A Bunch of Old Coots Visit

I have been away from Great Meadows for over a week, so Monday morning, I was up with the sun
to see what changed since my last visit. From the tower many striking differences were immediately apparent. The trees near the tower have already shed most of their leaves.

After giving me a hard time for taking a week off Alan, Will and Kathy invited me to accompany them as they drove around the refuge conducting their weekly bird census.


The last of over 300 Canada Geese departing to forage or continue their migration


They have completed dredging one side of the lower impoundment canal


The paper wasp nest that had been hidden in the leaves, is now the only thing left on the branch




There were reminders of spring as a flock of Red-winged Blackbirds stopped by the refuge. As the sun rose the temperature started to warm. Their calls could be heard around the impoundments.




The sparrows were foraging up and down the dike trails. This Savannah Sparrow was posing on one of the cat tail reeds.




Today's special visitors were a flock of over a hundred American Coots that had settled into the lower impoundment.








Near the bench on the Cross Dike Trail a juvenile Sora was foraging at the edge of the reeds. The Great Meadows Sora are most often heard, but less often seen. Given that standard this bird was practically posing. Unfortunately, Soras still insist on posing in a tangled mess of undergrowth. Of course a bad Sora photo beats the non-photo of the Great Horned Owl that we saw near the Concord / Bedford line marker.






Aa the morning progressed the wind started to blow. While the temperature was pleasant where you were protected by the trees, out on the dike the wind was starting to whip up.


Reeds blowing in the wind


While the trees near the tower have lost their leaves, down near the river they are just starting to change.

Today Was For The Birds

Since much of next week is going to be preoccupied with chasing colored leaves, I thought another visit to Great Meadows would be in order. My hope was to fill in some of the gaps in my portfolio of landscape shots. With the cold temperatures overnight I was also hoping for some detail shots of frost on plants.

God had other plans. The sky was cloudless. The frost was non-existent. The cold was bracing, reminding me of the clod winter days walking the impoundments. Needing the exercise, I set out for a pleasant morning walk with cameras at the ready hoping that something would catch my eye.

Towards the end of the Cross Dike Trail I encountered this Pied-billed Grebe. This was going to be the first of many encounters that would make me wish I had brought my long lens.






Following the trail along the upper impoundment, I encountered quite a few active birds in the vicinity of the "Poison Ivy" bench. In addition to the expected Chickadees and Swamp Sparrows there were several Yellow-rumped Warblers and a couple Yellow Warblers.


Female Yellow-rumped Warbler


The reason they are named Yellow-rumped Warblers

Also nearby was a Blue-headed Vireo. I've been told that this is getting late in the year for their sighting at Great Meadows.


Downy Woodpeckers are not unusual at Great Meadows but today I encountered six or seven in a relatively small area with is not common. Most of the time they are found on the wooded side, but occasionally you will find them on the cat tail reeds in the impoundment. It looks unusual, but they aren't resting, but actively eating something found in the reed.






Back along the Cross Dike Trail a pair of Mallards exploded out of the impoundment and flew by at close range. Thankfully I got off a few "shots" before I was left photgraphing the eastern end of a west bound duck. Which one do you prefer?

A New Sign

There was a new sign posted by the entrance to the cross dike path this morning. After years of rumor, the US F&WS received all the permits required from Army Corp of Engineers, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and Town of Concord to begin dredging the channels in the impoundments.

After three years of seeking approvals, Monday they received their permits. With time rapidly to implement this year rapidly dwindling they did not waste any time getting started. They started at the outflow of the lower impoundment and will work their way up and through the upper impoundment. They will be dredging this year until things start to freeze and then will resume in the spring.

What about the threatened Blandings Turtles that live in the impoundment. WE the dredging is actually going to be for their benefit creating some deeper water for them in times of low water. During the actual dredging US F&WS will be monitoring the locations of the Blandings to ensure that they are not near the dredging operation.



Our very OWN DEP file number


About an hour's progress, care to predict how long until they are finished?


The biologists back from confirming that Blandings were staying out of range today


A different angle


I liked the rim lighting




Maples on dike starting to turn




Bees moving very slowly in the cold air


Swamp Sparrows are everywhere


A huge spider came to watch the dredging


A young downy woodpecker



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The Canada Goose daily circle - honk, they fly away, they return