birding – Page 9 – brewster's linnet . com

99

There was a Warbling Vireo in the tree across the street this afternoon, which became yard bird #99. Time to look back at this post and take a guess at 100.

Since that post, we’ve had Wild Turkey, Bald Eagle, and Warbling Vireo. Added to the street and Hardy Pond lists were White-winged Scoter, Red-breasted Merganser, and Least Tern. Not expecting any of those from the yard, so it’s either something previously mentioned or something totally unexpected.

My top pick at the moment is Black-crowned Night-Heron. They’re regular on Hardy Pond and it’s just a matter of time before one lands in sight of the yard or flies over. Raven’s probably #2 and pewee and phoebe tie for #3. Anyone else want to guess?

Good time in the yard after the vireo, almost immediately I watched an Osprey go over (4th yard record) then snapped some photos of dragonflies and got a Clamp-tipped Emerald, which is #26 for the yard.

Whistler again

Given the expected heat on Sunday, I wasn’t sure what, if anything, I wanted to do. However, upon hearing about plans for pancakes, I realized I could get up and go to Great Meadows early, take a quick walk down to the bitterns, and get home for breakfast. That almost happened.

Turkeys were all over the roads on the way over. After parking, I started down the trail and paused to photograph a rabbit that didn’t want to move.

Once passed that, I reached the bridge. There’s a muskrat hut on the right and I noticed some ducks on it. Scanning, there turned out to be both a Mallard and a Wood Duck family on there. I moved on and some of the ducks dropped into the water and started swimming off.

Two steps later, I heard an odd call. It sounded like something I had heard a couple weeks ago but as that hadn’t been reported since I assumed I was hearing one of the ducklings. I stopped to look and heard it again from a different spot. I looked up and there was the Whistling-Duck. I quickly snapped a couple photos as it circled over, went to the far corner. It came back and disappeared back in the corner it came from.

I quickly sent a brief message out (figuring 6:50 on a Sunday was a little early to start calling people) and after a quick scan failed to find it, continued on. I checked by the benches where it was originally seen and found a few geese. Moving on, I wandered towards the river, hoping to find some sandpipers on the little bit of mud that wasn’t under the lotus.

Just past the new platform, I heard the duck again. Turning around, I watched it come crashing down, apparently near the benches. I rushed back and found it just off the edge of the path. Couple more pictures, make sure it seems settled, and post again. I then settled in to wait for the expected crowds (believe this is the first one in Mass to not be found late in the day or to vanish at dawn). I even sat down and made a sketch (which I don’t need to reproduce here).

The first to arrive was extra lucky, having just happened to be there and had no knowledge of the bird. After that, there was a slow trickle for quite a while and then it became a steady flow of people. The duck cooperated for most of the time, but eventually swam out of sight. I was hungry at that point and headed out. The duck apparently came back into the open fairly soon after and stayed for pretty much the whole day.

Unexpected Milestone

Not exactly what I was expecting this morning when I pulled in at Hardy Pond for a quick scan.

Actually saw one (of the two) diving while still driving in. That set off alarm bells but I expected Black Terns so they really started ringing when I took a look and saw how white they were. Mad scramble for the scope and they were obviously Leasts. A bit headless chicken at that point (call someone? send email? take pictures?) but I eventually got the video.

I suspect they cleared out almost immediately (all the swifts in the area started getting higher and higher and the terns weren’t immediately visible on a last scan before heading to work, not to mention no one else seeing them).

Believe it’s the third record for the county and it’s #200 for Waltham! I did see the Great Meadows birds in 2003 (almost to the day). Given the dates, I will speculate that they’re potentially from the interior populations doing a bit of post/failed-breeding wandering or otherwise early migration (which would mean they’re probably more regular but hard to stumble across*).

*The only reason I stopped today was that my parents were running errands so my father and I didn’t take our usual pre-work walk down to the end of the street. Any other day and I would have not been there.

352/278

Last night I did my usual routine after dinner: turned off phone, took off shoes, took off socks, and picked up laptop. I was debating if it was hot enough to lose my pants as well when I noticed that Echofon (twitter client) was showing activity even though I had just checked. That generally means someone has been spamming the BBC account. Sure enough, I switched over and saw a new mention. However, not spam: @jryandoherty: @bbcbirds Black-bellied whistling duck @ great meadows concord!

After whacking the retweet button, I realized it was still a little before 8 and fairly light out. A quick check confirmed that sunset wasn’t for another half hour or so. Grab socks, put on shoes, and run out the door (suddenly glad that I’ve been too lazy to take the scope out of the car). No traffic and green lights meant I made it in 15 minutes.

I started down the path and at the bridge I heard an odd whistle. It took a second time but then it clicked that it would be the duck. A quick scan of the water didn’t turn it up and I could see people further down so I kept walking. Another couple feet and it called again. This time I scanned the air and found it in flight. Nice looks as it circled a couple times before dropping into the far corner.

I made my way down to the group, thanked Ryan, and said hello to Bob, Martha, Ryan, and Jeff. Turns out that the bird had been sitting right on the edge (as seen in Ryan’s photos). That would have been nice, but a couple minutes later and I would have seen nothing so I won’t complain.

Eventually Simon joined the crowd and we moved to the new platform hoping the extra couple feet in height would be enough. It wasn’t, but the duck eventually called and then flew off (barely showing enough for the late arrivals). I attempted some phone video but since I can’t see or hear the bird it’s not being posted.

With the duck gone and the mosquitoes coming out, we headed off. Definitely a good night.

540

Nice to not have to return to Colorado for this.

Chestnut-collared Longspur, Biddeford, ME.

Kentucky Down

One of my (unstated) goals for the spring was to find at least one of the four warblers that occur annually in the county that I’ve yet to find on my own: Golden-winged, Kentucky, Yellow-throated, and Prothonotary. For most of the spring, absolutely no luck. I wasn’t even seeing any of the multiple Kentuckies being reported.

Today, I decided to take a walk through Lincoln. My plan was to check Farm Meadow for migrants, then make a quick pass through Lindentree and Mt. Misery before checking on Marj’s Kentucky at the Drumlin Farm offices. On arriving, I decided to start at Drumlin. It was pretty quiet there with a couple Carolina Wrens and crows being about it. On the way out, a turkey walked down the road, saw me, and immediately began to display.

I then decided to walk down Codman Rd (since I was already there) to 126. One bluebird on the way down plus a rooster running into the woods was about it for there. Working down 126 were lots of baskettails and appeared to be a couple other odes but no idea as to what. I crossed over and took the path behind St. Anne’s.

The fields were pretty quiet, one bluebird being about it. Scanning the swamp I noticed a bulky nest that looked heronish way off. The path to Lindentree was flooded, so I had to backtrack a bit. Entering Lindentree, I skipped the field for now (allergies were acting up) and went straight to Mt. Misery. Passing the swamp I heard a woodpecker call that I couldn’t decide between flicker and Pileated.

At the pond, I heard a more definite Pileated and eventually found it foraging on a fallen log. It was a bit dark and my photos didn’t come out that well (although I may pull one up as a quiz eventually). Starting back, I bushwhacked down to the edge of the swamp and immediately discovered why I was confused over the call.

There was also a bluebird at the top of the tree but just enough above to not fit. I also confirmed that the nest was a Great Blue and found a second as well.

Back out into the fields, I circled the edge of Lindentree. No birds of note but first of year Calico Pennant and Blue Dasher were good. A spreadwing popped up and I eventually got a photo in focus.

You can just about make out the extra long paraprocts, which make it an Elegant, only the second I’ve seen.

From here, I crossed 126 (stopping to check out a big flock of waxwings) and started down the trail that eventually leads to Farm Meadow. At the edge of the field was a young redstart. A few feet further and I heard an odd two parted song. It sounded like a Kentucky and a quick check on the phone confirmed that impression. Now just to see it.

I walked out through the knee high vegetation but it was still deep in the woods. I took a quick video to get the call and then started wandering along the edge for a view. I eventually found a moderately open spot and after a few more minutes of it taunting me, I managed to coax it in closer. The brief view confirmed Kentucky and I snapped a couple photos before it moved back.

As I hadn’t actually seen any reports of the Drumlin one for a few days I gave Marj a quick call to see if it was still around. She said it was, but moving around more than it had been so it wouldn’t be a complete surprise if had moved here. I decided to walk back down Codman Road and check again and skip Farm Meadow.

Other than a Bobolink (and the rooster crowing), the road was quiet again. Another redstart did cause me to detour for a minute as it sounded a bit like a Blackburnian. No sign of the Kentucky again at Drumlin, even with a bit of trolling with the phone, so good chance it’s the same. Only about 8/10 of a mile as the warbler flies away, but certainly not expected.

277/198

I missed a Bonaparte’s Gull at Great Meadows yesterday (see WIR eventually). However, one of the eBird comments mentioned something about it possibly having been around for a few days, so I figured I’d head over this morning before the rain started.

I decided to bird my way over, checking the Cambridge Res and Flint’s Pond on the way. The southern end of the Cambridge Res was busy (although I initially drove by and decided to double back) with a couple Common Mergansers and some Wood Ducks. Rounding the bend, I pulled over to scan in the usual spot and saw enough to get out the scope (it had starting spitting a bit, so I did hesitate). First thing in the scope were four birds together. Three were quite dark and one showed some white. The odd one out stopped rolling over and looked like the rest. Yellowy ‘horns’ were also visible, a group of Horned Grebe! This is among the high counts for Middlesex county (ties the highest in eBird).

Panning around, things got much better when two small gulls came into view. An adult and a young Bonaparte’s! Much better to find my own. Called home, sent out a quick email, and then spent 10 minutes attempting to get photos. They were too far out, but this video is almost passable (believe you have to click through to play):

Note that they all lined up. My parents pulled up and the birds all drifted off to the right, which made for a tense minute or two before I refound them.

On to Flint’s where a Common Loon was among the swallows (and almost nothing else).

Walking in at Great Meadows, I ran into Linda Ferraresso who immediately said that there was a Bonaparte’s Gull on one of the boxes. Third of the day, not bad for a county bird. Also not the one seen the day before (which was an immature).

Not exactly a high quality photo, but you do better with a phone in the rain.

I walked down to the river and heard a couple rails. Being patient, I waited around until one actually stepped into the open (if I figure out how to trim video I may post eventually). On the way back, my first Warbling Vireo of the year was singing.

From here, I headed off for a quick run through some of the other local ponds. Red-necked Grebe continued at Horn Pond but no fallout birds there or at the Mystic Lakes, Spy Pond, or Hardy Pond. And Arlington Res was as dead as I’ve seen it, not even a swallow flock.

351

Not the most cooperative subject, especially since I couldn’t figure out how to set the 7D’s focus to use a single point, which meant lots of branches in front being the target.

Winter Wood Thrush!

The duck walk meant that I was unable to join the BBC gull workshop field trip Sunday. That turned out to be a very good thing (in addition to all the stuff on the walk) as I headed out midafternoon to poke around the Waltham St. Fields and check on the Lark Sparrow. Parking at the tennis courts by Dunback, I walked down the street and spent a few minutes checking the flock of robins and other stuff near the corner.

The robins started crossing over, so I followed and started down the path. Lots of sparrows were flying back and forth and I slowed down to work through them. Above the water on the right, some movement caught my attention. Probably a cardinal but I put the bins on it and ooh that’s a rusty looking head and er that’s a lot of spots on the chest. Grab the camera quickly.

Wood Thrush was not exactly on the list of birds I expected. I knew it was very rare, but had no clue as to how rare.

The bird moved, so I continued on. I picked it up again on the ground and almost managed another shot:

After it disappeared, I finally reached the fields. Walking around, I found next to nothing and on the way out, there were no birds along the edge. Right place, right time.

After a quick, almost birdless walk through Dunback, I went home and immediately grabbed Birds of Massachusetts. Somewhere in the Concord CBC circle from December 26, 1971-January 6, 1972 was the only January record (and only 2 other December records). The book is almost 20 years old at this point, so I figured there may be another one or two, but went to watch the football game before digging through Bird Observers. Fortunately, I didn’t have to make the effort as within 10 minutes of posting it, Marj replied that there was only one more. It was from the 2007 Superbowl of Birding at Halibut Point (and happened to be found by my friends Mark, Laura, and Christopher).

So do I set my sights lower on Varied Thrush or higher on Redwing next?

Duck Walk 2012

Sunday morning was the Waltham Land Trust’s annual duck walk. It was a bit on the cool side, but not brutal. The sun was out and there was no wind. The recent freeze had finally pushed some birds onto the Charles and the 25 or so people that joined me had a great time.

Some quick photo highlights:

Male Hooded Merganser

Young male Common Goldeneye

Two male Common Goldeneye, female Bufflehead, male Ring-necked Duck on parade.

Also lots of Common Mergansers plus more of all of the above. The big highlight was an almost mature Bald Eagle that cruised up the river. Too quick for any pictures, but just about everyone got on it.