Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Late August/ Early September

   We recently visited the White Mountains and I was fortunate to enjoy long day-hike to Bondcliff Mtn., in the Pemigewasset Wilderness. Not much on the bird front, a few Red-eyed Vireos were singing and a few mixed flocks of chickadees (Black-capped and Boreal), over 3000' elevation.

The western view from Bondcliff toward Owl's Head mtn, the Franconia Ridge and Mt. Garfield.
Sept. 5 was a slow day hawkwatching on Mt. Watatic in Ashburnham, Ma., but we did have good looks at some of the migrant and local raptors.
This Osprey passed close over  Mt. Watatic on 9/5

A juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk, non migrant, over Mt. Watatic on 9/5
A morning walk at High Ridge WMA in Westminster, on the 6th, was fairly "birdy" considering the very warm and humid conditions. The complete list is below:
A juvenile Eastern Bluebird, transitioning out of its "spotted" juvenile plumage, at High Ridge WMA on 9/6, 

Female Wood Ducks at High Ridge

There lots of "tough-me-nots" blooming at High Ridge

viburnum ?(see the feed back from Josh Facteau below  Virginia-creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia).
Thank You Josh

The chestnut crop was looking good along North Gardner Road
The High Ridge List:

Species Count
Wood Duck 4
Hooded Merganser 2
Great Blue Heron 1
Cooper's Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 7
Belted Kingfisher 1
Downy Woodpecker 3
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 2
Pileated Woodpecker 1
Eastern Wood-Pewee 1
Eastern Phoebe 27
Eastern Kingbird 2
Warbling Vireo 1
Red-eyed Vireo 4
Blue Jay 14
American Crow 10
Black-capped Chickadee 36
Tufted Titmouse 12
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 3
House Wren 4
Eastern Bluebird 16
Gray Catbird 10
European Starling 9
Cedar Waxwing 18
Ovenbird 1
Nashville Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 7
American Redstart 7
Chestnut-sided Warbler 1
Pine Warbler 6
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 4
Black-throated Green Warbler 4
Chipping Sparrow 5
Song Sparrow 4
Swamp Sparrow 2
Scarlet Tanager 1
Northern Cardinal 3
Common Grackle 4
House Finch 1
American Goldfinch 4