June 5th we finally got around to visiting Tuckerwood Conservation Area. It's so close to our house, but we just never ventured over to it. Be warned though- it's very buggy so make sure you load up on bug spray first.
It turned out to be an excellent spot for birdwatching- especially the powerlines area. That's where I saw this blue-winged warbler, and eastern towhee. The only thing that made me nervous was that I kept hearing large animals moving around in the bushes and I was worried there were coyotes there. Hopefully it was just deer or something.
Blue-winged warbler:
Look at the worm in its mouth! Clearly this bird is nesting. I'm always excited to see warblers, especially outside of migratory season. I'm still getting to know the warblers that stick around Massachusetts. To help, I've been following the blog "In Pursuit of Warblers" which is run by a gentleman named Larry in Western Massachusetts. Granted, the birds there will be different from Southern Massachusetts where I live, but it's still a good reference.
Eastern Towhee:
Eastern towhees are a bird I've gotten more and more excited about in recent years. Mainly because I've been able to match them up with a familiar bird call I've heard my whole life. That's always an exciting part of improving my birding skills- being able to identify all the calls I hear in and around Massachusetts. Hilke over at "One Jackdraw Birding" recently posted an audio clip of the Eastern Towhee song.
Find more information about Tuckerwood Conservation Area and other Bridgewater Parks.
It turned out to be an excellent spot for birdwatching- especially the powerlines area. That's where I saw this blue-winged warbler, and eastern towhee. The only thing that made me nervous was that I kept hearing large animals moving around in the bushes and I was worried there were coyotes there. Hopefully it was just deer or something.Blue-winged warbler:
Look at the worm in its mouth! Clearly this bird is nesting. I'm always excited to see warblers, especially outside of migratory season. I'm still getting to know the warblers that stick around Massachusetts. To help, I've been following the blog "In Pursuit of Warblers" which is run by a gentleman named Larry in Western Massachusetts. Granted, the birds there will be different from Southern Massachusetts where I live, but it's still a good reference.Eastern Towhee:
Eastern towhees are a bird I've gotten more and more excited about in recent years. Mainly because I've been able to match them up with a familiar bird call I've heard my whole life. That's always an exciting part of improving my birding skills- being able to identify all the calls I hear in and around Massachusetts. Hilke over at "One Jackdraw Birding" recently posted an audio clip of the Eastern Towhee song.Find more information about Tuckerwood Conservation Area and other Bridgewater Parks.
Comments
@Eileen- They're beautiful and also fun to watch. Very active warblers.
@Natalie- Yes, I have a lot of work to do with learning my bird songs but the reward will be great!
@Larry- These guys are on the bigger side and I feel like they move just a little bit slower than other warblers. And they're less skittish. There's hope for you yet!