It's wonderful to be able to look out the window and see bare branches filling in with bright green leaves - not only does it do much to lift my spirits after a very long, cold winter, but it also means that more and more migratory birds should be showing up in the wetlands, forests and rivers. This past week I had a chance to get over to one of my favorite places in Newton to go birding, Nahanton Park. This is a great birding spot because it has a nice mix of open meadow, forest and community gardens which attract a range of birds, from warblers to grosbeaks to swallows. it's a nice place to visit year-round, but I especially love it in the spring when the air is full of birdsong.
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| Two male Downy Woodpeckers inspect a tree trunk at Nahanton Park in Newton, MA. Image copyright Daniel E. Levenson 2014. |
Wandering through the lower gardens I was surrounded by the singing of male Yellow Warblers. these small, bright yellow warblers with crimson streaked-chests have a distinctive appearance and song, and are often found in brushy, wet habitat. There was also a gray catbird singing from a hidden perch in some low trees and shrubs, letting loose it's incredibly varied, complicated song. While the Yellow Warblers were the only warblers I encountered there, this is usually a pretty good spot for other warblers, including Black and White. Now that spring is finally here I'm looking forward to more birding at Nahanton Park and adding new species to my list for this location.
Thanks for reading.
Copyright Daniel E. Levenson 2014.
