Camping At Beartown State Forest

I headed up to Beartown State Forest in Monterey, Massachusetts to do a little camping this weekend. The weather was a bit chilly but I managed to avoid the rain during my stay. There are only 12 campsites which are available on a first come basis in the month of April. I chose a camp site that was located near the shore of Benedict Pond. The shoreline of the pond is mostly undeveloped. There is a boat launch, small swimming area, and a few the campsites, but no private residences.

On the day of my arrival I walked a scenic trail that circles around the pond. I spotted a Pied-billed Grebe swimming around the pond and occasionally diving for food. There were Great Blue Herons feeding along the shoreline in one of the coves and a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker making its presence known by tapping on a nearby tree with its own distinctive style. I was able to see both the male and female during my stay. The female has a mostly white throat but the the throat on the male is a vibrant red color. It's always a treat for me to see them because I don't see them all that often near my home.
Early the next morning as I was walking towards the campground exit I saw a Hermit Thrush perched. It was perched on a branch just a few feet above one of the portalets as it quietly serenaded the campers.
My cousin came to visit me the following morning. He was intrigued by the two lodges on the far right end of this beaver pond. We decided to return at sunset to see if we could get a glimpse of the beavers themselves. We spent 6 hours hiking several of the trails in the area before returning to the beaver pond. There were four beavers gathering sticks and performing other beaverly duties. I used to think that beavers ate fish but they are strictly herbivores. One of the forest rangers told me that beavers have at least two rooms in their lodge. One is used for drying off and the other is the living quarters where the television and surround sound stereo are located.

We noticed a Canada Goose sitting on a patch of grass next to a big rock near one of the beaver lodges. It looks as though it might be nesting. Trumpeter Swans and Canada Geese have both been known to use beaver lodges for their nesting sites.

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Here is a short clip of the singing Hermit Thrush.