Bird Monitoring at Select Cranberry Bog Restoration Sites in Southeastern Massachusetts

Spring is always the most exciting time, for both bird scientists and bird enthusiasts: the anticipation of the new arrivals, the energetic increase in song, and the change in behavior and activity signifying a fundamental shift in the natural world. And of course, our nine spring surveys from April to mid-May documented all these changes - an increase in species and a beginning of breeding behaviors.

Foothills Preserve
4/8/2023
https://ebird.org/checklist/S133035268

Even though the Rusty Blackbird scores relatively low in the Partners in Flight Conservation Concern Score, it is listed as a Common Bird in Steep Decline because of the troubling long-term decreases in population. Uncommon in Massachusetts, it was a treat to find one using the wet woody edge of the Foothills Preserve in April. This bird will migrate north to breed.

Song Sparrow

Before the greening

Indian Brook Bogs Extension
4/9/2023
https://ebird.org/checklist/S133168103

This was our first visit to the southernmost portion of the Indian Brook Cranberry Bogs. The landowner, Peter Stearns, mentioned that this area is the least likely to undergo any habitat management for wildlife, so it might be a good baseline if other parts of the property have more active management than this.

This site hosts a large nest. A Great Horned Owl pair using this nest successfully raised one chick two years ago, but last year and this year the nest was abandoned by the owls in May after a start. After the owls moved out, Osprey moved in, so we will be documenting their season.

View of the bogs from Old Sandwich Road. The Great Horned Owl is sitting on the nest on the pole to the left of the building.

Pinnacle Bogs
4/13/2023
https://ebird.org/checklist/S133592311

All four basins at Pinnacle Bogs contained high water levels which will limit space for nesting land birds, but certainly was advantageous to the Mallards (5), Hooded Mergansers (13), Wood Ducks (2), and Bufflehead (1) using the site.

American Kestrels seem to be doing well in Southeastern Massachusetts. We have seen them at every site and it will be interesting to watch as their breeding season progress. Since much work is being done on American Kestral science and conservation, we might consider if this should be another species of focus.

South Meadow
4/18/2023
https://ebird.org/checklist/S134166527

Our first confirmed breeding datapoint, this lovely Canada Goose at South Meadow Bogs on nest.

Indian Brook Bogs North
4/15/2023
https://ebird.org/checklist/S133821334

Eastern Pheobe

Indian Brook South
4/25/2023
https://ebird.org/checklist/S134957884

Belted Kingfisher

American Kestrel pair. The male is banded with a USGS metal band. I will look for him next time I visit this site, perhaps I can get lucky and get the numbers off the band.

Eastern Towhee female, with the male in the foreground

4/27/2023
Foothills Preserve
https://ebird.org/checklist/S135166832

Highlights from this Foothills Preserve trip included a calling Virginia Rail, an American Kestrel pair, nesting Eastern Bluebirds and Tree Swallows, a singing Brown Thrasher, and an energetic Orchard Oriole.

Eastern Bluebird

Brown Thrasher

Tree Swallow seems very proud of his sign.

Savannah Sparrows

5/6/2023
Indian Brook Bogs Extension
https://ebird.org/checklist/S136273129

Eastern Kingbird

5/7/2023
Mill Brook Bogs
https://ebird.org/checklist/S136437039

With May come the warblers. Ovenbird, Northern Waterthrush, Black-and-white Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow Warbler, and Prairie Warbler had all returned to the bogs on this May visit. Unfortunately, with the size of this site and the intense activity over the survey path, there was no time for photography on this visit.