Author: jason

Wednesday 7/13: Turkey chasing a Red-tail was about it at Rock Meadow. Duck ponds looked good for shorebirds but only robins so far.

Thursday 7/14: Egret and FOY Autumn Meadowhawk at Great Meadows.

Friday 7/15: There was a bit of mud at Hobbs Brook so I stopped. A few Least, 1 Solitary, a couple Spotted, some Killdeer, an Osprey, etc. They were working at the power lines, so I didn’t go up there, but did walk the trail closer to 128 a ways, need to see where that comes out as it looks good for passerine migrants.

Saturday 7/16: Went down to Borderland SP for Attenuated Bluet. Somehow missed that but lots of Scarlets and a first July Ring-necked Duck (believe that’s 80 species seen in every month now) among 7 Bristol county birds. Afternoon walk in Magnolia had the expected stuff.

Sunday 7/17: Deer Island was pretty dead. Belle Isle Cemetery had a few egrets and dowitchers but not enough to think it was worth going over to the main part. Earhart had good numbers of terns and an eagle chasing the Osprey around.

Monday 7/18: Finally a Green Heron at BBN, deer was about the only other thing of note.

Tuesday 7/19: Was debating leaving Great Meadows and going to the turnpike marsh as there were only a few Least around, but 3 ibis flew over, so I chased them down to Borden. They apparently didn’t land. Usual bugs as well.

Wednesday 7/6: BBN started muggy. More Great Blue Skimmers were up at the top of the hill, then a really out of season meadowlark was at the bottom!

Thursday 7/7: Nothing much at Cookson or the dam.

Friday 7/8: Meriam’s and Kaveski had the usual, no Chestnut-sided or Alder.

Saturday 7/9: Concord 4th of July butterfly count. Main result was that we need to scout new locations, all of our morning sites were either overgrown or solar farms. A few FOY skippers and some ok other bugs but not much.

Sunday 7/10: Heard had 3 deer and FOF Solitary Sandpipers. Spotted Sandpiper family at the bridge. More of the same at Sedge Meadow.

Monday 7/11: West Meadow was quiet, so I had enough time to run around the parkway marsh and get Least Sandpipers for the patch yearlist.

Tuesday 7/12: Very little at Alewife. Fish Crow over the yard.

Wednesday 6/29: Family of ravens at Fresh Pond.

Thursday 6/30: Usual at Forest Grove.

Friday 7/1: Lots of emeralds (all Mocha?), a few butterflies, some cool flies, etc at Dunback.

Saturday 7/2: Started at Morrison Farm in Acton semiscouting for next week’s butterfly count. A few creepers, not a ton else. Ode walk at the Cranberry Bog after that, little too cloudy for much.

Sunday 7/3: Couldn’t dig up a Louisiana Waterthrush or Canada Warbler at Estabrook but a reasonable amount of other expected stuff. Went to Sedge Meadow next but got a text from Cliff about a Worm-eating at Dunback so I bailed. Walked the woods at Dunback for an hour and a half with no luck. Did get FOY Holopogon and a few other bugs.

Monday 7/4: Decided to go back out to Ashby. Fitchburg Res had the expected loons and a displaying Purple Finch. Blood Hill had several uncooperative Blackburnians, at least 2 sapsuckers, 2 Yellow-rumps, a Black-billed Cuckoo, a Green-striped(?) Darner, and more. Spent too long trying to see the Blackburnian so had to rush a bit at Watatic. Still had almost everything I wanted (missed Ruffed Grouse) and got 2 county odes! First was a moderately expected Banded Pennant, second was a surprising Ski-tipped Emerald!

Tuesday 7/5: Usual stuff at Hanscom, young Field Sparrows and a few butterflies the most interesting. Blue-wing family at Gaining Ground going/coming.

Wednesday 6/22: Alder, RB Grosbeaks foraging in a field, etc at Meriam’s.

Thursday 6/23: Couldn’t find a better idea than BBN. Turned out to be a good one though with a Great Blue Skimmer in the middle area! Birds were about the expected beyond a Virginia Rail calling near the parkway and lots of Rough-winged Swallows.

Friday 6/24: Usual stuff at College Pond, parking was full for Weston Station Pond.

Saturday 6/25: Led my Ashby BBC walk at Willard Brook. Lots of BT Blues, creepers, Ovenbirds, and thrushes. One Louisiana Waterthrush and maybe a distant Blackburnian. No odes on the brook. Stopped at Townsend State Forest on the way home, usual odes.

Sunday 6/26: Figured it would be too hot for much walking, so went towards Water Row. GM HQ first finally got me a Spotted Sandpiper in Sudbury, but no egrets or anything. The north end of Water Row had a Virginia Rail running across the road and a few other things. The overlook was fairly quiet. Decided to try Feely Field again and had a couple Green Heron and the rest of the usual, no kites obviously.

Monday 6/27: Nothing much at Great Meadows, did finally catch up with a Pileated there this year.

Tuesday 6/28: FOY Mocha Emerald at Rock Meadow, another emerald at the duck ponds, not much for birds.

Wednesday 6/15: Acadian was reported again, so tried Brewster’s Woods again. No luck (might have been calling earlier), but a couple Laphria and a Microdon were nice.

Thursday 6/16: Habitat survey was highlighted by raccoons. Stopped and checked the trail around the marsh on Concord Ave on the way back, there’s now a real bridge across the stream. Wasn’t terribly birdy and the cattails were too high to scan well.

Friday 6/17: RB Nuthatch at Codman while walking to Farm Meadow, which had a few Bobolinks (much of the field has already been mowed, 6 ravens, and a Green Heron. Had time to check Nine Acre for Orchard Oriole but nothing much there.

Saturday 6/18: Tried for Pygmy Clubtails in the Blue Hills. Weather probably wasn’t good enough. Very dark and cloudy when I arrived, so walked a bit away from the stream and got the Pileated and Worm-eating Warbler I needed. Brightened up, so I worked up and down the stream a few times but only found jewelwings and a Swamp Spreadwing. Checked the pond and added Marsh Bluet, then went to a slightly different section, which turned out to be connect pretty quickly. Nothing much there.

Sunday 6/19: Fortunately had canceled the Minuteman survey before the rain. Started at Earhart where there were a few terns and the rest of the usual stuff. Belle Isle cemetery and greenway next, nothing much in the creeks. Wasn’t seeing much over the marsh, so went to Winthrop Beach hoping for Least Tern. No terns there (cold and windy!) but 5+ Piping Plovers and a raven were nice. Went back to Belle Isle proper and got my Saltmarsh Sparrows for the year, but very little else around.

Monday 6/20: Did the survey, usual stuff although not many Ovenbirds and thrushes (season hopefully). Owl flushed between points and there was something sapsuckery calling near there.

Tuesday 6/21: Nothing much at Cookson or along the river.

Wednesday 6/8: Eagle at the res, loons at Flint’s, nothing at Nine Acre or Elm Brook.

Thursday 6/9: Internet issues, 2 ravens on the way to the office were it.

Friday 6/10: Still internet issues, nothing of note at Heard Farm. Thrasher near home later was interesting.

Saturday 6/11: No Acadian or much beyond RB Nuthatches at Brewster’s Woods. Spatterdock Darner and towhees among other things between Foss Farm and the Greenough Land in Carlisle.

Sunday 6/12: Dunback had lots of pollen and the expected birds. Tried for the Mississippi Kite photographed in Sudbury yesterday in the afternoon, no luck unsurprisingly. Couple Osprey nests at least.

Monday 6/13: Finally got the right diagnosis from Verizon but that took up the morning.

Tuesday 6/14: Rock Meadow survey was quiet. Stopped at the West Meadow after, rail running around was nice.

Wednesday 6/1: Brief flight view of a Least Bittern at Great Meadows but no gallinule. Greater Yellowlegs about the only other thing of note.

Thursday 6/2: Rock Meadow survey was quiet beyond GB Herons flying around nonstop. Lots at BBN in a quick walk but nothing exciting.

Friday 6/3: Usual stuff along by Watertown Square. Hairy on a dead stump in the middle of the field at Gore was a bit odd.

Saturday 6/4: Decided to poke around a little bit south. Started at Pod Meadow in Wayland, where I flushed a Pileated almost underfoot and then had a family of creepers. Couldn’t find much else. Continued to a trail on the Framingham side that looked interesting. Was fairly quiet (sun still hadn’t broken through), but picked up 5 targets for Framingham (all fairly common, up to 98 now). Realized Bay-breasted would be a June bird so went to Hanscom after. No luck, not surprising that late in the morning, but did have a couple Harvesters among other things.

Sunday 6/5: Started at McLaughlin Woods where there was a redstart and none of the flycatchers or Mourning Warbler from previous days. Lost Pond and D. Blakely Hoar next, nothing exciting at either. Noticed the flycatchers were reported, so doubled back and got poor views of a Yellow-bellied but no Olive-sided (although the only photos I’ve seen were not an Olive-sided).

Monday 6/6: Tried the Cambridge Turnpike Marshes. No marsh birds but a Barred Owl was being chased around by jays in the woods behind, new bird for Concord! Nothing at Hardy or Flint’s.

Tuesday 6/7: Habitat survey, nothing doing.

Wednesday 5/25: Out to Punkatasset for yesterday’s Hooded Warbler. No luck with that but YB Cuckoo, YT Vireo, and Veery plus a beaver and Spangled Skimmer.

Thursday 5/26: Tanner’s Brook had a woodcock and a few interesting Syrphids plus finally a Pileated for the commute.

Friday 5/27: Broad-wing and some skippers at BBN.

Saturday 5/28: Decided it wasn’t quite rainy enough to do Great Meadows, so went to Millennium. Caught up with the YT Vireo fairly easily, also an egret or 3 and a Virginia Rail. Continued to Stony Brook, which was pretty quiet. Thought about Cutler Park but the lot I wanted was full, so went to Norumbega. Good choice as a Pileated was a long-awaited bird on the Charles. Wish the large swallow gave a better view though.

Sunday 5/29: BBC walk at Great Meadows. No luck with rails or bitterns other than a brief view of a gallinule that took off before I could even say anything. Bunch of hummers, good views of the usual stuff at least. Hobbs Brook was pretty quiet on the way home but a Harlequin Darner was nice. Shade St didn’t have much more, did finally actually see a Red-eyed Vireo.

Monday 5/30: Went out to Westford before meeting people at the Cranberry Bog. Got up to 50 there, Marsh Wrens, Orchard Oriole, Brown Thrasher the best plus Silvery Blue. The bog had lots of odes, Springtime Darner and Marsh Bluet new for me there.

Tuesday 5/31: Weston Station Pond had the usual, couple Pileated the most interesting.

Wednesday 5/18: Cookson was quiet beyond a parula and bunch of Wood Duck. The square had a Least Flycatcher and Canada Warbler (Charles #175!).

Thursday 5/19: Had planned on Mt. Auburn but the drizzle pointed towards Great Meadows (after a check of the empty res). A couple Least Sandpipers were on the path, a Cliff Swallow was around, and 2 Ring-necks were a surprise. Decided that since there was no flow of shorebirds over and I had time to circle around. Alder Flycatcher was calling partway around and while I was waiting for a second round, a thrasher started singing. Surprisingly a new bird for me here and one I didn’t have on my target list. Rest of the walk was fairly quiet.

Friday 5/20: Went to Falzone to look for a reported Summer Tanager. Two days later, so not surprisingly I didn’t find it. A few warblers but not too much else. Did West Meadow too, waterthrush singing was the most interesting there.

Saturday 5/21: Out to Wachusett for the shorebird show. Pretty foggy as I arrived, but a few yellowlegs in close. Walked from gate 39 to 40 where most things had been and waited out the fog a bit. First bird up was a Semipalmated Plover, then a late RB Merganser. Cleared enough to pick out the BB Plovers and Dunlin, then a Black Tern appeared! No luck with the dowitchers, so I eventually worked my way back (thrasher on the way) and then covered some other gates. Very little at 36 and 25, lots of passerines at 8 but too little time to check thoroughly. A few (more?) BB Plovers from there. Also FOY Stream Cruiser and Springtime Darner and a few butterflies.

Sunday 5/22: Went out to Heard. Two YB Cuckoos and 2 Alder Flycatchers about it (well FOY Monarch). Pond had more of the same and a few minutes at Water Row didn’t have a kite.

Monday 5/23: Forest Grove with an idea of Mourning Warbler and thrushes. Decided to start from Comm Ave for a change. Reach the far end of Lyons Field and a Mourning Warbler sings briefly. Good start. Down and around without too much more, but a Swainson’s Thrush popped up behind the tennis court so mission fully accomplished.

Tuesday 5/24: Habitat had another couple Swainson’s Thrushes, a BT Blue, and a few other things of mild interest. Duck pond was still fairly dry but only a Killdeer.

Wednesday 5/11: Lone Tree Hill had a few warblers and what was almost certainly a yellowlegs going over. Checked the duck ponds hoping for that but only had a few Solitary and Killdeer.

Thursday 5/12: BBN added RE Vireo and Wood Thrush for the year but otherwise not much turnover (Prairie Warbler was about it).

Friday 5/13: Next to nothing at Mt. Auburn, should have checked the res instead.

Saturday 5/14: MBC Big Day, pretty slow, maybe 90. Highlight was a Mink at Vine Brook.

Sunday 5/15: Nothing but ravens at the res (which was a miss yesterday). Estabrook had no migrants but several Winter Wrens, 3 Louisiana Waterthrush, etc plus a few forktails, Aurora Damsels, and some whitetails. Nine Acre had less than yesterday but lots of forktails.

Monday 5/16: Finally a decent movement. BBN had 2+ Blackburnians, a Bay-breasted, a few other warblers, a Bobolink, etc.

Tuesday 5/17: Decided to check Nine Acre in case the rain overnight put any shorebirds down, which it didn’t. Couple Spotted and a couple ravens were it for the few seconds I looked. Figured GM HQ was the best spot from there. Fairly quiet there, but a couple Willow Flycatchers were new for the year, plus a Common Baskettail and lots of forktails.