Author: jason

Wednesday 9/4: Lots of shorebirds at Arlington Res but only the usuals.

Thursday 9/5: Weasel and that was about it at Great Meadows.

Friday 9/6: Nothing particularly exciting at Weston Station Pond.

Saturday 9/7: Dunback had a couple redstarts and a Black-and-white. Waltham St. had a RB Grosbeak, 2 Yellow Warbler, and not much more. Arlington Res had a snipe and most of the same shorebirds. Afternoon trip to Gloucester had a few Laughing Gulls.

Sunday 9/8: Finally visited Ashland, getting 25 species at the state park (Blackpoll, eagle, not much else of any note). Whitehall Res had a Black-and-white, parula, creeper, Pileated, and a few common things adding 8 species to the Hopkinton list. Didn’t have time for Holliston because the Whimbrel at Wachusett was still around.

Monday 9/9: Fairly quiet at Hayden Woods, handful of common warblers. Eagle over the office walking in.

Tuesday 9/10: Ovenbird, 3 BC Night Herons at Cookson, nothing much at the square.

Wednesday 8/28: Quiet at BBN.

Thursday 8/29: Barred Owl and nothing else at Hanscom (well, kestrel flying by while driving home).

Friday 8/30: Prospect Hill was totally dead. Tanager calling was my first in a bit and a Wandering Glider actually landed but that was it.

Saturday 8/31: Went west a bit. Started at High Ridge, where there was a small pocket of warblers including Chestnut-sided and Northern Waterthrush. Also a black duck flying over was interesting, but pretty quiet otherwise. Watatic next, got Blue-headed Vireo (surprising August gap), a Field Sparrow, and a few other warblers. Gave it a few minutes at the summit but it was too cloudy for any movement. Black-tipped Darner perched on the way back down.

Sunday 9/1: Started at Millennium. Picked out the Pec way out from the boat ramp along with a pile of peep and both teal. Trails were quiet other than a screaming Red-shoulder and several Cooper’s. Better views of the sandpipers with the scope at the end but nothing new. Hobbs Brook next, a Little Blue was at the overpass opening, turkey along the power lines, and Peregrine over along with the usual shorebirds. Checked the res quickly without anything.

Monday 9/2: Started at Nobscot, which was dead. Also a house has finally been built by the nice clearing, so probably not spending much time here in the future. Raymond Reservation had a pile of teal but no shorebirds. Walked up to the bridge on Pelham Island Rd and 25 Mourning Doves flushed, which scared off any shorebirds (don’t think there was anything of interest at least). Scoped Delaney Pond a bit then walked the field and woods, quiet here too. Waltham St. had no sparrows beyond Song but a few ducks including a GW Teal. About to leave and something odd landed, doubled back to get it in better light. It was a cowbird, but walking past the channel again, I noticed a Great Egret. No idea if I had missed it or it dropped in behind me, but new bird for the fields either way.

Tuesday 9/3: Less than expected at BBN. All the herons except the Little Blue were around but a flock of redstarts and a BT Green were it for warblers.

Wednesday 8/21: Herons all still at BBN plus 2 Blackburnian, a Parula, a bunch of Redstarts, a waterthrush, and more.

Thursday 8/22: Redstart at Cookson, nothing on the river.

Friday 8/23: Redstarts and Black-and-whites about it at Lone Tree Hill, nothing much at the duck ponds.

Saturday 8/24: Did an on foot day. Not great but not bad, 61 species with a bunch of easy misses. Added the Little Blue and a Prairie Warbler to my overall green list plus got Great Egret off the house only version and Merlin off the house/neighborhood only version. Also FOF BT Green, an Ovenbird, etc.

Sunday 8/25: Started at Danehy where there were 2 redstarts, a couple interesting flycatchers, and an Osprey. Fresh Pond next was very quiet, as was Mount Auburn (where the goal was seeing if I could see the terns at Spy Pond from the tower). Gave the res a quick look on the way home, 4 Turkey Vultures were the only things of interest.

Monday 8/26: Magnolia, bunch of redstarts, Black-and-white at Dunback.

Tuesday 8/27: Semipalmated Plover finally at Hobbs Brook, usual otherwise. Fox on the way home.

Wednesday 8/14: Prospect Hill had a bunch of redstarts but couldn’t find any other migrants.

Thursday 8/15: Little Blue still at Hobbs Brook plus a Semipalmated Sandpiper along with the usual shorebirds. Wood Thrush was the only bird of any note in the woods.

Friday 8/16: Ended up at College Pond, which was pretty quiet.

Saturday 8/17: Waited on Laughing Gull news and debated the Cranberry Bog ode walk, so started with the res where a cormorant was on one of the highway signs along Winter St but little else. Hobbs Brook had 2 Little Blues but otherwise nothing of note. Walked the Shade St land too and found nothing. Decided it was too cloudy for odes and no word either way from Wachusett so went to Arlington Res, which was very high. Decided the Prothonotary at Spot Pond was worth a check. No sign of that at Quarter Mile but walked down most of the way to the boat launch and found a certain Dusky Dancer finally.

Sunday 8/18: Started to wait out the rain then realized it was inland anyway, so went to Squantum as planned. White-rump, brief LB Dowitcher at the pans, not too much else. Tide seemed high, so went to Wollaston where there were several hundred Semis (both Sandpiper and Plover) plus a few other things.

Decided on Belle Isle next, started with Lawn Ave. Got eaten pretty good on the way to the platform but it was fine once out there. Picked through the close birds but didn’t find much at first. Started looking further out and picked up something in flight. Large and buffy, a Marbled Godwit! Fired off a pile of shots (only later realizing I wasn’t even close to full zoom) and lost it towards Morton St/145. Calmed down eventually after sending out a few messages and picked out a Stilt Sandpiper finally. Eventually it moved more into the open and was joined by a second. Moved to the main reservation and got really eaten alive. Also couldn’t see much of anything and the Cooper’s eventually flushed most of the birds.

Had been thinking about Revere Beach next but decided Fisherman’s Bend and searching for the godwit was a better idea. Couple others had the same idea but we had no luck. Lots of BB Plovers, oystercatchers, and a few dowitchers and turnstones.

Monday 8/19: Did a bit of a pond loop. Started at Spy, where there were a couple terns still bouncing around but nothing else. Water level was up at Blair and it was a cormorant and bunch of Mallards. Duck ponds had a Great Egret, 3 Least, and a Solitary. Res had nothing. Hardy had another egret.

Tuesday 8/20: Ibis was still(?) at Great Meadows, not too much else. Flyover Bobolinks and a black duck (an actual one) were about it.

Wednesday 8/7: No shorebirds in the rain at Great Meadows but an ibis and Bank Swallow were nice. Little Blue was back at Hobbs Brook in a two second pause.

Thursday 8/8: Tried for early warblers at BBN without any luck. Did have Barred Owl, Red-shoulder, and the herons.

Friday 8/9: Lousy morning weather, did a Nine Acre – School St – Flint’s – res – Hardy loop with nothing of note.

Saturday 8/10: Early signs were the storm was a bust, so didn’t head west. Res had nothing, Hobbs Brook had nothing from the road. Lynnfield Marshes had what appeared to be a bit higher water, but 4 Lesser Yellowlegs flew out and a few other things were new for the area. Earhart had nothing but terns. Terns were still at Spy Pond too, including 2 sitting on the water (was a bit surprised when I got the scope on them and saw they weren’t Bonaparte’s). Hobbs Brook had a few shorebirds and the same herons.

Sunday 8/11: Started at Chestnut Hill Res (after a very quick check of Hammond Pond). Got the early arriving Ruddy and Greater Scaup right away. Walked the road back to the rink and had a Black-and-white in the woods there. Decided to go to the coast next, starting at Winthrop Beach. Low tide and very few birds beyond Least Terns around. Had one Semipalmated Plover fly through, then 18 oystercatchers at the southern edge of the sisters. Walking pack, a White-rumped flushed and a Semipalmated Sandpiper dropped in closer. Eventually dug up a Piping Plover and had a Savannah bouncing around too, which got my Suffolk August list to 100. Belle Isle Cemetery next, enough shorebirds to get the scope. While walking back to the car, a Least Flycatcher popped up. Couldn’t find anything in the channel, so went to the main part of Belle Isle. Not too many birds around and they were mostly hiding in the grass. One dowitcher (presuming Short-billed) over plus a few yellowlegs and peep were it.

Monday 8/12: Finally had some early warbler luck with Canada, Parula, Black-and-white, and redstarts at BBN. Herons were all around too. And a Red-banded Hairstreak was a long expected lifer.

Tuesday 8/13: Cliff’s Olive-sided was still at Dunback. Also a Prairie, redstart, and Least Flycatcher.

Wednesday 7/24: Barred Owl, couple Least, few other things at Weston Station Pond. RB Gulls at the res were #90 for the monthly ‘commute’.

Thursday 7/25: Usual at Rock Meadow, 4 Killdeer, 3 Solitary at the duck ponds.

Friday 7/26: Hobbs Brook had a Red-shoulder, Greater Yellow, 3 Solitary, and a few peep.

Saturday 7/27: Did another Worcester county run. Westborough was pretty quiet, couple Least, few Willows, not much else. Gate 8 at Wachusett had a bunch of loons, a Herring Gull, a Red-shoulder, and no Bonaparte’s. Muddy Pond didn’t have much for shorebirds and the gallinule was probably long gone. Stopped at Assabet on the way home but the Little Blue wasn’t around.

Sunday 7/28: Started at Heard Pond. Got soaked walking through the river grasses and didn’t find much of note. Egret by the high school, few shorebirds about it. Raymond Reservation next, more of the same shorebirds, the 2 grebes were still around, and a Northern Waterthrush. Tried the boat launch at Cochituate (gate locked) and Mary Bunker Park for Dusky Dancers with no luck. Pelham Island Rd had similar shorebirds. Had time to check the res before heading home, nothing at the res but a Little Blue and both yellowlegs were at Hobbs Brook.

Monday 7/29: Drove past Hobbs Brook to get the Little Blue for the commute, then stood on the tower at Great Meadows without anything different.

Tuesday 7/30: Finally got Common Tern at the Mystic Lakes (‘commute’ #256!) along with a Big Bluet.

Wednesday 7/17: Broad-winged Skipper at the West Meadow, nothing different at the parkway marsh at BBN.

Thursday 7/18: Peregrine at the landfill by Forest Grove, couple Spotted Sandpipers on the river about it otherwise.

Friday 7/19: Red-shoulder, Solitary, couple other things at College Pond. Would have been nice to have heard the Broad-wingish sound again though.

Saturday 7/20: Started at Deer Island hoping the booby hadn’t gone far. No luck with that (although there was enough heat shimmer that it could have been another 100 yards out and I’d never be able to tell) but 5 Black Scoters, 4 Common Loons, and a few other things were nice. Planned to go to the Fells and look for Acadians next but since the route took me right by Draw Seven, I stopped there first. Ton of Common Terns and an egret on the railings. No luck with Acadian by the time I got there (well after 11). Walked a ways at Spot Pond, probably had a Dusky Dancer and got 3 new Stoneham birds to pass 50 there.

Sunday 7/21: Did inland Suffolk for July birds. Started at Millennium where I had a few raptors, some flycatchers, etc. Cow Island Pond added the missing common waterfowl. Stony Brook had the common forest stuff, only downside was chasing some scolding jays and robins and finding a Cooper’s instead of a Barred. Gave Mill Pond a quick stop but no swallows or ducks to be seen. Quick check of Cambridge Res on the way home had a bunch of Ring-billed Gulls.

Monday 7/22: Same shorebirds at BBN. Went to the back side of the Concord Ave marsh and heard Cliff’s Marsh Wren plus flushed another woodcock.

Tuesday 7/23: Didn’t get much of any rain overnight and nothing was at Great Meadows.

Wednesday 7/3: Did a loop from Farm Meadow. Bobolinks, Winter Wren, FOY Halloween Pennants, not too much else.

Thursday 7/4: Did a Worcester county loop. Bolton Flats was mostly overgrown, Marsh Wren, swallows, YT Vireo. Pine Hill had good numbers of Grasshopper Sparrows but no luck with Vesper. Family of loons at Rainbow Cove at Wachusett. Sawyer Bluff had a few more things including a few odes and robbers. Ended up boosting my July Worcester list from 11(!) to 60.

Friday 7/5: Not sure where the rain came from, but Great Meadows was the plan anyway. Started with a Pileated, then a Virginia Rail on the path. Turned around and there were 3 Mink running behind me. Went down to the river and most of the way back without much else, but there was another rail in the open by the benches. Which I realized after a second was a Sora. It was barely concerned with me and was wandering around for several minutes.

Saturday 7/6: Butterfly count was canceled but did a quick check of the res and Flint’s/Hardy to/from while making the decision. Nothing worth noting.

Sunday 7/7: Started at Vietnam Veteran’s Park in Billerica. Flushed a woodcock while poking along the edge of the pond, quite a bit at the pond, then (accidentally) took a long walk in the woods and had very little. Ode walk at the Cranberry Bog had Mocha Emerald, Swamp Darner, and low numbers of the usual. Also Virginia Rails, Gray Hairstreak, and an interesting fly or two.

Monday 7/8: Lots of Clamp-tipped Emeralds at Dunback, not too much else.

Tuesday 7/9: Got the expected stuff at Hanscom including Black-and-white, Prairie, Field Sparrow, towhees, redstart, etc.