Unexpected!

When I got up this morning I didn't plan on doing any real birding. I grabbed the 3 boys and headed down the road to St Phillips Cemetery in Grafton. Again on some off chance that I'd tick a Blue-winged Teal....negative.....again. I have had one here in the past but in the fall. I was able to photograph a Barn Swallow. I had one here the other day for my first of the year but I couldn't snap a pic. Today was hardly better as the photo I did capture was blurry but it IDs the bird. Also there was a Bank Swallow there that I tried like hell to refind among all the Tree Swallows to photography but I couldn't. No early Green Herons there yet either. After leaving there we headed to  a private farm in Millbury where I had a Winter Wren last winter. I was hoping maybe he would nest or something. Nope. I was able to upgrade an Eastern Phoebe and Brown-headed Cowbird photo there. I was going to go home but I was so close to Sutton at that point that I'd figured I would try Ring-necked Pheasant on Town Farm Road. NO pheasant but on the farm I did see a Bald Eagle sitting with a Common Raven and a handful of American Crows. When the eagle took flight everyone was attacking everyone! I turned the car around and headed home when I noticed a Merlin sitting in a tree watching all the action that we just witness. Posed nicely for some shots and off we all went. Early afternoon we decided to head to Rhode Island to chase Swallow-tailed Kite.....long story short. Didn't find them :(, i knew it would of been a long-shot but had to try it!

Barn Swallow- Grafton #114

Merlin-Sutton #115

Upgrades


Brown-headed Cowbird

Eastern Phoebe

Black-and-white Warbler

Still no Blue-winged Teal! Now I am on the lookout for Green Heron. Every year right around this date I get a Black-and-white Warbler in Millbury. Today was no different. Same spot 3 years in a row for me. Always "early". Yesterday I was able to photograph a very cooperative Blue-headed Vireo! I have never seen them so low in the trees before. There were 2 birds chasing each other all over the place constantly! Hopefully some rarities will show up. I need to head to Bolton Flats tomorrow to see if any shorebirds came in.

Black-and-white Warbler- Millbury #113

Upgrades

Blue-headed Vireo

European Starling

Past Couple Days

The past couple of days I have been in full Blue-winged Teal finding mode. Although I haven't found one yet unfortunately. This has taken me to Bolton Flats numerous times. I was able to add Virginia Rail, Vesper Sparrow and Purple Finch. The Virginia Rail was at Bolton Flats and pretty cooperative as far they go. No Sora or anything else like that...yet. I didn't count on getting a photo of Sora or Coomon Gallinule this year....who knows. Pine Hill Grasslands provide great looks at Vesper Sparrows....no Ruffed Grouse which is where I usually grab it. I stayed at my parents house last night in Charlton on a Beaver Swamp. I was able to photography 2 Purple Finches. The female finch photo came out the best so I used that. I was able to update some other birds photos as well in my travels! Enjoy! currently at 111 Species...

Virginia Rail- Bolton #109

Vesper Sparrow- Lancaster #110

Eastern Towhee- Charlton #111

Purple Finch- Charlton #112

Upgrades and additional photos

Field Sparrow

European Starling

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

 Vesper Sparrow

 Dark-eyed Junco

Out and about

I needed some outdoor time today. Needed to get out the house and clear my mind, if only for a few hours. I started at Alan Marble's house waiting on his Purple Finch's to NOT show back up. I went to Purgatory Chasm in Sutton and the first bird I heard when I got out of the car was the Blue-headed Vireo. 2 males were singing and willing to be photographed. I then headed on over to get my Swallow game on (is that appropriate?) I was able to photograph a Northern Rough-winged Swallow that nest under the dam at West Hill Dam in Uxbridge. I thought I was going to be done for the day however Tim Spahr's Westborough WMA report came through and the Ruddy Duck and Great Egret sightings kept eating me alive. I have never seen breeding plumaged male Ruddy Ducks. I did get to see 3 of them. It was awesome! I knew I would get them in the fall but these were spectacular. Great scope views but horrible photos. I did find the Great Egret despite Tim stating it landed somewhere and didn't have a pinpoint on where it was. I was able to add Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and Brown Thrasher to top the day off. I couldn't refind the Northern Shoveler but I did have 43 species at Westborough WMA. Not bad.

Blue-headed Vireo- Sutton #103

Northern Rough-winged Swallow- Uxbridge #104

Ruddy Duck- Westborough #105

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher- Westborough #106

 Great Egret- Westborough #107

 Brown Thrasher- Westborough #108

Additional Photos and Upgrades.

I don't think I have ever seen 2 Brown Thrashers together never-mind 2 in 1 pic.

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Great Blue Heron

Updatessss

Just some more catching up to do. Water is still high on the farm field at Bolton Flats. Only shorebirds were Wilson's Snipe, Killdeers, and 2 Greater Yellowlegs which was new on the year! I tried looking for a Blue-winged Teal to no avail. There were 3 Northern Pintails there as well. I always love seeing those! I checked Purgatory in Sutton for Blue-headed Vireo but they still aren't back yet. I was able to get a Hermit Thrush there as an added bonus. I usually get them there though. I have to get these swallows out of the way. Shouldn't be hard except for Cliff. I went back to Upton SF to see if I could find the Louisiana Waterthrush again. Today I found 2 and was able to get a photograph. Still waiting on a Sandhill Crane to pop in..................

Greater Yellowlegs- Bolton #99

 Hermit Thrush- Sutton #100

Horned Grebe- Westborough #101

Louisiana Waterthrush- Upton #102

Additional Photos

Osprey

humph

Some new updates from the past couple days. Yellow-rumped Warblers have shown up finally. Was able to to photograph one along with a Red-necked Grebe and a pair of Double-crested Cormorants. The Northern Shoveler is still present at Westborough WMA. Purgatory Chasm is still missing its resident Blue-headed Vireo....any day now. I did see a cool partially leucistic American Robin. oh and please don't mind my Red-necked Grebe digiscoped shot....he was a mile out there. its going to be a tough week for me to get out and bird with some issues I have going on right now. ;/

Red-necked Grebe- Westborough #96

Yellow-rumped Warbler- Westborough #97

Double-crested Cormorants- Sutton #98

Additional Photos

Northern Shoveler

 partially leucistic American Robin

Trillers

Today I went out to try and photograph Chipping Sparrows and Pine Warblers. I was successful in both. The Louisiana Waterthrush is back at Upton SF. I heard him singing but he just wouldnt come into view. I also upgraded my Tree Swallow photo. I misses out on a Great Egret that was spotted yesterday in Grafton.

Tonight is bday celebrations at Foxwoods! Time to party!!

Chipping Sparrow- Upton #94

Pine Warbler- Sutton #95

Upgrades

Tree Swallow