Lunch Break at Breakneck Hill Conservation Land

Back to Breakneck Hill.  I have to say, this is a rather dull time of year outdoors.  Summer has birds and butterflies and other interesting insects as well as an abundance of light and color.  Early Fall has tropical migrating birds.  As for now, it's hard to build up too much excitement for Black-Capped Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, Northern Cardinals, and White-Breasted Nuthatches.  These are typically in my yard and at my feeder.  Ho Hum.  Those are constants, though, and I guess I should be happy to have them stay and keep me company through the winter.

At least at Breakneck Hill I may stumble across an occasional Eastern Bluebird, or two, or three or a dozen.  And today, I also stumbled across a passing White-Tailed Deer.

Not bad.  Not bad at all!  Guess that'll be enough motivation to keep me walking the trails for at least another day!

Eastern Bluebird

 Tufted Titmouse

 Black-Capped Chickadee

 Blue Jay

I stopped under an apple tree to watch a Downy Woodpecker pecking at an apple that was still hanging in the tree.  While I was stopped there, this deer came up over the hill, stepped easily over the electric fence and continued casually and slowly across the upper meadow into the woods on the other side.  Magical.  Not one minute after he disappeared, a dog walker came up the trail.  Timing is everything.

Southboro Birding

It was a cold start to the day today at Breakneck Hill Conservation Land, temps in the 20s.  A house cat was doing its best to hunt birds in the front meadow.

American Goldfinch

American Robin

I visited the Sudbury Reservoir Trail at lunch time.  I saw the Mute Swan again and this time, I was able to focus in on the leg band well enough to read the code.  I reported the band info today, so I'll follow up if I get any information back on this bird.

One of my favorite trees!

I've seen bluebirds, goldfinches, crows, red-tailed hawks, eastern kingbirds and more in this tree.  It's always worth a look!  Plus, it's such a pretty shape!

Lunch Stop at Farm Pond

I walked briefly at Farm Pond in Framingham today.  An Orange Sulphur surprised me!  It didn't cooperate for a photo, but it was nice and fresh looking.  There were at least half a dozen Autumn Meadowhawks flying about too.  It was warm, about 64 degrees, and sunny.  Even turtles had come up to soak in the sun.

Sunday Birding

First stop - Hopkinton State Park, Hopkinton

 Song Sparrow
wishing for some picnic crumbs

 Dark-Eyed Junco

Carolina Wren

Bird List:

Carolina Wren 1

Dark Eyed Junco 8

Song Sparrow 1

Second Stop - Sudbury Reservoir Trail, Southboro

Eastern Bluebird

Gray Catbird (it's late in the season for them)

Bird List:

American Goldfinch 3

American Robin 1

Black-Capped Chickadee 2

Canada Goose 47

Cedar Waxwing 1

Dark-Eyed Junco 4

Double Crested Cormorant 1

Eastern Bluebird 8

Gray Catbird 2

Hooded Merganser 4

Mourning Dove 1

Northern Cardinal 1

Red-Tailed Hawk 2

Song Sparrow 1

White-Throated Sparrow 1

Wild Turkey 2

Third Stop - Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Concord

American Coot

Canada Goose

Wood Duck

distant view of Northern Shovelers

 Downy Woodpecker #1

Downy Woodpecker #2

Beware if you are downwind of fuzzy cattails.  

Bird List:

There are too many birds to count at Great Meadows, and as usual, I gave up.

Sunset Walk at Waseeka Wildlife Sanctuary

I only had about 45 minutes before the light would be gone, so I stayed local and walked down to the dam at Waseeka.

There was a nice family of minks out by one of the "islands", and I enjoyed watching them.

A female Belted Kingfisher landed briefly on the tree that holds the Osprey nest and rattled a bit there.  I hoped to witness her fishing, but she didn't move from her perch.

There was a large flock of American Robins at the end of the dam, foraging along the trail and flying from tree to tree.  They were quite noisy.

A couple of Hooded Mergansers flushed and flew to the back of the water.  A pair of Mute Swans (boo) flew in and landed in the back of the water.  I say "boo" because they are so hard on native wildlife, sometimes killing any competition they have for food or territory.   A flock of geese passed overhead.

That about sums up today's walk.  I am happy to report that the hardwood floor project is finally complete.  Now to move everything back in!

Bluebirds on Friday

I started the day watching the sun rise at Hopkinton State Park.

Dark-Eyed Juncos moved from tree to tree along the shore.  But there was one call that stood out, and I was able to spot a Carolina Wren hiding among the branches.

Carolina Wren

Since I still had about a half an hour to spare, I moved on to Breakneck Hill Conservation Land.   While I was photographing a Northern Mockingbird near the parking lot, the Belted Galloways confused me for the farmer who feeds them.  They came, at times running, from the other side of the meadow (near the community garden area) over to where I was.  I moved up the trail on the hill, and they pushed and nudged each other to position themselves as close to the fence as possible.  I did not want to stay by those tiny strands of electric wires and test whether they'd hold them back or not when they were running towards me!

Before they noticed me....

Northern Mockingbird (all fluffed up)

 Here they come!

I only walked to the top of the hill where the first trail breaks off to the right.  At this intersection, the Eastern Bluebirds were very active, and I enjoyed watching them for about ten minutes.  The cows, meanwhile, depressed and disappointed, had returned to the other side of the meadow again.

I took a walk during my lunch hour at Waseeka Wildlife Sanctuary in Hopkinton.  With all the dried leaves on the trail, it is impossible to walk quietly and much more difficult to get close to any wildlife.  

  Crunch!

The leaves make me long for moccasins.  Ever since I was a child, I wished I could move through the woods with as little noise as possible, like a Native American.

All the ducks on the water flew off before I could near enough for photos.  Yes, they heard me coming.    I saw Ring-Necked Ducks, Hooded Mergansers, and Mallards through my binoculars where they were hiding out near the opposite side of the water.

More Eastern Bluebirds! (one out of two seen)

 Belted Kingfisher (at the "usual" long distance)

Gone fishing! 

(nice aerodynamic dive)

Song Sparrow