We met at the sand pear tree (Pyrus pyrifolia) on Bussey Hill near the Explorer’s Garden on a cool, sunny day.
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Over the weekend, I saw a turkey crossing the road in the Longwood Mall area. He (looks like a male to me) quickly moved into someone’s yard where I managed to get a photo of him.
This is not the first time I’ve seen a wild turkey in the Longwood area. I once saw a turkey leading her baby chicks on Louis Pasteur Ave. Brookline appears to have a large wild turkey population, which has been creating some problems for the town recently.
Jef led us on a walk along the banks of the Muddy River on a sunny, seasonal spring day. We first stopped to view some outdoor sculpture as part of the Through the Trees exhibition by studios without walls.
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Yesterday started off as a sunny, warm, summer-like day but quickly turned cloudy, cold, and windy. Maybe it was this sudden turn of weather that kept many birds from showing themselves. Still, the robins and grackles and sparrows were out.
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We saw a couple birds for the first time this spring on yesterday’s walk around Jamaica Pond. A spotted sandpiper was hopping along the banks, trying to keep its distance from us. When it flew away, it flew low over the water.
We also saw a yellow-rumped warbler. We could easily see the yellow patch under the wing but had to wait until the bird ruffled its feathers for us to see the namesake yellow patch on its back.
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On this tragic day, when senseless acts of violence have hurt so many, I am grateful for the places of peace in our city. Jamaica Pond is one of those places, an oasis of peace and calm amidst the chaos of the day. We walked its shores, sirens continually wailing along the Jamaica Way as emergency vehicles rushed downtown.
It is easy to miss maple flowers, especially on large trees. From a distance, the branches appear to blush and that is all. Look closely and you’ll see a profusion of anthers leaping out of short, red petals.
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I saw two birds for the first time yesterday. First, a pair of double-crested cormorants were lounging in the middle of Leverett Pond, black but for their orange chins.
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Jamaica Pond is finally ice-free! The wind coming off the water yesterday, however, did not feel like it. We took a walk as the sun set.
American coots were diving for vegetation and then squabbling once a coot was successful at obtaining some. It’s late in the year for the coots, which should leave for their summer breeding grounds in the Upper Midwest and Canada any day now.
I saw two species of birds for the first time on Monday, while walking around the Chestnut Hill Reservoir. First, the ruddy ducks, traveling in a large flock, some of them with their tails up in the air.
And then two golden-crowned kinglets, tiny blimp-like birds with no necks. I was able to approach them fairly close as they danced around and through the branches of shrubs.
