Today's Special - Warblers

It's going to be a busy weekend and I just needed some "me time" before it got busy. So rising with the sun (metaphorically speaking, I actual slept in another 30 minutes), I headed to Great Meadows to see what the day had in store for me.

I knew it was going to be a good day when I noticed this Flicker in front of the parking spot I pulled into. While I got out it was content to drill on the tree. It continued as I set up my tripod, camera and lens. As I shut the lifgate I was certain it would fly, but it continued unphased. After warming up my shutter finger on the Flicker, I headed into the refuge.

It was a quite, misty morning. Down by the river I encountered a few warblers.

Palm Warbler


If like me you don't immediately know this warbler from the front


When it turns around there is no mistaking a Yellow-rumped Warbler

After walking along the Upper Impoundment, I was on my way home to tackle my long "Honey-do" list, when I say Joan Chasan ahead busy photographing something along the trail near the kiosk. I cautiously approached, to discover that she was busy shooting a female Yellow Warbler. Well that was another first of the year bird for me, so chores would just have to wait.

Even with the warbler's constant movement and unpredicatble behaviour, it was tough not to get a few shots that were in focus without branches or leaves blocking the bird. I was almost ready to head home, when I noticed some more warblers along the edge of the parking lot.

By this time I really had shot enough warbler photos, so I started to get piggish. Just another warbler shot would no longer suffice, instead I waited for the warblers to visit some of the flowering trees along the lot's edge. I'm glad I did. A male Yellow Warbler danced among the white and pink flowers. My favorite is the first one which reminds me of a Japanese watercolor painting

If you are not excited by warblers, I did see a few other things as I walked around including.

A different Flicker near the Upper Impoundment outflow canal to the river


A ubiquitous Red-winged Blackbird. I was struck how this photo catches all the detail in all those black feathers


This male Wood Duck's eye looks like a toy glass marble eye


Who can resist photographing a Song Sparrow when the background is this perfect


I dare not try to identify this bird, but it is nesting high in the trees down near the "Poison Ivy" bench

A Little Breakfast Treat

It's that time of year where the weather is wonderful. You just want to be outside. In New England we tend to stuff so much is so little time. This time of year is filled with outdoor activities ranging from sporting events, to graduations & commencements, to gardening and other outside maintenance activities that have been delayed by the winter.

At the refuge, it is a time where things change on almost a daily basis. At the refuge it is much the same. Animals are migrating, nesting, mating and raising their young. Plants are flowering an blooming. The next revolution in the cycle of life is well underway. Each day you will see something that you haven't seen before this year.

We are all motivated by the same drive. We've go to accomplish as much as we can in that little time that remains. In less than 2 months the days will start getting shorter. Can autumn and winter be far behind? So today we have to do as much as we can, tomorrow will be here faster than we expect.

That's why the last thing I want to do is spend a wonderful day indoors behind a computer. There will be plenty of time for that next winter. So today you get a quick buffet of images from around the refuge. Sample what you may, I know you won't tarry long; you've got to get outside, time's a wasting.

Everyone raves over New England's spectacular fall foliage. I've come to enjoy the spring transformation from grey / brown to greens and vibrant colors.

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Wood Anenome

The number of bird species at the refuge grows daily.

A First of the Year Common Yellow-throat (not cooperating for the photograph)

With Mother's Day approaching it's time that Female Red-winged Blackbirds get some love



Wilson's Snipe that was hanging around in the mud near the tower



Savannah Sparrow



Palm Warbler


Northern Flicker may be nesting near the Borden's Pond entrance

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher



Canada Geese resolve territorial dispute

Stealthy Great Blue Heron

Activity among all the other species has exploded.

Results of the last post on toads


Young snapping turtle headed their way


Butterflies and moths are appearing daily


Carp stranded by receding river. If given the choice right now, I expect they would pick "Be a small fish in a big pond"

Toads - NSFW

That is this post is Not Safe For Work, ... if you work with a bunch of toads. Today at the refuge if you walked to the river end of the Cross Dike Trail you were greeted by a choir of Eastern American Toads singing loudly. (Thanks to Alan Bragg for the identification.)

If you followed the sound down along the Lower Impoundment to the first break in the reeds you would have been greeted by a veritable frenzy of toads. It seems that the warm weather had turned their hearts to love. You would find toads calling, mating, and chasing other toads to either capture a mate or chase away a potential suitor.

At times the noise was quite loud. In this video the toads are closer than the airplane, but notice the relative noise levels.

It was impressive when you would see the male toads expand their vocal sac and start to call. It would expand to almost twice its normal size.

When a male finds a receptive female, he will come up behind her. Giving a big hug she grabs her around the chest and holds on. Together they wander around until she starts to lay her eggs, which he fertilizes. The eggs are in long strands. Look carefully and you will notice them in the photos.

Of course along the way other toads try to horn in on the action. It seems that one of the defensive strategies is for the couple to submerge leaving the chasing of mates to the toads on the surface.

Of course it does sort of remind me of junior high school. There were a few lonely toads that just had not yet met the right girl.



The one thing I found curious is that with all the noise, that no predators were attracted to the scene. Walking down toward Borden's Pond, I encountered a Great Blue Heron that probably would have had a feast, if he had been fishing in the correct spot.

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