Hungry Robins

This morning, at Wildwood Cemetery, there was a flock of robins attacking the fruit on the crabapple trees (at least I think these are crabapples).  I like the challenge of trying to get a photo of them eating a piece of fruit.

They were quite aggressive, chasing off Dark-Eyed Juncos and each other as needed.  An occasional Blue Jay and Northern Cardinal also stopped in these trees for a snack.

It's another dark day here, so the photos are not great.

Got it!

Dark-Eyed Junco

This junco successfully landed in the tree without any robins noticing and chasing him off!  He didn't stay long, though.

I kept glancing behind me to make sure the wild turkey wasn't getting any ideas about protecting its territory.  He didn't seem too interested in me, which was good.

And on my way out, what should I spy but an American Tree Sparrow.  I seem to be seeing a lot of these lately!

SVT's Walkup and Robinson Memorial Reservation

Today I took a lunchtime hike in Westboro, MA at the Walkup and Robinson Memorial Reservation.  This reservation has nice paths through woods right smack dab in the middle of a sea of office parks.  It is a nice break for the working people who want to get away from their cubes for a refreshing nature walk!

I found the woods to be devoid of bird activity.  I saw a small flock of American robins and several nuthatches, but besides that, it was a whole lot of quiet.

Meanwhile, back at home, a cute little tufted titmouse and black-capped chickadee both came in to check out the bagel on the back deck.

I saw a Downy Woodpecker pecking away at our old play structure out back, too.  Yes, it is time to take that down.  My son is driving now!  But where will I hang my bird feeder after it's gone?

Hopping Blue Jay

Too lazy to fly?

This pine tree held 4 different feeding blue jays.  It was funny to watch them flying from branch to branch, finding something good to eat.  It didn't look like they were eating from the pine cones, but something on the branches themselves.  The above photo cracked me up.  I guess the blue jay was moving toward the end of the branch and didn't think it was worth flapping its wings.  It looks like it was levitating!

Red-tailed Hawk

A red-tailed hawk temporarily touched down in the top of the same tree, scattering the blue jays.  He didn't stay long enough for them to confront him but took off for other parts.

Hopkinton State Park at sunrise

American Tree Sparrow

I was hoping for another opportunity to identify this type of sparrow in the field, but I never imagined it would happen this soon!  Love that bright, rusty colored cap on its head.

Crabapples for Breakfast

I drove through Wildwood Cemetery this dark, rainy morning just to check on possible wildlife activity and try to jump start my morning nature outings again (which I have not done since the time change).

I was just about to give up when I saw a single American Robin land in one of a group of three crabapple trees near the entrance.  I pulled the car up, turned off the engine and waited.  Within minutes, there were about 50 robins, 2 Cedar Waxwings, 10 European starlings and one American Goldfinch.  What a breakfast buffet!  Those trees are not going to have much fruit left after today!

European Starling

 American Robin

European Starling

Cedar Waxwing

Birding at Waseeka Wildlife Sanctuary

My son and I hiked out to the dam at Waseeka in Hopkinton for a quick lunchtime outing.  It was 68 degrees and sunny!  Is this November in Massachusetts?  It's hard to believe!

Here are today's highlights:

Golden-Crowned Kinglet

I love this little bird, but it sure is a challenging subject to photograph.  It almost never stops moving, and the only way I can get a photo of it is by pure luck at being focused on the spot it happens to hop towards.  There was more than one in the trees, but this is the only one I was able to photograph.  The other one had an orange-ish color on its crown (indicating it was a male), and I sure would have liked to photograph that one!  Oh well!

 There was a pair of hooded mergansers just on the other side of the narrow peninsula.  You can barely see the male in this photo.

 It doesn't seem to matter what time of the year we visit, there is always something beautiful to be found here.  Today, these reflections caught my eye.

We heard several blue jays cawing in the woods, and shortly thereafter, who should fly out seeking a quieter place to hunt but this beautiful hawk.

Red-Tailed Hawk

Hairy Woodpecker

While we were hiking in toward the dam, I was telling my son that I had found a good website explaining providing a visual comparison between a Downy and a Hairy Woodpecker and that I hoped I finally had figured it out.   Yes, I'm sure his eyes were glazed over and I just didn't notice.  He was a good sport.   I said to him that I realized that all the woodpeckers I had seen so far had been Downy.  Wouldn't you know.....I saw a Hairy Woodpecker on the walk out!  Whoo hoo!  (Note the large, long beak and the black comma-shaped marking extending from the shoulder down onto the white breast.)

Nice lunch break.  One-on-one time w/ my son, a life bird, pretty scenery, and Indian summer!

Quick Walk at Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary

I only had time for an hour walk at the Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary this morning in Natick, MA.  Birds were not too plentiful, but Northern Cardinals were out in numbers!

 White-Throated Sparrow

 Northern Cardinal

 Field Sparrow 
Correction:  American Tree Sparrow (thanks, Alan!)

Greater Yellowlegs and more at PRNWR

It promised to be a beautiful fall day today - 50s and sunny, so I took the hour drive up to Newburyport to visit Parker River National Wildlife Refuge.

Prior to leaving the house, I saw a beautiful red fox running in my neighbor's yard.  On the road north, I saw two beautiful red-tailed hawks hunting from the streetlights on the highway ramps.  And on the return trip, I saw a white-tailed deer at the Weston toll booth on the Mass Turnpike.

Here are the highlights from Parker River:

Greater Yellowlegs - best bird of the day!

Herring Gull (dropping something to eat)

Dark-Eyed Junco drinking from a puddle

Red-Breasted Nuthatch

Golden-Crowned Kinglet

Sometimes the rustling in the leaves is not a bird!  I think this is a vole.

Song Sparrow (I think)

Also seen but not photographed:  a wren, cedar waxwings, crows, Marsh hawks, black-capped chickadees, American robins, Canada geese, mute swans, and many ducks

How can you not enjoy the day when you are surrounded by stunning scenery at every turn?

Click here if you want to see photos from my visit to Parker River NWR last January.

American Goldfinch

I stopped at Wildwood Cemetery this morning, but there was no visible bird activity there.  I did see Tom Turkey roosting on top of a tombstone, but I chose not to disturb him.  Next, I drove over to Hopkinton State Park.  I thought this was going to be another bust, seeing only a distant gull in the lake.  I was slowly driving the edge of the parking lot next to the reservoir when I noticed three birds in a birch tree ~~  pretty little goldfinches having breakfast.  One was hanging upside down nearly the entire time (working so much harder than the other two), but there were too many branches between us to get a clear photo.  It was 39 degrees at 7:30AM.  Click on any photo for an enlargement.

 Don't you just love the fluffy down feathers?

Just past the goldfinches, I noticed a bird's nest.  Not until I saw it on the computer did I realize that it's made primarily of fishing line.  Interesting.  I wonder if it's stronger than natural fibers?   Fishing line is typically a serious problem for our bird friends.  Click here to see a photo I took this past September of a Double Crested Cormorant tangled in fishing line and trying to work itself free.

A second next was just a few trees down from the first - also incorporating fishing line.  They look like they could be Baltimore Oriole nests, but I am no expert on nests.    Click here to see a link to a Baltimore Oriole nesting sight I discovered earlier this year at Wildwood Cemetery.

Mass Audubon sponsors a Birds to Watch project that includes Baltimore Orioles.  Through it, they are building a database with info about the breeding status of birds whose populations are in decline.   Citizen scientists are asked to record and report on their observations of Baltimore Orioles and their nests from April to July.

It looks like Hopkinton State Park is worth a return visit for Baltimore Oriole sightings next spring.