Gardner 6/22 (Fitch BBA 2)

I did some "atlas" work in my home block (Fitchburg 2) this evening, trying a few streets in South Gardner and Westminster. Later, I walked some RR tracks to look over some wetlands and a power line "cut". I was able to confirm breeding on some common birds, such as Wood Duck (with young) Killdeer (w/young), Gray Catbird, Black-capped Chickadee, Black and White Warbler, Ovenbird and Scarlet Tanager (the later species all "lugging" food).

It rained, and I got fairly wet, but the rainbow (above) helped ease any discomfort. While I was enjoying the colors, I heard a barking like noise behind me in the water. Apparently my presence had annoyed a River Otter, it would duck under and come up in various spots, raise about a 1/3 of its body from the water and "bark". As I walked, for about 200 meters, along the track, the Otter followed and vocalized its displeasure at me. I digi-binned a few fuzzy photos, though my binoculars, in poor lighting (one is below).

River Otter

I did a little "bush whacking" to the back side of a beaver pond where I heard a few Hermit Thrushes singing from the Hemlocks. Looks like it'll also be a decent area form Northern Waterthrush and Canada Warbler too. At the edge of a clearing there was White-tailed Deer "frozen" and looking at me, the ears looked a bit large (in the poor light)...this was a buck with antlers in velvet. After a minute or two of staring toward each other, it grunted and bounded off. Forest area with singing Hermit Thrushes

Wood Duck...5
Mallard...1
Wild Turkey...1
Great Blue Heron...1
Killdeer...3
Rock Pigeon...10
Mourning Dove...4
Chimney Swift...1
Downy Woodpecker...1
Hairy Woodpecker...1
Eastern Kingbird...1
Red-eyed Vireo...4
Blue Jay...2
American Crow...5
Tree Swallow...15
Barn Swallow...1
Black-capped Chickadee...5
White-breasted Nuthatch...2
Brown Creeper...1
Veery...1
Hermit Thrush...2
American Robin...10
Gray Catbird...4
European Starling...5
Yellow Warbler...2
Chestnut-sided Warbler...1
Pine Warbler...1
Black-and-white Warbler...2
Ovenbird...4
Common Yellowthroat...6
Scarlet Tanager...2
Eastern Towhee...4
Chipping Sparrow...6
Song Sparrow...4
Swamp Sparrow...2
Northern Cardinal...3
Rose-breasted Grosbeak...1
Red-winged Blackbird...15
Common Grackle...20
Purple Finch...1
American Goldfinch....5
House Sparrow....10