Charles River Peninsula

Hawks and flycatchers today. A rainy day. Clouds broke around 3. I decided to chance a walk. Cool breeze. Three hawks circling. Probably one red-tail and two red-shoulders. Got a fine shot of the red-tail. A family of phoebes, hanging with the bluebirds.
It clouded back over and I had to run. Got back to the car just in time to see the clouds break again.

Chattering wrens (Charles River Peninsula)

The house wrens are taking over the CRP. You can find them everywhere--in the center of the property as well as the fringes. As is their practice, they've colonized the bluebird boxes (and jammed the ones they aren't using with sticks). There is one corner of the property that is particularly sensitive, and they never fail to chatter at me as I walk by. The reason is obvious--they have young ones [chattering too] in a box near the trail.

Great Meadows (Concord)

A zillion loudly trilling marsh wrens at Great Meadows. I heard them for the first time last week and went back for more (with my r09). Other marsh dwellers were there including many great blue herons and great egrets, and a multitude of turtles that cross the trail (and hiss at you if you put a camera in their face). New behaviors (for me): a red-wing blackbird that came right down in the trail in front of me in search of a bug; the fact that marsh wrens sing on the wing, pushing upward when they trill.

More Cutler Yellowthroat

What's more charming than a little female yellowthroat? The light wasn't great but I managed to capture the sweetness, I think.








Also at Cutler tonight, the clear trill of the marsh wren (first time I've noticed--they don't congregate by the edge of the path the way they do at Great Meadows).

Cutler life

Clymene Moth, originally uploaded by oehlkers.

A short jaunt to lower Cutler. The starlings are beginning to take over. Noticed a downy (unusual in a marsh) and a catbird, beaks wide open. Should have known--a hawk in the next tree which I flushed out. Good looks at the trail-side groundhog and milk snake, and a hummingbird. The cool clymene moth above was kind enough to sit for a portrait.

Backyard Bobwhite

I've never thought of the bobwhite as a backyard bird, but there it was, walking through my next door neighbor's yard yesterday...

Hawk calls at the Charles River Peninsula

Charles River Peninsula, originally uploaded by oehlkers.

I think I've figured out what has been making the resident red-tailed hawk so ornery lately. It is the presence of a young red-shouldered hawk on the premises, who sits on a large tree near the river and screeches all day long. (To the consternation of the catbirds too).


Today the red-tail was yelling his response while aloft. A second red-shoulder was also calling from across the river. I recorded a little of their discussion (a second has a sweet chaser from a nearby song sparrow). And leave it to the blue jay to add to the confusion with their somewhat feeble "it's a red-shouldered hawk" alert. [UPDATE: Here is a more impressive blue jay red-tail imitation (about 15 secs in). This one was grooming itself and sporadically would unleash the hawk call, making me think it was trying to provoke any hidden hawks into revealing themselves vocally]

Also, the deer are feeding during the day now. I scared a doe out of her hiding place (and luckily had the video camera running). Youtub'd below.