June 2020
June 1 – on my early morning walk with Maddie, saw a house sparrow (aka lbj or little brown job in bird-speak) on the sidewalk dipping its beak into melted vanilla ice cream on the sidewalk outside of JP Licks.
At the Arboretum around 8:30am saw an immature robin perched on a branch at the top of a bush, looking like it had just recently left the nest. Speckled breast, still fuzzy feathers at the top of its head, short tail feathers, in the process of growing out. Wobbly flight when it took off from the branch, still figuring out how its wings work.
June 2 - During a half hour zoom meeting at 9 in the morning, sitting in the sunroom overlooking the back yard, I saw: tree swallows and chimney swifts darting about; a Baltimore oriole land in the top branches of a dead oak on the Arborway; a red-tailed hawk circling high up. Also, a chipmunk came to get a drink out of the water basin in the back yard just before the meeting.
June 3 – Went out for a bike ride to the BU bridge around 7am. On my way out, on Parkman Drive, by the pond, saw a hawk flying low between tree branches, then realized it was being mobbed by a pair of Baltimore orioles as well as two grackles. The male oriole flew repeatedly right into the hawk’s back until the hawk took off again, just a short distance to another tree, where the orioles and grackles followed it and kept mobbing it. It was amazing to see the bright orange body of the oriole butt up against the brown back of the much bigger hawk – Baltimore orioles weigh about 1.5 ounces and are typically 7” long while red-tail hawks weigh about 2 pounds and are 20” long. But the oriole kept harassing the hawk until it flew off, further away. I suspect the orioles and grackles had nests they were defending from the hawk.
June 6 – On my early morning bike ride, saw the little guy in the photo, mouse size, grey fur, tiny eyes, barely noticeable, pink toes and little short tail. Running across the road. From Peterson’s field guide to mammals, I think it’s a shorttail shrew. It was on the Parkman Drive, the road behind the pond which has been closed to cars for the last few weeks.
Further on, along the Muddy River, saw a great blue heron fishing, standing still, neck cocked, ready to strike. And then a little further along the river (really a creek) another great blue heron, walking across it (it’s very shallow), leaving a trail of bubbles behind.
June 9 – Out early with Maddie, saw a bright bright red feather lying on the road outside the rabbit guys house, probably from a cardinal. There have been lots of them around the neighborhood this spring. Early in the spring I heard them singing their hearts out, often from a rooftop or high up in a tree.
And right by the feather, there was a line of yellow pollen on the curb, marking the height of the puddle from a recent rainstorm. Some of the cars I pass on my walks, that haven’t been moved for days, have a thick coating of yellowy-green pollen all over them, most noticeable on the windshields. I feel like sneezing just looking at it.
June 10 – On my morning bike ride, a recently killed yellow-shafted northern flicker lying at the side of the Arborway. I was taken by the speckled breast and bright yellow shafts of the wing and tail feathers. The corresponding subspecies in the western US is the red-shafted flicker, same model, but with orange-red underwing and tail feathers.
And on my way back, by the Longwood T station, by the Muddy River, a turtle (snapping?) just finishing up laying her eggs. She lay still for a minute or two, then raised her hind end, spread one hind leg way out, much further that I thought she’d be able to, and pushed dirt over the eggs with her foot. Then did the same thing with the other side and went back and forth with one side then the other, burying her eggs. When she was finished, she slowly got up, turned around, and headed back towards the river.
June 12 – Saw another, smaller turtle, right near where the one was 2 days ago, also finishing up from laying her eggs. I could see the area she had excavated for digging the hole for the eggs. After a bit, she turned around and crossed the footpath, headed back to the river.
June 15 – A new outdoor sculpture exhibit appeared along the Muddy River, featuring animal sculptures: a mastodon and calf, made from twigs, a ceramic “birdhouse” filled with mini-animal sculptures, an array of animal cutouts (deer, fox, squirrel, etc.) made from fiberglass. Love it!
June 16 – On my early morning walk, honeysuckle falling over a white picket fence. And afterwards, on my bike ride, a female wood duck with 9 ducklings in the Muddy River, right by the Longwood T stop. Hope they don’t get eaten by those large turtles I saw a few days ago…
June 17 – Saw the albino squirrel again, in about the same place as last time. Snuffling around in the grass near the edge of the woods by Jamaica Pond. Several other gray squirrels snuffling nearby, two chasing each other.
June 18 – On my morning walk saw a broken robin’s egg on the sidewalk. Perhaps from a second nesting, as at least some robins have already had one nest and fledged the young from that brood.
June 19 – On my bike ride, saw a great blue heron fishing in the Muddy River along Brookline Ave, then another further along the Muddy River, just past Netherlands Road, and a third, yet further along, closer to the Longwood T stop.
Netherlands Road, a short street only a dozen or so houses long, is named for one particularly remarkable house on it: a classic red brick Dutch house, with stepped gables, built for the 1893 Chicago World Exhibition, as a replica of a house in the Netherlands, and then afterwards moved to its current location in Brookline, MA. For years I enjoyed seeing the two elephant statues on either side of the steps up to the front door (perhaps a reference to the Dutch East India Company?). But when the house was renovated a couple of years ago, the elephants moved inside. For me, one compensation is that, as part of the renovation, they added beautiful cupolas, topped by copper wind vanes with flying birds, which I now get to enjoy as I ride past on my way to the Muddy River.
At the Arboretum around 8:30am saw an immature robin perched on a branch at the top of a bush, looking like it had just recently left the nest. Speckled breast, still fuzzy feathers at the top of its head, short tail feathers, in the process of growing out. Wobbly flight when it took off from the branch, still figuring out how its wings work.
June 2 - During a half hour zoom meeting at 9 in the morning, sitting in the sunroom overlooking the back yard, I saw: tree swallows and chimney swifts darting about; a Baltimore oriole land in the top branches of a dead oak on the Arborway; a red-tailed hawk circling high up. Also, a chipmunk came to get a drink out of the water basin in the back yard just before the meeting.
June 3 – Went out for a bike ride to the BU bridge around 7am. On my way out, on Parkman Drive, by the pond, saw a hawk flying low between tree branches, then realized it was being mobbed by a pair of Baltimore orioles as well as two grackles. The male oriole flew repeatedly right into the hawk’s back until the hawk took off again, just a short distance to another tree, where the orioles and grackles followed it and kept mobbing it. It was amazing to see the bright orange body of the oriole butt up against the brown back of the much bigger hawk – Baltimore orioles weigh about 1.5 ounces and are typically 7” long while red-tail hawks weigh about 2 pounds and are 20” long. But the oriole kept harassing the hawk until it flew off, further away. I suspect the orioles and grackles had nests they were defending from the hawk.
June 6 – On my early morning bike ride, saw the little guy in the photo, mouse size, grey fur, tiny eyes, barely noticeable, pink toes and little short tail. Running across the road. From Peterson’s field guide to mammals, I think it’s a shorttail shrew. It was on the Parkman Drive, the road behind the pond which has been closed to cars for the last few weeks.
Further on, along the Muddy River, saw a great blue heron fishing, standing still, neck cocked, ready to strike. And then a little further along the river (really a creek) another great blue heron, walking across it (it’s very shallow), leaving a trail of bubbles behind.
June 9 – Out early with Maddie, saw a bright bright red feather lying on the road outside the rabbit guys house, probably from a cardinal. There have been lots of them around the neighborhood this spring. Early in the spring I heard them singing their hearts out, often from a rooftop or high up in a tree.
Yellow-Shafted Northern Flicker
And on my way back, by the Longwood T station, by the Muddy River, a turtle (snapping?) just finishing up laying her eggs. She lay still for a minute or two, then raised her hind end, spread one hind leg way out, much further that I thought she’d be able to, and pushed dirt over the eggs with her foot. Then did the same thing with the other side and went back and forth with one side then the other, burying her eggs. When she was finished, she slowly got up, turned around, and headed back towards the river.
June 12 – Saw another, smaller turtle, right near where the one was 2 days ago, also finishing up from laying her eggs. I could see the area she had excavated for digging the hole for the eggs. After a bit, she turned around and crossed the footpath, headed back to the river.
June 15 – A new outdoor sculpture exhibit appeared along the Muddy River, featuring animal sculptures: a mastodon and calf, made from twigs, a ceramic “birdhouse” filled with mini-animal sculptures, an array of animal cutouts (deer, fox, squirrel, etc.) made from fiberglass. Love it!
June 16 – On my early morning walk, honeysuckle falling over a white picket fence. And afterwards, on my bike ride, a female wood duck with 9 ducklings in the Muddy River, right by the Longwood T stop. Hope they don’t get eaten by those large turtles I saw a few days ago…
June 17 – Saw the albino squirrel again, in about the same place as last time. Snuffling around in the grass near the edge of the woods by Jamaica Pond. Several other gray squirrels snuffling nearby, two chasing each other.
June 18 – On my morning walk saw a broken robin’s egg on the sidewalk. Perhaps from a second nesting, as at least some robins have already had one nest and fledged the young from that brood.
June 19 – On my bike ride, saw a great blue heron fishing in the Muddy River along Brookline Ave, then another further along the Muddy River, just past Netherlands Road, and a third, yet further along, closer to the Longwood T stop.
Netherlands Road, a short street only a dozen or so houses long, is named for one particularly remarkable house on it: a classic red brick Dutch house, with stepped gables, built for the 1893 Chicago World Exhibition, as a replica of a house in the Netherlands, and then afterwards moved to its current location in Brookline, MA. For years I enjoyed seeing the two elephant statues on either side of the steps up to the front door (perhaps a reference to the Dutch East India Company?). But when the house was renovated a couple of years ago, the elephants moved inside. For me, one compensation is that, as part of the renovation, they added beautiful cupolas, topped by copper wind vanes with flying birds, which I now get to enjoy as I ride past on my way to the Muddy River.
You can read more about the Dutch House and see more photos here: Brookline Dutch House
June 21 – On the morning dog walk, saw a small baby squirrel, dead, in the crotch of two tree branches. Seemed odd – what happened to it, how did it get there?
Lots of action on my morning bike ride, mostly along the Muddy River. A great blue heron fishing. Weird large white, gnarly fungus things growing out of the ground on the embankment. Beautiful white cone-like flowers (I don’t know what kind) by the steps over to the Longwood T stop. A juvenile robin, perched in the bushes right by the ramp up to the T stop, not exactly singing, but instead squawking loudly. I suspect it is hoping for one of its parents to show up with food. One does, perches right next to the juvenile and starts eating the very noticeable berries hanging down from the branch. But the juvenile, continuing its squawking, fails to take the hint.
The female wood duck, still with 9 ducklings, remarkably bigger than even 5 days ago when they looked newly hatched – maybe doubled in size. I always count the wood ducklings (there has been a brood on the Muddy River every year for the past few years) as the turtles and, I would guess, raptors, have an appetite for baby duck.
On the way back, going along Pond St in Brookline, right next to the Emerald Necklace, saw a bird nest, perhaps 3-4” across, lying on the road, still entwined in the oak branches that fell along with it. And on Dunster St, just a couple of streets over from my street, a female turkey with two small turkey chicks walking up a gravel driveway.
June 23 – On my morning walk with Maddie, saw Steve, one of the rabbit guys, out on his front lawn, feeding a little wild baby rabbit. And when I asked him if he was talking to the rabbit, he said, “Yes. In Greek.” (His family is from Greece.) Put a smile on my face. On the way home, saw the mother turkey with her two babies on the front lawn of the house two doors down from mine. She took a few steps towards us, as the front yards on our street are small and we got too close for her comfort.
On my morning bike ride, saw a great blue heron fly under one of the low road bridges over the Muddy River and then land in the water. Was neat to see its wings spread full out, its neck drawn in as it cornered under the bridge. Looked prehistoric.
June 25 – I just liked these flowers in a neighbor’s garden. Don’t know what they are.
June 26 – On my early morning walk with Maddie, she stopped for a poop right at the very edge of the stone embankment of the pond, enabling me to notice the morning glories that had inserted themselves into the crevices between the blocks. How had I never noticed them before? Lovely.
Lots of action on my morning bike ride, mostly along the Muddy River. A great blue heron fishing. Weird large white, gnarly fungus things growing out of the ground on the embankment. Beautiful white cone-like flowers (I don’t know what kind) by the steps over to the Longwood T stop. A juvenile robin, perched in the bushes right by the ramp up to the T stop, not exactly singing, but instead squawking loudly. I suspect it is hoping for one of its parents to show up with food. One does, perches right next to the juvenile and starts eating the very noticeable berries hanging down from the branch. But the juvenile, continuing its squawking, fails to take the hint.
The female wood duck, still with 9 ducklings, remarkably bigger than even 5 days ago when they looked newly hatched – maybe doubled in size. I always count the wood ducklings (there has been a brood on the Muddy River every year for the past few years) as the turtles and, I would guess, raptors, have an appetite for baby duck.
On the way back, going along Pond St in Brookline, right next to the Emerald Necklace, saw a bird nest, perhaps 3-4” across, lying on the road, still entwined in the oak branches that fell along with it. And on Dunster St, just a couple of streets over from my street, a female turkey with two small turkey chicks walking up a gravel driveway.
June 23 – On my morning walk with Maddie, saw Steve, one of the rabbit guys, out on his front lawn, feeding a little wild baby rabbit. And when I asked him if he was talking to the rabbit, he said, “Yes. In Greek.” (His family is from Greece.) Put a smile on my face. On the way home, saw the mother turkey with her two babies on the front lawn of the house two doors down from mine. She took a few steps towards us, as the front yards on our street are small and we got too close for her comfort.
On my morning bike ride, saw a great blue heron fly under one of the low road bridges over the Muddy River and then land in the water. Was neat to see its wings spread full out, its neck drawn in as it cornered under the bridge. Looked prehistoric.
June 25 – I just liked these flowers in a neighbor’s garden. Don’t know what they are.
June 26 – On my early morning walk with Maddie, she stopped for a poop right at the very edge of the stone embankment of the pond, enabling me to notice the morning glories that had inserted themselves into the crevices between the blocks. How had I never noticed them before? Lovely.
And on my bike ride, noticed that the white fungus from a few days ago is getting bigger and ever more gnarly.
Coming back down Prince St on the way home, saw the mother turkey with her two chicks again, this time investigating a neighbor’s front porch.
June 28 – Biking along the Muddy River this morning, another snapping turtle laying eggs, a foot from the edge of the bike path.
Further along, a green heron perched in the midst of a tree, neck scrunched up, yellowy greenish skinny legs, toes grasping a branch. And the female wood duck, still with 9 ducklings, now about half adult size, hopping into the water, paddling about, while she sat on the bank. I’m impressed that she still has all 9 ducklings – I always wonder how many make it to fledge.
June 28 – Biking along the Muddy River this morning, another snapping turtle laying eggs, a foot from the edge of the bike path.
Further along, a green heron perched in the midst of a tree, neck scrunched up, yellowy greenish skinny legs, toes grasping a branch. And the female wood duck, still with 9 ducklings, now about half adult size, hopping into the water, paddling about, while she sat on the bank. I’m impressed that she still has all 9 ducklings – I always wonder how many make it to fledge.
At Allandale Farm, went around to the back to look at their pond – masses of pink water lilies all around the edges.
June 29 – saw a turtle swimming along the shoreline of Jamaica Pond in the morning. Head and some of its shell poking out of the water. It seemed a bit unusual as I think that they normally swim underwater and just poke their snouts out of the water to breathe once in awhile.
June 30 – saw the turkey mom with the 2 chicks on a neighbor’s lawn, right by the sidewalk, just across from my house this morning.
June 29 – saw a turtle swimming along the shoreline of Jamaica Pond in the morning. Head and some of its shell poking out of the water. It seemed a bit unusual as I think that they normally swim underwater and just poke their snouts out of the water to breathe once in awhile.
June 30 – saw the turkey mom with the 2 chicks on a neighbor’s lawn, right by the sidewalk, just across from my house this morning.
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