Explore 12 miles of trails at Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary, featuring several meadows, a glacial boulder, old-growth trees, and beaver ponds. Trails link to nearby Wachusett Mountain and the Midstate Trail.
Wachusett Meadow, once a working farm, now features stunning landscapes and rich wildlife across its woodlands, wetlands, and meadows. Historic barns and buildings remain active, serving educational programs, while resident sheep continue to graze the pastures.
First things first, since I plan to be at the sanctuary for sunset, I won’t make it to Wachusett Brewing for post-birding wings – lunch it is. The buffalo lemon dry rub wings were delicious, and the Blueberry Ale quenched a hot summer’s thirst.
By the North Meadows, a family of Wild Turkeys rustled through the woods, into the meadow, and out the other side, two adults with about five juveniles. The sun is about to set, and I think the bench by the big red oak tree overlooking the beaver area will be a nice spot to enjoy it. The Goodnow Farm barn houses a small flock of sheep and also seems to be home to a number of Barn Swallows. Standing along the path cut through the bushy-grassy meadow surrounding the barn, several of the birds flutter all around me, doing aerial acrobatics while they use their wide mouths to catch insects while flying.
Insects include a Great Spangled Fritillary, a species of Brush-Footed Butterfly. Among the many bees buzzing around the meadow of Milkweeds, I snapped a shot of a Brown-Belted Bumble Bee. Also saw a Four-Spotted Chaser, a type of Skimmer part of the Libellulidae family, clinging to a small tree branch. Skimmers are a type of dragonfly; essentially, all skimmers are dragonflies, but not all dragonflies are skimmers. Spotted on a leaf of an Oregon Ash tree, a Eriothrix Rufomaculatus, a species of fly in the family Tachinidae, commonly known as tachinid flies, takes a break from the summer heat. …And also caught a duo of Marsh Snipe Flies snuggling.
Birds photographed: 6
Barn Swallow (#31)
Common Yellowthroat (#35)
Gray Catbird
Ruby-Throated Hummingbird (#33)
Wild Turkey (#32)
Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker (#34)
