Gardner (Fitchburg 1 block) 7/14

Late this morning I walked a field near the Mount Wachusett Community College campus pond, off Green Street, looking for a Green Heron nest. I have seen one or 2 Green herons here several times this year as well as past years. While I did see a Green Heron, I could not locate their nest, it could very well be hidden or in an other nearby wetland.

I managed to see and hear a Savanah Sparrow singing from the adjacent field, a bird I had yet to pickup in this block. This species had been present during past breeding seasons but managed to go undetected this year.

Common Yellowthroat, which had 2 fledglings near by.

The were several Boblinks in the field, both males and females, the male's breeding plumage is now beginning to fade. European Starlings were flocked up in a group of 200-300 birds, mixed juveniles and adults, a few Common Grackles and Red-winged Blackbirds were feeding young . Upwards of 5,000 to 10,000 blackbirds roost each night in the phragmities near the campus pond.

A presumed Willow Flycatcher, which did not sing today, but I have heard only Willows from this location this year.

A Common Loon was present on Crystal lake, but I did not see either of the Loons on Lake Wompanoag. A few days ago I saw two adults on Wompanaog but not the chick that was present on 6/27, prehaps this youngster did not survive. I will continue to check the lake from time to time on the outside chance these two adults were not the parents. A few years back, there documentation that a Loon pair on Wachusett Reservoir, just south of here, renested after loosing a very young chick.

Also of note, was a Barred Owl calling, from deep in the woods, about 11AM on this bright sunny day.