I finally made it up to the Prescott Peninsula to conduct a breeding bird survey within the various remaining fields on the peninsula. I also wanted to follow up on a possible Cerulean Warbler on the lower end of the peninsula as well as see if I could track down any Red Crossbills. I arrived a bit before six and started my surveys. I spent quite a bit of time at the largest field complex and was rewarded with a number of breeding species found at no other location on the peninsula as well as my first flyover Red Crossbills (I would have multiple groups during my morning there but none cooperated enough to get recordings to figure out the Type). One of the best sightings of the day took place while I was there when I had a Bobcat show quite well. I initially saw it for a brief second as I was walking back toward my car and I thought it was a Bobcat. When I walked the few hundred feet up to where I saw it the Bobcat was perhaps a hundred feet away on a grassy side road. It seemed totally unfazed by my presence. It eventually slipped away into the grasses of the fields and out of view. I also ran into Dale and Ki who were out checking on the various game cameras set up on the peninsula. A large tree down forced me to reroute a bit before I was able to make it down to the southern part of the peninsula top follow up on a possible Cerulean Warbler. I had no luck finding a Cerulean Warbler at the location but did have two Black throated Blue Warblers singing a Cerulean Warbler like song so that is likely what was heard. Oddly enough the location is very close to where I had Cerulean Warblers confirmed breeding several years ago during the state Breeding Bird Atlas. I then worked my way back north and surveyed a few other fields before heading back home as the day heated up. Always fun to get out to one of the least travelled places in the state.
Nice job on the bobcat, I've found some in the quabbin but usually far away. I learned when I see something that looks no bigger than a gray squirrel way down in the trail to zoom in on it and sometimes it's a bobcat.
ReplyDeleteIts a great spot to find them...usually I get just fleeting glimpses so it was nice to have one stay in view for a bit
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