early birds

Spring really is coming. Some day. There were a few Tree Swallows around this morning. Of course the Woodcock have been displaying in the upper field in the evenings. I did not detect Pine Warblers in the JCC pine grove.

The most fun was the Brown Creeper systematically exploring the trees near the parking lots off Winchester St. I have found this bird there more regularly than anywhere else in the park. This is a very hard bird to photograph.

Barred Owl!

Lots of activity at Nahanton Park after the Nor'easter! Sparrows -- Swamp --

White-crowned -- 

 Field --

and of course lots of White-throated Sparrows, which come in an amazing variety of looks --

Also the usual Song Sparrows and Juncos, as well as this beautiful Eastern Towhee --  

There were also lots of Kinglets, of both crowns, and of course House Finches --  

A surprise was the number of Purple Finches! At least six --

Sadly, Nahaton Park is regarded by some as a dumpsite. Both these shots were taken along Florrie's Path --

The high-point was this Barred Owl I found in a tall pine near the highest point of the path along the edge of the JCC property!

Fruits of the cold front

 The Brookline Bird Club walk on Saturday morning netted 42 species at Nahanton Park. Almost immediately we encountered the cryptic bird shown fuzzily at right. I think this is a juvenile male Purple Finch.

A nice surprise in the upper garden was a couple of Indigo Buntings,

and this yellow Palm Warbler, both firsts for me this fall at the park.

Florrie's walk gave up a male Belted Kingfisher, and the upper (Woodcock) meadow produced the bird of the day, Yellow-billed Cuckoo. 

Birding in the rain

A hardy group headed out in variable rain on a Newton Conservators/Friends of Nahanton Park bird walk this morning. Pretty good showing of both birds and birders! Florrie's Path had a nice mixed flock with Red-breasted Nuthatch, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and three warbler species including this Blackpoll Warbler.

We found six sparrow species, inclduding a juvenile White-crowned Sparrow in the upper garden and a Field Sparrow in the lower.

Photo quiz

I took these three photos at Nahanton Park within the past week. What are these birds?

Warblers!

After a chill, I was hoping for some new activity at Nahanton Park. I met up with Mary Lou and Ian at 8::00 this morning.

Near the lower garden we found this handsome Scarlet Tanager. There were also two large flights of Common Grackles, maybe 400 birds or more.

There were also a LOT of Blackpoll Warblers -- maybe ten altogether. Lots of Northern Parulas, too.

Ian and I went on after Mary Lou left. At the entrance to Florrie's Path we found a Belted Kingfisher, and this Blackburnian Warbler.

Still warblers

Quick tour through the park on Sunday morning. Quite a few people around! Also, a formation of four Great Blue Herons -- I'd never seen such a line-up! --

-- and this male Common Yellowthroat in the upper garden. There were also several Northern Parulas, Blackpoll Warblers, and Red-eyed Vireos, but they were harder to photograph! Another birder saw and photographed a Cape May Warbler.