Saturday, July 14, 2007

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.

4 comments:

Larry said...

Barred Owls make some great vocal noises.I was fortunate enough to get some close up views and even a picture of one this year.-

Anonymous said...

Hey Tom,
My son and I will be traveling from Springfield MA to Southeastern MA on August 2nd, spending a couple days down in Lakeville before heading up for a few days in Maine...any place worth stopping that morning for a little birding not too far off the Mass Pike on the way?
Vern

Tom Pirro said...

Vern,

Quabbin Park is not too far off the Mass Pike, here is a link to it.
http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/central/quabbin.htm

I don't bird there too often, but there are a few stops that can be good for Worm-eating and Cerulean Warblern (uncommon in Mass.) there are Bald Eagles and Common Loons (not sure if the COLO's nest down this end.

Where in Maine are you going, i will be in the Harrison/Bridgeton area on Long Lake during the up coming week.

Anonymous said...

Tom,
Thanks for the info. We will be in Turner, which is just north of Auburn.
Vern