High Ridge WMA and Sterling "Peat"

Below are a few photos from an out and back 5 mile walk at High Ridge WMA (Westminster/ Gardner) on 8/22 along East Gardner Road, May Street, Smith Street and Neighborhood Road. There were no real surprises but none the less a nice selection of passerines.

A hatch year male  Common Yellowthroat

A handsome male Black-throated Blue Warbler

Northern Parula 

There were many Eastern Phoebes along the walk

This Eastern Kingbird showed nicely

a male Red-breasted Nuthatch

Insects of all types were enjoying many fields of Goldenrod

An American Toad

A list from the High Ridge walk:
Species Count
Canada Goose 1
Wood Duck 4
Mallard 1
Hooded Merganser 1
Great Blue Heron 2
Red-shouldered Hawk 1
Broad-winged Hawk 2
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Solitary Sandpiper 1
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 3
Downy Woodpecker 3
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Pileated Woodpecker 1
Eastern Phoebe 13
Great Crested Flycatcher 1
Eastern Kingbird 7
Red-eyed Vireo 16
Blue Jay 2
American Crow 2
Common Raven 1
Black-capped Chickadee 27
Tufted Titmouse 5
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 5
House Wren 5
Gray Catbird 12
European Starling 1
Cedar Waxwing 14
Northern Waterthrush 1
Black-and-white Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 16
Northern Parula 1
Chestnut-sided Warbler 1
Black-throated Blue Warbler 4
Pine Warbler 1
Black-throated Green Warbler 4
Canada Warbler 1
Chipping Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 6
Swamp Sparrow 1
Eastern Towhee 1
Scarlet Tanager 2
Northern Cardinal 4
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 2
Common Grackle 1
American Goldfinch 5

On Sunday morning ,I stopped at the Fitchburg Airport and Sterling Peat. The airport had little to show, but a few American Kestrels that were working the runways, were nice to see.
The water level was fairly low at Sterling Peat's Muddy Pond and while there was nothing "too uncommon" there was a few dozen shorebirds and a nice number of immature Green Herons (7 or 8) along with a single Great Egret.

A comparative shot of Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs

1 of 16 Least Sandpipers

The Sterling Peat List:

Species Count
Mallard 8
Great Blue Heron 2
Great Egret 1
Green Heron 7
Killdeer 9
Spotted Sandpiper 2
Solitary Sandpiper 3
Greater Yellowlegs 3
Lesser Yellowlegs 2
Least Sandpiper 16
Mourning Dove 40
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 1
Eastern Wood-Pewee 1
Eastern Phoebe 2
Blue Jay 2
American Crow 2
Barn Swallow 6
Black-capped Chickadee 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1
Gray Catbird 6
Northern Mockingbird 1
European Starling 42
Cedar Waxwing 18
Prairie Warbler 1
Song Sparrow 6
Brown-headed Cowbird 1
American Goldfinch 5