The Woodcocks Dance!!!

I have just received this fabulous photo from Ilija Dukovski - a nature lover and fantastic photographer. It takes someone really skilled to get a night time photo like this.

For some reason, this woodcock reminds me of a comedian, sitting back, sizing up the audience and getting ready to deliver a great one-liner!

While this is chronologically out of order, it is so exciting!

As far as I know there were two very successful woodcock expeditions at Nahanton Park this week. The first one was Wednesday evening and included Jane, Haynes, Chris, Pete and Brian. The woodcocks were seen in all their glory on top of Woodcock meadow and I think Brian mentioned that he also saw them on the soccer field. It was Jane's first sighting and it was quite an amazing experience. If any of you want to write more on the blog yourselves, please contact me.

The second viewing was Friday evening. I met Jane there and while we were waiting on top of the hill, Alison appeared and then shortly after came Eric and then Ilija and his family. Shortly after 7:00, we heard our first "peeent". Jane found the general area and then Eric was able to spot it. Lucky for us, it was still light enough that we all got a good, long look at it. It was so camouflaged that if you took your eyes off it for one second it was hard to find it again.

It turned out to be a great night. Alison thought there were at least 4 males in the area. At times, they were flying low, right over our heads but also saw them fly high into the air, come down and then land. There were a few bats as well and that got a little confusing for me in the beginning. All in all, it was a great show!

First Day of Spring!

Today was sunny and about 51 degrees at 7:45. The park was filled with our regulars, all very busy and excited. A pair of mallards has moved in to the flooded swamp for the time being. Song sparrows are perched everywhere singing like crazy. The cardinals are often high up in the trees singing as well. A goldfinch down by the river in transitional feather garb was pouring his heart out for all to hear. The red winged blackbird I've been hearing is now visible to me across the river and screeching it's buzzy song. And I'm sure he is surrounded by many friends now.

My big treat down by the river was a little golden-crowned kinglet flitting here and high up in a tree. The path is still quite flooded, but slowly receding.

I am very excited to hear about Haynes' bluebird and tree swallow sightings. Two pairs? Wouldn't that be fantastic? Ian saw the bluebirds yesterday as well. The register has brand new pages in it for the first day of spring if anyone wants to write in it.

Saturday, March 20 - sunny and warming: The Eastern Bluebirds are back - seen investigating boxes in the upper garden and in trees at the lower garden, with lots of song. There may be two pairs. Also a lone Tree Swallow was overhead. Lot of Juncos still around, and a couple of American Tree Sparrows. Male Brown-headed Cowbirds strutting in the treetops.

I think we have a resident owl!

Today started out at about 33 degrees at 7:00 and by the time I left the park at 8:45 a.m. it was 46 degrees and sunny. We needed this preview of spring so badly! I'm sure the birds feel the same.

Heading down to the river I saw our usual friends; nuthatches, goldfinches, chickadees, cardinals etc. The river was filled with its winter inhabitants as well as the first blackbirds that have returned. I heard the red-bellied, flickers and downies. Saw a mallard pair in the river, mourning doves and robins. I was going to go up the back way to the gardens and forgot from last week how flooded it was. You can't get through on the path, so I attempted some bush wacking. First, got tangled up in the cat briar and then realized the flooding was everywhere and I just couldn't get through.

Hit the upper gardens first. The back side of the upper gardens was thrumming with juncos, cardinals, song sparrows and goldfinches. Saw this little guy singing his heart out. I think he might have been a youngster because his song sounded a little funny!

As I headed down to the lower gardens, I heard some strange noises coming from the swamp area. I thought it sounded like someone chopping down trees and I was concerned. Normally, I would never head down to the swamp as I am terrified of the tics and West Nile mosquitos, but I knew they couldn't possibly be out yet. I didn't realize the path was so easy to walk on this time of year and I headed right down to the swamp edge. I passed a tree and heard a disturbance. Looked up and there was a large bird that fluttered off to a nearby tree. I couldn't believe it. It was our barred owl!!!!!! Since this is my second sighting, I am hopeful that we have a resident! Again, it was very pleasant and didn't mind at all that I took its picture from the front and back!

I continued to hear these cracking noises, but could see absolutely no sign of people or animals or anything. I'm wondering if it was ice cracking but it sounded so loud. Any ideas?

I ran into the photographer Ilya who reminded me that we are almost upon woodcock mating season.

Just as I got to my car and had my binoculars and camera packed away, I saw a large bird in the woods flying from tree to tree as the crows chased it. It was a hawk of some sort. Even when I managed to get my binoculars out, I was a little too far to positively identify. It was funny, because other birds looked on and followed the action just like we do when we see a car accident on the road.

End of February - We're getting closer!

7:00 a.m., overcast and about 30 degrees. My car windows were covered in a thin sheet of ice and had to scrape it off before going to the park. Everything looked very frosty.

I heard a lot of birds, but didn't actually see that many. The song sparrows and cardinals were very intent on singing and down by the river the geese and ducks are forming their couples. They seemed to enjoy the fact that the river was quite high as it gave them all kinds of extra little nooks and crannies to explore and swim around in. Lots of low lying areas were flooded - so much so, that I couldn't get to the backside of the gardens from the river path because it was flooded so badly.

The red-bellied woodpeckers are quite active around the river as well as a group of mourning doves. Thought I heard the call of an early arriving red-wing blackbird. Further down the path were many woodpeckers - which I couldn't quite see as well as nuthatches roaming up and down the tree trunks. As I mentioned in my last entry, the chipmunks have emerged. The chipper in this picture was quite pleased with himself as he had a large acorn in his mouth and wouldn't let it go for anything in the world - not even a strange woman trying to take his picture.

Three weeks until spring!

Bald Eagle!

It was 32 degrees this morning at 8:00 a.m. and slightly overcast. I started in the lower gardens which was inundated with juncos. They were very busy talking and interacting and I felt like they were at their Sunday social! Our regular friends were about - mostly a few song sparrows, titmice, cardinals, mockingbirds and chickadees.
The geese are very active right now and I took this shot of a group flying overhead.

The upper gardens were rather quiet, so I headed down to the river where I came upon this pair of geese. I know it's getting to be time to pair off and these two definitely looked like a "couple". Saw a male hooded merganser cruising down the river with four females looking very grand. Every so often one or more would disappear from sight as they dove under the water looking for food. Heard the purring and calls of the red-bellies but didn't catch a glimpse of them. They were across the river.

I decided to walk through the woods along the river when I heard some action in the leaves as well as tiny little squeaking noises. I was looking for a bird, when I realized there was a family of chipmunks - at least four or five and they were scurrying all through the leaves and on logs to perch for a moment and do a quick grooming and check out the scene. I was trying to get a picture which proved impossible, but I saw something out of the corner of my eye and looked up and there it was!!!!! The bald eagle flying overhead!!! I probably wouldn't have ever noticed had I not read in the bird register that someone with the initials D.T. had seen a bald eagle last week. I am so excited to see one at our Nahanton Park! Wonder if it's visiting or if it might find our park suitable for nesting????

Check out the Newton Birding blog (link to right under followers section) to see Scott's pictures of Eurasian Teals!

Crisp February Day

Who can resist this hooded merganser? There were actually three, but I scared off two with my movement. I love his crisp black and white markings.

The park was pretty active today, but mostly with our regulars. The lower gardens were filled with juncos, titmice, cardinals, mockingbirds and blue jays. I walked through the woods, still hoping to catch a glimpse of the owl again, but no luck.

Along the river were several nuthatches scrabbling up and down the tree trunks and some on the ground looking for something good to eat. I heard a red-bellied woodpecker overhead and heard it calling to another. Then I saw them and they flew off together.

An American tree sparrow couple were on a rock nibbling on some little seeds. Ran into a bird photographer named Ilya that saw some brown creepers along the side of the driveway entrance.

I saw Ian's car, but no Ian and ran into Haynes as I was leaving. Looking forward to a possible posting of his list!