A Quick Lap

With a trip coming up in the near future I was anxious for the rain to stop falling so I could sneak in a quick visit to Great Meadows. So it was a quiet Wednesday morning that found me at the refuge. The refuge was pretty quiet as both the people and animals started to recover from a couple days of battering rain. All this rain certainly hasn't helped F&WS efforts to drain down the upper impoundment to kill the lotus.

Black-capped Chickadee flew right up to me on a tree near the kiosk


This pair of sparrows must have a nest near the end of the cross dike trail


They can be seen collecting bugs


The gosslings are getting large


A Baltimore Oriole near the lower impoundment outflow


Landing above my head for a brief moment


Thanks to Alan's identification of the song we determined this was a Red-eyed Vireo


I hope their chicks don't hatch before I return


If you come often enough you see the dark side of nature too. This one didn't make it.


Too bad I wasn't paying attention. I stumbled upon the Wood ducks in the area of open water near the cross dike & upper impoundment. They were in the open for about 2 secs before they saw me and retreated into the reeds.


I have mixed feelings about the invasive yellow iris. I thought it looked interesting as it was almost ready to open.


Walking along the railroad bed I heard something rustling in the gravel


It only took me about 50 photos to get the one I could see in my mind's eye.

Before & After

Thursday I was visiting the refuge to join Alan Bragg's bird watcher walk. Friday morning found me back there to test out my new D7000. (My D300 was part of a most unfortunate accident. In the end the cost to repair exceeded the cost of a new used camera). So today's post contains photos shot from both days. See if you can identify which photos are from my D7000 and which are from the backup D90.


I arrived a bit early and surprised this Momma Wood Duck & chicks in the reeds quite near the dike

The Canada Geese are rapidly growing up. Elsewhere in the refuge you can see larger chicks starting to get new feathers.

Most geese are content to step one side and let me pass. This one decided to move on.

This is the first time I noticed an Ebony Jewelwing in my walks are Great Meadows. The body was glowing an emerald green in the morning sun. Bryan Windmiller told me that they are commonly found in the woods along streams. I found the first one along the Upper Impoundment on the river side of the trail. Friday while back on the Timber Trail, I noticed a very similar damselfly in the woods along the Timber trail, except its body was a brilliant blue. Checking the Field Guide to Dragonflies & Damselflies of Massachusetts, I learned that it's the same creature, but their bodies appear blue when backlit.










Maybe its my imagination, but it seems like the dragonflies are out in force earlier this year.






I've noticed that I have been taking more photos of fauna, not flora. Unfortunately the early spring caused many flowering plants to bloom early. Right now it seems a bit quiet. However that allows us to enjoy that colors and shapes of other plants.





I love how each layer of leaves is offset so as not to overlap the leaves below.

As a reward of circumnavigating the Lower Impoundment if you are observant you may notice this Tree Swallow nest.






Down near the refuge entrance by Borden's Pond there were Cedar Waxwings.



Also near that entrance I've encountered a pair of Swamp Sparrows in the same general area. When I have a bit more time, I will have to camp out to see if they are nesting, or if it was a coincidence.



One thing photographers like about Great Meadows is how some of the animals become habituated to humans. After a while you can't take any more Red-winged Blackbird photos. However, it's hard to pass up when the bird is sitting in a tree right next to the dike and is willing to sing as you walk past.

Around The Refuge

The rain forecast for Monday morning held, so I wandered over to the refuge to join Alan and Will for the weekly bird census. There were plenty of the usual suspects, but also some less frequently seen visitors. (Click on the Recent Bird Sightings to see today's results.)


Orchard Oriole near the Tower


Yellow Warblers


I think the Marsh Wren is one of my favorite residents of the refuge. These small birds have an interesting, complicated song. These acrobatic birds are quick and a challenge to photograph.






While my attention was focused on trying to help identify birds, various subjects caught my eye.


Based upon the look on his face I would not mess with this Red Winged Blackbird


Mute Swan at the moment of landing


Coopers Hawk landing near the Southwest entrance


Mother Mallard and ducklings walking along lower impoundment path


Mallards among cattails and duck weed


Goslings walking to the river


While birds caught most of my photographic attention, a few other sights caught my attention.


The warm weather has brought out the black snakes


An almost perfect dandelion