Nesting House Wren

I walked at Breakneck Hill Conservation Land this morning before work and then again at lunchtime with Freddie, one of the members of the Southboro Open Land Foundation.

Birds seen:

American Crow
American Goldfinch
American Robin
Baltimore Oriole
Barn Swallow
Black-Capped Chickadee
Bobolink (song only)
Brown-Headed Cowbird
Common Grackle
Eastern Bluebird
Eastern Kingbird
House Finch
House Sparrow
Indigo Bunting
Killdeer
Mourning Dove
Northern Cardinal (song only)
Northern Flicker
Red-Winged Blackbird
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Tree Swallow

I think the highlight of the morning walk was watching the Barn Swallows collect nesting material in an area where there is water for the Belties.  There is a muddy patch there, and the Barn Swallows kept flying in there and pulling roots out of the mud and carrying them off.  I wonder where they are building their nests?  I'll try to keep an eye out.

Barn Swallow

again

 Savannah Sparrow

 #24 (I think)

having breakfast

American Goldfinch

Wild Columbine

still looking beautiful!

Baltimore Oriole

(watching over the parking lot)

Eastern Tailed-Blue (one of several seen)

I don't know what this plant is that is coming up in the meadow, but the orange on the leaves really caught my eye.

Indigo Bunting

Female Dot-Tailed Whiteface Dragonfly

Meanwhile, back at home, an industrious House Wren has decided that one of my old, dilapidated birdhouses was worth fixing up, even after a squirrel widened the opening.

 House Wren

That looks like quite a large nest for such a small bird!