Tandayapa Bird Lodge, Ecuador: Crimson-rumped Toucanet (Aulacorhynchus haematopygus) by Todd Livdahl

Holden: Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio) by Jim Morelly

Rutland: Great Golden Digger Wasp (Sphex ichneumoneus) on Pink-spiked Celosia by Ted Purcell

Everglades National Park, Florida: Green Heron (Butorides virescens) by Alan Rawle

Galapagos Islands: Galapagos Giant Tortoise (Geochelone nigra) by Todd Livdahl

Galapagos Islands: Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens) by Todd Livdahl

Everglades National Park, Florida: Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinica) gleaning pond lily seeds by Alan Rawle

Everglades National Park: Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) by Alan Rawle

Florida Keys: Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) by Ted Purcell

Quabbin Reservoir: Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) by Jim Morelly

European Starling(Sturnus vulgaris) in winter by Anne Greene.

Female Pileated Wodpecker feeding on poison ivy berries, Hardwick, 30 December 2017 (Quabbin Christmas Bird Count) Photo by Alan Rawle

Ted Purcell was fortunate to encounter some Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) in Rutland in early January. They have been uncommon in our region since their breeding season ended in August.

One of a flock of eight Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) feeding on Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina) berries in Hardwick on 13 January. Photo by Alan Rawle

American Red Squirrels are primarily granivores, but incorporate other food items into their diets opportunistically. Seeds at birdfeeding stations fit nicely into their natural diets. Photo by Ted Purcell

Winterberry or Black Alder (Ilex verticillata) produced abundant fruit in 2017. An important role played by winterberry is as a fall and winter food source for songbirds: the fleshy, bright red berries are said to be toxic to humans, but fruit-eating birds such as robins, mockingbirds, Eastern Bluebirds, and Cedar Waxwings evidently find them palatable. It is possible that, as with American Holly, the levels of toxic or unpalatable chemicals in winterberry berries decline as the fruit matures and hangs on the shrubs. In our area at least, winterberry seems to be eaten by the birds after the winter solstice.

A Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) in Rutland, Photo by Ted Purcell

American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) in winter/non-breeding plumage. Photo by Ted Purcell.

In Rutland, this immature Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) visited Doug Wipf's birdfeeding station from fall through 29 December 2017. Whether the bird moved on prior to the oncoming storm (birds react to barometric pressure changes and can adjust their behaviors) or simply didn't survive is unknown.

Eastern cottontail rabbit (Sylvilagus floridanus) tracks in fresh snow in Rutland, before the thaw. Anecdotal information suggests that 2017 was a "good" year for cottontail reproduction. Photo by Ted Purcell

Northern Pintails (Anas acuta) 13 January 2018 in a flooded cornfield in New Braintree. Photo by Alan Rawle.

YOU are the rare bird if you live in central MA and haven't encountered a Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) this winter! Photo by Alan Rawle

This 2 1/2 inch salamander responded to the heavy rains and high temperatures of 11-12 January by emerging from its winter shelter beneath the rocks. When the temperatures dropped into single digits on the 13th, it presumably resumed hibernation, withstanding the freeze by a chemical change in the body that bathes its organs in a glucose-filled fluid "antifreeze."

Blue Jay by Ted Purcell. Who's watching whom?

A flower fly (Eristalis transversa) with Apple Leaf Skeletonizer Moth (Choreutis pariana).

A sweat bee (Agapostemon virescens) * Only mated females survive the winter.

The hairs on the body of this fly point to a tachinid species, Euclytia flava. Tachinids are internal parisitoids of other insects, the females often laying eggs directly on the host insect.

A sweat bee of the Augochlorini tribe. These metallic green pollinators, difficult to identify in the field, also feed on the honeydew secreted by aphids in warmer months.

Two-spotted Bumblebee (Bombus bimaculatus) and potter (or mason) wasp (Parancistrocerus perennis).

Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) Male red admirals are territorial. Territories tend to be oval in shape, 8-24 feet long, and 13-42 feet wide. In order to maintain their territory, males must fly around and patrol an area dozens of times per hour. Only males of exceptional flying ability are able to prevent intruding males and successfully court females. (Wilkipedia)

Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia) This species is closely related to other fritillaries, but there are important differences in their life history. They have two or three broods per year vs. one per year (as Great Spangled Fritillary) ; they are nomadic vs. sedentary--the ones we see here are flying in from other states ; and they use a wide range of host plants vs. just violets.

Eastern Tailed-blue (Cupido comyntas) Caterpillars of this species eat the flower buds, flowers, seeds and new leaves of their host plants in the L-legume family like yellow sweet clover, alfalfa, vetch, white clover, wild pea, bush clover, and tick-trefoil. Eastern Tailed-blues overwinter as caterpillars (often in the seed pod of their legume host) and pupate the following spring.

Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia) This was a good flight year for this seasonal immigrant species. It is a regular summer and fall immigrant into Massachusetts, but it cannot survive winters here so far as is known. It re-populates southern New England each year from larger populations further south, and is able to produce one or more generations here, depending on the date of arrival.

Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax) Two distinct phenotypes of Limenitis arthemis, the southern-based Red-spotted Purple (non-banded) and the northern-based White Admiral (white banded), occur in Massachusetts. The two forms were long treated as separate species, and they are sufficiently differentiated that most authors today refer to them as subspecies. The state is in the blend zone between these two venerable forms, so that many intergrades (“hybrids”) are also found here. (Butterflies of Massachusetts web-site)

Monarch (Danaus plexippus) Sightings of this popular species were more frequent this summer than in the past two years, but the species is still in decline. A study published in Science News this spring made a strong case that the reasons for this decline go far beyond what's happening on the wintering grounds. The study provides the first empirical evidence of a negative association between glyphosate (the main ingredient in the herbicide Roundup) application and local abundance of adult monarch butterflies during 1994-2003, the initial phase of large-scale herbicide adoption in the Midwest. Reduction of milkweed plants available as host plants may be one big reason for the shrinking Monarch population.

Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus) Like our other migratory skippers, Fiery Skipper typically arrives in Massachusetts toward the middle or end of the summer season. It may become a temporary colonist, perhaps raising a brood, but it does not persist here owing to lack of cold tolerance. It cannot survive the winter.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) This large and showy species is one of the most familiar butterflies in Massachusetts. The first known drawing of a North America butterfly was of an eastern tiger swallowtail. It was drawn by John White in 1587 during Sir Walter Raleigh's third expedition to Virginia. (Wikipedia)

Banded Hairstreak (Satyrium calanus) In Massachusetts, the main plants that host the caterpillars of this butterfly appear to be oaks, especially red (Quercus rubra) and scrub (Q. ilicifolia) oaks.

Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) This migratory species occurred in high numbers in Massachusetts this year. While warm season migrations are often easily observed, e.g. hundreds sometimes seen flying onshore during a migratory movement, autumn migrations take place at high altitude, which explains why these migrations are seldom witnessed.

Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) Various species of native violets have reported to serve as a larval host plant for the great spangled fritillary, including the native round-leaf violet (Viola rotundifolia), the arrow-leaf violet (Viola fimbriatula) and the common blue violet (Viola sororia).

Northern Pearly-Eye ( Lethe [Enodia] anthedon) This butterfly is the region’s most forest-adapted butterfly. Its larval hosts are woodland grasses; adults feed on sap from tree wounds. Northern Pearly-Eye is usually found in the shady under-story, rather than the sunny canopy, and is often perched head-downward on tree trunks. (Butterflies of Massachusetts website)

Gray Tree Frog (Hyla versicolor) in Hardwick on 6/22. Adults rarely descend from high treetops except during the breeding season. According to Wikipedia, mating calls and chorusing are most frequent at night, but individuals often call during daytime in response to thunder or other loud noises.

Northern Paper Wasps (Polistes fuscatus), which build their nests in June, are interesting creatures that conjure up misplaced fears. This placid queen, which will die by fall, has built a nest from wood fibers and laid eggs that will develop into new queens. Color patterns of P. fuscatus are highly variable and strongly influenced by geography. Wasps can even recognize each other's individual faces due to the great amount of variability.

On 6/8, Linda Leehy spotted this Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes), a species more common in southerly locations, in her Gilbertville yard. The early date suggests that the butterfly, rare- to-uncommon in central MA, probably successfully overwintered as a chrysalis. The Butterflies of Massachusetts web-site states: "Giant Swallowtail faces difficult conditions in over-wintering in Massachusetts, but some have been surviving in warmer winters in suitable locations. Climate warming will probably lead to an increase in Massachusetts of this southern-based species both through over-wintering and increased immigration each spring. "

A Hobomok Skipper (Poanes hobomok) and a potter wasp (Ancistrocerus adiabatus) search for nectar on Purple Vetch (Vicia cracca), a non-native plant brought to North America as a forage plant and for its ability to fix large quantities of nitrogen. It is a favorite of nectaring insect species. Unless it is aggressively crowding out native species, a small amount of this vetch can be tolerated in the landscape.

Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) laying eggs on 6/8 in Hardwick. The sex of the young is determined by the temperature of the nest; cooler temperatures favor males, warmer temperatures favor females. This nest was protected from predators with wire, so in August or early September, we hope to see young emerge. Temperatures were up and down this summer, so who knows which sex will prevail. After emerging, the young will instinctively seek out the security of the nearby pond.

A Common Gartersnake (Thamnophis sirtalis) suns itself on a shrub in Rutland. Photo by Ted Purcell.

CAN YOU GUESS THE SPECIES OF THIS BIRD? Jim Morelly sent us this puzzling image of a bird seen in the distance. He was able to grab this shot and described the bird as being about the size of a Scarlet Tanager. For the answer, go to our HOME page.

Our FROM THE FIELD post wouldn't be complete without one of Jim Morelly's stunning mammal photographs, this one of a White-tailed Deer in the Quabbin region.

A photographer who was focused on another subject inadvertently captured this image of a Black-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus erythropthalmus) feeding a fledgling. Cuckoos of both species were abundant this year, albeit extremely camera-shy. They feasted on Gypsy Moth (Lymantria dispar dispar) caterpillars, one of their preferred foods. Indigestible hairs of the caterpillars hairs accumulate in the stomach until the bird sheds the stomach lining and disgorges a pellet.

Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia) in Hardwick on 6/29. According to butterfliesofmassachusetts.net, this species is a regular temporary colonist, arriving in Massachusetts from its year-round range further south. It seems to be appearing earlier in the last 25 years than it did historically. Photo by Bette Robo.

Around the beginning of May, just as we were planning to discontinue feeding the birds and avoid attracting bears, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks (Pheucticus ludovicianus) began showing up for sunflower seeds. Photo by Bob Stetson.

The long, continuous series of warbles, chirps, chips, and mews--sometimes for as long as ten minutes-- emanating from a thick tangle of shrubbery or vines--means that a Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) has arrived from its wintering grounds and is planning to spend the next five months somewhere nearby.

Right on schedule, this Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria) was found in Warren on May 6th, en route to breeding territory in Canada. Unlike other sandpipers, Solitary Sandpiper lays its eggs in the tree nests of several different song birds, particularly those of the American Robin, Rusty Blackbird, Eastern Kingbird, Gray Jay, and Cedar Waxwing. See allaboutbirds.org for more information. Photo by Jim Engberg.

Juvenal's Duskywing (Erynnis juvenalis) was common at Muddy Brook WMA in Hardwick in May.

This Common Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis) chose to bask atop an evergreen shrub in Rutland. Photo by Ted Purcell.

Warm, sunny days bring out butterflies such as this Eastern Tailed-Blue (Cupido comyntas), a common but diminutive, and therefore easily overlooked, species.

Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia) in Rutland. Photo by Ted Purcell.

Three-banded Lady Beetle (Coccinella trifaciata), one of twelve species of lady beetles in North America, was spotted in Hubbardston.

A little bird with a voice that seems more fitting for a bird with a larger body, Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) is known to most feeder watchers. While chickadees and other small forest birds gather in winter foraging flocks, Tufted Titmouse remain on or near their breeding territory year-round. Mated pairs may be accompanied by the offspring they raised the previous year. Photo taken in Hubbardston by Bob Stetson.

That new trilling song you start to hear right about the time the Fox Sparrows depart in mid-April is coming from a Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina). They are common across North America and will nest close to areas of human habitation as well as in undeveloped tracts of land.

When Fox Sparrows (Passerella iliaca) show up under your bird feeder, you know that spring is on the way. These birds have to get started on their northward migration early because their breeding grounds are in the high Arctic region. They show up in central Massachusetts in mid- to late-March and often can be heard singing before they depart. These Hardwick sparrows departed with the warm front from the south on 9 April.

If you watch White-breasted Nuthatches (Sitta carolinensis) a lot, you know that this is the pose you usually see. Male White-breasted Nuthatches sing in late winter and spring, a rapid, nasal, fairly low-pitched wha-wha-wha that lasts 2-3 seconds. It’s made up of a half-dozen to a dozen nearly identical notes. Males sing these songs at two rates, with the faster version packing in twice as many notes in the same amount of time. The fast version is thought to be the main one used for mate attraction. (Song info from allaboutbirds.org) Photo by Bob Stetson.

Ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) rarely nest along inland waterways in central Massachusetts, but they are reliably seen at ponds, lakes, and rivers here in April while en route to the coast. This bird was at Harvard Pond in Petersham on 9 April.

Some Song Sparrows (Melospiza melodia) chose to spend the winter here while others withdrew to more southerly states and are now returning. However, they didn't begin singing until increasing daylight at the end of March triggered hormones that signal the start of the breeding season.

A few Eastern Phoebes (Sayornis phoebe) showed up just before the April 1st snow- and ice-storm and probably had to subsist on small seeds and fruits until insects began hatching. There was a large influx a couple of days after the storm, and they're already prospecting for nest sites. They may drop out of sight during stretches of bad weather before returning to begin nest-building in earnest.

Listen for the distinctive irregular drumming of the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) in wooded areas. These birds drill two types of holes in trees to harvest sap. The sap wells they create also attract hummingbirds, butterflies, bats, and even porcupines, and benefit these creatures by providing a good energy source. This bird was found in Petersham on 9 April. Photo by Alan Rawle.

As the Cornell Lab of Ornithology website allaboutbirds.org says, a Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) is a shorebird you can see without going to the beach. In March and April some are returning from wintering grounds in Central America while others spent the winter in places like Florida or the coasts of the Carolinas. Watch for them in large, cultivated expanses of grass or crop fields.

No, not a central Massachusetts sighting, but this Great Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa), an Arctic breeder rarely seen in winter in New England, was present a couple of hours away in Newport, Vermont from 25 February to about 2 April. WRNC member Jim Morelly shared his photograph of this charismatic bird.

Tracking with David Brown 14 January at Barre Falls Dam.

Leader Joe Choiniere at Blood Swamp, Rutland, 18 February.

Joe points out an example of geologic uncomformity in this boulder; two different types of rock seem welded together. Unconformities are gaps in the geologic rock record. They are surfaces of contact between older rocks and younger sedimentary rocks, formed due to erosion or lack of sediment deposition over extended periods of time.

One excellent feature of TRACKARDS is the inclusion of scat illustrations for identifying animal sign, such as the scat left behind by a Gray Fox.

Raccoon scat with embedded crustacean fragments. DO NOT break apart or closely examine without breathing protection. The larvae of the Baylisascaris procyonis roundworm, which can be contained in the feces and seldom causes a severe illness in humans, can be ingested when cleaning raccoon latrines or examining scat without wearing breathing protection.

Lichens add color to the winter landscape. Fallen tree branches are covered with with leafy foliose lichens and shrubby fruticose lichens. Their properties are sometimes plant-like, but lichens are not plants. A truly complex organism, lichen is a composite form that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi in a symbiotic relationship. It's complicated and fascinating!

En route to Blood Swamp.

Fisher, loping pattern. (Facebook page quiz.)

Fisher (Martes pennanti)

Two American Crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos)

Eastern Coyote (Canis latrans)

Moose (Alces alces)

Fisher, loping pattern.

Fisher (Facebook page quiz.)

Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus)

Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)

Moose (Alces alces)

Cedar Waxwings ((Bombycilla cedrorum) are commonly seen in central MA in fall, and some flocks stay here in winter, roaming about in search of fruit to eat. What many people don't notice is the juveniles in the groups. Like the bird on the left, the young of this year--hatched in mid-to late summer--will retain their mottled and less-colorful plumage through January.

The North American beaver (Castor canadensis) is very common here, but not so commonly seen in winter when ponds are ice-covered and the mammals are limited in their movements. They continue to utilize open channels in wetlands, even if the water is full of snow and ice chunks, insulated from the cold by a thick layer of fat under their skin.

Definitely uncommon and rare in Massachusetts, Red-headed Woodpeckers (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) are irregular or short-distance migrants that generally do not stray far from their usual territories in the southern and central states. There is some question as to whether this is another species beginning to expand its breeding range. This wanderer showed up in Belchertown in the fall and is continuing as of the date of this post.

This is a year when Red-breasted Nuthatches (Sitta canadensis)are uncommon. This species can be irruptive, moving southward in great numbers in years when cone production is poor on their breeding grounds. But this winter they are showing up as lone birds at scattered locations.

In the case of many bird species, it's uncommon to locate sleeping birds in their evening roosts. Most tend to hide away in dense foliage, cavities, high in trees, against tree trunks, etc. in order to be less vulnerable to predators. This American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) and two comrades chose to wedge themselves against the branches of a staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina) for two cold nights in mid-December in Hardwick. Temperatures those nights were 1 degree F. and -4 degrees F. respectively. It could be that the sumac structure provided good support, a bit of camouflage re: similar shape silhouette, or some other unknown advantage.

Very common the rest of the year, Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) numbers shrink to scattered individuals throughout our region in winter. It can be a challenge to find them on some of our local Christmas Bird Counts.

Easily confused with Purple Finch, House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) was non-existent here until after 1940. Originally a bird of the western United States and Mexico, a small number of the finches were turned loose on Long Island, New York, after failed attempts to sell them as cage birds, They quickly started breeding and spread across almost all of the eastern United States and southern Canada within the next 50 years.

A common breeding species in central Massachusetts, although not often seen, Barred Owls are encountered more often when they are vocalizing during their late winter/early spring breeding season. In winter they sometimes hunt in daytime on overcast or snowy days. This one was perched low over a frozen marsh in Hardwick, listening for voles or mice.

This declining species is becoming uncommon, particularly in the eastern United States, so the appearance of Evening Grosbeaks (Coccothraustes vespertinus) at birdfeeders in Petersham and Hardwick in December was of interest. Normally they are found in flocks, so this lone female was a mystery.

Red-bellied Woodpeckers (Melanerpes carolinus) were rarely seen in Massachusetts 25 years ago. They have become common breeders in many types of forests and readily visit suet feeders. This female was at Westfield Farm in Hubbardston in early December.