Mid-August Blues

Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

Been a while since I've walked the loop around the Charles River Peninsula.

Vandalism to Box 7, which had been replaced just this year

Long enough to have missed two nesting boxes busted by vandals. And to discover that the two late nesting attempts both failed: the tree swallow eggs in box 2 never hatched; the bluebird chicks disappeared from box 16 before they had a chance to fledge. Despite the myriad tree swallows fledged this year, this one goes in the "L" column...

But just as I was feeling down, a hummingbird zoomed out of the canopy over head and I snatched a bit of oriole song. I spent a while tracking down a blue-gray gnatcatcher in the leaf cover and listening to the loud "zzz"s of fussy waxwing children.

A lunch-time excursion to earlier in the week to Milton revealed this young great blue heron resting on a Neponset Riverwalk dock.  

Young great blue heron, Neponset Riverwalk, Milton, MA

Surprised by the wind

And peeps! My first good mudflat view this year.

Sandpipers and Plovers

I think things will be all right.

Great Meadows in early August

Great Meadows NWR

Stopped by Great Meadows on my way home today. 

Great Meadows NWR

Lotus in bloom. Peeps in the mudflats (unpictured).

Red-winged Blackbird

Red-winged blackbirds in the lotuses.

Great Blue Heron

Great blue herons, young and old. 

12-spotted Skimmer

And flying insects galore. Dragonflies and Butterflies.

Viceroy

Plus the following weirdness below. I thought grasshopper flight was strictly utilitarian. I didn't know it had display value as well.  In the video below, watch the fluttering grasshopper (if you listen closely you can even hear it fluttering like a little helicopter). Then watch two grasshoppers in engage in some sort of aggressive leg lifting dialogue.

Circling the Charles River Peninsula

Canoe launch, Redwing Bay, Needham, MA

Now I have a kayak. A birthday present from my gracious family. Took it out for the first time this morning. Oh what joy.

Charles River. Dover on the left. Needham on the right. Mute swan ahead.

I can now see all the places hidden from view when I walk the CRP loop.

Old wooden trestle, Charles River.

With unobstructed views of Charles River landmarks, including the old train trestle (no teenagers jumping off of it...yet...).

Central Ave/Centre St Bridge, Charles River

And picturesque bridges.

Flowering Mallow

Right now mallow (and purple loosestrife) dominate the edges, and flycatchers (including cedar waxwings right now) dominate the air above.

A new perspective on things. Thanks, again, dear family.

Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge

View of Little Bay from Great Bay NWR

Dropped the girls off at Water Country, had a few hours to kill, why not visit nearby Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge?

Former Weapons Storage Area

The parking area fronts the glorious fenced-in "Former Weapons Storage Area," which has reverted to scrubland with a few osprey nests scattered about. Apparently the iconic water tower will be coming down. (Bird-strike hazard). 

Lichened fence post

I am quite fond of ruined areas. Does this make me some kind of Romantic?

Ferry Way Trail

It doesn't take long to get into the delightful hickory-oak forest. Not much activity (a scarlet tanager and great-crested flycatcher or two) but I didn't expect much. The shag-barks were dropping nuts on the trail (I was a little worried I'd get beaned).

Great Blue Heron on Little Bay

Followed a well-travelled though apparently unofficial trail down to the shore. I was amazed by the quiet. Great blue heron actively hunting. A couple of spotted sandpipers teetered on the rocks. 

Sunkhaze Meadows NWR

Sunkhaze Meadows

An overnighter in Bangor allowed for a quick early morning excursion to nearby Sunkhaze Meadows NWR, host to many breeding warblers and even some boreal species.  I didn't make it very deep into the refuge (minivan vs foggy unpaved roads), stopping at the first and best documented trail, at Carter Meadow Road. The road leads to a relatively short loop through boggy woods to an observation deck overlooking the wetlands.

Here is the aural documentation.
Very quiet except for some cars passing in the distance. Mostly marsh wren and swamp sparrow song.

Swamp Sparrow (young)

 Hermit thrush song was everywhere (you can even hear it a little in the recording above.)

Woods and brook ajacent to Carter Meadow Road

I spent a bit of time with one particular songster (a red-eyed vireo, practically inevitable in the woods this time of year, added his particular "charm").
I didn't stumble across any boreal species, but warbler song (particularly northern parula) was all around and ravens could be seen flying up and down the main refuge road.

Carlton Pond (marshy side)

Later, I stopped with my folks to check out the impressive Carlton Pond WPA area but flying, biting insects and lack of kayaks prevented much exploration. 

Children of the Charles River Peninsula

Box 11, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

The last two nesting attempts, tree swallow and eastern bluebird, are proceeding without problem. (When it gets cooler I will deal with the wasps in the box up top).

Meanwhile, the oriole children are exploring the meadow edges. Eating berries.

Orchard Orioles, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

And two yellow warbler children (from the nest already documented here) are hanging in the brush near the water

Juvenile Yellow Warbler, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

waiting for their father to come feed them.
Today's jaw-opener: a huge dark bird (probably a juvenile bald eagle) passing over the Needham town dump. Didn't expect to see that!

Transition time

Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

Today was clean up time at the CRP. Boxes scrubbed and disinfected, except those infested by wasps and ants. Those will have to wait.

Gotta love the front-opening box 

The new tree swallow nest already has three eggs (it's also infested by ants, which may not bode well). The new bluebird chicks have just hatched. Everyone else is done for the year. I counted over two dozen tree swallows beginning to stage on the power lines above the property.

Red-winged blackbirds on the dead young shag-bark hickory

The property generally is owned by red-winged blackbirds and their myriad youngsters right now.

And milkweed, to the joy of bumblebees.

Elsewhere, new nesting boxes at Ridge Hill. A perfect complement to the flowing native grasses in the meadow. The tree swallows and bluebirds have already discovered them.

Female eastern bluebird on brand new nesting box, Ridge Hill Reservation, Needham, MA

I wonder if we can get in a bluebird brood before the end of the summer.