Category: Mass Audubon Wachusett Meadow.

Vantage Points

The Visitors Center at Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary provides ample opportunities for accessible views of nature.

Relax on the porch to view grapes, hummingbirds and the South Meadow.

From your seat, the grape leaves above provide both cool shade and a view of the meadow beyond.

Hummingbird feeders hang just a few feet from you, near the grape vines.

Just to the left of the parking lot, stone walls lend a shady spot at the edge of the sheep pen.

The friendly sheep will often come to you, and allow you to pat them.

From the pen, traditional wooden fencing and movable fencing allow the sheep to graze a variety of pastures. You can also view the beaver wetlands beyond.

Another accessible trail leads directly from the Visitors Center to open views of the North Meadow. The Meadow sign is also written in Braille underneath the English, and is linked to an audio tour for the visually impaired. In the ever-changing meadow, you might view any of the flora and fauna below:

Japanese Spirea
Red-winged blackbird

Eastern Yellow Swallowtail
Canada Geese

Mourning Dove

Rafts and Paddlings

A “raft” of ducks is a collective noun for a group of ducks who gather together as they float on the water. A “paddling” of ducks describes how a group moves across lakes, ponds or rivers with synchronized , graceful movements. I look forward to the March arrival of hooded mergansers at Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Center soon, whether they are rafting or paddling.

This raft of hooded mergansers are diving ducks that have a serrated bill designed for catching fish. Along with other mergansers, they are the only North American ducks specializing in eating fish. They are excellent divers, and can go as deep as thirty feet.

The male hooded merganser looks like this when relaxing…

or can raise and lower a large fan-like crest or “hood” on his head like this. The crest is raised during courting or when then duck feels threatened.

Two male Mergansers with crests down…

and three paddling with crests raised.
This raft of female mergansers sports smaller crests of a cinnamon-brown shade.

The crest is sometimes described as a “punk rock hairstyle”.

Male mergansers have intense, bright yellow eyes while the females’ are brown or reddish-brown. Their eyes are specially adapted to allow them to see clearly while fishing underwater.

It can be difficult to photograph hooded mergansers, as they are shy and paddle fast. They are sensitive to sound and movement, and move away quickly when approached. I’ll be waiting -quietly -to photograph whatever fleeting moments are possible.

Ewe Can Do It

Sheep at Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary spend fall days on the go.

Visitors are greeted with this sign at the entrance.

I’ve watched this sheep and her friends

walking the stone wall,

choosing fresh tree leaves to munch on,

strolling through the Visitor’s Center entrance,

and posing for a painting.

Then there’s time for a bit of lawn grazing,

flower pot grazing,
mirror-image grazing,
and a pause to show off luxurious layers of wool.
Finally it’s back into the sheep pen,

and a quick rub against the scratching post.

Dinner Awaits!

Top Seeds

Diverse and energetic birds welcome visitors to Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary. Feeders are placed just steps from the parking lot, allowing everyone to experience nature up close, no matter their mobility level.

Purple Finches and a Goldfinch

Male Purple Finch

Female Purple Finch

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Grackle

Tufted Titmouse

Evening Grosbeak

Northern Cardinal