Tag Archives: Massachusetts

Snowy Owl at Belle Isle Marsh

Snowy owls have arrived in the New England area en masse this winter. The reason for their southern surge isn’t known, but the population may have exploded following an increase in their favorite prey, the lemming, last summer. Owls are leaving the crowded Arctic to stake out their own territory, finding their way to places such as Boston.

We first attempted to find a snowy owl on Castle Island. While we saw a number of other birds, we did not find an owl. Following e-bird reports of owls at Logan Airport that could be seen from Castle Island, we trained our camera on the edges of the runways. This is what we saw:

A snowball at Logan that could be an owl.
Is this a snowy owl?

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Arboretum: Sparrows and Wrens

I went for a walk in the Arnold Arboretum yesterday to look for birds, my first such walk of the new year. The temperature was above freezing and many had come to sled and cross-country ski. I saw quite a few species near the Visitor Center. Among the birds I saw was this white-throated sparrow, all fluffed up to keep itself warm.

White-throated sparrow
White-throated sparrow

I also saw a couple of Carolina wrens, rustling at the base of the cattails in the meadow and visiting the birdfeeder.

Carolina wren
Carolina wren

Complete e-bird checklist.

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Return of the Winter Moth

Heavy fog rolled into Boston on the evening of Thursday, December 5. A thick blanket of darkness lay over Jamaica Pond.

Jamaica Pond in fog
Jamaica Pond in fog

Unusual warmth accompanied the fog, and winter moths (Operophtera brumata) were out in force. I saw one on a shrub covered in Christmas lights. Continue reading

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In Search of a Mandarin Duck

Late Saturday afternoon, we walked around Leverett Pond in Boston’s Olmsted Park, in search of a mandarin duck. I had heard this duck was on the loose from The Rambling Brambling.

Mallards abounded in the area; we saw 140 of them. Three male ring-necked ducks swam past us in a line.

Ring-necked duck
Ring-necked duck

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Arboretum: Birds and Winter Fruit

Now that fresh fruit is no longer available, birds have taken to picking off what is left on the trees. Sometimes a frost or two helps soften fruit, making it more palatable. I saw a few birds visiting some fruit trees this Friday.

Cedar waxwings were all over a Korean mountain ash (Sorbus alnifolia), picking off the fruit.

Cedar waxwing eating fruit of mountain ash.
Cedar waxwing eating fruit of mountain ash.

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A Fall Walk in the Arboretum

I went for a brief walk in the Arboretum today. After a couple of nights where the temperature had dropped below freezing, this afternoon was bright and sunny, hitting 60 degrees. A breeze over the meadow carried with it countless cottony seeds.

Meadow at the Arboretum
Meadow at the Arboretum

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Arboretum: Robins, Sparrows, and Finches

The sun and its warmth made for a very pleasant bird walk this morning at the Arnold Arboretum. Most of the birds we saw were along Willow Path or near the ponds. Every species except one can be found the entire year in our area.

The only exception, white-throated sparrows, moves north to breed during the summer.

White-throated sparrow
White-throated sparrow

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Mount Auburn Cemetery: Turkeys and Vireos

We took a walk through Mount Auburn Cemetery Thursday morning. We would go long stretches without hearing any birds and then, suddenly, we’d be in the midst of a birdstorm. One of the easiest birds to find was this wild turkey, whose gobble we could hear at a distance.

Head of male wild turkey
Male wild turkey

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Arboretum: Pale Green Assassin Bug and Pickerelweed

On Friday, I ran across a bug that looked like a red, green, and yellow shrimp. Resting on a witch hazel leaf with its posterior and head held high, this insect reminded me of a katydid nymph. v belov on BugGuide identified it as the nymph of a pale green assassin bug (Zelus luridus).

Pale green assassin bug nymph
Pale green assassin bug nymph

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Arboretum: Stink Bug Prey and Snake Eyes

I found a stink bug nymph in the Arboretum this morning. It is probably an instar of the green stink bug (Chinavia hilaris), although it lacks the orange shoulder pads that I see in every other photo of green stink bug nymphs.

Stink bug with caterpillar
Stink bug with caterpillar

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