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.