Bruce deGraaf: Recently Added Galleries and Collections

2009/10/23 LeConte's Sparrow

brucedegraaf@hotmail.com (Bruce deGraaf) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 03:54:48 GMT

Barry VanDusen and I visited the Cumberland Farms in Halifax, Massachusetts, on an overcast and quite cool fall day. The bird had been seen before we arrived mostly at the south end of the crescent shaped drainage area east of the model airplane field. Click this link to see a Google Map of its location.

The bird can be quite mousy. Many of the birders present felt it was like looking for voles in the grass as it literally went under the grass and would pop up some distance away.

We had our best luck following the advise of Barry Burden who suggested we should walk around the area rather than sitting in one spot. He was right. As we walked around, the bird would pop up, but not in a frightened sense, providing great views, some from as little as 6 feet away. We found the bird mostly in the center of the crescent shaped area, both in the dried and matted Phragmites next to the water filled ditch.

2009/10/17 Westboro WMA

brucedegraaf@hotmail.com (Bruce deGraaf) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:25:15 GMT

Taken at the Westboro Wildlife Management Area (WMA) off Lyman Street in Westboro, Massachusetts.

2009/10/11 Westboro WMA

brucedegraaf@hotmail.com (Bruce deGraaf) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:17:29 GMT

Taken at the Westboro Wildlife Management Area off Lyman Street in Westboro, Massachusetts.

2009/09/26 Bolton Flats

brucedegraaf@hotmail.com (Bruce deGraaf) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 00:39:06 GMT

2009/09/19 Plum Island Godwits

brucedegraaf@hotmail.com (Bruce deGraaf) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 17:52:30 GMT

Taken at the Bill Forward Pool at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, Plum Island, Massachusetts.

2009/09/04 Fairhaven, MA

brucedegraaf@hotmail.com (Bruce deGraaf) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 13:24:39 GMT

2009/08/14 Bolton Flats

brucedegraaf@hotmail.com (Bruce deGraaf) — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 13:09:56 GMT

2009/08/14 Bolton Flats in Bolton, Massachusetts

2009/08/01 Plum Island

brucedegraaf@hotmail.com (Bruce deGraaf) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 12:08:59 GMT

2009/06/27 Jewett Road, Sterling, MA

brucedegraaf@hotmail.com (Bruce deGraaf) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 23:52:06 GMT

2009/06/26 Eagle Nest Revisited, Northern Worcester County

brucedegraaf@hotmail.com (Bruce deGraaf) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:33:58 GMT

2009/06/26 North Andover Heronry

brucedegraaf@hotmail.com (Bruce deGraaf) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:18:01 GMT

Taken at the Heronry off Carter Field Road in North Andover, Massachusetts. I visited this magnificent Heronry with Rich Johnson and Dale Martin. We counted 95 nests, at least 92 with young! This link is to a Google Map showing its location.

We went in the morning making photography difficult as all the nests were severely back-lit; the afternoon should be much better for photography. All of the nests are 450+ feet away so a scope is required for good looks.

2009/06/20 Wachusett Reservoir Loons

brucedegraaf@hotmail.com (Bruce deGraaf) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 03:02:10 GMT

Over the past few years, the same pair of Common Loons have unsuccessfully attempted to nest in the South Bay portion of Wachusett Reservoir. The same pair returned again this year to continue their saga.

This year's dry spring exposed a sandbar that provided what seemed to be a protected area for the pair to nest. Unfortunately, the rains over the past two weeks caused the waters to rise. Last week Mass Wildlife Rangers briefly removed the two eggs and dumped additional sand and gravel on the sandbar to shore up the nest. Despite the disruption, the Loons returned to the nest, providing me am opportunity last Saturday to watch the pair and another Loon that briefly joined them.

Unfortunately, the continued rains this week were too much. The waters continued to rise eventually covering the eggs.

2009/06/07 Jewett Road, Sterling, MA

brucedegraaf@hotmail.com (Bruce deGraaf) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 09:37:31 GMT

Taken at the Heronry between Jewett Road and I190 in Sterling, Massachusetts.

Many of the shots show in this gallery were digiscoped using the equipment you can view via this link.

2009/05/30 Eagle Nest, Northern Worcester County

brucedegraaf@hotmail.com (Bruce deGraaf) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 01:44:32 GMT

2009/05/25 Jewett Road, Sterling, MA

brucedegraaf@hotmail.com (Bruce deGraaf) — Fri, 29 May 2009 02:08:51 GMT

Taken at the Heronry located off Jewett Road in Sterling, Massachusetts. The gallery shows all 17 nests, all of which are active.

2009/05/16 Jewett Road, Sterling, MA

brucedegraaf@hotmail.com (Bruce deGraaf) — Thu, 21 May 2009 02:27:43 GMT

Taken at the Heron Rookery located between 290 and Jewett Road in Sterling, Massachusetts.

2009/04/25 Jewett Road, Sterling, MA

brucedegraaf@hotmail.com (Bruce deGraaf) — Sun, 03 May 2009 11:30:33 GMT

Taken at the Heron Rookery located between Jewett Road and I190 in Sterling, Massachusetts. There are at least 17 nesting sites in the rookery, with at least 15 of these active.

2009/04/10 Dunham, NH

brucedegraaf@hotmail.com (Bruce deGraaf) — Sun, 03 May 2009 10:25:57 GMT

2009/05/02 Mt Auburn Cemetery

brucedegraaf@hotmail.com (Bruce deGraaf) — Sun, 03 May 2009 02:53:54 GMT

Taken at Mt. Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

2009/03/15 Sterling, MA

brucedegraaf@hotmail.com (Bruce deGraaf) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 02:47:07 GMT

Taken along Route 12 and Jewett Road in Sterling, Massachusetts