Songs and Calls of Chestnut Hill Reservoir

Blue Jay

Pine Warbler

This morning I stopped off at the Chestnut Hill Reservoir for a little birding. In very short order I heard the loose musical trill that give away a Pine Warbler! My first in the state. I spent a few minutes following him around trying to get some pictures and hoping to snatch a small recording of his song. While I was able to get a few pictures as he flitted among bare branches, he never sang close enough that I'd be able to get a recording over the hustle and bustle of Cleavland Circle. But a pair of Northern Flickers were calling back and forth, a boisterous and repeated "Wick-wick-wick" that clearly cut through the traffic. (At the beginning of the clip, the further Flicker is calling and at 5 seconds, the second closer Flicker joins in. Robins are heard calling throughout and a T train can be heard at 10 seconds)  The Song Sparrows and Chickadees were quite vocal and one Blue Jay took great offense at my presence by flying to a nearby branch and scolding me with his loud calls. By Beacon St. several Goldfinches were singing their song and further along a pack of grackles were just about the noisiest of all.

American Coots

The water level in the reservoir was low without melting snow and without much rain either. Some Coots were standing on shallow points in the water. A raft of Ruddy Ducks didn't seem to mind, a whole mix of birds in different stages of molt slept and I even caught a glimpse of one blue bill when it wasn't tucked up under the owner's wing. By another shallow patch with wood sticking out of the surface, I found a female duck too small to be a mallard. Just as I was beginning to think I was going to have trouble identifying this duck, I saw her mate camouflaged by the wood, a striking male Green-winged Teal. His gray mantle, vertical white shoulder patch, and head with brown and green made him quite distinctive. These Teals would prefer ponds with more vegetation, but perhaps the water is just low enough at Chestnut Hill Reservoir that they thought they'd give it a try. Just as I went for a camera the female gave and alarm call and flashed their green wing patches as they flew to the other side of the reservoir.

Chestnut Hill Reservoir