White-winged Scooters at Chestnut Hill Reservoir.

I stopped at Hammond Pond and Chestnut Hill Reservoir on my way to work mid-day. My first stop at Hammond pond I was excited to find the first Hooded Mergansers of the season. Two crisp males and a female were working the far shore. I was also hoping for some Ring-necked Ducks, but I didn't see any. There were plenty of Mallards though and a Great Blue Heron. Among the gulls, one appeared to be different that the others, but they all flew off before I had a chance to turn my attention their way. The full list of birds from Hammond Pond can be found here.

Pied-billed Grebes, American Coot, Double-crested Cormorant

 My next stop was Chestnut Hill Reservoir. I was excited to see that the water was littered with birds. Mostly they were more than a hundred Ruddy Ducks in small rafts. And there were quite a few gulls, including Ring-billed, Herring, and Greater Black-backed. Also it was fun to see a number of American Coots that have returned as well, while Pied-billed Grebes and Double-crested Cormorants were present (how many species can I fit in a picture...). When I got to the tip of the peninsula I found Mallards and a single American Black Duck, but out on the far side were 3 dark ducks that I couldn't make out. I even tried to take a picture to enlarge on my camera, but still no luck. When I got to work though I loaded the pictures on to the computer and was surprised that one of them had a small white spot in the center of the head (bird on left, click to enlarge picture), they must have been White-winged Scooters! Not a common bird around here, they have been seen once before at the Reservoir and twice migrating over Millennium Park. Fortunately I saw that two other birders had also seen the White-winged Scooters before I was there, making me feel more confident on the ID. I also saw that I missed a female Green-winged Teal (eBird list with pictures of scooters and teal). But the White-winged Scooters were quite a treat. The full list of birds from Chestnut Hill Reservoir can be found here.

White-winged Scooters

A Halloween Raven

Common Ravens

 This morning I was waiting for the T in Newton Centre when a strange croak made me look up from my reading. I think my brain had already figured out who was producing the low raspy throaty "kraa kraa kraa" but I almost couldn't believe it. Flying low, down the middle of the tracks came the large black corvid, thinking fast I tried to remember what else I could look for to confirm the ID and remembered the tail. American Crows tail feathers are all similar lengths, so the tail appears rounded when fanned out. But this bird's outer tail feathers were distinctly shorter than the center tail feathers, clinching the ID of Common Raven. And then he was past, heading down the line into Boston, still calling. (Audio recording can be found at All About Birds along with downloadable ID guide for Crows and Ravens). I've had a few birds at Millennium Park that I thought could be Ravens, but was just never sure enough. I later realized that today was Halloween, a fitting time to find my first Massachusetts Raven. Poe would be proud.

This picture is obviously not Newton, I took it on a mountain peak in Virginia several years ago, but thought its always nice to have picture if possible. Also, as demonstrated in the picture, Ravens will soar and glide on thermals more like hawks, which crows don't do, so observing flight patterns can help with the identification.

On a side note, I took a walk in the very light drizzle in Cold Spring Park this afternoon before the trick-or-treaters were out. The highlights were a large loose flock of Yellow-rumped Warblers, 2 Hermit Thrushes, and 2 Brown Creepers. I'll have to come back during a better season so see what the park has to offer.

Orange-crowned Warbler at Fenway

Orange-Crowned Warbler

 Last week I stopped by the Back Bay Fens and the Victory Gardens for a spot of birding. There had been a massbird post that mentioned a Chat, Orange-crowned warbler, Clay-colored sparrow and White-crowned sparrow just to mention a few. I was enticed and decided that Fenway would make a nice start to the day. I started at the Victory Gardens, initially encountering a large flock of house sparrows, which I carefully combed through hoping for something a little bit more native and fun. But no sparrows other than Song and White-throated Sparrows would turn up that morning. Several Great Blue Herons rose up from the Muddy River heading upstream and giving their loud harsh croaking calls.

Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers

I did manage to find two young Yellow-bellied

Sapsuckers chasing each other around the gardens. My first for the state, so they were extra exciting. Slowly some of the warblers seemed to appear, at first just a couple of Blackpolls, then a Yellow-rumped Warbler, and a Common Yellowthroat rounded out the usual suspects for warblers. At this point I ran into Mary Luo and she went in search of the sapsuckers. I carried on and several rows later a little movement caught my eye, so I focused on the bird hiding under the leaves in a raised bed of one of the garden plots. As the bird hopped about my excitement grew, the plain gray face with white eye arcs and the dusky yellow breast with faint gray streaks gave away this bird as the Orange-crowned Warbler! Fortunately it cooperated for just a minute and allowed me to take a couple of pictures and to admire some of her brighter green patches before disappearing into the foliage again.

Orange-Crowned Warbler

At this time I saw Mary Luo again who had gone to find the sapsuckers, I tried to wave her over to see the Orange-crowned too. But by this time the bird had disappeared into the undergrowth, with Chat-like skulking and stealth skills. We kept searching the gardens and found many of the usual residents. I also stopped by the area by the war memorial as that has been a good spot in the past and turned up a couple more Blackpolls. I saw later that the Chat was seen elsewhere in the Fens, not by the Victory Gardens, but the Sapsuckers and Oranger-crowned Warbler already made a great day. 

Autumn at Hammond Pond

Wood Duck

 I had a little bit of time each day of this weekend in the afternoon to stop by Hammond Pond to see what might be around. Wish I had been able to make it at a better time for birds as it felt slow. I had a small list, but still had a great time enjoying the birds and autumn foliage. The highlights were getting great views of a Pied-billed Grebe and numerous Wood Ducks that cooperated. Additionally a fearless Ruby-crowned Kinglet came right up to investigate me (I wish I had my camera that day, but he was so close I wouldn't have been able to focus anyway). It was enjoyable just to admire him and not worry about taking a picture. I also found a Blackpoll and two Yellow-rumped Wablers.  The Yellow-rumps were back by the vernal pool, or at least what used to be the vernal pool. It has had so little water this year that it's turned into more of a field. I kept hearing more birds hiding in the 5 foot tall brush, but they seemed disinclined to reveal themselves. All the other birds were around the edge of the pond.

Pied-billed Grebe

Full list:

Wood Ducks
Mallards
Pied-billed Grebe
Great Blue Heron
Gulls sp.
Blue Jays
Chickadees
Titmice
White-breasted Nuthatch
Buteo sp.
Blackpoll Warbler
Yellow-rumped Wablers
Cardinals
House Sparrows

P.S. Ok, while not at Hammond Pond this news is still cool. This afternoon I was really surprised to find a Clay-colored Sparrow in the yard associating with the neighborhood flock of house sparrows! She was an obvious 'odd duck' in the flock being much smaller and brighter buff colored. Fortunately having seen the one at Nahanton Park recently made me confident with my identification. But it is certainly a reminder to check out those yard birds too!

Rainy Day Birds at Millennium Park

Lesser Yellowlegs

 I stopped by Millennium Park this weekend during some of the rain showers that we've been having. There had been recent reports of some good shorebird diversity that I was hoping to check out. But when I got to the boat ramp there was a boat with two fishermen right by the train bridge, and no shorebirds in sight on the mudflats. Before too long a Great Egret came flying in followed by a sandpiper! I knew quickly that it's long yellow legs were a dead giveaway for a Yellowlegs, but it took me a little longer to hone in on the shorter thinner bill to decide it was a Lesser Yellowlegs. Let me know if you think I might be in error (click on the pictures to enlarge). By the time I left the river, two Killdeer had joined the mudflats as well. Also of note were Golden- and Ruby-crowned Kinglets, as well as Yellow-rumps and a Palm Warbler (western). I only wish the Palm had chosen a more photogenic location to pause for this shot! 

Lesser Yellowlegs

 The full list is bellow: 

1 Canada Goose
3 Mallard 
1 Great Blue Heron 
1 Great Egret 
2 Killdeer 
1 Lesser Yellowlegs 
1 Belted Kingfisher 
1 Downy Woodpecker 
2 Blue Jay 
2 Black-capped Chickadee 
1 Golden-crowned Kinglet 
1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 
1 Gray Catbird 
1 Yellow-rumped Warbler 
1 Palm Warbler (Western) 
1 Chipping Sparrow 

Palm Warbler (Western)

1 Song Sparrow 
8 sparrow sp. 
1 Northern Cardinal 
1 American Goldfinch 
6 House Sparrow

Confusing Fall Warblers at the Reservoir

Blackpoll Warbler

 Yesterday morning I stopped by Chestnut Hill Reservoir to see what I could find of fall migrants. When I first scanned the water I was a little surprised to find exactly nothing on the water. While something could have been hiding at the far side, I couldn't make anything out. The only thing close was a gull sitting on the little patch of rocks. So I headed up the hill behind the ice rink with warblers on the brain. Some blue jays were calling but the only other sound was that of squirrels munching on acorns and then tossing them down, nearly on my head.

Around the back of the hill things started to get a little better as I stopped to investigate a call note. As I was peering though the branches trying to resolve the bird, a beautiful Red-tailed Hawk came soaring down the trail and up into a tree. I know that owls are supposed to be the silent birds of prey, but this Red-tail was certainly stealthy.

Blackpoll Warbler

As I turned my attention back to the call note more movement was discernible. A beautifully plumaged male American Redstart was skulking up in the branches never giving a clear view. But who else could have that pattern of black an orange? After he headed off, the call note came closer to reveal what Rodger Peterson referred to as a confusing fall warbler. Now looking back I'm sure it was a Blackpoll Warbler.

I carried on around the reservoir picking up some Black-capped Chickadees and Tufted Titmice before I made a point to check out the rocks for potential shorebirds. The full turned out to be a Ring-billed Gull (later many more and a Herring Gull would join it). There were also two sleepy Mallards among the rocks and a pair of Spotted Sandpipers who were in winter plumage and lacking the telltale spotted breasts.  I always enjoy watching Spotted Sandpipers up close to watch than bobbing their tails as they search for food.

Yellow-rumped Warbler

When I got to the peninsula I suddenly came across a whole flock of migrating warblers. As none of them were in brilliant breeding plumage again they all fell into the confusing fall warbler category, at least it felt that way. I started to pick out details on the most common type in the flock. White wing bars on gray wings, yellowish green, streaking on sides, eye line, white under-tail coverts. It took me a little while when I got home to go over the guide books, but I'm pretty sure the vast majority of my confusing fall warblers we Blackpolls. They seems to be everywhere! Looking at photos later helped even more to pick up on more details like leg color and see the yellow on the foot (click to enlarge pictures). After being able to recognize this one type, I started looking for birds that were different. One I thought might have a faint chestnut hue to the sides like a Bay-breasted, but that was probably just wishful thinking.

Palm Warbler

Other warblers did start to appear though. The Yellow-rumped warblers were quite easy when they would flash their diagnostic rumps, but they were a little confusing with out that field mark. Through the streaks on the breast and the little yellow shoulder patches helped the identification. I also noted the dark gray face with week eyebrow and light throat that extends around the neck a little. Fortunately the Northern Parulas were not very confusing at all, the gray back with green patch across the center was unmistakable, especially when combined with the yellow throat and white wing bars. A Black-throated Green Warbler was also present wasn't much of a challenge with the streaky black bib and brighter facial markings. 

Palm Warbler

My next challenge was a little brown bird with yellow under-tail coverts. As the two best candidates for this field mark are Common Yellowthroat and Palm Warbler. Yellowthroat was eliminated as this bird lacked the yellow throat and the back was warm brown instead of an olive brown. Palm warblers can be divided into Eastern (Yellow) and Western forms. The Easterns have extensive yellow underneath and in the supercilium (eyebrow) while Westerns have the yellow mostly restricted to the under-tail coverts. I was fortunate get a few bad shots of this bird and to me looks more like a Western but I'm not completely sure. I was hoping that someone might have thoughts on this identification. In the spring most of the birds migrating along the Atlantic coast and Eastern states are the Eastern/Yellow type but in fall we can easily find Westerns as well. Also, Western Palms tend to migrate earlier (September) and the Eastern/Yellow variety, which may also help point to a Western.

Eastern Wood-pewee

Mixed in with the warbler flock was a Downy Woodpecker and a flycatcher. I think the flycatcher is an Eastern Wood-Pewee, but unfortunately I've come to rely on vocalizations so much for my identifications and this was a silent bird.

Overall it was a great Fall morning with lots of fun with migrating warblers. I also found this really helpful and simplified view on confusing fall warbler identification from the McGill Bird Observatory. I'm looking forward to my next chance to get out and practice my confusing fall warblers! 

A Rainy Hammond Pond

Green Heron

 Last night we had dinner by Hammond Pond and the Eastern Kingbirds and a Spotted Sandpiper that I manage to make out enticed me to stop by the pond again this morning on my way to work. But this time I came prepared with binoculars and a rain jacket.

When I arrived there was a nice light rain that certainly wasn't slowing down the avian life at the pond. I very quickly saw a group of Least Sandpipers and a single Spotted Sandpiper that flew up close to my vantage point. (I was having trouble making out the yellow legs of the Least, but based on plumage I'm pretty sure they were Leasts. I was realizing that I've been started to depend on zooming in on pictures to help identifications. But there easily could have been other peeps around too). After I got tired of staring at the peeps to see if anything other than a Least might be mixed in, a Solitary Sandpiper came to join the party (solitary indeed).  Through the rain I focused on what I thought were stumps or sticking

Spotted Sandpiper

up out of the water. Those logs ended up revealing themselves into lazy, snoozing Double-crested Cormorants and I was able to spot the white facial markings on 2 distant Wood Ducks and every time I turned around there seemed to be another Green Heron!

As for passerines the going was a little slower. Catbirds were pretty ubiquitous around the pond. Snippets of songs and calls gave away the presence of Black-capped Chickadees, a Downy, Blue jays, Goldfinches, and an American Crow. I thought I may have heard a Hairy Woodpecker and some Cedar Waxwings, but I just couldn't be sure. A Grackle was working the shoreline but my favorite passerine was a Common Yellowthroat who

Great Blue Heron

popped up by the vernal pool to investigate me. I was hoping a few more migrants might be around, but they easily could have been laying low in the rain.

The rain was starting to let up as a Great Blue Heron made his entrance to start stalking the mudflats. I took this as a sign that perhaps I could brave the camera for a few shots. After a minute or so, a Green Heron flew directly at me, and for a normally skittish creature, seemed to be posing for me (top picture).



P.S. I also checked on the two orchids I found back in the spring and they are still there and doing well, though without their conspicuous flowers. I was glad to know that they haven't been disturbed.