Early March

Just a few birds from recent visits to the Park.... a beautiful pair of Hooded Megansers on the river ...

... a Song Sparrow sounding like spring ...

... and a new bird for the Park for me, Ring-necked Duck: four of them that I caught just as they rounded the corner under the bridge....

 

Winter birds

 The winter weather has discouraged visits to Nahanton Park. But I passed through it several times in past month. Duane's house is no more! Here are some birds.....

On January 17, I missed the flock of Common Redpolls reported by Liane, but did note a big homogeneous flock of Brown-headed Cowbirds paused briefly in a tree at the lower garden ...

When I tried for the redpolls the next day, a Common Raven greeted me ...

And yesterday, I took advantage of the brief episode of sunshine, and found this Fox Sparrow at one of it's usual haunts, the far end of Woodcock Field. 

A few more birds

Just a few more photos. Here's a Swamp Sparrow tee-ed up in the lower garden, where a pair of Lincoln Sparrows were also hanging out.

This is a Palm Warbler, of the gray western race, a stray here in the east. 

And here's one of the many Savannah Sparrows in the upper garden this morning.

And finally there were at least three Indigo Buntings around as well.

 

Early fall catch all

 A few birds from the past week at Nahanton Park ...

Fall warmup

I spent time at the park on both mornings this weekend. A high point was a nice mixed flock at the warm back of the upper garden on Saturday: Red-eyed and Blue-headed Vireo, Red- and White-breasted Nuthatch, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Northern Parula, and Blackpoll Warbler, accompanied by Chickadees and Titmouses. 

The upper garden was again the place to be on Sunday: Lincoln's Sparrow!

Late report: Last Saturday there appeared on the soccer field an enormous flock of Brown-headed Cowbirds: 370 by my count! Marylou, David, and Ian were also witnesses. Here's a little segment of the flock. 

Midsummer

Mostly insects these days. The flowers in Woodcock Meadow attracted quite a variety -- this guy is named Bicyrtes quadrifasciatus ...

... and this one is a Great Golden Digger

This is a tachinid fly, genus Archytas ...

... and this is a honey bee, Apis apis

Can someone identify the flower that was attracting all this activity?
The only bird that allowed a decent photo was this Common Yellowthroat in the downed evergreens --

Spring cleanup

Just catching up with things ... It was a pretty good spring migration at Nahanton Park this year! The Mass Audubon Birdathon occurred on May 15-16. I stopped by NP both days. In the evening of May 15 I found this Blue-winged Warbler in cherry bloosoms

The next day I found many Ovenbirds, and Northern Waterthrush, Black-and-white Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, American Redstart, Northern Parula, Magnolia, Blackburnian, Yellow, Black-throated Blue and Green, and Wilson's. Others reported Canada and Blackpoll there that day as well. 

I stopped by again on May 18. A Sharp-shinned Hawk flew over, and this molting Indigo Bunting appeared next to the lower garden. 

Another birder pointed out a Great Horned Owl, visible from the Boyscout trail. Both Swainson's Thrush and Veery were around (which is this?)

and I found this Blue-headed Vireo. Both it and the Swainson's were particularly numerous this spring.

Three different Wood Thrushes were sounding off in the woods, and this Nashville Warbler put in an appearance.

Quite a few Rose-breasted Grosbeaks are nesting in NP this season. One has a nest right over the new path along the river. 

I returned on May 20. More Swainson's Thrushes

and this motley Baltimore Oriole

A migrating pair of Bobolinks appeared high in the trees

 and this Bay-breasted Warbler sang to Suzette and me - 

A Least Flycatcher was holding forth in Woodcock Field. 

I came again the next morning, and was delighted to find this beautiful male Eastern Bluebird investigating the boxes in the upper garden. Apparently none of then were satisfactory, however; he didn't stick around. 

 The Robins were doing well, though -

Next morning, I found this Ruby-throated Hummingbird enjoying a drip at the lower garden - 

A few days later, the Lady-slippers were in bloom - 

June 2 - Migration is winding down. I noticed this sign near the newly planted apple tree at the lower garden. I don't know what this poster has against the Friends of Nahanton Park - this doesn't seem very friendly to me!

June 10 - Song Sparrows nest on the ground, and they have always nested in amongst the garden plots. Here's a little family in the corner of one of the plots in the lower garden - 

I also observed the classic pair, eyeing each other at the lower garden - 

Summer's here!