These are not great pictures – birds are tough to photograph, and I’m still in manual-mode learning curve!  Think of these as my version of a rough journal sketch.

Last weekend, we wandered over to the Assabet National Wildlife Refuge in Sudbury, after another visit to one of my favorite little places, the Acton Arboretum.  It was kind of a dud day for wildlife sightings, but we did see this pair of Eastern Towhee’s scrambling around the underbrush alongside a path at Assabet.  I thought they were two different types of birds, but I’m learning that male and female birds of the same type are often vastly different in their colorings and markings.

On my past few visits to Riverbend in Uxbridge, I’ve come home with pictures of a rather large, rather stern looking brown/black bird.  The VEB gave me a bird field guide for my birthday, and we very quickly identified this guy as a male cowbird.  What’s interesting/terrifying about cowbirds is, they lay their eggs in other birds nests and let the other birds raise their young.  Some other birds will reject the eggs, but most birds go along with the ruse.  I don’t know why, but this guy reminds me of Karl Rove, I think it’s the beady eyes…

I also keep seeing what I thought were doves, but are actually mockingbirds:

Red-winged blackbirds are everywhere now too:

Yesterday there were two pairs of cardinals that I managed to not get photos of, but there were also a number of blue jays.  I never realized before how LOUD these guys can squawk!

And then last but not least, yesterday this hawk circled overhead, looking for lunch: