Nature Note: A Naturalist's Travels Through Nature

As the final month of the year draws closer, I am once again rushing to complete something that I resolved to do earlier this year. While I have held fast to completing some of my new years resolutions such as being more creative (with painting rocks and shells swiftly becoming my new favorite thing to do), learning about wild edibles, and completing my year birding goal of beating last year's goal. Over the past four years, my year birding totals have varied wildly, but as of 2012 I had seen 228 species, whereas last year I got 225. That means that as of today, I have 215 species on this year's list. As of 1:44pm this afternoon, I listed a King Eider ( Someteria spectabilis ) that had been spotted between the point at Weymouth's Webb State Park and the metal walkway leading up to Grape Island. It was an easy list and one that I had had on my most wanted birds list. The most wanted list features 20 (now 17 with the acquisition of the King, as well as Long-tailed Duck ( Cl...

There is nothing quite as exciting (for a birder at least) as getting a rare bird alert. For the most part, the "rare" birds that appear on my eBird page are generally birds that are an unusual siting for that particular area. Just today, I have alerts for a Snowy Egret ( Egretta thula ) at Great Meadows, Yellow-crowned Night Heron ( Nyctanassa violacea ) near Duxbury Bay, and a Northern Shoveler ( Anas clypeata )at Coachlace Pond in Clinton. While I've seen all of these birds before, their presence in these areas is deemed to be unusual or strange for that particular area. However, none of these sightings could compare the joy I felt when (finally!) after a month of visiting I was rewarded with the sight of a Black-bellied Whistling Duck ( Dendrocygna autumnalis ) that had been present at Great Meadows for much of the summer. The two pictures to the side are the best ones I took and illustrate the unique look that the bird possesses. While most of the pictures...