their nestlings, scolding mightily if you get too close to the box. There were plenty of robins to go around and song sparrows. Catbirds are in pretty good numbers too. An oriole family was in evidence - the young ones just gaining color. I saw a young peewee looking like it only left the nest recently, but it was singing it's song already! 

Day Lily

In the upper gardens, I came across a mourning dove. I know their nests are casually placed, but this one seemed to take the cake (pictured above, left). At first, I thought the dove was just resting on the ground. It wasn't until I took the picture, that I realized it's nest was on a compost heap and it was surrounded by two adoring and camouflaged young. 

The yellow warbler baby (pictured above, right), was perched in someone's garden looking very much in transition. A very bad feather day from the looks of it and quite comical, but soon it will be beautiful. Talk about "look what the cat dragged in"...

Song Sparrow with Caterpillar

The bright orange day lilies were in bloom - right on schedule (at least this is when they bloom in my garden). Also foraging around in the gardens were cardinals, house wrens, goldfinches and song sparrows. Unfortunately, several house sparrows are now in evidence at our park. Several in the upper gardens and a few in the lower gardens. It looks like they have taken up residence here over the last few years. What a shame.

Eastern Kingbird

As I headed towards the soccer field and river, I was surprised to see an Eastern Kingbird (pictured at left) hanging out on a rock near the parking lot.

The pond is still in the process of drying up, but the red-winged blackbirds seem to be having a blast in there. In addition to checking things out at ground level, they were also dive bombing insects from above. It was entertaining to watch. It's funny how fast the time goes by. Seems like the birds were just arriving and now their young are leaving the nests and growing up.

We're headed for the dog days of July soon. It's been so pleasant with the cool sleeping nights and comfortable days. Please don't let the summer go too quickly.  I want to savor it and enjoy it but life these days seems to be going at a whirlwind pace. That's one of the things I love about Nahanton. It forces me to slow down and enjoy the moment and put aside all the requirements of our society for an hour or two.

Thank you Nahanton!!

Close Encounters of the Reptile/Insect Kind

Milkweed

8:00 a.m. Sunny and clear. A beautiful day at 63 degrees.

I'm happy to report that I saw several milkweed plants in the lower gardens and that will be a good thing for the Monarch butterflies.

The lower gardens had our usual tree swallows which are still there but many seem done breeding. The house wrens have moved in and are tending their broods. It was fairly quiet. Mostly catbirds, robins, song sparrows and yellow warblers today.

Red-eared Slider

The same was true of the upper gardens. A gardener has hung some suet and bird food and our dreaded house sparrows are happily partaking. In addition to the species seen in the lower gardens, I can add goldfinches, a pee wee calling from the woods at the back, chickadees, a flicker and titmice. A yellow warbler couple was dutifully feeding it's young which were out of the nest at this point. Paul contacted me yesterday. He had seen a blue-headed vireo, but I was unable to locate it.

Their are several wildflowers blooming now in the meadow as well as two different beautiful native roses - a dark pink variety in the lower gardens and a mid-tone clear pink in the upper gardens. The sumac is starting to flower and Queen Anne's lace is developing buds.

Dragonfly

A female mallard stood by the side of the pond (which is almost dried up) while several red-winged blackbird couples foraged in the mud and grasses. I went to the river to check out the rare daisy-leafed moonwort ferns. They were still there, but on the wane. A warbling vireo was singing.

On the way back, I saw a dark mass in the soccer field grass. I was dreading the discovery. I was certain it was a dead bird or animal and I wasn't looking forward to seeing it. However, as I got closer, it was a turtle!!!! A red-eared slider to be exact (you can see a tiny bit of red to the side of his eye. I have just read that although it is native to the southeastern U.S., it has become an invasive up North, outcompeting our native turtles. Hmmmmm....

Garter Snake

Immediately after viewing the turtle, I saw a garter snake, who didn't seem to be the least bit bothered by me. He let me take his picture without any trouble!

It had seemed such a quiet morning. I love the way Nahanton Park is full of surprises. You just never know what you might see.

And by the way, the dreaded invasive swallow-wort is starting to bloom. If you have the energy, bring some snips with you - snip off the flowers and put all in a black plastic trash bag. DO NOT put it in with yard waste. We don't want to spread any more of it around. It's really taking over our park.

Beautiful morning!

House Wren

It was 70 degrees and sunny with a semi-cloudy day. It sure felt warmer than yesterday and that was nice for all of us, birds included.

I was greeted immediately by house wrens and tree swallows. The witchety witchety of the common yellowthroat rang out and I was bound and determined to find him - especially since I spent a week on Hog Island in Maine, only to hear him and never see him. I finally found him in an unusual spot, high up in a tree top. I'll apologize for the picture in advance, but he was quite far away!

Common Yellowthroat

Lots of yellow warblers. We saw one yesterday at the June Doin' event on the Pete Gilmore bird walk. We found a nest and watched as mom flew in to sit on it. That had the people on the walk quite excited. A couple of mourning doves paraded around the path. A baltimore oriole female dropped down into a garden and flew away, presumably with some bugs for her brood. Not sure where her nest is this year as they're not in the same spot they were last year. I think it might be in the oak trees at the back edge of the lower gardens. Of course there were catbirds and robins, a couple of grackles and song sparrows.

Yellow Warbler

A red-winged black bird couple seemed to be enjoying some seeds in the meadow. American crows called from the woods near the JCC. I wasn't sure if some mobbing action might be happening there as it sounded quite persistent. I was quite surprised to see what I believe was a male purple finch. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to see the female which would have helped confirm my id. Having seen purple finch couples every day for 5 days in Maine, I'm fairly certain, but not 100% sure. In addition to birds mentioned in the lower gardens were a pair of cowbirds and goldfinches. The robin pictured at left must have been building a new nest as it sat and posed with mud and nesting material in it's beak. It waited patiently for me to leave so I wouldn't know the location (unless these were bugs, but I don't think so).

The soccer field/pond area was fairly quiet. A red-winged blackbird male was feeding it's baby that

Robin with nesting material

was begging on a branch high up in an oak tree. The water in the pond is low and grasses are emerging. A bull frog sang like a low plucked string on a fellow and a warbling vireo sang out.

The river was quiet save for an oriole calling and a blue jay calling from the JCC woods.

We heard from Larry (Charles River Canoe and Kayak) yesterday at the June Doin' event that eagles have been seen nesting near the river in Waltham. That would be a fun canoe trip.

On my way back to the car, a great blue heron flew overhead. What a beautiful sight.

Summer's here

 Some sightings from a morning walk....

Lady slipper time of year

Lady slipper twins

It was cloudy at 7:30 a.m. and 59 degrees. Before entering the lower gardens, I took a quick trip to see if the lady slippers were blooming and YES, they were. In some ways they are very discreet in the woods, even if they stand out in this picture. At first, I thought there were only these twins, but later I realized there were three others scattered around for a total of five. Pretty impressive - especially with such a strange winter and a couple of 16-18 degree evenings in April.

The bird excitement has definitely quieted down. There was some singing, but it seems that most of the birds are settling down to their mating and nesting duties. There were robins and warblers sitting on their nests and others in the process of building theirs. Even the tree swallows have quieted down. Some have even had their babies. The lower gardens sported yellow warblers, orioles, song sparrows, cowbirds, catbirds, house wrens and robins.

The upper gardens were similar save for a red-bellied woodpecker, goldfinches and house finches. The plots are going great guns, especially with cold weather crops like lettuces etc. and several gardeners were out working the soil, even though it was early in the morning.

Down by the pond I could hear a warbling vireo and FINALLY heard the wood thrush calling from the area near the JCC! Yay!! Actually, I ran into Ian who said there were two wood thrush and also saw the great crested flycatcher in the lower gardens. I saw a female common yellow-throat with her olivey back and bright yellow breast busily working her way through a shrub. There seem to be a lot of winter moth caterpillars and perhaps that was what she was after. A male cardinal sang and a red-winged blackbird declared itself.

Down by the river were orioles, yellow warblers and more warbling vireos but otherwise, fairly quiet. Woodcock meadow had a catbird and nesting tree swallows and I noticed a chimney swift flying overhead.

I walked the wooded path by the JCC in hopes of finding the wood thrush, but by that time it was not to be heard. However, as I neared the end, I was happy to hear my first pee wee singing off in the distance. It is such a beautiful sound.

Heard but not seen...seen but not heard...

Yellow warbler

Arrived at the park at my usual time - 7:30. It was a little chilly at 51 degrees - not as balmy as yesterday.

Tree swallows and yellow warblers were in great abundance in the lower gardens. While looking for warblers in one of the crabapples, I saw something moving in the leaf litter. It was quite a surprise to see an oven bird busily poking around with its beak. It never made a sound (seen but not heard).

Warbling Vireo

Strangely, the yellow warbler nest that we all saw last Sunday on the Mother's Day bird walk and is pictured in the previous post, has completely disappeared. What happened is all I can wonder. Luckily, some new nests have appeared which makes me feel a little bit better. It's so distressing to see all the work the little birds do to prepare the nest and make sure it is just right for their eggs and then it's just mysteriously gone. I finally spotted a rose-breasted grosbeak which was singing right over my head. It was very high up and the leaves on the tree were out, so it actually took quite some time to finally see it, but it certainly was beautiful. A couple of house wrens were singing. Our regulars of course were there - robins, catbirds, mourning doves, cardinals and song sparrows.

Red-eyed vireo

In the upper gardens, I was greeted by a very vocal Warbling vireo singing it's heart out. There were several orioles, one of which looked a little drab and disheveled. I think it's possible it was a young male. There was a group of 4 male cowbirds in a small crabapple. Caught a very brief glimpse of a common yellowthroat. It was cagey today but hopefully, there will be more chances to see it. A male ruby-throated hummingbird perched nearby and flew to the lilacs to see if there was any good nectar in the flowers. A red-eyed vireo was exploring the catkins in the oaks in the back of the gardens along with a pair of house finches.

I ran into a neighbor, Susan and we walked together to the soccer field/pond area. We could hear more than one Northern parula, but for the life of us, we never could spot them - hence part of the title "heard but not seen...". There were a few goldfinches, several yellow warblers and a female hummer as well as a red-bellied woodpecker. The star of this area today was a great sighting of a black-throated blue warbler.

Black-throated Blue Warbler

It was out in the open and very visible. Sadly, though I thought I was getting great photos, it turned out not to be so, but at least there is documentation of this beautiful bird. Down by the river Susan spotted a warbling vireo and it's nest. Woodcock meadow was fairly quiet.

There is a lot of bird excitement at this time of year. Between orioles and warblers chasing each other around, nest sitting, nest building and singing, it's quite busy at the park. I love this time of year. And it's not brutally hot. What a pleasure.

Mother's Day Bird Walk with Haynes and Alison

Mother's Day Bird Walk Group

Dire weather predictions for Sunday morning - rain, showers and clouds after a long, rainy, drizzly, raw week. However, at the last minute, the report changed and it was actually quite nice and held out until the very, very end of our walk. It was a mother's day miracle!

We had a great turnout. 19 people showed up and at this point, so many of us return from year to year that it's turning into a big reunion which only adds to the joy.

Yellow warbler testing her new nest

We started at the river and worked our way via the pond and soccer field to the lower and upper gardens. We also explored Woodcock meadow. This year was far more productive than last year with the heavy snows and extended winter. If you missed it this year, be sure to join us next year. P.S. Someone almost stepped on a perfectly camouflaged American Toad (see picture at bottom).

I'm sure Haynes' list is more complete than mine, so please check it out below!

Haynes' List:

Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)  2
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  3
Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)  1,  soccer field
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)  1
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)  6
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  3

Baltimore Oriole

Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica)  6
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)  2
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)  2
Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)  1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) (Colaptes auratus auratus/luteus)  2
Blue-headed Vireo (Vireo solitarius)  1, boyscout trail
Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus)  4
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)  3
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)  15

Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)  8
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)  X
Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)  6, wing-flutter
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)  2
House Wren (Troglodytes aedon)  6
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea)  2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula)  2

Robin in nest

American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  8
Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)  6
Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis) 1,  pond
Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia)  3
Nashville Warbler (Oreothlypis ruficapilla)  1, w/btbw, boyscouts walk
Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia)  15
Black-throated Blue Warbler (Setophaga caerulescens)  1, m
Palm Warbler (Yellow) (Setophaga palmarum hypochrysea)  1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) (Setophaga coronata coronata)  15
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina)  3
White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)  4, boyscout trail

American Toad

Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis)  3
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  6
Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)  1
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)  6
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus)  1, m
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  12
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)  8
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)  1
Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula)  16
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  4

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S29484749