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.

Cutler

Sorry for the obscenity. 

I was in the mood to walk a haunted place. The closest one: Cutler. Haunted for sure.

Along the train tracks

They found a body along the train tracks a few years ago.

Yellow Warbler nest

I sought out the ruins of old bird nests.

Yellow Warbler nest

Some haunted by snow eggs.

?

Some by large snail shells.

Note: This appears to be the platform of an unmade mockingbird or thrasher nest, (the amount of plastic suggests the former.) I suspect an obscure artistic purpose for the snail shell placement or a very lucky gull drop. 

Again Cape Ann

Gulls of Jodrey Pier. What's that on the bottom?

Stopped for a bit at Jodrey Pier. What a beautiful sunny day. Quite a contrast to the day before.

Glaucous Gull, Jodrey Pier

Better to see the detail on Glaucous Gulls! Two this day, plus at least one Iceland.

Glaucous vs. Great Black-Backed.

Glaucous Gull

And then both Glaucous Gulls landed near each other. I pulled up the camera, clicked the shutter and...

Ugh

Yes, startled gray seal, I was a bit disappointed.

Startled gray seal

Then it was the slow ride up the eastern coast to make my annual pilgrimage to Halibut Point. 

Quarry, Halibut Point State Park, Rockport, MA

Only one Harlequin Duck, diving by itself close to the shore. A few scoters close to shore (and a zillion studding the water farther out).

White-winged Scoter (female), Halibut Point

And a congenial Razorbill.

Razorbill, Halibut Point

Oh and a wintering Hermit Thrush, hanging near a berry supply.

Hermit Thrush, Halibut Point

School starts again tomorrow. It might be a while until I have a day like this again.

Again Jodrey Pier

Red-Breasted Mergansers, Jodrey Pier, Gloucester, MA

It's that time of year again. Time for meetings drawing me up to the North Shore but giving me enough time for a short jaunt up to Cape Ann. I did this last year around the same time; this year it was raining and there was no thick-billed murre (though someone had seen one--and a dovekie-- around recently). But there were gulls aplenty.

Find the Glaucous Gull

I was actually trying for an Iceland Gull, which are apparently rather common in these parts this time of year. But instead, like last year, my only white-wing was a very obliging Glaucous.

Glaucous Gull, Jodrey Pier, Gloucester, MA

It was bathing fairly close to the pier. Then it took off, affording even closer looks in flight.

Glaucous Gull coming right at ya!

Glaucous Gull, Jodrey Pier, Gloucester, MA

Also on the scene, a couple of gray seals, about to go into stealth mode as they approach the docks.

Gray Seals, Jodrey Pier, Gloucester, MA

I've got another meeting tomorrow. Perhaps another Cape Ann trip!