A volunteer work day at the Nature Center today. We will likely be wrapping bald cypress to prevent deer damage and continuing work on invasive species removal. These are remnants from the old city nursery that have spread unchecked. Since we have seen killing frosts, they are easy to identify - they still have leaves. Plants include Privet (pull it out by the roots), Euonymus (cut), Asian Honeysuckle (cut and prevent ground contact), Wisteria (cut and may need to cut again then spray in summer), Bartlett Pear (cut very close to ground). Hard, messy work.

The Tyrant of the day is a perfect example of hearing before finding. It took me three weeks to locate this Acadian Flycatcher, out nearly every mourning to the same area, following the song until I saw it.

#BirdsOfMastodon #BirdPhotography #AcadianFlycatcher #500mm #WeAreAntifa #WeMustResist

Tyrant of the day (bird-wise). This is an Eastern Phoebe. Easy to recognize by its call and markings. A common bird for most of the year, and an ocassional year-round visitor.

#BirdsOfMastodon #BirdPhotography #EasternPhoeby #500mm #WeAreAntifa #WeMustResist.

One of the tyrants this morning - nothing in comparison to the FI (Fucking Idiots) and bastards in this administration.

This is an Eastern Wood-Peewee. A medium-sized tyrant fly catcher with long tail and long wings. In most cases with the fly catchers, you have to hear, or better, record the bird to be able to identify.

If you want to browse by taxonomy there is no better source than All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Here pointed at the Tyrannidae.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/browse/taxonomy/Tyrannidae

#BirdsOfMastodon #BirdPhotography #EasternWoodPeeWee #500mm #WeAreAntifa

Difficult decision this morning whether to start with the Tyrants or with the Troglodytes in the bird review. Given that the administration consists of both, and that the ultraweathly are both it seemed a toss up. Looking at Ukraine and the impending economic rape of that country, I decided to go with Tyrants, starting with a well known Tyrannus forficatus, the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher.

#BirdsOfMastodon #BirdPhotography #ScissorTailFlycatcher #TallgrassPrairiePreserve #500mm #DarkTable #ResistTyranny #WeAreAntifa

End of the week, and the end of the run on Sparrows (that I have reasonable photos of - many that I do not). These have all been New World Sparrows -- Passerellidae, all members of Passeriformes (Perching birds), the largest Order of Birds. This is a Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis). One of the most common sparrows across North America, breeding in Canada and Alaska, wintering in southern Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, all of the US and northern Mexico. They stay year-round in mountainous areas.

In central US, we know winter is on its way when the Juncos show up at feeders.

#BirdsOfMastodon #BirdPhotography #DarkEyedJunco #500mm #ResistTyranny #WeAreAntifa

Hope those who celebrate had a great Thanksgiving.

Still celebrating Sparrows, here an Eastern Towhee. Very lucky to see them in our area. Listed as an Orange Alert species.

I only have photos of Spotted and Eastern. Have seen a Green-tailed - a rare visitor, but eyes and reactions failed to capture any images. Many others to seek

#BirdsOfMastodon #BirdPhotography #EasternTowhee #500mm #ResistTyranny

The twin lighthouses on Thacher Island, Rockport MA, photographed from Buck Hill. From this perspective, the North Tower (38.89 mi) is on the left and the South Tower (38.76 mi) is on the right. The northern end of the Island and the North Tower are owned by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service. The remainder of the island, including the South Tower, the boat ramp, and numerous houses and structures are owned by the Town of Rockport MA. I visited the island last year, and it is spectacular to see these lighthouses up close. While we were there we were able to climb to South Tower, though visibility was not optimal on the day of our visit.

This has proven to be a challenging photo to capture. This looks over a lot of water and even on the days when things are crystal clear, the ocean often has fog, haze or excessive turbulence. To see this also requires positioning oneself on very particular parts of Buck Hill. Near the summit, the view of the lighthouses is obscured by Chickatawbut Hill (which can be seen at the bottom of the frame).

#BuckHill #BlueHills #BlueHillsReservation #Boston #BostonMA #Rockport #RockportMA #Landscape #LandscapePhotography #Photography #LongDistanceObservations #OlympusEM5 #CanonFD #500mm

Two war memorials photographed from Buck Hill.

With the white pillars and gold dome, is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Clock Tower (6.26 mi), Victory Rd, Quincy MA

Above and to the left is a peninsula with two flagpoles at the tip. This is the South Boston Korean War Memorial (9.06 mi), Castle Island, South Boston MA

To the right of the South Boston memorial there is some kind of man-made structure on the water that I cannot find any name for. I suspect it is some kind of navigational beacon. It can be seen in Google 360 photos from Castle Island. The large beige shed like structure in front of the Clock Tower is a film studio and sound stage. Marina Studios, 260 Victory Rd, Quincy MA.

#BuckHill #BlueHills #BlueHillsReservation #Boston #BostonMA #SouthBoston #SouthBostonMA #Quincy #QuincyMA #Landscape #LandscapePhotography #Photography #LongDistanceObservations #OlympusEM5 #CanonFD #500mm

News is still depressing beyond belief:

- The GOP health plan has been clarified in that they simply want us to die. They get full, elaborate coverage, we get lectures from Mullin to stay healthy.

- The gestapo will arrest anyone they can catch.

- The plan for education is to destroy thinking.
…..

So back to Sparrows - here a sparrow that that don’t look like a sparrow. This is a Spotted Towhee, one of the common winter sparrows in our area. This is likely a female.

#BirdsOfMastodon #BirdPhotography #SpottedTowhee #500mm #ResistTyranny #NoGOP #NoKings #WeAreAntifa #FuckGOP

Back to Sparrows - a few more to go. Here two sparrows with reddish crowns. These are Chipping Sparrows, common to most of North America.

#BirdsOfMastodon #BirdPhotography #ChippingSparrow #500mm #WeAreAntifa

Still working on Sparrows, and still working around the house to winterize. The long range models (GFS...) are suggesting a polar outbreak in central US during the first week of December with possibility of all forms of solid water. For the house, caulking, sealing, insulating, and trimming branches away from the roof. For the sparrows, getting into some of the tougher identifications, then birds that look quite different. This is a Field Sparrow - a rufous head with just a bit of blush behind the eye.

#BirdsOfMastodon #BirdPhotography #FieldSparrow #500mm #DarkTable #ResistTyranny #WeAreAntifa #FuckGOP

Just another sparrow (JAS). This is a Black-throated Sparrow from Chaco Culture National Historical Park. A bold black throat and chest with white stripe above the eye and a white mustache.

The news cycle is freaky Friday where they try to cause a heart attack or nervous breakdown. So many depraved MF’s working so hard to destroy everything they can.

#BirdsOfMastodon #BirdPhotography #BlackThroatedSparrow #ChacoCulture #500mm #WeAreAntifa #ResistTyranny

Volunteer work day today. Did some service work on the pole saw since it has a difficult life (multiple users). Main task was fence repair. Replaced 8 fence posts (dug by hand) and 10 rails. Many left to replace.

The Sparrow today is one of the larger sparrows, easy to identify as an adult, enigmatic as a juvenile.

#BirdsOfMastodon #BirdPhotography #WhiteCrownedSparrow #500mm #WeAreAntifa

Three water towers a church and a communications tower, photographed from Buck Hill. The two water towers next to each other (3.94 mi) are at 20 Indian Lane, Canton MA. The large water tower on the horizon (7.7 mi) is at 45 Forest Rd, Stoughton MA. The church is the First United Methodist Church (6.26 mi), 103 Pleasant St, Stoughton MA. The communications tower (23.36 mi) is located at 585 Winthrop St, Taunton MA. This looks like it might be a transmitter tower but I cannot find any information about who broadcasts from here.

An interesting aside... If my house could be seen from Buck Hill, it would be in this photo. Perhaps some of the trees in my yard are visible.

#BuckHill #BlueHills #BlueHillsReservation #Boston #BostonMA #Canton #CantonMA #Stoughton #StoughtonMA #Taunton #TauntonMA #Landscape #LandscapePhotography #Photography #LongDistanceObservations #OlympusEM5 #CanonFD #500mm

Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help (8.26 mi), 1545 Tremont St, Boston MA photographed from Buck Hill

There are two apartment buildings directly behind the church, to the left with the flag J VUE at the LMA (8.35 mi), 75 Saint Alphonsus Street, Boston MA and Charlesbank Cooperative (8.41 mi), 650 Huntington Ave, Boston MA.

Behind the apartment buildings to the left is the MIT Graduate Junction residence hall (9.83 mi), 299 Vassar St, Cambridge MA. This building was just finishing construction when I took the photo, as evidenced by the construction crane on the roof. MIT News announced the completion of the building about three weeks later. To the right is 1401 Boylston St (9 mi), Boston, MA which appears to be an office building.

In front of the church there are four light towers that can be seen that are part of White Stadium (6.64 mi), 450 Walnut Ave, Mattapan MA. The lights are aligned almost perfectly edge-on from the perspective of Buck Hill.

#BuckHill #BlueHills #BlueHillsReservation #Boston #BostonMA #Cambridge #CambridgeMA #Mattapan #MattapanMA #Landscape #LandscapePhotography #Photography #LongDistanceObservations #OlympusEM5 #CanonFD #500mm

Houses on Sears Rd in Milton MA photographed from Buck Hill.

#BuckHill #BlueHills #BlueHillsReservation #Boston #BostonMA #Milton #MiltonMA #Landscape #LandscapePhotography #Photography #LongDistanceObservations #OlympusEM5 #CanonFD #500mm

Harvard Science and Engineering Complex Library (10.57 mi), 146 Western Ave, Boston MA photographed from Buck Hill. Harvard Stadium sits directly behind this building, and I have to wonder if in the days prior to the library's construction whether the stadium would have been visible.

The large building below is the Brook House Condominiums (8.23 mi), 77 Pond St, Brookline MA. To the left of that is the steeple of St. Paul's Episcopal Church (8.74 mi), 15 St Paul St, Brookline MA. And near the bottom of the frame, just left of center, is the top of a house with a conical tower (7.15 mi), 103 Robinwood Ave, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

#BuckHill #BlueHills #BlueHillsReservation #Boston #BostonMA #Brookline #BrooklineMA #JamaicaPlain #JamaicaPlainMA #Landscape #LandscapePhotography #Photography #LongDistanceObservations #OlympusEM5 #CanonFD #500mm

East Middle School, 305 River St, Braintree MA photographed from Buck Hill.

#BuckHill #BlueHills #BlueHillsReservation #Boston #BostonMA #Braintree #BraintreeMA #Landscape #LandscapePhotography #Photography #LongDistanceObservations #OlympusEM5 #CanonFD #500mm

Brockton City Hall (9.58 mi), 45 School St, Brockton MA and Avon Baptist Church (5.9 mi), 119 N Main St, Avon MA photographed from Buck Hill.

The rectangular structure to the left of the Brockton City Hall spire is actually part of a different building, Douglas House, 20 Haverhill St, Brockton MA. To the left of that, the very top of the spire of Keys of the Kingdom, 33 Main St, Brockton MA. And to the left of city hall, on the horizon, is what appears to be a very rectangular manmade structure which I believe is the top of one of the now abandoned buildings beloning to the former Lakeville State Hospital (24.5 mi), 43 Main St, Lakeville MA. I have read accounts from urban explorers that venture to the roof of this tallest building (it is seven stories) and mention that the Boston skyline can be seen, so it makes sense that this building would be visible from the Blue Hills also.

#BuckHill #BlueHills #BlueHillsReservation #Boston #BostonMA #Avon #AvonMA #Brockton #BrocktonMA #Lakeville #LakevilleMA #Landscape #LandscapePhotography #Photography #LongDistanceObservations #OlympusEM5 #CanonFD #500mm

Norwood High School, 245 Nichols St, Norwood MA photographed from Buck Hill.

In the upper left is a water tower, 43 Wagon Rd, Walpole MA. The houses near the bottom are mostly on Day St. The brick building with the big rectangular A/C unit on top is Mizuya Asian Cuisine, 663 Washington St.

#BuckHill #BlueHills #BlueHillsReservation #Boston #BostonMA #Norwood #NorwoodMA #Walpole #WalpoleMA #Landscape #LandscapePhotography #Photography #LongDistanceObservations #OlympusEM5 #CanonFD #500mm