Author: jason

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.

Wednesday 7/28: Couple Night-Herons at Cookson, nothing east of the square.

Thursday 7/29: Pretty dead at Prospect Hill, no tiger beetles.

Friday 7/30: Lot around at Hanscom although nothing much of interest.

Saturday 7/31: Started at Water Row, a few things flying around but nothing terribly exciting. Went to GM headquarters next, as much to see if the bathrooms were open as to bird, very little there. Back to the northern end of Water Row where a Red-shoulder was a Sudbury bird. Gave Pelham Island Rd a quick spin with nothing worth noting. Got home and almost immediately had a call from Marj about a White Ibis that had been in Wayland the night before. Ran back out but not surprisingly didn’t find it. Up to Gloucester in the afternoon, where I eventually walked over to Magnolia Point and got an Oystercatcher (somehow an Essex county bird) and a few other things.

Sunday 8/1: Ode walk in Carlisle, so started by going to Two Rod first. Not overly birdy, but Winter Wrens on either side of the town line were nice (new August bird after not getting a July bird) plus a Hermit Thrush and some bluebirds. Only inhaled one mosquito too. On to the Cranberry Bog, which was pretty quiet. Unanimous agreement was that the best odes were two Virginia Rails.

Monday 8/2: Weston Station Pond had the usual, 2 Spotted Sandpipers the most interesting unfortunately.

Tuesday 8/3: A few things of mild note at Cookson included a cormorant, RB Grosbeak, and phoebe. Nothing much along the river.

Wednesday 7/21: Nothing along the river.

Thursday 7/22: Finally got the ‘commute’ patch year list going again with a Spotted Sandpiper at Forest Grove. Also a Night-Heron and a little more but nothing exciting. Spent a little while bashing bushes for Vesper Bluet without any luck.

Friday 7/23: College Pond had usual stuff, RB Nuthatch and singing creeper about the most interesting.

Saturday 7/24: Started with a group of turkeys walking through the yard, then chased a Grasshopper Sparrow report in Shirley with success. Continued to Oxbow where I got to 100 in Ayer (GH Owl, woodcock, pewee, GC Flycatcher) plus a new genus of robber with Stichopogon trifasciatus. Tried Rock Meadow Pond too but quiet.

Sunday 7/25: Decided it was too rainy to go far. Great Meadows was quiet. Egret and 20+ Great Blues at Nine Acre, not much elsewhere.

Monday 7/26: Marsh Wren still singing at BBN.

Tuesday 7/27: Redstart at Dunback was definitely dispersing if not outright migrating. Also finally found Atomosia puella.

Wednesday 7/14: RB Grosbeak and a phoebe were both a bit odd along the Charles in Watertown.

Thursday 7/15: Mostly the usual at Rock Meadow/duck ponds. Purple Finch went over, but too weird to count without a better view.

Friday 7/16: Kaveski/Meriam’s/Brooks Village loop had 5 Least Sandpipers at Meriam’s and a Blue-winged Warbler.

Saturday 7/17: Nothing unexpected at Horn Pond, redstart was mildly interesting. Egret at Nine Acre was obvious in a nonbirding drive later.

Sunday 7/18: Wanted to go to the coast but was rainy enough to not bother. Few sandpipers at School St, not much at Great Meadows. Checked for Kathy’s Least Bittern on Cambridge Turnpike, no luck and just missed a Sora too.

Monday 7/19: Orchard Orioles and a Green Heron at West Meadow, nothing along Concord Ave.

Tuesday 7/20: Tried Cambridge Turnpike again. Two Virginia Rails but no bittern or Sora. Reasonable amount of other stuff although nothing exciting.

Wednesday 7/7: Nothing east of Watertown Square or at Gore.

Thursday 7/8: Busy but nothing out of the ordinary at Lindentree/St. Anne’s.

Friday 7/9: Tried to beat the rain and check the res but it was too foggy.

Saturday 7/10: Tons of terns at Draw Seven and Earhart but nothing much else. Osprey at the res in the afternoon.

Sunday 7/11: Concord 4th of July count, low numbers but not too bad with species. Also GH Owl and the usual odes.

Monday 7/12: Too rainy.

Tuesday 7/13: Quick walk around the Hardy Pond neighborhood had nothing.

Wednesday 6/30: Tanner’s Brook had the usual.

Thursday 7/1: Night-Herons on both sides of the square were about it in Watertown.

Friday 7/2: Eagle at the res for the first time in a little while. Nothing at Flint’s. Heron with a rodent at Nine Acre, usual at Hardy.

Saturday 7/3: Went out to Wayland in the mist. Couple Marsh Wrens, a YT Vireo, and a new bird for me at Heard (pigeon!). More vireos at the pond. Water Row had a Willow Flycatcher and the res had nothing on the way home.

Sunday 7/4: Went to Alewife to work on the Cambridge year list. Trail was completely flooded (went up to the top of my boot just trying to cross the first bridge), so did the ponds then went to Fresh Pond. Loon there called a couple times. Also Orchard Oriole carrying food, Willow Flycatcher, and lots of waxwings.

Monday 7/5: Great Meadows was fairly quiet. Stopped at Mattison Field on the way home, tons of gliders and monarchs but not much else.

Tuesday 7/6: Marsh Wren was singing at BBN. Also Black-shoulderd Spinylegs and a Monarch.

Wednesday 6/23: Nothing at Dunback, no interesting insects either.

Thursday 6/24: Nothing on the river.

Friday 6/25: Weston Station Pond  had 40+ herons and a bunch of Indigos but no shorebirds.

Saturday 6/26: Led a BBC walk in Ashby. Willard Brook was quietish, but we had great views of multiple Louisiana Waterthrush. Didn’t get deep into the woods however. Watatic had multiple sapsuckers, a cooperative Prairie, and lots of ants. Quick stop at Fitchburg Res had distant loons.

Sunday 6/27: Hop Brook into the Desert and Assabet had nothing terribly exciting, few robbers and other insects.

Monday 6/28: Nothing much at Lone Tree Hill or the duck ponds.

Tuesday 6/29: Usual at BBN.

Wednesday 6/16: Went back to Hartwell to look for the GWWA songster. No sign on the way down, Alder singing at the boardwalk turns out to be new for me in Lincoln. Started back and the warbler was singing. Pinned it down to the treeline along the edge of the park and waited 30 minutes for a Blue-winged to come out (as expected).

Thursday 6/17: Went out to Round Hill and Great Meadows headquarters to pick up some summer residents for Sudbury. Got 20 I think, Veery, BG Gnatcatcher, etc about the most interesting.

Friday 6/18: Nothing along the river.

Saturday 6/19: Sandy Beach was pretty quiet. Went to AGM after, mostly for bugs. Bit cloudy, but a few good things.

Sunday 6/20: Went to Ponkapoag. Swamp Spreadwing on the way to the boardwalk, Elfin Skimmers on the boardwalk plus what I assume are Mantled Baskettails, then a Comet Darner at the pond. Few weird gaps (no whitetail(!) too. Got home, started to look at photos and got a text that there was a Bar-winged Skimmer on the boardwalk… Oh well.

Monday 6/21: Falzone was quiet, although did finally get Green Heron for the ‘commute’ patch list as well as a few interesting flies.

Tuesday 6/22: Great Meadows was quiet except for what sounded like a martin and FOY Blue-fronted Dancers.