Birding with my Sister

My sister Lynn has recently started birding and trying to capture photos of what she sees.  She was really hoping to see some migrating warblers this past spring, but ended up with only one species, the Yellow-Rumped Warbler.  I was hoping I could show her a few warbler species while she was here, and any other good bird species that happened to present themselves along the way!

Since I was back to work in the daytime, we had to make do with early morning, lunch breaks, or evening hikes.  We did all right!

Westborough WMA (evening):

Cedar Waxwing

Warbing Vireo

Red-Eyed Vireo at the nest

Baltimore Oriole

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher nest

We also had great views of American Redstarts, both male and female, but as it was getting late and the light was poor and the birds were fast, I have no photos.

Westboro WMA (morning hike):

Scarlet Tanager!!

Waseeka Wildlife Sanctuary (evening hike):

Cedar Waxwing

Eastern Bluebird juvenile

Poppa and juvenile

Again.  So sweet

Another Scarlet Tanager!

Osprey

(The babies were uncooperative.  Thank goodness for that Scarlet Tanager!)

Breakneck Hill Conservation Land:

These are Lynn's beautiful photos.

Great Spangled Fritillary

Cloudywing (not sure whether Northern or Southern)

Red Admiral

European Skipper

Monarch (first of year!)

Sherborn Power Line:

Viceroy

 Allen's Pond Wildlife Sanctuary:

Willet

Osprey

Great Egret

Bobolink

Tree Swallow feeding young

Happy pig

The fields which were usually filled with butterflies yielded only Cabbage Whites and one Black Swallowtail.  It was dead.

Tree Swallows

Our daily dose of Cedar Waxwings

Blue-Eyed Grass with a pollinator

White-Eyed Vireo

(I was thrilled to see this species!)

Mystery baby bird, recently fledged

Gray Catbird

Eastern Towhee

Lynn

  

We also had a nice Baltimore Checkerspot sighting in the meadow near the headquarters!  I suspected we saw a couple fly by, but neither stopped.  We went back at the end of our day and found one smack dab in the middle of the trail!

We saw so many Yellow Warblers at this sanctuary, which was nice for my sister!  While we didn't see that many warblers, she was happy with those she did:  Yellow, Prairie (heard), American Redstart, and Common Yellowthroat.  Other breeding birds we found included:  Blue Gray Gnatcatcher, Baltimore Oriole, Scarlet Tanager, Indigo Bunting, Red-Eyed and White-Eyed Vireos and Warbling Vireos.  I think she had a lot of life birds!