Below are a few photos from an out and back 5 mile walk at High Ridge WMA (Westminster/ Gardner) on 8/22 along East Gardner Road, May Street, Smith Street and Neighborhood Road. There were no real surprises but none the less a nice selection of passerines.
A list from the High Ridge walk:
SpeciesCount
Canada Goose1
Wood Duck4
Mallard1
Hooded Merganser1
Great Blue Heron2
Red-shouldered Hawk1
Broad-winged Hawk2
Red-tailed Hawk1
Solitary Sandpiper1
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird3
Downy Woodpecker3
Hairy Woodpecker1
Pileated Woodpecker1
Eastern Phoebe13
Great Crested Flycatcher1
Eastern Kingbird7
Red-eyed Vireo16
Blue Jay2
American Crow2
Common Raven1
Black-capped Chickadee27
Tufted Titmouse5
Red-breasted Nuthatch1
White-breasted Nuthatch5
House Wren5
Gray Catbird12
European Starling1
Cedar Waxwing14
Northern Waterthrush1
Black-and-white Warbler1
Common Yellowthroat16
Northern Parula1
Chestnut-sided Warbler1
Black-throated Blue Warbler4
Pine Warbler1
Black-throated Green Warbler4
Canada Warbler1
Chipping Sparrow1
Song Sparrow6
Swamp Sparrow1
Eastern Towhee1
Scarlet Tanager2
Northern Cardinal4
Rose-breasted Grosbeak2
Common Grackle1
American Goldfinch5
On Sunday morning ,I stopped at the Fitchburg Airport and Sterling Peat. The airport had little to show, but a few American Kestrels that were working the runways, were nice to see.
The water level was fairly low at Sterling Peat's Muddy Pond and while there was nothing "too uncommon" there was a few dozen shorebirds and a nice number of immature Green Herons (7 or 8) along with a single Great Egret.
The Sterling Peat List:
SpeciesCount
Mallard8
Great Blue Heron2
Great Egret1
Green Heron7
Killdeer9
Spotted Sandpiper2
Solitary Sandpiper3
Greater Yellowlegs3
Lesser Yellowlegs2
Least Sandpiper16
Mourning Dove40
Ruby-throated Hummingbird1
Downy Woodpecker1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)1
Eastern Wood-Pewee1
Eastern Phoebe2
Blue Jay2
American Crow2
Barn Swallow6
Black-capped Chickadee1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher1
Gray Catbird6
Northern Mockingbird1
European Starling42
Cedar Waxwing18
Prairie Warbler1
Song Sparrow6
Brown-headed Cowbird1
American Goldfinch5
 |
| A hatch year male Common Yellowthroat |
 |
| A handsome male Black-throated Blue Warbler |
 |
| Northern Parula |
 |
| There were many Eastern Phoebes along the walk |
 |
| This Eastern Kingbird showed nicely |
 |
| a male Red-breasted Nuthatch |
 |
| Insects of all types were enjoying many fields of Goldenrod |
 |
| An American Toad |
SpeciesCount
Canada Goose1
Wood Duck4
Mallard1
Hooded Merganser1
Great Blue Heron2
Red-shouldered Hawk1
Broad-winged Hawk2
Red-tailed Hawk1
Solitary Sandpiper1
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird3
Downy Woodpecker3
Hairy Woodpecker1
Pileated Woodpecker1
Eastern Phoebe13
Great Crested Flycatcher1
Eastern Kingbird7
Red-eyed Vireo16
Blue Jay2
American Crow2
Common Raven1
Black-capped Chickadee27
Tufted Titmouse5
Red-breasted Nuthatch1
White-breasted Nuthatch5
House Wren5
Gray Catbird12
European Starling1
Cedar Waxwing14
Northern Waterthrush1
Black-and-white Warbler1
Common Yellowthroat16
Northern Parula1
Chestnut-sided Warbler1
Black-throated Blue Warbler4
Pine Warbler1
Black-throated Green Warbler4
Canada Warbler1
Chipping Sparrow1
Song Sparrow6
Swamp Sparrow1
Eastern Towhee1
Scarlet Tanager2
Northern Cardinal4
Rose-breasted Grosbeak2
Common Grackle1
American Goldfinch5
On Sunday morning ,I stopped at the Fitchburg Airport and Sterling Peat. The airport had little to show, but a few American Kestrels that were working the runways, were nice to see.
The water level was fairly low at Sterling Peat's Muddy Pond and while there was nothing "too uncommon" there was a few dozen shorebirds and a nice number of immature Green Herons (7 or 8) along with a single Great Egret.
 |
| A comparative shot of Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs |
 |
| 1 of 16 Least Sandpipers |
SpeciesCount
Mallard8
Great Blue Heron2
Great Egret1
Green Heron7
Killdeer9
Spotted Sandpiper2
Solitary Sandpiper3
Greater Yellowlegs3
Lesser Yellowlegs2
Least Sandpiper16
Mourning Dove40
Ruby-throated Hummingbird1
Downy Woodpecker1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)1
Eastern Wood-Pewee1
Eastern Phoebe2
Blue Jay2
American Crow2
Barn Swallow6
Black-capped Chickadee1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher1
Gray Catbird6
Northern Mockingbird1
European Starling42
Cedar Waxwing18
Prairie Warbler1
Song Sparrow6
Brown-headed Cowbird1
American Goldfinch5
