Bluebirds! Season 6. Episode 3. What!

Eastern Bluebird, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

It is the wonderfully jumbled nesting period right now.

Box 1

What's going on in this box, for example? Moss, sticks, grass. Tree swallows in and on the box. Appears the chickadees got there first but then got booted. Luckily no additional murders. Yet.

Bluebird eggs, Box 2.

On the other hand, the unmistakable eggs of a bluebird. Three so far. More to come?

Box 11

And then in impossibly tilted Box 11...

Eastern Bluebird eggs, Box 11

Three more bluebird eggs! We have (at least) two breeding pairs this spring. The tree swallows and house sparrows are also active right now but so far no eggs.

In other news: swarming june bugs this morning. I may be wrong, but it appeared that both bluejays and cardinals were FLYCATCHING them. That's fun to see. Also, palm warblers. 

Bluebirds! Season 6. Episode 2. Action.

Eastern Bluebirds, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

The snow earlier in the week does not seem to have disrupted activity at the Charles River Peninsula (except for a strange deficit of red-winged blackbirds).

Tree Swallow, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

Tree swallows are abundant, perched on just about every box in sight.

Tree Swallow, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

As always, not thrilled to see me.

Tree Swallows, Box 5, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

But I was thrilled to see that they seemed to be controlling boxes that I thought were house sparrow lost causes. We will see what conflict develops.

Tree Swallow nest, Box 7, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

Meanwhile, tell-tale white feathers top at least one nest.

Tree Swallow, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

Way to go, tree swallows!

Eastern Bluebird courtship flap, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

Our title characters have not yet been as successful. Courtship continues around box 17 but house sparrows have begun nests in that box and box 16 (the old favorite). I may start pulling house sparrow nests if the bluebirds haven't moved in themselves next week.

Eastern Bluebirds, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

What do you say bluebirds? Ready for a fight?

Bluebirds! Season 6. Episode 1. Murder in Box 10.

Tree Swallow, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

The tree swallows are back. A dozen or so. They are so early that eBird flagged them as rarities. Not this year. In some places tree swallows have been back for a week already. Also flagged as rarities: three singing fox sparrows, a species that usually doesn't show up until April.

Tree Swallow, Box 7, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

The tree swallows are already checking out nest boxes

House Sparrows, Box 7, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

which has brought them into direct conflict with house sparrows.

Tree swallow and house sparrows, Box 7, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

Not shown above is the pair of brown-headed cowbirds that landed briefly on the same box before flying off to plan mischief at box 9. I'm not sure what I would do if a cowbird laid an egg in a house sparrow nest. I suppose I would have to let the egg stay and force the sparrows to raise it. Box 16 (not shown) is again the object of direct conflict between sparrows and bluebirds.

Box 10, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

I moaned when I got to Box 10. Little gray feathers filled the cracks of the box, fluttering in the breeze. Not a good sign. And indeed, when I opened the box a little bird body tumbled out--a black-capped chickadee. It had died violently. Who did it? Who can tell? It may have been a rival chickadee for all I know.

American Kestrel (left) and Blue Jay (right), Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

Today's special guest was an American kestrel. They usually show up around Easter each spring, raising the possibility that they might stick around and breed. Not this time. Unseen in the photo above are two dozen more blue jays that took turns dive-bombing the tiny falcon until they finally drove it off.

Bluebirds! Season 6. Preview.

Eastern Bluebird, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

Boxes all cleaned out and ready to go (except for box 18, an apparent casualty of a wayward Eversource brontosaurus swipe). Bluebirds on the scene. It's time for this season's narrative of triumph and catastrophe to commence.

Box 5

House sparrows have already demonstrated interest in Boxes 5, 7, and 16, with a surprisingly robust weave of grass in Box 5. The central conflict is established.

Eastern Bluebird, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

How will our heroes respond?

Common Raven (new patch bird!), Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

Crawwghh! Says C. Raven, catching an updraft and soaring away. 

Eversource Tree Removal comes to Charles River Peninsula

Mature trees cut on slope above parking lot

It could have been much worse. Three years ago, when the Eversource (then NStar) tree destruction threat first emerged, I had great worries about Charles River Peninsula and previewed some possible results.

Shrubs removed around crab apple tree

Much to my relief, most of the key fruiting trees were untouched and most of the trees lining the rail-trail slope are intact (with the exception of the parking lot area).

Shrubs removed along river bank

But much of the dense shrubbery (much of which, to be honest, was probably glossy buckthorn...) that sheltered birds in the winter is gone now in the power line easement.

Shagbark hickory still standing but missing limbs

And key elements enabling some of my favorite CRP bird sightings are gone. The blue-winged warbler's favorite shagbark hickory branch, for example. Or the shrubbery around the crab apple tree where the white-eyed vireo would skulk.

Shrubbery removed along property edge

But habitats change. CRP is just more of a grassland now.

Across the river, December 2015

The most dramatic change was actually just across the river. Check out the vegetation three years ago below (granted, mid-summer not late fall).

Across the river, July 2012

Figures this would happen at the same time I extolled the shrubby virtues of Charles River Peninsula in December's Bird Observer.... 

Mid-October Charles River Peninsula is Green

Charles River from CRP access path, Needham, MA

Perfect mid-October afternoon. Cool air, warm sun, glowing foliage. Took a walk at Charles River Peninsula.

Meadow, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, Ma

The TTOR's invasives management program (herbicides and early mowing) has changed the CRP scene this year. No palm warblers, or monarch butterflies, or bluebirds. But I've never seen it this green in October.

Oriental Bittersweet on Nesting Box

Here's one invasive they missed. I'll come down again and clip it off. Meanwhile, I like the look.

Groundhog?

And right near by, a fresh hole. Groundhog? Something to keep an eye on.

I've been thinking a lot about the CRP lately. We've been assured by the folks at Eversource that the CRP is one of the places in Needham that will be relatively unscathed by their aggressive vegetation management program. I fear, though, that much of the brushy undergrowth near the power lines is at risk, even if the tall line of oaks and hickories lining the train-tracks is safe. We'll have to wait and see. The upside is that the cutting will be done outside of breeding season. The downside is that many of my neighbors will still be losing majestic trees currently lining their backyards. 

Bluebirds of Powisset Farm

Eastern Bluebird, Powisset Farm, Dover, MA

Invasives management at Charles River Peninsula (herbicide and very early mow) have made for a poor bluebird habitat this fall, so I've had to get my fill elsewhere. Powisset Farm to the rescue.

Eastern Bluebirds (imm.), Powisset Farm, Dover, MA

Lots of adults and a nice crop of youngsters.

Eastern Bluebirds (imm.), Powisset Farm, Dover, MA

Mostly gathered around the garden area.

Pine Warbler, Powisset Farm, Dover, MA

Plus that fall specialty, the ground Pine Warbler.