BirdingGirl

Steve and I celebrated Valentine's Day by going for a hike to Blue Hills on Sunday, and then for a in our backyard- Stiles & Hart Conservation Area- on Monday (President's Day). Trying to keep things cheap now that we're saving for a wedding! We had gorgeous weather- temperatures were mild enough to go out with just a fleece & vest- yet there was still snow on the ground, which made for some pretty photos. All the ones in this post are from Stiles & Hart. Notice Steve in the background throwing a snowball at me: We were out midday and didn't see anything too interesting, although these was this red-tailed hawk hovering over the marsh area. I was inclined to think it was a Cooper's Hawk, since my neighbor, the Bird Man of Bridgewater , has one regularly stalking his feeders. Upon closer inspection though, the red tail is distinct. See the hawk using its "rudder" in this picture? Not the brightest picture, but the red tail is distinct, even with...

During the same trip where I saw the blue-gray gnatcatcher in Stiles and Hart, I also came across a bat on one of the paths. It was completely unexpected of course since it was the middle of the day and the bat was on the ground. I had only seen bats in flight before so it was interesting to see one up close, but also concerning of course. I actually noticed it as I was walking over it, I stopped, took some pictures from behind, then walked over it again, saw it turn its head and look at me, then took one from the front. I was worried it was sick, but it moved its head, so hopefully it wasn't too sick. I mentioned it to my dad and he told me about white nose syndrome, which is a mysterious disease killing Massachusetts bats. The name comes from the white fungus growing on the bats' noses. I didn't see any on this bat's nose so hopefully it's in the clear. For more information on white nose syndrome: Boston.com article: http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/20...

I was birding in Stiles and Hart Conservation area a couple weeks ago and didn't have much luck with migratories (they've all moved on), but I did see my first blue-gray gnatcatcher. It wasn't until I got home that I was able to identify it. I couldn't get any decent pictures since it stayed in the canopy of the trees. But I did get to hone my birding skills by paying attention to important details and looking it up in my Sibley Guide later. I need to get better at that- it seems I rely too much on my pictures. What first grabbed my attention was its wheezing call. Here is a good sample: http://fsc.fernbank.edu/birding/birdID/bggnat.htm I spent some time trying to get a good grasp of its features and was able to pick up on its size (small) and coloring (gray with a white belly). Source: North American Birds Photo Gallery Photo by Peter LaTourrette.

I was excited to see my first Rose-breasted Grosbeaks of the year. They were very noisy and very active, picking at the buds on the trees, chasing each other and also the Baltimore Orioles. There was quite a bit of action in Stiles and Hart yesterday. Rose-breasted Grosbeak: Baltimore Oriole: I also got a (slightly) better picture of a Yellow Warbler, which I had seen in a different part of the conservation area a few weeks ago. I also saw a Palm Warbler, which I always get really excited about because I think it's a new species of warbler for me but then when I look more closely I realize that's all it is. Still cute though and fun to watch.

I was thinking about being adventurous and going birding somewhere new today (I was considering Caratunk Wildlife Refuge in Seekonk and also Daniel Webster Wildlife Refuge in Marshfield) but opted to avoid the 45-minute drive and simply go for a walk in my backyard. We're really fortunate to have Stiles & Hart Conservation Area right behind us. I've mentioned before how it's tauted as a 'Bird Watchers Paradise' since it has such bird-friendly features. There are many waterways (the Town River, its off-shoots, many ponds, and swampy areas) and open marshland. Nearly ever time I'm there I see a red-tailed hawk patrolling the marsh area, although there are several small trees in the middle of the marsh for the birds to escape to. Today was a rainy/windy day but it was a success since I saw a life bird! I'm sure that I've seen a Cliff Swallow before since they nest in man-made structures like bridges and buildings, but that was before I was a birder. Act...