Cutler Ravens

Flooded Trail, Cutler Park, Needham, MA

A wonderful day to be out this morning, though it was bite-through-your clothes and fly-in-your nose buggy. I was glad I wore my muck boots.

Swamp sparrow, Cutler Park, Needham, MA

Swamp sparrows everywhere. And plenty of goldfinches and yellowthroats.

Common yellowthroat, Cutler Park, Needham, MA

But the ravens won the day.

Common Raven, Cutler Park, Needham, MA

I initially took its croak for a great blue heron and then I saw the giant black form flying from Pine Island over to the powerlines.  And then I saw another one.

Common Ravens, Cutler Park, Needham, MA

This wasn't a complete surprise. I've seen a raven flyover at Millennium Park, just across the river. But this was a first for me at Cutler itself. And they were perched.

Common Raven, Cutler Park, Needham, MA

One seemed to be the dominant bird. I suspect the other was a juvenile.

Common Raven, Cutler Park, Needham, MA

It was doing a little hop dance. Fly up a little and then right back down.

Common Raven, Cutler Park, Needham, MA

I will admit being a little insecure about crow vs. raven identifications. But look at the throat on that bird above. That's a fine set of hackles.

Fall warblers, plus more insects on my clothing!

Common yellow-throat, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

'Tis the season for migrating fall warblers, and I'm happy to say they are beginning to show up at Charles River Peninsula. Nothing too exotic--mostly redstarts, pine warblers, yellow-throats--but I am always thrilled when the palm warblers arrive (they've been around for about a week).

Palm warbler, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

While I was waiting for the palm warbler to come out into the open I let a firefly land on my arm. (At least I think it's a firefly--it's not entirely clear).

Firefly on my sleeve, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

This Virginia Ctenucha wouldn't land on me, though it did stay still for a macro shot.

Virginia Ctenucha, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

And a September post wouldn't be complete without a gratuitous bluebird photo.

Eastern Bluebird, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

Make sure to check your jeans for deer ticks and GIANT HORNTAILS?

New England Aster, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

The last day we will see sun forever, according to the local weather people, so I thought I should probably get a walk in.  Good conditions for macro insect/flower photos.

Here's something on a late goldenrod.

And a tiny bee on an aster.

And a GIANT HORNTAIL ON MY PANTS.

To be fair, I more or less invited it to land on me, offering my leg as it flew in my direction. I didn't expect it to be quite so interested in my jeans, though. Once invited it apparently believed it owned the place.

I eventually was able to shake it off. And then it came back, this time intending to land on my hand. Not cool, giant horntail.

Summer's over

Early morning frost on a horse nettle leaf, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

Time to wear gloves and a jacket out in the morning.

Sharpie terrorizes berry party.

Sharp-shinned hawk, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

The berry party had just started as I arrived. Catbirds, robins, and a dozen bluebirds arriving to finish off what was left of the pokeberries. Then all of a sudden without warning, they all took off at once and swiftly flew to the other side of the field.

Interesting. I started seeing bluejays flying silently, intent on something. And then I heard the shriek. A sharp-shinned hawk in close pursuit of a flicker!

I wasn't able to take any good photos but I thought at least I'd record it, so here it is, in four segments.

Recording one: hear the commotion as the red squirrel and bluejays set off the alarm. The sharpie is responsible for the harshest outbursts. Hear it yell twice at the end. The terrified flicker is also in there.

Recording two: Note the lack of bird sound (only some distant robin tuts) in the background. Then the bluejays attack in force.

Recording three: The bluejay harassment grows as do the sharpie's cries of annoyance.

Recording four: Remarkably, even though the sharpie is nearby, song birds (particularly the catbirds, bluebirds, and song sparrow) begin calling again. As if to say, OK the bluejays have got this one. We can resume what we were doing.

Trees full of northern rough-winged swallows

Northern rough-winged swallow, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

 For the last two weeks the swallow population in the trees and on the high voltage wires at Charles River Peninsula has been growing and growing. Now there is easily a hundred, probably more.

Northern rough-winged swallows, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

 They gather perched most of the time but occasionally burst into the air all at once.

Northern rough-winged swallows, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

 The swallows in the tree branches sit and preen. Sometimes a couple will take off in chase.

Northern rough-winged swallows, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

So many swallows.

Northern rough-winged swallows, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

Note: I've been hesitant to identify these birds because both rough-winged and juvenile tree swallows are brown. I've also seen large gatherings of tree swallows at the CRP during this time of year. But I've finally decided to call these northern rough-winged based on the patterns of brown and white on their plumage and the fact that I haven't seen a single bird in this group that could be called an adult tree swallow.

Meadow full of bluebirds

Eastern Bluebird, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

This was one of those mornings. Bluebird chatter audible across the field. I counted at least twelve, each on its own milkweed stalk.

Eastern Bluebird, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

The pokeberry party continues and the bluebirds have joined the robins and the catbirds and the waxwings in gobbling berries.

Eastern Bluebird, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

Every once in a while three or four would take off at once. The chase was on.

Eastern Bluebird, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

And sometimes they would chase goldfinches. And sometimes the goldfinches would chase them. And everyone was chasing the pine warblers. Especially the pine warblers.

Eastern Bluebird, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

Blue-winged warbler up in an oak tree. Red squirrels biting off the stems of hickory nuts and letting them crash through the foliage. Northern rough-winged swallows gathering on the power lines over the river. Late summer is a good time of year at Charles River Peninsula.

Plovers at High Tide

Semipalmated Plovers, Marginal Way, Ogunquit, Maine

At high tide the Ogunquit plovers retreat to the rocks.

Semipalmated Plovers, Marginal Way, Ogunquit, Maine

There they stretch and preen and sleep and peer at worm holes in small patches of wet sand.

Semipalmated Plovers, Marginal Way, Ogunquit, Maine

Try to count them all.

Now for a special task count all of these.

Pokeberry Party

Cedar Waxwing, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

The pokeberries are ripe and the migrating, and soon-to-be-migrating, birds at Charles River Peninsula are taking full advantage.  The most birds I've seen during a morning walk since late June. In addition to the waxwings, robins, bluebirds, and catbirds sucking down berries, and the multitude of goldfinches and song sparrows among the weeds, there were blue-gray gnatcatchers, willow flycatchers, yellow-throated vireos (two males singing from opposite sides of the field), warbling vireos, house wrens, and even a glimpse of an orchard oriole (pretty late for that bird, I think) in the trees and bushes.

Orchard Oriole, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

And as I observed the pokeberry party, I heard a half-familiar chatter in the goldenrod behind me. I turned to see not the house wren I thought it was, but a genuine marsh wren, my first ever for the CRP. A new patch bird!

Marsh Wren, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

 I am very much looking forward to fall migration.

Charles River Peninsula after Irene

Fallen Oak, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

It could have been worse. One large oak tree, already half dead and a favorite of woodpeckers and other cavity dwellers, now lies across the trail between (former) nesting box 1 and (former) nesting box 2. Dog walkers have already created a path around the tree, venturing into the deer tick-rich vegetation.

Shag-bark Hickory, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, Ma

The other major loss: a giant branch torn off from the scenic shag-bark hickory.

Shag-bark Hickory, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

A reassuring note: the songs sparrows, house wrens, and catbirds are loving it.

House Wren, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

Turns out that trees on the ground are great sources of brush coverage and insects. I watched a catbird excitedly snapping up moths left and right from the fallen branches.

Common Nighthawk, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

And what late summer evening would be complete without a nighthawk swooping across the sky.

Maine Coast Day 6: Freeport and Portland

Portland Head Light, Fort Williams Park, Portland, Maine

On our way home, an overnight in Freeport. Out early the next morning I hit nearby Mast Landing Sanctuary, but it was wet, dark and buggy and the trails were unreliably marked so after spotting a Canada warbler I left to try someplace else. Really more or less by accident I ended up at Wolfe's Neck State Park. And there I had a genuine north woods experience.

Pileated Woodpecker, Wolfe's Neck State Park, Freeport, Maine

 I've seen pileated woodpeckers locally but always from a distance. At Wolfe's Neck, very close to the parking area, I came across a group of three pileateds on a trailside tree. Two quickly left but one was too absorbed in a tree hole to leave with them.

Pileated Woodpecker, Wolfe's Neck State Park, Freeport, Maine

The bird was eye-level and I was able to approach to about 15 feet.  See the woodpecker warn me off in the video below.



A suitable encounter to end an enjoyable natural history tour of the Maine Coast.

Bonus Quiz:

Find the plumage mistakes in the gift shop birds above.