Author: jason

Wednesday 12/22: Quick parkway check at BBN had a Winter Wren but not much else. Too foggy to see at Hardy or the res.

Thursday 12/23: Habitat was pretty quiet.

Friday 12/24: Great Horned was calling from the yard at 6:30. No Snow Buntings at Horn Pond but the crows did a good job of chasing the Great Horned all over the place. Went to Silver Lake after, moderate number of gulls, one Iceland but couldn’t pick out anything else.

Saturday 12/25: Too icy/wet

Sunday 12/26: Started at Hop Brook (after no birds at Grist Mill and nothing worth looking at at Hager). Water was pouring off the trees making it hard to hear and very little around. Long loop there and through Assabet had about nothing beyond a couple ravens. Continued to Water Row where an eagle was immediately visible. That was #100 for the year in Sudbury, which is my 10th town to hit that mark! Also 2 more ravens here. Continued to School St where I saw the larks in flight but no good geese. Decided to go through Nine Acre on the way home, one of the White-fronts was obvious but couldn’t pull anything else out beyond the cowbird flock.

Monday 12/27: No Snowy at Hanscom but did get Winter Wren, Snow Bunting, and Horned Lark for Bedford.

Tuesday 12/28: Too nasty in the morning but had a gap around 11 to check BBN. Lots of woodpeckers but not much else and had to get back to work before I got a full loop in.

Wednesday 12/15: Worked my way to the doctor’s for a physical. Nothing really of note at Forte Park, the square, or Arsenal Park.

Thursday 12/16: Got to BBN too late for the geese but there was a Bufflehead on the water, patch #188! Nothing interesting at the field station or Hardy.

Friday 12/17: Dunback had a ton of Red-wings, a RC Kinglet, and a grackle but that was about it.

Saturday 12/18: Did a bit of CBC scouting. Gore was quiet beyond juncos. Peregrine at Cookson was somehow my closer than Great Meadows this year. Nothing much on the river. Decided to run over to Great Meadows after but couldn’t dig out any Cackling Geese. Did get one of the pintails at least.

Sunday 12/19: CBC, again lots of normal and not much unusual. Started in the snow at Dunback where a sapsucker was new for the section. Falzone was quiet (although the group that did the hill had a ton of White-throats and Hermit Thrushes). Hardy had a lot but all expected. Afternoon at Gore and along the Charles didn’t add much either.

Monday 12/20: Had to go into the office so went to Heard, which was quiet. At least 8 Gadwall among others at the swamp though. Hopefully was worth missing the eagle…

Tuesday 12/21: Decided not to head south unless there was an early positive report so went to Forest Grove. Usual stuff there and at the res on the way.

Wednesday 12/8: Started CBC scouting by hitting the river walk for the first time in ages. Was dark and nasty so not much anyway. Couple Ring-necks and a couple kinglets were about it there. Had plenty of time to go all the way to Prospect St. Wasn’t shocked by a Pine Warbler down that way.

Thursday 12/9: Finally got a Pileated at BBN. Also 2 Hermit Thrushes, a couple Red-wings, a few other of the should get but often a pain in winter species.

Friday 12/10: Too dark early. Quick res trip while waiting for it to brighten had mergansers but nothing else. Went to Ricci Field from there. Orange-crowned was almost the first bird seen, #180 for Lincoln. Also 2 ravens, a couple Savannahs.

Saturday 12/11: Not terribly nice so pond loop it was. Nothing at the res or Flint’s. Big flock of geese by the river at Nine Acre but the White-fronts were on Plainfield. The big flock appeared to be entirely Canada. Also a ton of turkeys. Spy Pond had an eagle and 230+ Common Mergansers. Too foggy at the Mystic Lakes and it started pouring right after.

Sunday 12/12: Fresh Pond was pretty quiet, sapsucker the most interesting. Quick stop at Blair Pond had nothing but as I was driving off I noticed an eagle sitting on a nearby rooftop. Alewife had a GW Teal and not much else.

Monday 12/13: Falzone was pretty quiet, lots of waxwings on the way out. West Meadow had a couple Rusties and a Winter Wren.

Tuesday 12/14: Bunch of Savannahs at Kaveski, couldn’t pick out the Cacklers at Meriam’s.

Wednesday 12/1: Tried to grab a couple month birds immediately with no luck. Res was quiet. Nothing but cowbirds at Nine Acre, no birds at all at School St. A few ducks at Flint’s and a few more at Hardy but nothing of any real interest.

Thursday 12/2: Tried to squeeze a Newton bird or two at Forte Park but no luck. Wood Ducks and lots of Hoodies at Cookson but not much for passerines.

Friday 12/3: Did another pond loop as it was too windy for much else, nothing particularly of note. Suspect the WF Geese were on the river but no good spot to scan.

Saturday 12/4: More Newton work for no gain. Grackles and a Winter Wren at Cold Spring were the best there. City Hall was birdy but other than waxwings nothing of interest. Bullough’s Pond and Crystal Lake didn’t have much. Chestnut Hill Reservoir had the Redhead plus both scaup, a Hairy Woodpecker, and a few other things. Hammond Pond had 4 Wood Ducks and the continuing Lesser Scaup.

Sunday 12/5: Did the Earhart area hoping for some of the late warblers with pretty good success. Draw Seven was pretty dead beyond a Peregrine zooming through as I was leaving. Ton of sparrows as I got out of the car at Sylvester Baxter including 20+ White-throats and 4+ Swamp. Pine Warbler was vocal and posing but chat wasn’t obvious, so I ducked under the bridge to check Shore Dr. Found the other Pine Warbler at the end but no Orange-crowned. Back at Sylvester Baxter I heard I had just missed the chat but got a kinglet. Took a good 30-40 minutes before the chat came back out, with a few good poses and lots of hiding.

Next tried Station Landing which was quiet, lot of the brush along the train tracks was removed. Over to Earhart. Started with the casino. Ended up walking all the way to near Broadway and back. Oriole popped up in the middle, clearly a Baltimore somewhat unfortunately. Heading back, a Chipping Sparrow called and then posed by Costco and a Yellow-rump was right at the dam (along with a Hermit Thrush). Debated skipping Gateway but decided to make a quick run over. Lots of White-throats were moving around at the far side and while scanning those a Black-and-white popped up! Warbler #12 for MA in December! Also a couple Carolina Wrens turned out to be new for me here.

Monday 12/6: Another pond loop given the weather. Nothing new at Hardy, the res, or Flint’s (more mergansers there). Saw a bunch of geese on Farrar so parked and walked back but nothing good with them. Nothing at Nine Acre.

Tuesday 12/7: Fox Sparrow, 8 Red-wings, Sharpie, Yellow-rump at Dunback.

Wednesday 11/24: Dunback was birdy, although mostly White-throats. Did finally get a couple Fox Sparrows for the fall plus 2 Yellow-rumps, a Winter Wren, and a cowbird.

Thursday 11/25: Started at Ricci Field. Leucistic Song Sparrow, a Killdeer, and flyover Common Mergansers weren’t bad. Walked a bit at Flint’s next, nothing much there. Stopped at the pullout and did have a few ducks although nothing particularly interesting. Saw David had a longspur at School St, so headed over there as I needed the larks too for the year. Figured it would be a bit of a challenge but the flock was close to the road and I had barely counted 10-15 before the longspur popped into view.

Friday 11/26: Res was quiet. Had been thinking about Earhart but thought better of it for Black Friday so went to Horn Pond. Usual stuff there, big flock of geese to sort through but nothing interesting. Continued to the Mystic Lakes which were quiet, as were Spy Pond and Hardy Pond.

Saturday 11/27: Too windy so went for sheltered spots. Hammond Pond (car scannable) had the Lesser Scaup and PB Grebe (and a Turkey Vulture heading home) so 100 in Newton is still possible. D. Blakely Hoar had a vulture or two and a Winter Wren. Matt Garvey’s Rufous Hummingbird came to the feeder almost immediately. Leverett Pond had a few ducks plus a creeper and other not terribly interesting passerines. Quick Norumbega to Angleside check didn’t have much.

Sunday 11/28: Decided to stay local and did a longer walk around BBN for the first time in a bit. Lots of geese, an eagle, a Rusty Blackbird, and not a ton else. Duck ponds were quiet. Blair Pond was birdy, Sharpie, two kingfishers the most interesting.

Monday 11/29: Sharpie along the way to Forest Grove. Added Great Black-backed Gull, American Tree Sparrow, and American Coot there for Newton, so up to 93 now. Lots of common stuff too. Quick River Rd loop on the way out had nothing.

Tuesday 11/30: Wanted to do the West Meadow but figured I should check the parkway pond while I was nearby. Lots of geese, 3 GW Teal, about 20 Red-wings. Winter Wren walking over, then very little at the meadow beyond White-throats.

Wednesday 11/17: Eventually got the(?) remaining Lesser Yellowlegs at Arlington Res. Not too much else, goldfinch was still there.

Thursday 11/18: Lots of Hoodies and a few Purple Finches at Cookson. Almost no birds beyond geese east of the square.

Friday 11/19: Lots of waxwings and a catbird at Falzone and West Meadow.

Saturday 11/20: Went for the 100 in Sudbury, got 2 of 3. Water Row had Tree Sparrows, a Winter Wren, a Purple Finch or two, and not too much else. Grist Mill Pond had a Pied-billed Grebe. Looped around a bit after, ending with the WF Geese at Nine Acre.

Sunday 11/21: Deer Island had the usual water birds plus GW Teal and a Harbor Seal. Four egrets and a Surf Scoter along the Winthrop Greenway/cemetery path. Quick check of the Charles and Cambridge Res later had nothing.

Monday 11/22: Bit too rainy to walk, nothing on the res or Flint’s. Geese were at Verrill along with a big blackbird flock.Wigeon at Elm Brook, nothing different at Hardy.

Tuesday 11/23: Nothing much at Kaveski/Meriam’s.

Wednesday 11/10: Nothing at Forest Grove.

Thursday 11/11: Usual at West Meadow, nothing at Blair Pond or the duck ponds.

Friday 11/12: Nothing in the rain.

Saturday 11/13: Usual at Kaveski, nothing on the ponds.

Sunday 11/14: Started at Castle Island. Trees were empty, not much on the water, turnstones and Dunlin on the rocks. Bit windy too, so decided to head inland next. Went to Fenway but no easy parking so gave up and went to Magazine Beach, which also had an event and no parking. Gave up and just did Blair Pond (nothing) and Clay Pit (a few ducks and cormorants plus Ring-billed Gull got Belmont to 100).

Monday 11/15: Great Meadows had a Ruddy, eagle, 40+ coots, and a Snow Bunting.

Tuesday 11/16: Weston Station Pond had teal and Ring-necks and a Pine Warbler or two in the field nearby.

Wednesday 10/27: Entirety of birds at the res were 1 PB Grebe, 1 swan, and one eagle.

Thursday 10/28: Bunch of Hoodies, a couple scaup too far out, and a Ring-neck at the res. Two GW Teal and not too much else at Forest Grove. Gadwall at Norumbega.

Friday 10/29: GW Teal and a Purple Finch at BBN, 50+ Cedar Waxwings and a few more Purples at the West Meadow. Res was empty at midday.

Saturday 10/30: Wasn’t raining too much so after the res (nothing), I headed to Draw Seven. Osprey, not much else there and about the same at Station Landing. Lower end of the Mystic Lakes had both kinglets, a creeper, and a BH Vireo. Spy Pond had 7 Ring-necks.

Sunday 10/31: Decided to try Wachusett Reservoir for a change. Mergansers were in at Flint’s on the way over. Gate 40 had nothing, the North Dike/Rainbow Cove entrance had 5 loons and 2 meadowlarks. Gave up there and headed to Sudbury Res. A few Ring-necks and lots of Ruddy plus an eagle. Walking the road for better views of the ducks, I had an oriole fly across. Nothing at Heard or Hardy on the way home.

Monday 11/1: Nothing on the res. Rock Meadow had a few Purple Finches, a singing Winter Wren, a lateish Yellowthroat, my first Tree Sparrow of the fall, and a harrier.

Tuesday 11/2: BH Vireo and Blackpoll at Cookson, not much along the river.