Day 42: Back East

Bussey Brook Meadow, Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plain, MA, 3:20pm-3:50pm
chilly, light winds, mostly clear

I forgot that it was fall.

Just a few days in temperate California weather was all it took to put me in ever-spring mode: I am jolted to be back in the practically leaf-less, cold Northeast. No complaints though! Apparently I missed a week of rainy miserable weather here.

The Bussey Brook meadow used to be mostly inaccessible, with high shrubs and trees blocking the the meandering path from the meadow. Today I find the area has been significantly cleared, part of a project to remove invasive plants and replace them with native species. The result is that I can pretty easily access the marshy innards that I've been curious about for a while.

Late afternoon is not the ideal time, but I check out a high-chirping cardinal, some chickadees, and an all-new bird of the day.

Let's set the scene first: here is the marsh, with various cheepers including cardinal:


Now, the Bird of the Day joins the party. Can you hear him in this clip? I only caught three of his trills, but they are distinctively high and almost what I imagine a dog whistle would sound like (if one could hear in dog range):