Charles River Peninsula

Charles River Peninsula, originally uploaded by oehlkers.

As things have grown green, new paths have revealed themselves. This one leads into a secluded muddy grove near the river.
A new dimension to daytime walking in the meadow--snakes. Especially on a sunny day like today.
And the kingbirds have arrived.[Today's singer is a Robin with a nice whistle.]

Now Singing: Wood Thrush (not hermit)

Cutler Park, far side of the pond, evenings, through the summer. Ethereal, otherworldly strains. You won't be disappointed.Sample.

Charles River Peninsula

Charles River Peninsula, originally uploaded by oehlkers.

The grass is getting long. Walking the perimeter is like trudging through snow (pausing every so often to brush off the tick flakes). I'm still thoroughly enraptured. And finally, the bobolinks make their appearance. Not singing yet. Instead, a different sort of deranged vocalist is dominating the scene--a Warbling Vireo in what seems like every other tree. [Here's a taste: a Warbling Vireo/Song Sparrow duet]

Crows are eerily smart

The Bird Book By Chester Albert Reed
Yesterday afternoon, I watched a neighbor's cat chase a baby rabbit. I don't know the end of the tale--I suspect it wasn't pleasant. (I did try to intervene, but cats really don't care about our opinions). As soon as the chase began, I noticed something interesting. A crow flew down to some branches overlooking the scene and began watching. As the chase moved across the street, the crow followed. And then, when it became clear that the cat (apparently de-clawed) wasn't going to be able to finish the job very quickly if at all, the crow lost interest and flew on.
Which is why I was particularly interested when BoingBoing yesterday posted a link to Joshua Klein's TED presentation about crows and his crow vending machine project. There is an astounding scene in which a crow fashions a hook of a piece of wire to retrieve an object from a tube.

Cutler Park

Cutler Park, originally uploaded by oehlkers.

Returned to Cutler Park with my recorder and camera. Here are the goslings I mentioned in a previous post. The parents hiss at you as you walk by. Singing at Cutler is dominated by Baltimore Orioles and Catbirds right now. I recorded two new orioles (added to the Baltimore Orioles page) and caught a catbird in full mockingbird mode. A Hermit Thrush (at the far end of the pond) was singing but I couldn't get it on record. A gorgeous evening.

Baltimore Orioles

Field book of wild birds and their music By Ferdinand Schuyler Mathews
Since my encounters with Baltimore Orioles this week (two on record here and here[UPDATE: Here are two more: here and here. And number 5) I've become intrigued by their tunefulness. The famous bird song transcriber, F. Schuyler Mathews, suggests that Baltimore Orioles each seem to be singing a phrase, and one phrase only, from one enormous musical composition. I wonder what it would sound like--what if everyone who heard a Baltimore Oriole song were to record it/transcribe it and submit it to a database. Then we could put them all together and hear The Song.

I've submitted mine above. Mathews offers the transcriptions below (via Google Books)

Field book of wild birds and their music

Field book of wild birds and their music By Ferdinand Schuyler Mathews

Field book of wild birds and their music By Ferdinand Schuyler Mathews

Field book of wild birds and their music By Ferdinand Schuyler Mathews

Field book of wild birds and their music By Ferdinand Schuyler Mathews

Field book of wild birds and their music By Ferdinand Schuyler Mathews

Field book of wild birds and their music By Ferdinand Schuyler Mathews

Incidentally, Mass Audubon is engaging in their own Baltimore Oriole project, but one that is a little worrying. There seems to have been a small decline in recent years of Baltimore Orioles in Massachusetts. For the past few years they have been attempting a census, relying on reports from volunteers around the Commonwealth. Here's the link to this year's page.

Cutler Park

Dedham Needham Town line, originally uploaded by oehlkers.

I took a stroll through the lower Cutler Park trails, largely to find the bird I'd heard earlier in the week. And there it was, holding court, singing its song over and over. A Baltimore Oriole. Hear the song here. Along the way I spotted a bobolink rose-breasted grosbeak flying away (those white spots under the wing make it so easy to ID). I've yet to hear it sing this year. [The image above is across the road from Cutler--a gated access road and canoe launch right on the town line, apparently]
[UPDATE: A Mother's Day stroll around Cutler Pond: a zillion yellows and yellow-rumps, plus Orioles both Baltimore and Orchard, a Warbling Vireo (warbling). And two Canada Goose families, with 15 or so goslings on display.]

New singers at Charles River Peninsula

Charles River Peninsula, originally uploaded by oehlkers.

My sonic map is changing. A bunch of new singers (or old birds, new songs). I don't know these ones (and the emerging leaves are preventing visual IDs). But they are worth sharing (and maybe someone out there knows who is singing).

The first has a very distinct musical song. I also heard it off of the boardwalk at Cutler Park this week. I'm guessing Eastern Meadowlark Baltimore Oriole.

The second has less of a tune, but much more free jazz energy--five or six runs in a row. I'm guessing House Wren.

Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary (Bluff Head Trail)

Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary (Bluff Head Trail), originally uploaded by oehlkers.

Suddenly everything's green. And buggy. I walked up to the Bluff Head at Moose Hill this afternoon. May is an explosion. The birds trickle in during March and April, and then suddenly I don't know who's what anymore. Lots to learn. At any rate, I recorded a bit of what I heard. [3 minutes of ambiance here]. And I got some nice footage of a chickadee taking a bath. Cute overload alert.

Chickadee hole ((Ridge Hill)

Chickadee hole ((Ridge Hill), originally uploaded by oehlkers.

A rainy day walk through the northern trails of Ridge Hill. Spent most of the time on the "Horticulture" trails (little black signs labeling sassafras and white oak and chestnut). Wanted to walk the Swamp Trail but the bridge is currently out. The chickadees are beginning to nest. Right along the beginning of the swamp trail, I watched a couple as they dug into a slender tree stump. [Audio: faint flutter of chickadee wings]

[UPDATE: I was able to get some video footage of the ongoing project]

WWF Island (Second Life)

WWF Island in Second Life, originally uploaded by oehlkers.

When the weather's bad in RL, there's always SL. Today a walk through the World Wildlife Federation island. Saw pandas, an orca, and what looked like a leopard (maybe a jaguar). Not much visible birdlife beyond the peacock (shown). Had a chance to sit down and relax in this tick-free environment. Here's a sample of what I heard.

Charles River Peninsula

Charles River Peninsula, originally uploaded by oehlkers.

Greeted by a rabbit and a flock of yellow warblers. Later, an unleashed dog (hope its owner checks it for ticks). Got a good look at the male wood duck (it didn't fly away this time), a better look than usual at a bluebird and saw the great blue heron soaring overhead. Walls of green. I'm also developing an internal sonic map--I should hear the song sparrow just about here...I should hear the flicker over there, etc. The red-winged blackbirds have a wide variety of vocalizations. I especially enjoy hearing them "ping" back and forth.