Lady Slipper Time

Lady Slipper

It was 62 degrees at 8:30 a.m. Comfortable and clear.

People used to tell me that lady slippers bloomed around Memorial day, and that may have been true, but with climate change it has been  moving up, so I was hoping to see some today and to my great excitement, there they were!

I found three in full bloom and one with a flower, but it hadn't turned pink yet. Also saw two plants with foliage only - so a total of 6! Not bad...

The lower gardens had our nesting tree swallows and a house wren, so all houses are spoken for.

Plenty of robins, yellow warblers, goldfinches, catbirds, song sparrows, orioles and a crow being chased by angry birds.

Male Oriole above nest

The orioles have built a nest in the same tree, same spot as they have the last few years. It's quite amazing. Guess they really like it there.

Mr. Oriole gave away the location as he quietly kept an eye on the nest. They arrive and in the blink of an eye, breeding is in full swing!

Ran into Alison and she and a friend had seen a bay-breasted warbler in the upper gardens. Sadly, I wasn't able to see it by the time I got up there. A common merganser flew overhead.

Tree swallow

The upper gardens had much the same with the addition of house finches, chickadees, cardinals and ughhh house sparrows.

I took the path at the back of the upper gardens down to the river for a change. Heard warbling vireos and common yellowthroats. Saw a Canada goose couple with their 2 young goslings strolling down the river.

I started up the path by the Nature Center to get to woodcock meadow when a pair of Carolina wrens caught my eye.

I hear them, but rarely see them, so I was surprised. They were both on top of a storage container next to the building which I thought odd. The next thing I knew, one took off into a broken light fixture attached to the building.

Carolina Wren in broken light fixture

They say that Carolina wrens will nest in the strangest places including old boots etc. and I believe that is what was happening. They seemed very excited and intrigued with the idea that this could be a great nesting spot!

Walked along the JCC path to the parking lot where I saw the Lady Slippers and also heard the sound of Peewees calling. They're back!

Not a Downy

Nice morning at Nahanton Park. I met up with Suzette (who reported a Hermit thrush from the lower garden and a Warbling Vireo from the river!). There was this Northern Mockingbird at the lower garden

 and a female Yellow-bellied Sapsucker in the woods adjacent to it.

We found a Ruby-crowned Kinglet along Florrie's Path, along with a Palm Warlber,

and this male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker at the JCC, along with a singing Pine Warbler.

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?