Sunday, November 30, 2014

What should we call this time of winter? (Snow edition)

Treefall, Chestnut Trail, Ridge Hill Reservation, Needham, MA
Trails get white and crunchy?

Cooper's Hawk, Cutler Reservation, Needham, MA
Red Squirrels chatter at accipiters?

Common Mergansers, Charles River, West Roxbury, MA
Mergansers appear in the distance?

Charles River, West Roxbury, MA
Blue sky in icy water?

American Tree Sparrow
Tree sparrows arrive? (my favorite)

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Wetland Regulation, Beaver-style

Millennium Park, West Roxbury, MA
If beavers followed local wetland regulations, they would have filed a Notice of Intent before they took down these trees.
Beavers created this trail when they dragged logs to the water
And a waiver request for work within the 25 foot no disturb zone.
More beaver-cut trees
And planted two trees for each one they took down.
Beaver lodge off of "Nature Trail"
I don't think they would have been allowed to proceed with their new construction on the riverbank.

Playing field drainage reconstruction, West Roxbury High
Of course, we have our ways of regulating wetlands, and they have their own.

Saturday, November 22, 2014

What should we call this time of winter? (Plum Island edition)

Bill Forward Pool, Plum Island
Harriers cruise over frozen pannes? (not shown, but seen, a lot)

Pines Trail, Plum Island
Red-breasted Nuthatches explore Pitch Pines?

Emerson Rocks, Plum Island

Black Scoters (mostly)
Scoters assemble?

Sandy Point, Plum Island
Dunlin in flight
Dunlin on shore
Peregrines buzz Dunlin?

Snowy Owl, near Sandy Point
Owls hunt from birch snags?

It was cold today but I remembered my gloves and wrap-around sunglasses.

Saturday, November 15, 2014

What should we call this time of winter?

Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA
November 15 is winter. But winter of a special kind. Which is the image that best represents this period of winter?

Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA
"Puddle water starts to freeze?"


Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA
"Oriole nests become visible?"
Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA
"Frost lines the edges of fallen leaves?"
Eastern Bluebird, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA
"Bluebirds nestle among milkweed?"
Eastern Bluebird, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA
Perhaps not quite season-specific enough.
Eastern Bluebird, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA
But definitely my favorite image.

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Bluebirds! Season 4. Winter Special.

Box 17 Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA
On this sunny Veteran's Day, I finally got out of the house and finished cleaning out the Charles River Peninsula nest boxes.

Box 12 Wood mouse nest
Three (of seventeen) boxes were blessed with mouse nests. These boxes are not intended to host mice, so I cleaned them out.
Box 2 Wood mouse
The mice, as usual, were not happy to see me. I won't be checking these boxes again until March so some will probably move right back in...

Box 4 EGGS?
During my final rounds in July I thought everyone was done. Looks like someone didn't know breeding season was over... And in fact, like most late attempts, this one didn't get very far...
Box 18 Downy Woodpecker
At my last box I heard the distinct sound of woodpecking, coming from inside the box. Twas the downy, known to roost in these boxes during the cold of winter (one of the reasons I like to clean them out now instead of March).

As for the Ridge Hill nest box spin off?  Vandals took all the good boxes down last month. We'll be starting over next spring.