[MASSBIRD] Broadmoor - Natick, White-breasted Nuthatch, Animal tracks and remains 12/17/10, Photos, Great Meadows - Concord, Hooded Mergansers etc. 12/20/10,

[Michael Kolodny]

Hi,

I was at Great Meadows in Concord on 12/20/10 and Broadmoor Wildlife
Sanctuary in Natick on 12/17/10 and photographed the birds listed below. The
photos are at: http://o10cpcs.wordpress.com (The archive index is in the
right margin.)

Great Meadows:

Hooded Mergansers
Black Ducks
Eastern Bluebird

I previously posted about the bald eagle and hybrid goose photographed on
the same day, Monday 12/20. Scroll past those two posts on my web site to
see the following pictures from Broadmoor (or use the archive index in the
right margin)...

Broadmoor:
White-breasted Nuthatch (I included a slide show showing the bird's activity
in a sort of slow animation)

Other Photographs:

Broadmoor:
Animal tracks, possibly raccoon and fisher (a type of weasel).
Remains of a squirrel having the appearance of a dissected owl pellet.
Some interesting ice and frost formations on stalks and leaves. (This
continues on the next page so you have to click on the "older posts" link at
the bottom or use the archive index in the right margin to get to these
photos).

I noticed the two sets of tracks left in the frost on the short boardwalk
across Indian brook. I'm not an expert on tracks but I think one set was
left by a raccoon and the other by a fisher (which is a type of weasel). The
tracks were headed in the same direction (despite their appearance in the
photos). I don't know which animal crossed the bridge first, but fishers are
known to prey on raccoons and the fisher may have been following the
raccoon. An experienced tracker might be able to tell which set of tracks is
older but to me they look like they were made about the same time.

Further down the same trail I noticed some small bones on a grey mat of what
seemed to be fur. I think this was probably the remains of a squirrel.
Because there were only bones and fur I think it must have passed through
the digestive system of an animal before being spread out. I don't know what
type of animal would have left it but I wonder if the same fisher that left
the tracks could have left droppings on an earlier day, or if it could have
been an owl pellet? I also don't know what would spread it out like that,
maybe the rain? Another animal investigating it?

If anyone knows more about these subject I'd appreciate hearing from you.

Thanks,

Michael Kolodny
Framingham, MA
m_ko...@phreego.com

My other nature photography blog is at: http://o3cpcs.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/sightings_blog

[Michael Kolodny]

Hi,

I'd like to thank the people have e-mailed me to say that the both sets of
tracks are raccoon tracks. I'll update the blog post titles.

Thanks

Michael Kolodny
Framingham, MA
m_ko...@phreego.com

[Ira Morgenstern]

Middle
Warm Regards,

Ira Morgenstern
Office: 617 630 8525
Cell: 617 869 4072
imorge...@comcast.net

[imorgenstern]

OK. I have made inadvertent "my pocket made the calls" before, but this is
the first inadvertent "my pocket responded to an email" . Sorry all.

Regards,
Ira Morgenstern
Cell 617 869 4072