mpgooley's Journal

Great Meadows NWR/Concord Unit in the A.M. Quiet morning for birds. See species accounts and other detail in:

www.ebird.org/checklist/S148879648

Red Maples at the edge of the impoundments are now showing lots of red/orange color in leaves. List of plant species in flower as follows:

Common Jewelweed
Arrow-leaved Tearthumb Persicaria sagittata/Polygonaceae
American Lotus
Pickerelweed Pontedaria cordata/Pontedariaceae
Swamp Smartweed Persicaria hydropiperoides/Polygonaceae
Water Smartweed Persicaria amphibia/Polygonaceae
Common Evening Primrose
Smartweed sp.
Devils’ Beggar-Ticks Bidens frondosa/Asteraceae
White Meadowsweet
Joe-Pye Weed sp.
Small White Aster Symphyotricum racemosum/Asteraceae
Climbing Hemp Vine
Goldenrod sp.
Wild Cucumber
White Wood Aster
Ghost Pipe

Assabet River NWR, Middlesex Co, MA.

0822 to 1015 EDT. Entered refuge at North Gate. White Pond Road to Maintenance Area Field with 0.2km side spur in this field out to the beaver pond. Returned by same route. Total distance on foot: ca. 1 mile (1.6 km).

Broken clouds with limited sun. 19 to 21C. Dew point: 18C. N to NE 7-11km/h. SLP: 1013 hPa. Cold front passed offshore yesterday (0.6" rain at home). 1024 hPa high building east from north of Great Lakes. h5 ca. 572 dm.

Birds: very quiet, as expected at this post-breeding/molting time, but there was some indication of the migration which has already begun. Species accounts and detail in:

www.ebird.org/checklist/S148245356

Flora/flowering:
Evening Primrose
Pearly Everlasting
Goldenrod sp.
Black-eyed Susan
White Wood Aster
Fragrant Water Lily
Healianthus sp. (possible decapitalus**)

Flora/other:
Huge crop of ripe cones on all Eastern White Pines... something I've been noticing all over Middlesex County this late summer season

Other Fauna: Carolina Grasshopper (2); Gray Tree Frog (h); Eastern Chipmunk (sev); Eastern Gray Squirrel (few); Short-tailed Shrew (1- found dead); Wooly Alder Aphid (on usual Alder); Fall Field Cricket (h); Ground Crickets (h and one seen).

Great Meadows NWR/Concord Unit, Concord, Middlesex Co, MA.

0824 to 1024 EDT. Started with loop of Black Duck Creek Trail, then did clock-wise loop of the Lower Impoundment on the Dike and Edge Trails. 2.9 km (1.9 miles) on foot.

Broken clouds with limited sun. 21 to 23C. Dew point: 18C. Humid. SW 0-8 km/h. SLP: 1017 hPa. Concord River up in the floodplain woods and both pools full and draining through culverts due to recent heavy rains.

Birds: very quiet, as expected at this post-breeding/molting time. Species accounts and detail in:

https://ebird.org/checklist/S147822801

Flora/flowering:
American Lotus Nelumbo lutea/Nelumbonaceae
Wild Cucumber Echinocystis lobata/Cucurbitaceae
Blue Vervain Verbena hastata/Verbenaceae
Annual Fleabane Erigeron annuus/Asteraceae
White Meadowsweet Spiraea alba/Rosaceae
Swamp Smartweed Persicaria hydropiperoides/Polygonaceae
Water Smartweed P. amphibia/Polygonaceae
Pickerelweed Pontedaria cordata/Pontederiaceae
Broadleaf Arrowhead Sagittaria latifolia/Alismataceae
Common Jewelweed Impatiens capensis/Balsaminaceae
Swamp Rose Mallow Hibiscus moscheutos/Malvaceae
Goldenrod Solidago sp./Asteraceae
Coastal Joe-Pye Weed Eutrochium dubium/Asteraceae
Showy Tick-Trefoil Desmodium canadense - more tick-like (seed pods or loments) fruits than flowers now.
Common Evening Primrose Oenothera biennis/Onagraceae
White Wood-Aster Eurybia divaricata/Asteraceae
Climbing Hempvine Mikania scandens/Asteraceae - lots of it growing out of shallow water at edge of dike in the NE end of the lower pool.
Flora/fruiting:

Southern Arrowwood Viburnum dentatum/Adoxaceae- fruits 100% ripe with many eaten.
Silky Dogwood Swida amomum/Cornaceae- fruits now at 100% ripe.

Fungae: lots in woods due to recent heavy rains.

Viscid Violet Cort Cortinarius iodes - numerous in oak-pine woods on Edge Trail.
Red Russula Russula sp.

Odonates: just a few Blue Dashers, plus Fragile Forktails.

Herps: several probable Northern Leopard Frogs leaping across dike path ahead of me.

Mammals: Eastern Chipmunk (1); Eastern Gray Squirrel (1).

Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary (Mass Audubon Society), Middlesex County, MA

0800 to 1022 EDT. All Person's Trail to Glacial Hill Trail south to junction Blueberry Swamp Loop, continue around loop and northward on Old Orchard Trail to Marsh Trail and back to Visitor Center. 3.3km (2 miles) total distance on foot.

Clear and cool early, but upper-level cold pool resulted in broken stratocumulus with occasional sunshine. 16 to 22 C. Dew point: 13C. SW 8-11 km/h early, becoming W 11-16 km/h by end of trip. SLP: 1012 hPa. Woods are wet after another heavy rain event with frontal systems associated with 560 dm h5 low yesterday.

Birds: see https://ebird.org/checklist/S147614721.

Flora/flowering:
American White Water Lily Nymphaea odorata/Nymphaeaceae
Swamp Smartweed Persicaria hydropiperoides/Polygonaceae
Water Smartweed P. amphibia/Polygonaceae
Pickerelweed Pontedaria cordata/Pontederiaceae
Broadleaf Arrowhead Sagittaria latifolia/Alismataceae
Common Jewelweed Impatiens capensis/Balsaminaceae
Ghost Pipes Monotropa uniflora/Ericaceae
Sweet Pepperbush Clethra alnifolia/Clethraceae - going out, more fruits than flowers.
Goldenrod Solidago sp.
Coastal Joe-Pye Weed Eutrochium dubium/Asteraceae
Common Evening Primrose Oenothera biennis/Onagraceae

Fungae: LOTS! due to lots of precipitation this summer. Most numerous were the beautiful Viscid Violet Cort Cortinarius iodes

Odonates: Blue Dasher (2); probable female Sympetrum sp. (1).

Lepidoptera: Common Wood-Nymph (1).

Mammals: Eastern Chipmunk, Eastern Gray Squirrel.

Assabet River NWR in the A.M. Main gate. Puffer Pond loop and eastward on Winterberry to Old Marlborough Road lot and westward on Taylor Way to Taylor Brook culvert.

See following link for bird observations:

https://ebird.org/checklist/S146609038

Flora/flowering:
Sweet Pepperbush, Buttonbush, White Meadowsweet, Goldenrod sp., Joepyeweed sp,. Boneset sp., Tick-trefoil, Cardinal Flower, Swamp Milkweed, Annual Fleabane, fragirant Water Lily, Yellow Pond Lily, Pickerelweed, Arrowroot, i Purple Loosestrife, Ghost Pipes, Smartweed (2 sp) sp., Evening Primrose, Pokeweed, and Jewelweed.

Flora/Fruits: high.bush blueberries, black cherry.

Fungae: Amanita sp.; Bolete sp.

Odes: Blue Dasher, Eastern Pondhawk, Slaty Skimmer, Forktail sp.

Herps: Green Frog (h); Gray Tree Frog (H); American Toad; Eastern Painted Turtle.

Mammals: Red Squirrel (1); Eastern Gray Squirrel (1); Eastern Chipmunk (1).