Author: jason

Wednesday 5/4: No shorebirds at Great Meadows but FOY Cliff and Bank Swallows plus a harrier, 2 Osprey, and Hooded Merganser ducklings leaving their boxes.

Thursday 5/5: Vesper Sparrow was still at Upper Vine Brook. Dunback had FOY BT Blue, Ovenbird, Blue-winged, Least Flycatcher, House Wren, and probably more.

Friday 5/6: Went to the Mystic Lakes hoping the Caspian Tern was still around. Started at the south end and had lots of Yellow-rumps, a Least Flycatcher, a few other warblers, etc. Then got the message about the Swainson’s Warbler in the Fells. Ran right over but unfortunately the initial guessed directions were way off. Did have a Louisiana Waterthrush, a Nashville, and a few other things before having to give up and go to work and be taunted the rest of the day.

Saturday 5/7: Stuck around the Fells for a couple hours but no Swainson’s or much else. Swamp Sparrow was new for Winchester, think that’s #70 on all 16 local town lists. Went to Earhart after. Bit too windy but BH Vireo, a few warblers, and 2 Field Sparrows weren’t bad.

Sunday 5/8: Mt. Auburn again, nice manageable group. Couple Prairies, a waterthrush putting on a good show, a Magnolia, and a few others. Hayden Woods after wasn’t too busy but had a few things including a Rusty or two.

Monday 5/9: Finally another in office day, so stopped at Heard Pond on the way over. Felt quiet but still ended up near 50 species including YT Vireo, Sora, 6 Osprey, a couple eagles, 4+ Rusties. Just not a lot of warblers.

Tuesday 5/10: Prospect Hill for the first time in ages, fairly quiet. Res had nothing, and not much at Hardy either.

Wednesday 4/27: Got slightly too nice at Great Meadows as I arrived, although doesn’t look like I missed much. Snipe was about the most interesting, still a Ring-neck and couple teal, plus ‘commute’ year Osprey and Chimney Swift.

Thursday 4/28: FOY Warbling Vireos along the Charles in Watertown, day late and an ibis short though.

Friday 4/29: Usual stuff at Purgatory and Forest Grove.

Saturday 4/30: Started at October Farm. First of spring Black-and-white finally plus a Pileated and a few other things. Brewster’s Woods were about the same (which makes sense since they’re essentially one property). Punkatasset had a pair of Winter Wrens in a brief check. Virginia Rail, couple cormorants, 11 Rusties at Kaveski. No birds at Flint’s on the way home but a bat flew along the edge of the pond.

Sunday 5/1: Did my annual WF Ibis tip (maybe). No obvious birds when I first drove up, so I went to Martin Burns for a loop. FOY RB Grosbeak plus nesting gnatcatcher, azures, Six-spotted Tiger Beetles, and a few others. Went back to the ibis spot and there were a few visible. Nothing but Glossy visible but I noticed a bigger flock off in the distance. Too heat hazy from the road so I walked down the trails a bit and they were super close. Eventually picked out a couple with pink knees, one with a minimal white face, one less so, so 1 hybrid and a White-faced or two hybrids? Also had my first May yard junco before leaving.

Monday 5/2: Expected a good arrival at BBN but other than orioles and a catbird, there wasn’t much. Lots of Yellow-rumps, 1 Yellow, and a Solitary Sandpiper, plus the merganser ‘flock’ was about it.

Tuesday 5/3: FOY kingbird and Spotted Sandpiper at Arlington Res plus first of commute Rough-winged Swallow (finally). More swallows at Hardy Pond.

Wednesday 4/20: Debated the tern at Great Meadows but figured that was long gone (maybe), so went for the Hooded Warbler at Brooks instead. Took half an hour but it flew out eventually. Not too much else beyond kinglets around, but I didn’t have time for more than the pond, lounge, and stump dump.

Thursday 4/21: Hanscom had 9+ kestrels, a bunch of towhees, a thrasher, etc.

Friday 4/22: Got nicer than I expected at Arlington Res so no swallow show. No shorebirds beyond Killdeer either. Did finally get a ‘commute’ Savannah and a few Palms and Yellow-rumps plus Bufflehead and GW Teal. Not much at Hardy or the res either.

Saturday 4/23: No Louisiana Waterthrush at Nobscot but did get FOY BH Vireo plus a few others for the valley. Hop Brook finally had a Pileated and another couple valley year birds. Nothing much in the few feet of the Desert. Pine Elfin and Spring Azure at Assabet plus RB Nuthatch. Stopped at Water Row for a few, Chimney Swift, a few TVs and other raptors, 2 GW Teal, etc.

Sunday 4/24: Mt. Auburn trip was pretty quiet, not helped by a shower and by breaking my key in the gate. Stopped at Fresh Pond after, Greater Scaup and a loon about it. Blair Pond had some work going on behind and nothing.

Monday 4/25: College Pond had FOY Yellow Warbler plus BH Vireo (‘commute’ #100 for the year), gnatcatchers, 2 singing Winter Wrens, and a few others.

Tuesday 4/26: Four Common Mergansers on the res, parula and a bunch of Savannahs at BBN right on the parkway, then next to nothing from there.

Wednesday 4/13: Lots of the expected stuff at BBN but nothing new for the year. Possible integrade teal possibly still present.

Thursday 4/14: Busy but had FOY Barn Swallow in a brief check of Heard.

Friday 4/15: Poked around the lower end of the Mystic Lakes looking for the early Yellow Warbler seen yesterday. No luck (probably heard it fly off), but a few Palms, a Yellow-rump, lots of kinglets, 2 eagles, 2 kingfishers, etc.

Saturday 4/16: Started at Squantum Point Park, which was pretty busy with common stuff, double digit Hermit Thrushes among others. Both teal down in the flooded spot plus a couple snipe and a few other things around. Squaw Rock was very quiet. Went to Millennium from there for Blue Grosbeak and Vesper Sparrow. Grosbeak wasn’t seen while I was around but I got the sparrows and a meadowlark, which was nice enough to fly across the river so I added it for Norfolk too. Also a good raptor show including a couple Osprey, a harrier, and a kestrel harassing a Cooper’s.

Sunday 4/17: Two sleeping scaup at Horn Pond were awake on the way out and proved to be Lesser. The Cooper’s Hawks and Barred Owls were having a fight and the Green Heron was still by the gardens but fairly quiet otherwise. South end of the Mystic Lakes was very quiet and there wasn’t too much at Sandy Beach either. Raven over the yard later was only my second here, although I’ve heard an occasional croak that was presumably one but never called again to be sure.

Monday 4/18: Caspian Tern was at Bolton Flats and I finally got Worcester county BW Teal too (swimming directly behind the tern). Lots of Green-winged, a couple Greater Yellowlegs, a few Rusties, etc. Continued to Pine Hill where there were kestrels fighting with a Merlin but might have been a bit too cool for insects.

Tuesday 4/19: Quiet post storm check. Common Merganser was the only non goose/mallard on the res, nothing at Flint’s or Nine Acre or French Meadow. Great Meadows had a Field Sparrow, BW Teal, and goldeneye but not much else (later in the day however…).

Wednesday 4/6: Nothing unexpected at Arlington Res.

Thursday 4/7: More of the same at Forest Grove, eagle or two and a kingfisher the best.

Friday 4/8: Nothing really came down in the rain, 2 Ring-necks at the res, nothing at Nine Acre or School St, PB Grebe at Hardy.

Saturday 4/9: Started at Station Landing, Savannah was probably the most interesting although a Fish Crow going over was a patch bird. Over to Earhart, not too much down near the casino (other than a hoped for Blue-winged Teal flyby). Good to catch up with Bob at the other end, no birds to see though. Continued to Revere Beach where one Manx put on a reasonable show before it started raining. Took a quick look for the Dickcissel nearby but it was pouring. Rain stopped by the time I got to the Mystic Lakes so pulled in briefly, nothing much there. Afternoon check of the res right after another set of showers had the first cormorants there for the year but not much else.

Sunday 4/10: Chased a waterthrush along the Charles but only found FOY Palm. Continued to Chandler Pond (FOY RC Kinglet and Rough-winged Swallow) and Chestnut Hill Res (couple Hermit Thrush). Quick stops at Newton City Hall and the duck ponds didn’t have anything. A few Ring-necks on the res in the afternoon.

Monday 4/11: Couple RC Kinglets and a Pine Warbler at Falzone, Palm at West Meadow.

Tuesday 4/12: Lot of waxwings and a kingfisher at Cookson, ten night-herons and another kingfisher at the square.

Wednesday 3/30: Rail was vocal at Forest Grove, not too much else.

Thursday 3/31: Nothing really of interest at BBN.

Friday 4/1: 3 Ruddy at the res. Got absolutely soaked at Farm Pond and a goldeneye was the only thing of interest.

Saturday 4/2: Figured it would be too windy for a lot of things, so tried a Water Row vigil. A pair of PB Grebes in close, an eagle, and not too much else in a little over an hour. Walked the other end a bit without much. FOY Osprey finally at GM HQ, then it or another at Nine Acre plus a kestrel.

Sunday 4/3: Loon on the res. White-crowned before I even parked at Millennium, not much else in a quick circuit. Moose Hill Farm had a kestrel and RB Nuthatch but quiet otherwise, still no luck with turkey or Pileated in Norfolk.

Monday 4/4: Finally a singing Pine Warbler plus 2 Lesser Scaup and a DC Cormorant at Weston Station Pond.

Tuesday 4/5: Finally caught up with Blue-winged Teal at Great Meadows. Otherwise, rest of the usual dabblers and a flyover cormorant were about it.

Wednesday 3/23: Rusty at Gaining Ground on the way to Hanscom, Field Sparrow was the only thing of note there. Did make it a quick trip so I had time to pull over and take a quick look at the Snow Geese at Meriam’s.

Thursday 3/24: Raining so pond loop, nothing of note.

Friday 3/25: Great Meadows had a PB Grebe, a Rusty, a ton of Tree Swallows, and the 3 Snow Geese flew through(?) just as I was leaving.

Saturday 3/26: Did a Suffolk trip. Started at Deer Island. Fish Crow over was nice, then a Gadwall flew out, which is apparently a first for the site. FOY DC Cormorant at the tip, then an egret and 3 Turkey Vultures flew in on the way back. Winthrop Beach next, couple Piping Plovers were near the edge. Pico had a couple oystercatchers in a quick stop. No Manx at Revere Beach. Another cormorant at Draw Seven on the way back but no scoters or anything else of interest.

Sunday 3/27: Kaveski/Meriam’s loop was fairly quiet. Snow Geese were still around and one pintail was obvious with them but the sun made scanning the rest of the ducks a pain. Quick check of Hardy and the res after had nothing.

Monday 3/28: Dunback was quiet and cold (and slightly snowy even with nothing at home). Hardy had a Ruddy, which got me to 100 for the year in county, earliest I’ve done so.

Tuesday 3/29: Quick Hobbs Brook check finally had a Fox Sparrow (res patch #184). Kingfisher was the only other thing of any note.

Wednesday 3/16: 4+ Killdeer, 4+ Rusties, 16+ Wood Duck at Ricci Farm, nothing different at Elm Brook.

Thursday 3/17: Tried Great Meadows in the fog, basically the same as last week (from what I could see).

Friday 3/18: In office meeting, which meant a chance to check Wayland. Good start when I remembered I should have my key and had to backtrack, but still had enough time to check the gardens quickly then go down Pelham Island Rd. Snipe was the most interesting at the gardens, FOY Tree Swallow at the swamp (finally) and just about nothing on Heard Pond.

Saturday 3/19: Did the usual wet weather loop without much in the morning. Got a text about an egret at the parkway marsh while I was getting into the car in the afternoon so looped over and got it as a drive-by.

Sunday 3/20: Out to Bolton Flats for a change. The geese appeared to have moved on and not many ducks beyond GW Teal. Dexter Drumlin had a few raptors including a kestrel. Delaney had the Lesser Scaup I was looking for, but that was a fairly poor return given the number of possible county birds I had.

Monday 3/21: RB Nuthatch was a surprise at BBN, just the usual stuff otherwise.

Tuesday 3/22: Quiet at Cookson and east of the square.

Wednesday 3/9: Decided to check the ponds and marshes at BBN. Only a few Mallards and Hoodies on the parkway, nothing at the big one. Over to the West Meadow which had more common stuff. A Winter Wren was calling at the smaller boardwalk and a woodcock flushed on the way out (tough ‘commute’ bird).

Thursday 3/10: No Blue-winged Teal or Tree Swallow at Great Meadows but a bunch of commute and other year birds including Gadwall, American Wigeon, Lesser Scaup, Belted Kingfisher, and Fish Crow.

Friday 3/11: Sharpie flew through the parking lot as I arrived for an eye exam. Drove through Nine Acre on the way home, geese but wasn’t seeing well enough to scan for anything else. Fish Crow flew by at home.

Saturday 3/12: Too foggy for much. Waltham Community Farm had the usual, couldn’t see the water at the res, nothing at Nine Acre, nothing different beyond RB Gulls at School St, could see even less at Flint’s.

Sunday 3/13: Too cold and windy, checked the Charles from Norumbega down to Mt. Feake and back up to Purgatory without anything, then drove through the res (and Hobbs Brook) and Flint’s with even less.

Monday 3/14: Weston Station Pond had a ton of Ring-necks, an eagle, a few Wood Duck, and that was about it. Evening walk along the parkway at BBN had 4+ woodcock and a Mute Swan.

Tuesday 3/15: Rock Meadow: bluebird, Killdeer, phoebe, few other things.