It was very nice at Great Meadows this morning in Concord. I was there from 10:00 for about an hour and a half.
I saw multiple Red-winged Blackbirds trying to catch dragonflies mid-air and failing. They seemed very interested in all of the insects. There was one that was completely absorbed watching bumblebees buzzing back and forth around its head. The Marsh Wrens were out and about, singing on territory, near their nests which are somewhat like woven baskets with little entrance holes. The only warblers I heard were Yellow Warblers and Yellowthroats, both singing on territory where they will soon nest. I heard four species of flycatcher: Willow, Pewee, Phoebe, and Kingbird. A Least Bittern was calling at 10:20, and a Pied-billed Grebe at 11:30.
A surprise was a Common Nighthawk that flew over in broad daylight.
A large group of baby ducks that consisted of eight Wood Ducks, and three Hooded Mergansers was being looked after by a single adult female Wood Duck. The Hooded Merganser chicks already seemed to know how to dive, even though they were only hanging out with Wood Ducks and no fellow divers.
On my way back across the dike I noticed lots of turtles, including many Painted Turtles, a Snapping Turtle, and a Blanding's Turtle, all basking in the sun. There didn't seem to be as many Muskrats as usual; only one tame adult on the dike (which as usual, I almost stepped on because it was so quiet).
I saw multiple Red-winged Blackbirds trying to catch dragonflies mid-air and failing. They seemed very interested in all of the insects. There was one that was completely absorbed watching bumblebees buzzing back and forth around its head. The Marsh Wrens were out and about, singing on territory, near their nests which are somewhat like woven baskets with little entrance holes. The only warblers I heard were Yellow Warblers and Yellowthroats, both singing on territory where they will soon nest. I heard four species of flycatcher: Willow, Pewee, Phoebe, and Kingbird. A Least Bittern was calling at 10:20, and a Pied-billed Grebe at 11:30.
A surprise was a Common Nighthawk that flew over in broad daylight.
A large group of baby ducks that consisted of eight Wood Ducks, and three Hooded Mergansers was being looked after by a single adult female Wood Duck. The Hooded Merganser chicks already seemed to know how to dive, even though they were only hanging out with Wood Ducks and no fellow divers.
On my way back across the dike I noticed lots of turtles, including many Painted Turtles, a Snapping Turtle, and a Blanding's Turtle, all basking in the sun. There didn't seem to be as many Muskrats as usual; only one tame adult on the dike (which as usual, I almost stepped on because it was so quiet).
| Wood Duck 16 Mallard Hooded Merganser 3 Pied-billed Grebe 1 Least Bittern 1 Great Blue Heron 2 Turkey Vulture 1 Red-tailed Hawk 1 Mourning Dove 2 Common Nighthawk 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker 1 | Eastern Wood-Pewee 2 Willow Flycatcher 1 Eastern Phoebe 1 Eastern Kingbird 1 Warbling Vireo 6 Blue Jay 1 Tree Swallow Barn Swallow White-breasted Nuthatch 2 Marsh Wren 9 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2 | American Robin Gray Catbird 3 Common Yellowthroat 8 Yellow Warbler 4 Song Sparrow 5 Scarlet Tanager 1 Red-winged Blackbird Common Grackle Brown-headed Cowbird 4 Baltimore Oriole 4 |
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