Ridge Hill nesting has begun

Great Blue Heron nest, Ridge Hill Reservation, Needham, MA

All of a sudden a heron nest (in the wetland off of the Fieldview Trail). I'm not sure there are enough suitable trees for a full-fledged heronry, but this will keep things interesting over the next few months.

Black-capped Chickadee nest, Ridge Hill Reservation, Needham, MA

Also worth keeping an eye on--this trailside (Beard Trail) chickadee nest. Looks like much of the excavation work has already been done, though they were still bringing up wood chips this morning.

Oh, and a female has joined the male at the Ridge Hill nesting boxes. Today box 1 and 2 were of the most interest....

Bluebirds! Special Ridge Hill Unit. (Spin-off). Season 1. Episode 1.

Nesting Boxes, Ridge Hill Reservation, Needham, MA 

I came out earlier in the season to re-engineer the nesting boxes at Ridge Hill to be side-opening rather than top-opening. (This had been an Eagle Scout project and the Boy's Life design encourages top-open so that nestlings don't fall out. It also makes the boxes tough to clean and monitor....). There are seven new boxes in the Ridge Hill meadows and one old box that had been home to mice. I'll be monitoring them all this spring and summer. First task today--fix the top of Box 7. At first I suspected vandalism but the top was probably blown off by the wind.

Tree Swallows, Ridge Hill Reservation, Needham, MA

I heard Tree Swallows I as soon as I got to the property but it took a while to see them settling on a box. Four different birds were competing for Box 6.

Eastern Bluebird, Ridge Hill Reservation, Needham, MA

Unlike Charles River Peninsula, where you can hear the songs of bluebirds all around this time of year, Ridge Hill is pretty quiet. So I was pleasantly surprised to discover this male on Box 3. No sign of a female--yet. And no sign of house sparrows. At all.

Bluebirds! Season 4. Episode 2.

Eastern Bluebird, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

Three couples, at least, still on the property. Some apparent interest in box 5, though a bit of sinister house sparrow cheeping in the background made me question the wisdom.

Someday I'm going to try to tell the individuals apart. This one puffs up nice.

The real news, though, was the return of the tree swallows. Not on the nest boxes yet, but soaring above the peninsula. What a joyful return.

And first phoebe, with a commemorative photo. It was singing. 

Bluebirds! Season 4. Episode 1.

Eastern Bluebird on box, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

Last season was a heart-breaker, with abandoned nests, murdered birds, and smashed boxes. Zero bluebirds fledged.

Eastern Bluebird couple, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

This season is starting strong. Three distinct bluebird pairs. Plus one apparently unpaired male, advertising loudly from the treetops.

Eastern Bluebird male, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

Some are already claiming boxes.

Eastern Bluebird couple, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

Others just hanging out.

House Sparrow, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

But all is not well in the land of the bluebirds... [melodramatic organ sounds]

The soul comes rushing back in

Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

First, woodpeckers. Downies going at it, red-bellies noisily calling, even a hairy made a rare CRP appearance. And then the unmistakable holler of the pileated.

Pileated Woodpecker, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

I seem to be a pileated magnet this winter, with good luck last month at Ridge Hill. And this is the third time I've seen them at the CRP in the last year, so they are no longer an unexpected presence. Today there were two. Couldn't tell if they were courting or fighting. A large gang of blue jays were giving them a hard time.

Eastern Bluebird, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

I was actually down there for the bluebirds, who have just begun to gather. The Trustees have installed a few more boxes to replace those vandalized last summer. Time to put my nest box monitoring hat back on.

Eastern Bluebird, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

Meanwhile, it is snow bluebird time. I hope there's a healthy stash of berries somewhere....

Common mergansers, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

The Charles River is opening up and ducks are passing through. Had ten or so common mergansers in one group. And I was delighted to see a pair of green-winged teals, a patch bird for me!

Green-winged Teal, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

On my way out, the first large group of blackbirds I'd seen this year. The CRP resounded with the songs of red-winged blackbirds. Spring is here.

Ice Ducks, or Access

Distant great blue heron, with common mergansers. Charles River from Cutler Park, Needham, MA

It takes extra motivation to go out and take a walk on a cold winter morning but usually half way through I'm glad I did. It wasn't happening for me at Cutler on Sunday. No birds, treacherous icy trails and cold gloomy weather. When I got to the end of the railroad track-side trail and saw a heron and a dozen mergansers far in the distance I figured that was as good as it would get.

Ditch-side Willow

Then I looked down along "the ditch" at my favorite winter-time Cutler scene--the gnarled old willow on the riverbank--and realized that there was actually a path in the ice and snow running along side it. Probably, I guessed, all the way to the Blue Heron Trail in Dedham. I was right.

The Ditch

After all these years, a new path through Cutler. The snow and ice had revealed it and made it possible to access a new area and see Cutler from a new perspective.

Hooded Mergansers, The Ditch

With closer views of mergansers, "ice ducks," I will call them in honor of an old folk name. 

Ditch-side swing, probably not authorized by the DCR

Apparently I was not the first to discover this route. Maybe I'll try it again in the summer....

Animals out of place

African Lion, Franklin Park Zoo

It is a little bit jarring to see African animals against snowy backgrounds, but that's winter at the Franklin Park Zoo.

Grave's Zebra and White-Bearded Wildebeest, Franklin Park Zoo

The zebras, wildebeests, and ostriches seem not to mind that much. Kangaroos and giraffes, on the other hand, apparently aren't so tolerant of current conditions. 

Linne's two-toed sloth, Franklin Park Zoo

The park's two-toed sloths are still adjusting to their move into the "Critter Corner." 

Duck Pond, Children's Zoo, Franklin Park Zoo

And a shortage of open water has pushed about a dozen different species of ducks (including wood duck, northern shoveler, common eider, spectacled eider, Barrow's goldeneye, hooded merganser, canvasback, and bufflehead) into a tiny space.

Ringed Teal, Bird's World, Franklin Park Zoo

In the confines of Bird's World, Lily and I enjoyed watching a bold ringed teal as she perched on the exhibit signage and flew down into the "human" area in order to investigate a pretzel that someone had dropped on the floor.

Gouldian Finch, Bird's World, Franklin Park Zoo

And the finches in the finch room are out of control, having figured out how to get into the netting placed over the ceiling pipes and vents. The best nesting spots are in the visitor area not the exhibit.