Spring Colors

Many spring migrants have arrived in the area during the past week, while I have seen no real local rarities (other than last week's W-E Vireo), the rising moon on Friday evening was certainly spectacular.

A Digi-scope moon shot, from Winchendon, Ma.

Tree Swallows have been back while, this one at Gardner's Wompanoag Mass. Audubon Sanctuary. All the nest boxes seemed to have a Tree Swallow perched on top.

A Nashville Warbler in Gardner, I heard and saw several on a hike up Mt. Watatic on Sunday Morning May 10th.

This female Black-throated Blue Warbler was deep in the woods of Ashburnham, I "spished" it in, along with a male (likely its mate), they were in good breeding habitat..lots of Mountain Laurel in this area.

Another shot of the same female, I missed getting a shot of the male, it was late in the day and light conditions were poor.

Along with the "B-T Blues" was this Black-throated Green, which "stood still" just long enough. Also a likely breeder, there was a small stand of Eastern Hemlock near by.
Here is one of my favorites, at "take off"....
...a Canada Warbler, my first of the year. This was with the above species, this Canada was likely a breeder already on territory. The 5 photos above were taken from the same spot, I just had to make a few "foot" adjustments while balancing atop a downed tree.
A different Black-throated Green Warbler at the base of Mt. Watatic.

I visited Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge, in the Still River section of Harvard, after work on Monday evening, on my way to Bolton Flats.

This American Redstart was in Harvard, Ma. , along the Nashua River.

At Bolton Flats, I was fortunate to see a nice assortment of shorebirds, including 8 Killdeer, 3 Solitary Sandpipers, 12 Greater Yellowlegs, 18 Lesser yellowlegs, 4 Spotted Sandpipers and about a dozen Least Sandpipers. Sora, Virgina Rail and American Bittern were all heard calling.

A close up of one of the Greater Yellowlegs, through the scope.