Cemetery Birding

I went to Wildwood Cemetery in Ashland, Massachusetts for a half hour before work this morning.  There is definitely more birdsong in the air there.  I heard a red-winged blackbird for the second time this week but didn't see the bird.

Did you know that red-wing blackbirds do not have their red and yellow shoulder stripe during the winter?  They are all black!  This reminded me that on my visit to Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary in Westport, Massachusetts, I photographed two birds that sounded like red-wing blackbirds, but did not have the shoulder stripe.  Bingo!

Meanwhile, back at the cemetery today, I enjoyed the smaller songbirds and woodpeckers near the feeders among the gravestones.  There must be a lot of bird lovers buried in this cemetery.  I also saw my friend, Tom Turkey, still patrolling the cemetery alone (actually making a beeline for one of the bird feeders).

Downy Woodpecker

White-breasted Nuthatch

Slate-colored Junco

Wild Turkey

Male Cardinal

Female Cardinal

Mourning Dove

(very appropriate cemetery bird!)