Mowing The Lawn

While that is only one of the many reasons I haven't posted in a while (including driving to Michigan, watching the Olympics, helping with a photo camp, and other activities) that isn't the reason for the title of this post.

If you have been to Great Meadows recently you will notice a couple of pieces of equipment out in the upper impoundment. I ran into Stephanie Koch, a US FWS biologist, the other day and she explained they are trying to mow the American Lotus before it completes making the seed pods, hoping to reduce their reproduction. This will hopefully provide some room for other types of vegetation to fill back in (and attract different sorts of birds).

To accomplish that they have a marsh tractor with a mowing attachment on the back. Before they start work they check on the location of the Blandings Turtles with transmitters. They are mowing as much as they can, but will stay 50 years / feet (my memory fails me) away from the cat tails. That's because the Blandings often will bury in the mud near the cat tails. The lotus they can't cut with the mower, they plan to address with weed wackers...a much slower, laborious process.
Looks like fun


A view of the business end

It also appears that they have finished with the work dredging the channel. They are now starting on creating "refugia" - deeper pool areas to provide habitat for the Blandings turtles and other amphibians during those periods when they drain down the impoundments. It looks like it will be good size based upon the pink flags.



You can see the excavator working on the first refugia in the background.

Also popular this month are all the egrets that are at the refuge. Look carefully, you may actually see an immature Little Blue Heron (which is white with a pale grayish, green bill with a black tip and green legs). I thought I had gotten a photo of it in the distance, but upon closer inspection when I got home, I realized that it was a Snowy Egret.


Snowy Egret

Also seen around the refuge are Great Egrets. They can often be found fishing along the banks of the channels. I was watching and photographing this one. After catching and eating a fish, he started wandering among the lotus and catching something. If you look closely you will notice he was enjoying a dessert course of dragonflies!

Keep your eyes pealed near the areas of open water. You may catch an Osprey hovering overhead looking for fish.

When I think of the hot summertime at Great Meadows, I think of the diversity of dragonflies that you can find there. You can hardly walk along the dike trails without rousting several dozen.


A rare Common Whitetail - rare because their favorite place to perch is in the middle of the stone dust on the path. You rarely see them posing on vegetation worthy of a photograph.


A Widow Skimmer


I think this is a female Twelve Spotted Skimmer, but it could be a female Common Whitetail

I promise it won't be so long to my next post. I actually have "photos in the can". I just need to process them and post.

Vacation Land

I felt like I was the only person that had not seen the Black-bellied Whistling-Duck that has been visiting the Great Meadows off and on from the beginning of July. My schedule had always conspired against going to the refuge while it was there.

That's why Sunday I was so pleased when I saw a report in Massbird that it had been seen again only two hours earlier. Though the weather was threatening rain and the clouds loomed overhead, I rushed over to see if I could see this unique bird.

Based the number of cars in the parking lot when I arrived, I realized that I wasn't the only person that wanted to see this bird. Given that the northern end of its range normally extends only to the southern border of Texas and Arizona. For non-birders that were asking questions, I said it was like he decided to take his summer vacation in New England, much like the people from far away that visit Cap Cod each year.

I can see why it is such an attraction. (For more information about this bird check out the Cornell website.)

My favorite photo of the afternoon





Finally tiring of photographing the Whistling Duck, I proceeded further down the Dike path. The American Lotus are always interesting to me.




Reminds me of a clock

It seems like there are a lot more Great Egrets visiting the refuge this year.

Potpourri

Most of my recent visits to the refuge have been focused on photographing the Tree Swallow nest.  Occasionally I would wander elsewhere in the refuge or grab a few shots as I was coming and going.  Between the holidays, household tasks, and a few visits to that other refuge to the northeast, I haven't had time to post process and post.  So here goes.

Black Ducks swimming in the Lower Impoundment


If you were quiet and got to the refuge early you could get good views of this female wood duck that was hanging out in the lower impoundment, near the river end of the cross dike trail.


The cat tail reeds getting tall make finding Marsh Wrens more challenging...but this guy popped up next to the path



Killdeer love the drained lower impoundment. You often hear them and sometimes see them as they forage in the mud.


I waited patiently for this bird to get closer to me. It got close enough for a few action shots. Unfortunately shortly after this a jogger, thundered by and the Killdeer flew back into the impoundment and the lotus.


Bluet - If it doesn't appear to be a bright turquoise / robins egg blue, then your monitor needs adjustment!


This one stumped my try for a quick ID


Monarch on Milkweed


Cedar Waxwing hanging out by the lower impoundment outflow.


Loved how it pulled its wings back to give us a view of the body


I took this because it reminded me of the fireworks we were going to see that evening


God's version of lace


The reward for walking to the far end of the refuge and checking out the woods.


Common Yellowthroat - I liked this version because the pose mimics the leaf directly below


Blue-gray Gnatcatcher