Broad Meadow Brook: Worcester, MA (7/4)

On July 4th I decided to get up early and see what was happening at Broad Meadow Brook. It was a relatively quiet morning but I did have some nice encounters.

1) While walking up to the powerlines I spooked a Ruffed Grouse. It scared me half to death.

2) The Garter Snakes that live by the trash collector were out sunning themselves on the rocks. I've seen these guys almost every time I got to BMB. Further up the brook, dozens of Bullfrogs were calling out. I found a trio in amplexus.

3) The summer flowers were really popping. The powerlines had several Wood Lillies which had taken the opportunity to brake thru after the fall bruch cutting. I also found Butterfly Weed, Butter and Eggs, Chicory, Crown Vetch, etc. I even found one that I didn't know: Enchanter's Nightshade.

4) While walking up to Granite St. along the powerlines I came across a baby Northern Mockingbird sitting on the trail. He adopted a strategy of concealment until I stepped a little too close and he flew away.

5) The weather was overcast so the butterflies were few and far between. I did have one Banded Hairstreak and a BUCKEYE. I hadn't seen one of these in MA in a couple of years. It flew in and gave me just enough of a look so that I could identify it before it flew away.

Birds - Blue Jay, Eastern Wood Peewee, White-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Thrasher, American Robin, Comon Grackle, Mourning Dove, European Starling, Eastern Kingbird, Downy Woodpecker, Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Red Wing Blackbird, Chipping Sparrow, Northern Mockingbird, Black-capped Chickadee, American Goldfinch, Green Heron, Eastern Towhee, Ruffed Grouse, Red-tailed Hawk, Gray Catbird, Northern Flicker, Prairie Warbler, Wood Thrush, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, House Wren

Herps - Painted Turtle, Bullfrog

Butterflies - Cabbage White, Banded Hairstreak, Mourning Cloak, Clouded Sulphur, Little Wood Satyr, Eastern Tailed-blue. Common Buckeye