Bohemian Waxwings 4/7 and 4/8

Most birders, in New England, know we are in the mist of one of the, perhaps THE, best Bohemian Waxwing invasion in recorded history for Massachusetts. There was the huge numbers reported from Cape Ann and Cape Cod during the later half of the Christmas Bird Count period, but then they sort of evaporated! In past few weeks they've reemerged and appear to be wide spread across the state.


Sunday morning Chuck Caron found a flock of 122 in Fitchburg at the junction of Rtes 2A and 31, which happens to be only 3 miles from my apartment and right on my commute to work. I missed them on the drive Monday morning, but about 3 mile further on Rte 2A I saw a flock of 42, and one Cedar, right down town. On my return trip I found "Chuck's" birds, about 120, gorging on crabapples in front of a printing company(Boutwell-Ownes) at 31/2A junction.


When I got home I thought of walking back, to add them to my human powered bird list for 2008. It being late in the day I decided against it and went for a walk in the neighborhood. Not 50 feet from the end of my drive way I could sworn I heard a Bohemian call...but it was very windy. Then again....and they were... 3 BOWA's right in front of. I proceeded back in the yard, to add them the yard list, and continued with the walk!



Below are some digi-bin photos from this morning, they were still in front of Boutwell-Owens in Fitchburg. While I was taking a walk during my break at work, this morning, 7 flew overhead calling in Groton, Ma.



"bottom feeding"


Perty sleek looking

Ready to swallow
Striking a rather portly pose and looking more like a penguin, but ready to pack another one down"!
Down it goes!

Keene to Charlestown, NH 4/5

Late afternoon I spent some time looking for waterfowl in Keene and then along the Connecticut River Valley in the towns of Westmoreland, Walpole, North Walpole and Charlestown.

The semi flooded corn fields on Krif Road, in Keene, provided a nice variety of puddle ducks and Wilson's Snipe. Many of the birds were relatively close to the road so the view of these birds was quite nice, such as the snipe and Blue-winged Teal below.

Wilson's Snipe at rest along Krif Road in Keene
Drake Blue-winged Teal in Keene

Birds seen and heard from Krif Road:

Canada Goose 22
Wood Duck 3
American Black Duck 4
Mallard 84
Blue-winged Teal 1
Northern Pintail 1
Green-winged Teal 6
Turkey Vulture 4
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Killdeer 5
Wilson's Snipe 17
Ring-billed Gull 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Eastern Phoebe 1
American Crow 25
Black-capped Chickadee 3
American Robin 10
European Starling 5
Red-winged Blackbird 3
Common Grackle 25
Brown-headed Cowbird 1

The next stop was in Westmoreland, along Chickering Road, the dairy farmer has done a nice job of spreading manure on his fields. In the past this is done while there is still snow on the ground and it attracts excellent numbers of ground birds such as Horned Lark and Snow Bunting. There was little snow cover on this field, making finds flocks of these birds difficult.

While I was looking through the geese, a handsome Northern Harrier passed, zigging and zagging over the field. If I had ever seen this many Horned Larks at once before, I can't remember, but had I ever seen that many, I guess I would have. I estimated at least 1500 larks flying about until the harrier moved on, I was able to pick at least 2 Snow Buntings as well. There was a nice variety of waterfowl including 47 Snow Geese.

Birds seen in Westmoreland:
Snow Goose 47
Canada Goose 450
Wood Duck 8
American Black Duck 16
Mallard 60
Northern Harrier 1
Red-tailed Hawk 1
American Kestrel 1
Killdeer 12
Rock Pigeon 15
American Crow 100
Horned Lark 1500
American Robin 300
European Starling 50
Song Sparrow 1
Snow Bunting 2
Red-winged Blackbird 100
Common Grackle 50

Along North River Road in Walpole was more waterfowl, including over 60 Wood Ducks at one stop near a horse farm.

The Walpole List:
Snow Goose 3
Canada Goose 56
Wood Duck 76
American Black Duck 22
Mallard 56
Green-winged Teal 2
Killdeer 6
Mourning Dove 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
American Crow 4
Black-capped Chickadee 1
Tufted Titmouse 2
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
American Robin 562
European Starling 25
Song Sparrow 3
Red-winged Blackbird 100
Common Grackle 56
Brown-headed Cowbird 20

As I passed through North Walpole I notice 2 small fruit trees in a front yard and next door was a small flock of Bohemian Waxwings. I parked across the street, at the North Walpole Fire/Police station/Public Library (all in the same small building) to get a better look. A few of the waxwings landed in the fruit tree and I got a few digi-bin shots. Something spooked the birds and they headed toward me, I kid you not...I was nearly hit the face by them as I literally felt the breeze from their wings as they wizzed past, within a foot of my head!

Bohemian Waxwings in North Walpole


N. Walpole list:
Canada Goose 135
Wood Duck 25
American Black Duck 10
Mallard 90
Killdeer 6
Horned Lark 90
Bohemian Waxwing 8

Continuing north to Charlestown where big numbers of waterfowl have been reported recently, I was hoping for perhaps a Cackling Goose or some other fancy fowl. That would not be the case, but there was certainly good numbers of Canada Geese, a few Snows (including one Blue form of the Snow Goose), lots of Mallards and other dabblers. One oddly plumaged Canada Goose was present, having a normal neck and head but with a frosty white body (see the digi-scope photo below). There were a few mergansers along the river and I had a nice view of a River Otter eating a fish on the edge of the ice.

Leusistic Canada Goose in Charlestown, NH


The Charlestown list:

Snow Goose 6
Canada Goose 1600
Wood Duck 30
American Wigeon 4
American Black Duck 20
Mallard 125
Northern Pintail 1
Green-winged Teal 6
Hooded Merganser 14
Common Merganser 12
Great Blue Heron 3
Turkey Vulture 2
American Kestrel 1
Killdeer 6
Ring-billed Gull 20
Mourning Dove 1
American Crow 10
Common Raven 1
Horned Lark 20
American Robin 50
European Starling 25
Song Sparrow 5
Red-winged Blackbird 25
Common Grackle 25
Brown-headed Cowbird 1
House Sparrow 5


Sun-set along the Conn. River in Charlestown, NH.

Bolton Flats 4/03

Dirt road along the north side of Rte 117, along Bolton Flats

I had a nice walk at Bolton Flats located, in Bolton and Lancaster, Ma., the evening of 4/3. With recent rains and spring snow melt the "flats", a series of wetlands and corn fields along the Nashua River are partially flooded. This is one of the best locales for spring waterfowl and shorebirds in Worcester County, shin high boots are helpfull...hip boots even better!

Just on the south side of Rte 117 I counted nearly 200 Wood Ducks in one small area, I am convinced there were many more hidden in the portions of uncut corn stalks....quite a sight. Along with the Woodies were many Mallards, a few Black Ducks, 50+ Green-winged Teal, a dozen Northern Pintails and a pair of American Wigeon. I flushed an American Woodcock and saw a single Wilson's Snipe near the woodies.

On the north side of Rte 117, I had expected to see more Snipe, I saw none but a single of each Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs was very nice! Many Killdeer were moving about and calling and more Green-winged Teal were in the lower portions of the field. My first Blue-winged Teal of the year were nearly hidden behind thick brush as were a few Ring-necked Ducks in deeper water. I never made it into the pond, which is well hidden by brush and difficult to get to without hip boots....I had none and wanted to stay dry.

Steve Anderson was walking the dirt road and while we chatted, a Peregrine Falcon (which has been present for the past week or two) came "steaming" across the corn field causing a panic and took a quick swipe at a flushing American Robin. At first, I thought it caught one as something was dandling from its feet. This "item" did give an appearance of a thin piece of grass rather than a prey item. The bird perched, about 300-400 yards out, and fiddled with something...it didn't seem to be eating. We scanned the area to see if a falconer might be in the area, as it occured to us this "dangling object" could be a jesse. With poor light and a distant bird we could not make out enough detail to solve the "mystery.

Looking west across the flooded corn field, nice spring waterfowl and shorebird habitat and not a bad sunset.

Attention was redirected to the Lesser Yellowlegs was "stretched" out in a horizontal posture trying to be "one with the water" and avoid being dinner. As Steve and I got back to the parking area, an other birder Chuck Johnson, had just seen the Peregrine perched close, but it took off before he could get his scope on it. The 3 of us chatted a bit and the Peregrine was seen again, this time passing directly overhead and low...and solving our mystery..while we didn't see the straps as it was nearly dark, were could hear the jiggling of bells coming from the passing bird ... and the erasing of Peregrine Falcon off my Worcester County year list.

The evening's bird list:

Canada Goose 40
Wood Duck 195
American Wigeon 2
American Black Duck 12
Mallard 125
Blue-winged Teal 3
Northern Pintail 12
Green-winged Teal (American) 120
Ring-necked Duck 2
Common Merganser 2
Great Blue Heron 1
Killdeer 20
Greater Yellowlegs 1
Lesser Yellowlegs 1
Wilson's Snipe 1
American Woodcock 2
Ring-billed Gull 15
Mourning Dove 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
American Crow 10
Tree Swallow 6
Black-capped Chickadee 3
Tufted Titmouse 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
Eastern Bluebird 2
American Robin 75
American Tree Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 12
Northern Cardinal 2
Red-winged Blackbird 100
Common Grackle 2750
American Goldfinch 3

Nashua River waterfowl 3/18/2008

After moving and squaring away my former house I am finally starting to settle back into a "normal" schedule. I viewed the Nashua River during my lunch and went back after work to look for puddle ducks in a few depressions in a corn field adjacent to the river.

The noon-time list, from behind the horse track:
Canada Goose...50
Mute Swan...2
Wood Duck...16
American Wigeon...1
American Black Duck...4
Mallard...4
Canvasback...5 (an uncommon migrate in this area)
Ring-necked Duck...14
Common Goldeneye...15
Hooded Merganser...48
Common Merganser...20
Great Blue Heron...1
Red-tailed Hawk...2
Ring-billed Gull...1
Great Black-backed Gull...4
Belted Kingfisher...1
Tree Swallow...2
Black-capped Chickadee...2
Tufted Titmouse...1
White-breasted Nuthatch...1
Brown Creeper...1
Eastern Bluebird...1
Song Sparrow...1
Northern Cardinal...1
Common Grackle...2

The list from the evening from 2 different vantage points, Gardner Farm and behind the horse track, most of the puddle duck were are Gardner Farm:

Canada Goose...400
Mute Swan...3
Wood Duck...8
American Black Duck...30
Mallard...300
Northern Pintail...3
Green-winged Teal (American)...11
Ring-necked Duck...24
Bufflehead...1
Common Goldeneye...3
Hooded Merganser...60
Common Merganser...75
Great Blue Heron...3
Great Black-backed Gull...3 (one had a small Largemouth Bass)
Mourning Dove...1
Tufted Titmouse...2
White-breasted Nuthatch...1
Eastern Bluebird...1
American Robin...15
European Starling...400
Song Sparrow...2
Red-winged Blackbird...20
Common Grackle...2
House Sparrow...5

It is alway nice to watch groups of Mergansers displaying courting behavior, the drake Hoodies "throwing" their heads back while the Commons are involved in animated chases on the water. Also seen were 3 or 4 Muskrats and a River Otter.

Gardner to Thorofare, NJ 2/20 and 2/21

I took a recent business trip to visit one of the company planta in Thorofare, NJ., I chose to make the solo trip behind the wheel vs. the Boston to Philly flight. The air trip takes nearly as long as driving by the time I'd drive to the airport, wait, board the jet...and wait, fly for an hour, get a rental car and drive to the plant. The drive gave me an oppertunity to listen to some music and do some casual birding from behind the wheel.
The first good bird bird was a red-shouldered Hawk the passed over the vehicle just into Conn.(on rte 395), a few miles later a Northern Raven was a nice surprise. Though Ravens have expanded their range south and east in New England so I doubt it was "out of place". A big surprise was the fact I did not see a Red-tailed Hawk until I was well into New York, in the Tapan Zee Bridge area. Afterwards I saw my fair share of "tails", then several Turkey Vultures once I was within New Jersey.
Once near Thorofare, which just across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, were 3 Black Vultures, flapping and soaring just to the west of rte 295. I had a few free minutes before my 1PM meeting and drove a few side streets near Paulsboro, NJ...near the Delaware River. There were many Canada Geese, Black Ducks, Mallards, Ring-necked Ducks, a few Buffleheads, Hooded and Common Mergansers. A red-throated Loon was on the river and a few Great Blue Herons. Gulls numbers were dominated by Ring-billed along with few Herring and Great Black-backed.

I haven't been posting too much, as my house sold and I had to find a new place to live which will be in Westminster (locals call it Westminister... an extra "i") the next town to the east of Gardner. So... So...while the corporate headquarters, of "Birding North Central Massachusetts...and beyond", is changing...I woun't have to change the blog name :)



The species list of the Jersey trip:
Canada Goose
Black Duck
Mallard
Ring-necked Duck
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Mute Swan
Red-throated Loon
Great Blue Heron
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Turkey Vulture
Black Vulture
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Downy Woodpecker
Blue Jay
American Crow
Northern Raven
Downy Woodpecker
Americna Robin
Northern Mockingbird
Junco
White-throated Sparrow
House Sparrow
American Goldfinch
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird