Woodpeckers

I stopped in Wildwood Cemetery during my lunch break.  I had to avoid the areas where the DPW workers were doing spring clean up (think leaf blowers) and hope some birds may fly to the quieter areas.

I heard three birds calling way up in the sky and could see them against the clouds.  I think they were killdeer.

Meanwhile, closer to earth, I saw the following:

 Red-Bellied Woodpecker

 Downy Woodpecker

 Downy

 Downy

Red-Bellied Woodpecker

Also seen:

Eastern Bluebirds

European Starling

Turkey Vultures

Later this same day, I spotted a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers!  Woodpeckers were definitely the theme of the day!

Pileated Woodpecker

Two.  Unbelievable.  What wonderful birds!  My heart is still beating fast!

(male)

Morning Birding at Sudbury Reservoir

I went out a little earlier than usual today, hoping to catch a colorful sunrise at Hopkinton State Park.  Of course, today's sunrise was not very spectacular (is that terrible to say?)!  Still pretty, though!

looking East

looking West 

I then drove over to Southboro to check the various reservoir areas:  specifically,  Middle Road (right next to a speed trap), Parkerville Road and Route 85.  

Common Merganser

Wood Duck pair fly by

Canada geese fly by

Common Merganser w/ fresh catch

Gotcha!

Common Mergansers feed on fish or large invertebrates year-round.  They have small, tooth-like points along the sides of their bills which are used for gripping live fish.

Common Mergansers

Wild Turkey

I drove through Wildwood Cemetery this morning.  One of my friends who has never seen a wild turkey had suggested that I make a video.  So....Tom Turkey makes his movie debut!  Enjoy.

Spring Afternoon at Mt. Auburn

This afternoon it was 51 degrees with bright sunshine, white puffy clouds and blue skies.  Spring is here (whether there is snow on the ground or not).  I walked at Mt. Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge this afternoon, and although there weren't too many Spring flowers in bloom yet, I did find Witch Hazel in two colors and also Snow Drops.

 Witch Hazel

Brown Creeper

 Northern Cardinal (male)

 Northern Cardinal (female)

Snow Drops 

 House Finch (male)

 American Robin

 White-Breasted Nuthatch

 Blue Jay

Witch Hazel

Birding at Great Meadows NWR

I got up early and headed over to Great Meadows NWR hoping to get there before too many people walked through and all the wildlife disappears.  The parking lot was empty when I arrived!

The floods of my last visit had receded and all the trails were once again accessible without the need for boots.  Even though the birds and waterfowl were closer to the trails than when you are there later in the day, it was still hard to approach them quietly walking on crunchy snow!

Red-Winged Blackbird

 Mallard

Hooded Merganser pair and Canada geese

Muskrat

Wood Duck (drake) and Canada Geese

I love wood ducks and saw at least 4 pairs today!

Canada Geese

Ring-Necked Ducks

Northern Shoveler in front; Mallards behind

Song Sparrow

Tree Swallows perching on reeds

Downy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Green returns to the refuge!

Common Grackle

Mallards

Wood Duck (female)

poss. juvenile Red-Tailed Hawk hunting near the bathrooms

Bald Eagle

This was the last bird I saw as I returned to the parking lot!  So glad I didn't miss it!

Fox Sparrows

Last year I had a magical birding experience with lots of close encounters and great photo ops of special birds, only to find not a single picture had been saved to the card in my camera.  I nearly cried when I found out.   Later, I learned that the card was faulty and once I replaced it, the problem was solved.  But I lost the pictures of my first Fox Sparrow.   I went back several times to that same location looking for it, but had no luck.

Today I  found two Fox Sparrows foraging in the roadside in some dirt that had been recently dislodged by snowplows.  I couldn't get very close to them, and every time a car went by, they flew into the woods, but it was wonderful to see them!

Fox Sparrow

As you can see, this is a large sparrow with interesting coloring and a beautifully streaked breast.  It gets its name from the rich red hue in its feathers.  The tail color is especially noticeable.

Even though this is not a good photo, I like the way it shows the tail feathers of the Fox Sparrow.  The bird to the left is an American Robin.  The edges of its coloring look purple due to the contrast of its feathers against the snow and the low quality of my camera lens!

Joining the Fox Sparrows at the roadside were:  Dark-Eyed Juncos, American Robins and a White-Crowned Sparrow.  In a nearby bush was a Hairy Woodpecker.  Once again, I'm glad I forced myself to go out!

White-Throated Sparrow

unfortunately posing in front of roadside litter