Author: jason

Wednesday 10/6: Rock Meadow was birdy. No Blue Grosbeak but lots of sparrows, a few Indigo, 5 species of warbler, etc.

Thursday 10/7: Usual at Forest Grove/Purgatory other than a lack of ducks.

Friday 10/8: Finally got a Virginia Rail at the West Meadow. Also late tanager, BT Green.

Saturday 10/9: A flock of GW Teal at the res were odd. Lindentree had the usual, clouded over so not much at Farm Meadow. Afternoon check of Waltham St and Dunback didn’t have much.

Sunday 10/10: Nothing on a quick res scan. Two herons and 2 mallards were it at Heard Pond. Lots of Black Ducks at the swamp plus a couple wigeon and a Cooper’s. Gardens were busy, lots of kinglets got me to 100 for the year in Wayland. Late Parula at the back, then a Clay-colored towards the front. No luck with the Orange-crowned that had been report though and didn’t have time to go elsewhere.

Monday 10/11: Danehy had a White-crowned but not much else. BT Green at Alewife and a slightly interesting flycatcher that got away. Nothing at Blair Pond or the Beaver Brook ponds.

Tuesday 10/12: Weston Station Pond had most of the woodpeckers (including sapsucker and Pileated) plus a big flock of Rusties.

Wednesday 9/29: Cookson had a Swainson’s Thrush, BH Vireo, and BT Green plus a junco. Gore had nothing much beyond a possible sapsucker.

Thursday 9/30: Lot at Danehy but not too much of interest. Sapsucker, Lincoln’s, Peregrine, etc.

Friday 10/1: Did a loop at Great Meadows hoping for a Nelson’s. No luck with that or much else but a decent way to start the month.

Saturday 10/2: Planned a loop of Kaveski and Meriam’s to start. Started well with 30+ species just along Shadyside including a Lincoln’s, some pipits, and a Nashville. Turkeys in the field at Kaveski, a Swainson’s Thrush by the stream crossing, and more in the back fields. Took a few hours to search those(…) so I skipped Meriam’s and my planned Sudbury swing and just hit Waltham St. A Clay-colored was as obvious as they get but not too much else. Eagle over on the way home.

Sunday 10/3: Started at the Ricci fields where there were lots of sparrows and 3 kestrels. No birds obvious on Flint’s, so I went to Round Hill. Plenty of sparrows in the gardens including a White-crowned. Went through the woods to the Pantry Brook overlook and had an Ovenbird on the way (month bird!). Decided to check the res instead of the hill or Great Meadows headquarters which wasn’t worth it.

Monday 10/4: Pond loop had nothing.

Tuesday 10/5: Got the Golden-Plover I was hoping for at Great Meadows plus a Semipalmated too. Also wigeon, PB Grebe, more coots.

Wednesday 9/22: Rock Meadow, no Clay-colored or Dickcissel but a bunch of White-throats and Red-eyed Vireos, a late hummingbird, a Nashville, a Lincoln’s, etc.

Thursday 9/23: Had to get some car work, so stopped at Mary Cummings first. Lincoln’s, couple ravens, BH Vireo, BT Green, not too much else.

Friday 9/24: Great Meadows was a waste beyond the coots.

Saturday 9/25: Not a ton at Heard Farm, couple Wayland year birds plus a Pileated or two and a Great Egret. Nothing at all on Heard Pond. Geese, cormorants, swans, and Mallards were it on the res.

Sunday 9/26: Started with a quick check of the res since it rained overnight, but nothing different. Squantum next. Squaw Rock started very quiet (clouds were still clearing). Eventually had a few parulas and Blackpolls but not much else and nothing on the water. Squantum Point Park next, also quiet. Finally got directions to the better spot for the Night-Herons on the way out (thanks Jeff!). No luck with those but a Red-shoulder was nice and poking around I found a bunch of forktails that included county record Rambur’s and more Citrine than I’ve seen before! Quick check of Commander Shea had a Hooded Merganser but not much else.

Monday 9/27: Quieter than I hoped at BBN. Lots of Yellow-rumps, a few Blackpolls, couple Parula, the BW Teal, and that was about it.

Tuesday 9/28: Decent shorebird show at Arlington Res although I couldn’t get the Pec I wanted for the commute. Both teal, first of fall Rusty Blackbird, as well and a Yellow-billed Cuckoo at the back of the farm was a new one for me there.

Wednesday 9/15: Pretty quiet at the Wayland Community Gardens. Had time to check Heard Pond and finally had a ‘commute’ Great Egret for the year.

Thursday 9/16: Quick check of Arlington Res had 9 species of shorebirds including a snipe and pec plus a Yellow-rump.

Friday 9/17: Just enough time at Mt. Auburn to get the White-eyed Vireo (‘commute’ #241). Robins everywhere but little else.

Saturday 9/18: Started at Sandy Beach, which was fairly quiet. Light was awful too, so hard to pick out anything up in the treetops. Meadowbrook next, too wet and quiet. Spy Pond parking was full. Started for the res but headed to the greenhouse side of Waltham St. instead. Indigo, first Savannahs of the fall, not too much else.

Sunday 9/19: Planned on Groton but with overnight rain figured the res should be checked first. Good decision as there were 2 Red-necked Grebes. Also had a few Yellow-rumps and a Yellow Palm. Did Flint’s too on the way, just the loon and a couple cormorants. Fitch’s Bridge was a bit quieter than I hoped, but first of fall pipits, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and White-throated Sparrow plus more Palms, a Swainson’s Thrush, and a Red-shoulder. Rocky Hill next, scolding every chickadee flock worked reasonably well with Blackpolls, Parulas, a Magnolia, a Pine, a few Black-and-whites and Yellow-rumps plus a Scarlet Tanager.

Monday 9/20: Blackpolls, redstart, RE Vireo, night-heron at Cookson, nothing much along the river (Spotted and White-throat right at the end). Had a few minutes in Arsenal Park midday and found absolutely nothing.

Tuesday 9/21: Didn’t get out, nothing of note in the yard.

Wednesday 9/8: Redstart was the only migrant at Weston Station Pond. Lot of Wood Ducks, a Green Heron, and a raven about it otherwise. Field was being mowed so I didn’t check that or the nice sunny edge.

Thursday 9/9: Hummingbird at Cookson, nothing along the river.

Friday 9/10: Pine Warbler and hummingbird about it at Danehy. (Note for Bryan: it only took 5 years after you said I should replace my camera strap immediately for it to break)

Saturday 9/11: Tried for a morning flight at the North Bridge again, think it’s time to give up on the idea. Did have 2-3 Pileated, 17 GW Teal, and a few other things (wish the presumed Tennessee had sat longer or posed slightly better). Continued to the Cambridge Turnpike marsh which had a Sharpie, another Pileated, and lots of Bobolinks overhead. Nothing much at Hobbs Brook. Quick check of Shade St had a Swainson’s Thrush or two.

Sunday 9/12: Out to Westborough. Missed all targets (Connecticut, Dickcissel, Sora, etc). Did get what must have been a Carolina Saddlebags and a presumed Yellow-bellied Flycatcher. 

Monday 9/13: Wanted to go to Wayland but figured with the rain overnight Arlington Res was a better bet. Fortunately, still cloudy when I arrived, so the shorebirds were visible. Lots of Semipalmated Sandpipers, a few Least, Killdeer, Lesser Yellowlegs around. Walked over to the farm, Blackpoll among a pile of sparrows and one other possibly interesting warbler. Went back to the spillway without much (Solitary visible). Wandered back and made one last scan and picked up a Semipalmated Plover and more yellowlegs, not sure where they all came from.

Tuesday 9/14: Lincoln’s Sparrow, BW Teal, Cape May, and a few other warblers at BBN.

Wednesday 9/1: As expected since it’s September, a small flock of warblers at BBN, Black-and-white, 2 parula, Nashville, Magnolia, and a few Redstarts among them. Not too much else though.

Thursday 9/2: Gave the res a quick check for anything storm-related, same eagles, geese, swans, and cormorants. Nothing in Watertown.

Friday 9/3: Hanscom, not quite as many migrants as I hoped but a few including a couple new for Bedford (Least Flycatcher, Magnolia Warbler). Had time in the afternoon for a quick walk around Dunback but other than a calling Veery, it was quiet.

Saturday 9/4: Went out west. Started at High Ridge WMA, which looked pretty nice, looks especially good for emeralds. Got 4 county birds, Magnolia Warbler being the commonest bird I still needed plus Philadelphia Vireo, Cape May Warbler, and Yellow-bellied Flycatcher. Tried for some bog after but the road ended a mile short, so I went to Lake Wampanoag instead. Another Maggie but not much else. Swung by Fitchburg Res on the way home, 3 loons, a bunch of raptors (2 eagles, 4 vultures, a few others), and the first Mottled Darner I’ve seen in 15 years.

Sunday 9/5: Started at Horn Pond. Warblers included a Canada and a Yellow-rump plus a few other things. Had time for a quick loop of Mary Cummings where I had a Magnolia, Yellow, a bunch of vireos, and a tanager.

Monday 9/6: Gave the res a quick check while deciding where to actually go, nothing there. Ended up at Nahanton, gnatcatcher, Parula, and Redstart about it. Continued to Kendrick Pond, which started with an egret then a flyover nighthawk (first in Norfolk not Carolina Wren-ruled). On the ridge, I came across a large mixed flock of jays and warblers that were quite upset at something but I have no idea what. Got home and an almost immediate text from Cliff about 2(!) Golden-wings at Hayden Woods, so right back out. Took a lot of wandering but eventually got one of them. Stopped at Waltham St. briefly to see if the night-heron was still there, settled for a harrier. Nighthawk watch from the yard had 12 plus an Osprey and 2 Tree Swallows (and an interesting warbler zooming over).

Tuesday 9/7: Not a ton at Habitat, Veery, bunch of redstarts, Black-and-whites, couple Parula, probably a Bay-breasted.

Wednesday 8/18: Osprey and a young Milk Snake at Weston Station Pond. Glad I skipped out for the ibis yesterday…

Thursday 8/19: Got to the duck ponds just as the rain started. Four Solitaries, a Least, 2 Lesser Yellowlegs. Did a res and Hardy loop after, eagle at the res about it.

Friday 8/20: Res had nothing. Meriam’s/Kaveski had a couple Leasts and a Solitary or two but that was about it.

Saturday 8/21: Started at Sandy Beach, which was pretty quiet. Continued to Fresh Pond where the main goal was checking on the Argia to see if the possible Blue-tipped photographed the other day was around. Found lots of weird Blue-fronted which is likely what the other was too. No state record but interesting. Not much for birds, Least Flycatcher the only thing of note.

Sunday 8/22: Res had nothing. Forgot to turn for Draw Seven so went to Earhart. Got Semi Plover and Sandpiper before it started raining too heavily, no storm birds though. Tried Mystic Lakes but couldn’t see anything through the rain (more joggers than birds!). Afternoon check was res (nothing), School St (3 snipe, 3-4 Solitary, 17 Least), Flint’s (nothing), and Hardy (nothing).

Monday 8/23: Did what I should have done yesterday as soon as it was obvious there was nothing on the ponds and camped out for a couple hours on the platform at Great Meadows. Wasn’t great (no flocks of godwits like out west) but a Peregrine or two, a Merlin, a yellowlegs, and a few swallows made it worthwhile.

Tuesday 8/24: Tried Meriam’s for shorebirds again. Ton of Killdeer, one Least. Plus a ton of robins and finches.

Wednesday 8/11: Waterthrush at BBN along with the Hooded Merganser and most of the regulars. Zabulon Skipper too.

Thursday 8/12: Indigo Buntings, towhees, and a Prairie Warbler at Hobbs Brook. No wet edges on the water though.

Friday 8/13: Thought Great Meadows was going to be a bit slow but a Kestrel, waterthrush that seems like a Louisiana, and a Dickcissel made it pretty good.

Saturday 8/14: Squantum run. No Yellow-crowned Night-Heron but not too bad otherwise. Started at Squantum Point Park where I had a Merlin, Prairie Warbler, and Chipping Sparrow, all unrecorded there in a few months plus a bunch of Zabulon Skippers. Marshes next, BW Teal were apparently new in, Stilt Sandpiper, and tons of egrets. Did a quick check for another night-heron then went to Nut Island in the hope of something pelagic. No luck but a bit cooler out in the middle. Green Heron over the res on the way home was only my second there.

Sunday 8/15: Thought there would be some movement overnight so went to Danehy. Barely even had residents. Continued to Blair Pond, which had a couple Least and Solitaries, then McClennen, which also had nothing. Arlington Res had lots of waxwings but not much else (although the hummingbird was actually new for me there).

Monday 8/16: Redstart was about it at Dunback (well, another Zabulon too).

Tuesday 8/17: Green Heron, 2 night herons, and a Great Blue all at Cookson. Barn Swallow (somehow a Watertown year bird) at the dam. Something for the afternoon too. Besides the ibis, lots of shorebirds included both yellowlegs and a snipe.