4/27 Rusty Blackbirds and Sora at Brook Farm Reservation

[Paul Peterson]

On Saturday, I went to Brook Farm Reservation in West Roxbury in hopes of hearing (I had no hope of seeing) the Sora that Ted B. had posted about on e-bird earlier in the day. When  I arrived at the spot, which is the third bridge, I initially didn't hear anything. So I walked a bit further. There were three adult male Rusty Blackbirds in the wetland on the right. A jogger flushed them to a tree, where i could see their bills move as they sang their awesome songs. The calls created a wonderful ambience as I stood in the swamp, the path being the only dry land. I returned to the Sora spot, and waited at least one half hour, but it was well worth it, for i got to hear twice the awesome whinny by either one or a pair of Sora. This was at 8:15 p.m.

Great Blue Heron 2            Millennium Park and high school wetland
Wood Duck 2                      high school wetland
Belted Kingfisher 1             high school wetland
American Kestrel 1             Millennium Park (M.P.)
Sora 1 or 2
Palm Warbler 2                  No Man's Land  (area bordered by St. Joseph's Cemetery, M.P., and high school wetland)
Swamp Sparrow 5              Brook Farm singing
Rusty Blackbird 3

Amphibians:

American Toads        M.P.
Spring Peepers         Brook Farm Reservation
Bullfrog 2 (or Green Frogs) .

Paul Peterson
peterso...@yahoo.com
Boston