We are lucky to live within easy driving distance of several Mass Audubon centers offering a wide range of programs. One program that piqued our interest was a talk titled “State of the Birds” by Wayne Peterson, director of the Massachusetts Important Bird Areas program at Mass Audubon.
The program was hosted by Wachusett Meadow Audubon center in Princeton. “State of the Birds 2011” is a recently released Mass Audubon report documenting changes in Massachusetts’ bird life. Wayne went over the ways data is collected—Massachusetts Breeding Bird Atlas, North American Breeding Bird Survey, and the Christmas Bird Count—and talked about why species of birds are declining in Massachusetts and also why some are increasing.
Each species has been given a conservation status and probable reasons for their decline. Anyone wanting to know more about the “State of the Birds 2011,” check out the website www.massaudubon.org/StateoftheBirds.
Another Mass Audubon program is their Focus on Feeders. Anyone can participate in the program as it involves counting birds you sees at your feeders on a given weekend. The object is to count the highest number of a given species you see at one time. This year the count was set for Feb. 4 and 5.
I saw a total of 16 species of birds over the weekend. The highest number I saw at one time was the goldfinch, of which there were over 20. A flock of ten bluebirds made an appearance. I did record a single sighting of the three species of woodpeckers that regularly feed here: downy, hairy, and red-bellied. I was disappointed in the three mourning doves that showed up because a week earlier I had over 30 at the feeder at one time.
Among the other species I saw were American robin, tufted titmouse, white breasted nuthatch, chickadee, house finch, and English sparrow. I did count the red-tailed hawk I saw that hunts our pastures as I consider my whole farm to be a bird feeder!
The bird counts are submitted to Mass Audubon, which then collates all the information and submits a report later on in the year. If you’re interested, you can go to the website and see the counts from previous years and see which species are more prevalent. In 2011 about 1,300 people throughout the state participated.
A week later we were sitting in the house with some friends from Maine looking at the birds at the feeders. We were discussing the fact that some birds are migrating earlier than in the past and that it can be disastrous for them. Most migrations are timed to coincide with food availability. The warmer climate seems to be encouraging birds to arrive earlier and that is a problem with a lot of the birds that depend on insects for food as the insects do not seem to have caught up with the warmer climate and hatch at their normal time, which is now a lot later than the birds arrive. Some insect-eating birds do in fact switch to seeds and berries in the winter, which is a little easier on them.
To confirm the fact that some birds are migrating back earlier a red-winged blackbird and grackle flew in and started eating seed at the platform feeder. The date was Feb. 11, which is the earliest I had seen the black birds return to the farm. Last year they arrived on March 10 and I thought that was early!
Thinking that maybe other birds have been moving into the region we took advantage of a 52-degree February day to visit Great Meadows Wildlife Refuge in Concord. Walking along the dike with flooded impoundments to either side, our eyes were immediately drawn to two mute swans feeding about 10 feet out in the water.
There were numerous Canada geese all over the impoundments but nothing else seemed to be around. Further down the dike we walked onto a viewing platform extending out to the water. This platform was a new addition from when we last visited the refuge and gave a better vantage point over the water.
While standing on the platform I noticed some movement in the reeds about 100 yards further on down the dike. Training my glasses on the area, I saw five or six coots. They were too far away to get a good look at, so we walked on down the dike closer to where they were and got a really good look at a coot not 10 feet off the dike.
While the white bill and black head is distinctive, I had never noticed the red frontal shield at the base of the bill and being so close this was really visible. In the bright sunshine, the dark gray back and black head took on a silky appearance. Further on around the impoundment I noticed a group of black and white ducks feeding in the water. I was not sure what they were, but consulting my field guide we confirmed that they were ring-necked ducks. I should have known because a note in my field guide reminded me that I had seen this duck at the refuge in March of 2009.
Walking around the northern impoundment, which must have been at least two miles, we did not see any other birds. I thought this was really strange as there are usually at least some chickadees or woodpeckers but we did not see or hear any passerines in the trees bordering the river and the impoundments.
One nice thing about this warmer weather we have been experiencing, other than the fact that I do not have to bother with clearing snow, is that the birds seem to think it is spring. On our daily walks the tufted titmouse, goldfinch, cardinals, and other resident birds are becoming very vocal which usually heralds spring. I must admit I have not missed the snow this year and am happy if this warm weather continues.
David Durrant lives with his wife, Pamela, on East Bare Hill Road at Micheldever Farm, where they watch birds—their own peacocks, chickens, and wild birds.
