Girl Scout Troop 65035 has some Blandings Turtle/Rail Trail art projects on display in the Children’s room of the Nevins Memorial Library! check it out if you can.

]]> http://methuenrailtrail.org/2011/04/wildlife-sanctuary-cleanup-day/feed/ 0 http://methuenrailtrail.org/2011/03/the-great-blue-herons-are-back-in-town/ http://methuenrailtrail.org/2011/03/the-great-blue-herons-are-back-in-town/#comments Thu, 24 Mar 2011 19:25:28 +0000 admin http://methuenrailtrail.org/?p=898
As swallows return to San Juan Capistrano, Great Blue Herons return to Methuen to nest. Today out on the Spicket River, in view of the Methuen Rail Trail (just past the MSPCA,) four Heron’s have already taken their place on their respective nests. In a big display of ‘watch this space’ the rookery will eventually house 30 nest birds this summer with each pair hopefully producing one or two offspring.

Birders: Paula McFarland & Sue McGrath
Location: Nevins Bird Sanctuary
Observation date: 5/23/10
Number of species: 32
Wood Duck 1
Mallard 3
Great Blue Heron 30 (approx 16 occupied nests!)
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Chimney Swift 10
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 1
Eastern Phoebe 7
Great Crested Flycatcher 1
Eastern Kingbird 1
Blue Jay 5
American Crow 3
Tree Swallow 10
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 2
Tufted Titmouse 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
American Robin 5
Gray Catbird 8
Northern Mockingbird 2
European Starling 7
Cedar Waxwing 10
Yellow Warbler 6
Common Yellowthroat 5
Scarlet Tanager 1
Song Sparrow 2
Northern Cardinal 5
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 2
Red-winged Blackbird 4
Common Grackle 15
Baltimore Oriole 11
American Goldfinch 3
House Sparrow 15

Sun, Nov 01, 2009 5:00 am – 9:00 am

Instructions and Directions:
Meet at the commuter parking lot at Exit 47 (Pelham St.) off I-93 in Methuen.
Bring binoculars and your sense of humor.

Peat Meadow is owned in part by the city of Methuen. (the RED PIN)

Registration is required.
Register by mail: program registration form. (PDF 66K)
Register by phone: with a credit card by calling 978-462-9998.
For your own security, DO NOT send credit card information via email.

For more information, contact:

Dave Larson
Joppa Flats
P.O. Box 1558
1 Plum Island Turnpike
Newburyport, MA 01950
joppaflats@massaudubon.org

Ghost Plant or Indian Pipe (Monotropa uniflora)

From wikipedia: “Unlike most plants, it is white and does not contain chlorophyll. Instead of generating energy from sunlight, it is parasitic, more specifically a myco-heterotroph. Its hosts are certain fungi that are mycorrhizal with trees, meaning it ultimately gets its energy from photosynthetic trees. Since it is not dependent on sunlight to grow, it can grow in very dark environments as in the understory of dense forest. The complex relationship that allows this plant to grow also makes propagation difficult.”

I was out walking the Methuen Rail Trail with some folks from the Eagle Tribune online and we discovered that the Baby Herons have popped up all over the place.

This area is a few hundred feet north from the MSPCA road, just to the east of Route 93. All the heron nests perched in trees, vaguely resembles pterodactyl nests, and the baby herons are sticking their heads up.

Since I was feeling jaunty, I decided to see how the northern section of the trail was looking from the saddle of the bike. I was surprised at how not too bad it was. The hard packed surface we can credit to the folks who ride that section regularly. I don’t advise the rail bed for skinny tire road bikes, but the ’69 has a short wheel base and a low center of gravity, so she did moderately okay, but she needs fatter tires. The packed earth sections were a piece of cake, the real challenges are the sections with heavy leaves and fresh gravel. (the fresh gravel from the Gas Line project) You most definitely need a fat tire bike to do this section as a regular thing. I had to spend the money I was saving for an off road bike on a silly old starter for the truck. I only wiped out once on a patch of deep leaves, and if I get up there again I will bring some lopping shears for the low hanging branches.

The painted turtles are all out laying eggs and the rail bed is the sandy part, so watch out for these little guys.

I also saw a scarlet tanager but i wasn’t fast enough to get my own image.

I helped rescue this Red-Tail Hawk who was sitting in a drainage ditch. The wildlife rescue vet who came out to collect him says he will probably be okay. She will let me know tomorrow.

and THAT was the highlight of my day.

and we found about 3 -4 wood chuck dens. We must have made too much noise for anyone to stick around.