Bolton Flats: Late September / Early October

Here are a few photos from earlier in the fall at Bolton Flats:

AMERICAN REDSTART

ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK

RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD

BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER

SMOOTH ASTER

LEOPARD FROG

RED-TAILED HAWK

COMMON BUCKEYE

BROWN THRASHER

NODDING LADY TRESSES

Breeding Bird Atlas II - A quick glance at some interesting data

Look at the results for AMERICAN ROBIN:

Now, look the results for BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER:

During atlasing this year I found a new area supporting GRASSHOPPER SPARROWs (THREATENED):

GRASSHOPPER SPARROW:

Here's its map:


Good Birding!

The Massachusetts Breeding Bird Atlas II has been going on since 2007 and is wrapping up this year. It will compare the status of breeding birds from the first project in 1974 to the status of our breeding birds today. Although the first atlas was kind of half-assed, it is still evident from the data that some of our native bird populations are on the decline in certain parts of the state.   For some species it seems like a bird wasteland once you cross east of route 495. It has given me a whole new perspective on how sensitive our native birds are in regards to habitat alteration and fragmentation.  MANIFEST DESTINY!