It Was Still Winter, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

Even though a gale was blowing today, temperature was in the low 40's, I ventured out on foot anyway.  I did notice just the faintest suggestion of spring green visible in the grass.



The tide was near high and the wind was dancing on the water surface. The world here is definitely hinting at springtime.



Upon my return from the beach, I sat down to rest up and warm up. To my amazement, in a rare act, my local resident red-shouldered hawk swooped in and landed on a branch maybe ten feet above the bird feeders. Maybe he was looking for lunch - a squirrel or chipmunk or another bird but, in any case, I think his angle of view was such that he could not see me through the double-paned glass glare and reflection so I was able to capture this image with my trusty point and shoot camera.  What a treat! He has been very active this past week - flying around frequently and calling a lot - trying to attract a spring mate no doubt.

In classic New England weather behavior - soon after the hawk scene above, snow started falling driven by the 50-knot gusts of wind associated with a frontal passage. The wind blew all night and the temperature dropped to 10 degrees F by dawn. After all, it was still winter on the calendar...........

A Nest Of Robins - Part 1, Bartlett Pond, White Horse Beach, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

As I mentioned as few days ago, a robin has built her nest atop the porch light. Here is an update on the progress of the nest success. Above, May 28th, nothing hatched yet.



May 31st - 3 of 4 eggs have hatched.



June 1st



June 2nd

June 3rd



June 4th.



June 5th.

The growth rate is impressive. They are filling up that nest quickly. The miracle of life and growth is fascinating to watch. I'm still hoping to see all four little mouths wide open with their gaping jaws pointing skyward.

The small gap between the gutter downspout and the eave is where she built her nest.



The rhody bush to the right of the house is exploding in color.



And slowly, Amy's garden picks up new color.

Great Blue Heron, Bartlett Pond, White Horse Beach, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

A pair of Great Blue Herons call this corner of Bartlett Pond home but, I seldom see one on my dock perched on top of an overturned kayak. I had to make this image through double paned glass since I knew as soon as I opened a door or window and tried to get a clear line of sight he would fly away.  And of course, that's what happened. Mighty skittish, those herons.

Bird Whirlpool Bath, Bartlett Pond, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

While it is true that we do like to feed passing birds and provide and protect natural habitat for other creatures, we are not so indulgent that we provide a whirlpool bath for them. This grackle, however, has created his very own whirlpool bath by churning up the water by movement of his wings underwater. Clever little critter. 



Swan Family, Bartlett Pond, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

And then there were only  three..........(of the original six cygnets).

Long necks and short necks but no rednecks.

Interesting daddy swan behavior.  They all approached me while I was standing still on the dock. After they apparently approached too close for comfort, daddy swan then snarls/growls/snaps aggressively at me. Like it was all my fault. Why didn't he just stay farther away? It's kinda' like wanting lower taxes and, at the same time, more government benefits - we can't have it both ways.

And then, off they went into the morning mist. 



Swan Family, Bartlett Pond, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

Sadly, our swan family is now reduced to only four of the original six cygnets. And, regarding the mom and dad swans ......

NO - they are not friendly.

NO - we neither feed nor do anything to attract them.

NO - they are not tame.

YES - they can and will hurt you.
YES - they sure look pretty, especially in flight.

YES - the red-winged blackbird whose nest is nearby still attacks vigorously when the swans come near.

And an unusual sight also occurred - a flock of six non-resident swans did two fly-bys. Didn't see them before and haven't seen them since. Seems odd behavior during nesting season. Poor photo quality but they looked and sounded pretty cool flying overhead. 

Blackbird vs. Swan Family, Bartlett Pond, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

The resident swan family is out and about, seemingly enjoying the sunshine following the recent heavy rain.  So far, five of the original six cygnets remain alive. But the red-winged blackbird sitting on the kayak is not happy at their approach since he is guarding a nest nearby.

Both birds squawked in their respective languages at each other as the blackbird made his repeated diving attacks on the daddy swan. How do I know  it is the daddy? Supposedly, the male has a bigger knob on his bill than does the female - it is truly, all about size........

They sought refuge between the two docks, surprisingly close to me. They didn't stay very long, though. I think the raucous cries and dives of the blackbird got the message across - "Go Away."

Here, on one of his last diving attacks, the blackbird demonstrates the classic flight maneuver known to pilots everywhere whatever your species: the touch-and-go.

And it ends with the swan family paddling away. Seems to me that both sides won - the adult swans got to escort their kiddies to eat some fresh spring growth along the marsh edge, and the blackbird got the swan family away from his nest rather quickly.  All it took was some loud squawking to accomplish the goal with neither bloodshed nor overt physical violence. Sounds like there is a lesson there..........

Caveat: my apologies for the harshly lit, overblown photos. These are questionable even for a point-and-shoot camera but - they still tell the story.

Betty, you should have been here today with your fine camera gear.......

Birds in Hand, Manomet Bird Observatory, Manomet, Massachusetts, USA

Tucked away on the edge of Manomet bluff in southeast Massachusetts, the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences operates the Manomet Bird Observatory .  For more than 40 years, Senior Landbird Scientist, Trevor Lloyd-Evans has directed the migratory bird banding program. Over the many years, in addition to being a leading world banding scientist, he has served as a mentor to countless interns, volunteers, school children and, most importantly for me, my own son, whose love of birds was nurtured and blossomed under Trevor's patient tutelege.

I had the opportunity to visit recently with a group from the Plymouth Digital Photographers Club.

Trevor showing the details of a Blue Jay wing.

A Gray Catbird has just received his leg band.  The crimping tool for attaching the band is at left in the photo above.  The green arrow points to the actual metallic band. Each band contains specific identifying data.

The Manomet Bird Observatory sits atop the bluff on Manomet Point. Over it's many decade history, thousands upon thousands of migrating birds have been banded and released to continue their journeys. When banded birds are again caught in distant locations, that information when aggregated over decades has given us accurate information about migration patterns.

Fifty of these mist nets are arranged through the woods and fields surrounding the Center.  Each net is approximately 40 feet long and 7 feet tall.  They are checked for birds hourly by the skilled banders. The banding seasons are spring (April 15- June 15), and fall (August 15 - November 15).

 Follow this link for a more detailed blog by Amy about banding.

Swan Family, Bartlett Pond, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

It's that time of the year......

I've been seeing the new swan family on the pond from a distance for the past couple weeks but today is the first time they came a'callin with cygnets in tow - leaving their nest a few hundred yards away in the marsh grass, the mom and dad led them on an explore-the-world trip. Their little swan feet were paddling furiously to keep up with the grown-ups and to remain under the protective umbrella of mom's reach.

Although daddy swan was a little tentative and very watchful of me, they all came in fairly close, and since I presented a calm demeanor and remained stationary, they did not spook and paddle away.

This is an unusual sight - I don't often see both parents' heads underwater at the same time when out and about with the cygnets. Usually one of the pair keeps an eye out for danger.

Last week there were six cygnets - today only five remain - one has fallen prey to something or other. If past years are any indication, only one or two will survive to adulthood.

 I don't feed the swans and especially wouldn't when they have babies in tow. ( It is not good to teach the cygnets to trust and depend on humans for food - never a good idea.)  So, with a final sidelong glance from daddy swan, off they go for better pickings of native pond food elsewhere.

Laughing Gulls, Bartlett Pond, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

I don't normally try to photograph wildlife with a point-and-shoot camera since results are usually dismal.  Every once in a while though, the result is adequate.


This Laughing Gull and many of his buddies like to hang out on a sand/mud bar in Bartlett Pond and bathe together in the fresh water.  So I grounded a kayak in the shallow water and sat calmly until they forgot about me or decided I was not a threat and resumed normal behavior. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, "Laughing Gulls are summer visitors to the Northeast and year-round sights on the coasts of the Southeast and the Gulf of Mexico."

They are pretty creatures but they sure are raucous. (Raucous is defined as harsh, strident, grating - actually that sounds more like a definition for modern-day politicians than birds but I'll save that snarky comment for another day.....)

Swan Tipping, Bartlett Pond, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

I am not a proponent of animal tipping - neither cats, dogs, horses, nor especially cows. But swans - they are willing tippers and do so without the need of human provocation. On second thought, sometimes my cat falls over for no apparent reason but I digress........

Imagine having to extend your head and neck straight down into cold water just to eat. I think swans got a bad deal on that point.

I suspect these two are practicing for the 2012 Olympics in London - the synchronized tipping event.  In the strange but true category, the British Crown has right of ownership of unmarked mute swans in open water - follow this link to the reference.  Who'd have thought.  Sounds more like a Monty Python skit......

Bird Houses, Charleston, South Carolina, USA

In conjunction with the Southeast Wildlife Exposition, the Kids for Conservation Birdhouse Display showcases original designs of natural and/or recycled materials by area high school age students. The houses were on display at the main library in downtown Charleston. They were crowded onto or under long tables so it was difficult to get a clear and well lighted photographic angle. Here are a few examples:

Books

Bottles

Corks

Records

Tongue depressors and coffee stirrers

Soda pop cans

Circuit boards

I'm not sure real birds would actually inhabit these creations but they are fun to enjoy nevertheless. I am also intrigued to imagine that the raw materials for these projects reflect the home life of the young artists and the cultural affects in their lives. Maybe I'm reading too much into it.........



Turkey Crossing, Carver, Massachusetts, USA

What did it take to get a turkey crossing sign made and installed along this road?  Was it a sad tale of woe for someone who impacted a flock at high speed with bad results?  Was it relentless requests from citizens who finally wore down the resistance of reluctant town officials?  Over the course of many years, how often do turkeys actually cross here?  I wonder how many different animals have their own signs?  Just off the top of my head I recall seeing Moose, Deer, Armadillo, Turtle, Cattle, and Horse crossing signs.  Guess I'd better start a life list.......

I never thought turkeys were very smart until I recently saw the television special on the PBS series "Nature."  You can find the show here: "My Life as a Turkey."  It's a strongly compelling and extraordinarily moving story.  Cinematically it is equally beautiful. One can debate the rightness or wrongness of imprinting animals on humans but nonetheless, it is quite a show.