Bear Creek Wildlife Sanctuary
Birding Community Newsletter
|
|
A PUBLICATION OF NORTHEAST WETLAND RESTORATION
Issue 2018-02
|
Friday February 9, 2018
|
2,083 Subscribers
|
|
Warm Snow Cold, Warm Snow Cold.
A Typical New England Winter Continues.
|
|
Midway to the Equinox
Lengthening days that are back to 10 hours, are a signal to most, that the long wait in the grassy plains of the Rumney Marshes ACEC is half over. Silent on the wing, top predators maintain their lines and thin-out the ranks of the forage base. Panic spreads like wildfire, as the tranquil laze of a cool morning is disrupted by a plundering dark coated bandit.
|
|
January 27 & February 4, 2018 Trip Reports
|
|
Bear Creek Wildlife Sanctuary
Saugus, Essex County, Massachusetts, US
January 27, 2018
9:00 AM - 12:12 PM
Protocol: Traveling
3.0 Mile(s)
29 Bird Species
|
Canada Goose 75
Mallard 12
American Black Duck 24
White-winged Scoter 5
Bufflehead 35
Red-breasted Merganser 28
Wild Turkey 13
Red-tailed Hawk 3
Ring-billed Gull 10
Herring Gull 65
Great Black-backed Gull 15
Rock Pigeon 55
Mourning Dove 63
Snowy Owl 2
Short-eared Owl 3
American Kestrel 1
Blue Jay 1
American Crow 12
Horned Lark 35
European Starling x
Lapland Longspur 3
American Tree Sparrow 9
White-throated Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow 5
Northern Cardinal 2
House Sparrow 18
|
Bear Creek Wildlife Sanctuary
Saugus, Essex County, Massachusetts, US
February 4, 2018
9:00 PM - 12:15 PM
Protocol: Traveling
3.5 Mile(s)
29 Bird Species
|
Canada Goose 300
Mallard 7
American Black Duck 29
Common Eider 6
White-winged Scoter 8
Bufflehead 27
Red-breasted Merganser 15
Wild Turkey 12
Northern Harrier 1
female or young
Red-tailed Hawk 3
Ring-billed Gull 5
Herring Gull 150
Great Black-backed Gull 14
Rock Pigeon 90
Mourning Dove 49
Snowy Owl 2
Short-eared Owl 2
Downy Woodpecker 2
American Crow 9
Horned Lark 200
Rough estimate, but made with confidence. The place is lark heaven.
Black-capped Chickadee 1
European Starling 900
Lapland Longspur 3
American Tree Sparrow 5
White-throated Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow 4
Northern Cardinal 1
Red-winged Blackbird 51
House Sparrow 6
|
Very light faced Short-eared Owl
|
Darker faced Short-eared Owl
|
Short-eared Owl with a Meadow Vole brunch
|
Birds on a wire
Rock Pigeon
|
|
Dark colored Snowy Owl out in the marsh
|
Northern Harrier flirting with a Short-eared Owl
|
5 Bufflehead with an American Black Duck in the background
|
Enormous Snowy Owl Pellets
|
Medium sized Red-tailed Hawk Pellet
|
Tiny Owl Pellet in the dense evergreens
Hint Hint
|
Not-so-lucky Short-eared Owl
|
|
Best Friends enamored by repeated close passes of a Short-eared Owl on the hunt.
|
|
Bird of the Week this week goes out to all the Short-eared Owls that have been keeping us entertained since November.
Many of our friends who have visited the sanctuary, have been able to see this owl for the first time ever this year. How can you beat that?
You would swear these birds have sleeping bags with thermometers on the zippers. Once the morning chill wears off, they’re up and pounding Meadow Voles like a hammer on nails.
Back and forth, back and forth, at times this season we have observed as many as three Short-eared Owls hunting at the same time.
It is very exciting to watch the owls glide through the grassland. Pouncing and perching often, these very popular birds can remain in view for hours at a time.
|
Hooks and Bows with soft frilly edges. These highly specialized feathers allow owls to fly perfectly silent. For a closer look at owl wings, checkout the fantastic video at PBS Deep Look
|
Runner-up this week goes to Wile E. Coyote’s third cousin Cann E. Coyote. Cann E.’s coat is luxuriously rich, which has allowed us to identify the young lad for a few seasons now. His picture appeared in a few of the 2017 newsletters.
He has adapted well to the grassland lifestyle. Pilfering Savannah Sparrow nests, dropping voles like Bonbons, he is far from the lanky young pup who first wandered out of the grass.
With his new found broad shoulders, and a thick neck, he will soon be a sire himself. We continue to wish him well.
|
|
The Next Scheduled Nature Walks are:
Sunday, February 11 at 9 a.m.
Please note: Wednesday's snow storm coated the smooth surfaces with a thick coating of ice. If Saturday's anticipated warm temperatures do not melt the ice, appropriate footwear will be advised.
Sunday, February 18 at 9 a.m.
NOTE: The Bear Creek Wildlife Sanctuary is open to the public for guided tours only. If you would like to visit the sanctuary, please attend one of our regularly scheduled nature walks, or contact us to arrange a private tour. Thank you.
|
|
Special thanks go out to Soheil, Mark, Norm, Cammy, Marj, Pat, Jeff, Pam, Gina, Christian, Melissa, Amanda, Chris, Ian, Mary, Lisa, Jim, Constance, John, Nancy, Ken, Judy, Marcia, and everyone else who contributed pictures and support this week. Without your help, this publication could not be produced.
Additional pictures from this week:
|
|
First drops of rain over a Beautiful City
|
|
|
|
A long shot of a Snowy Owl in the marsh
|
|
ABOUT BEAR CREEK WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
|
|
The
Wheelabrator Saugus Bear Creek Wildlife Sanctuary is a 370-acre property abutting a 2,274-acre estuary on the outskirts of Boston, located in the heart of the Rumney Marshes ACEC. Maintained and managed grasslands, salt marshes, shrublands and maturing woodlands combine as one of the largest bird migration staging areas on the North Shore and a habitat for nearly 200 bird species, as well as other wildlife such as coyotes, foxes, raccoons and snakes. Visitors can enjoy the more than 14,000 feet of walking trails that permeate the site, a half-acre exhibit garden, and meeting and lecture areas, which are scattered throughout nine of the restored ecosystems. Situated directly behind Wheelabrator Saugus, the Bear Creek Wildlife Sanctuary is maintained and managed by Geoff Wilson of Northeast Wetland Restoration. Follow along with us as the birds change with each passing season!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
