Author: jason

Wednesday 6/9: Started at Hobbs Brook. Chestnut-sided sang and flew past me not too far from where one seemed to set up a couple years ago. Prairie was singing at the power lines. Did the Shade St trails after, nothing of note there. Still had a few minutes so stopped at Hardy and had a Ruddy.

Thursday 6/10: Hanscom had the usual.

Friday 6/11: Nothing at Cookson, the merganser was back at the dam.

Saturday 6/12: Started at Belle Isle (well quick stop at the res had a loon). Redstart was singing near the parking lot, got the expected year birds plus the thrasher that has been hanging out and an ibis. Earhart next, Great Egret and a pewee or two were the most interesting. Grosbeak in the yard for dinner.

Sunday 6/13: Minuteman survey, about as expected (pending confirming an odd song as just a Blue-wing). Loop of Kaveski after, nothing of note, then 2 loons on Flint’s on the way home.

Monday 6/14: BBN had the expected stuff (mostly, mowing at Mackerel and rain starting limited things a bit). Indigo was #120 on the commute patches year list and a Slender Spreadwing finally posed after getting multiple spreadwing sp elsewhere this year.

Tuesday 6/15: Bunch of Night-Herons at Purgatory plus a Virginia Rail almost at the bridge through Flowed Meadow.

Wednesday 6/2: Nothing much at Falzone or West Meadow.

Thursday 6/3: Had a work thing, so tried for crossbills again. No luck, not too much else there either. Quick check of Heard Pond had nothing.

Friday 6/4: Pretty quiet around Watertown Square, redstart the only thing of interest. Water level was too high for the merganser’s rock, hope it’s still around.

Saturday 6/5: Did a Worcester county run. Started at Bolton Flats. The shorebird show had moved on but got the bittern and the overdue county Willow Flycatcher plus Bank Swallow, Hooded Merganser, etc. Continued to the Pine Hill Grasslands where both Vesper and Grasshopper Sparrows were fairly easy. Also lots of raptors and a few butterflies and dragonflies. Decided to try for the hybrid warbler in Upton next, although it was getting hot and was a bit further away than I realized. Heard but not seen unfortunately. Ton of odes around including a Swamp Darner. Then traffic going home.

Sunday 6/6: Winchester was the lowest of my local towns year list project (apparently hadn’t been there since March), so went to boost that a bit today. Started at the North Reservoir in the Fells. Fairly decent variety including two holes in the overall town list (Ovenbird and RB Grosbeak, I said holes). Also lots of Stream Cruisers and stuff. Went to Sandy Beach next, but the parking lot was overflowing, so I just went to Arlington Res instead. No shorebirds there and nothing around Cambridge Res.

Monday 6/7: Early loop of Rock Meadow was pretty quiet. FOY Monarch and European Skippers.

Tuesday 6/8: Nothing unexpected at College Pond.

Wednesday 5/19: Chased the Golden-wing around Mt. Auburn for half the morning, eventually got fair views. Commute #239! Also Canada, a dull Swainson’s Thrush, etc. Bay-breasted in the yard too.

Thursday 5/20: Alder Flycatcher and a weasel were about it at Dunback.

Friday 5/21: No migrants east of Watertown Square. None at the square either, but the heron show was better than expected.

Saturday 5/22: Started at Hall’s Pond where a Canada Warbler was #200 in Norfolk. Couldn’t decide on a next spot, ended up at Lost Pond which was pretty quiet (FOY Whitetail) only to see that most of the other spots I was thinking about had at least one bird I needed for the county.

Sunday 5/23: Led my first walk in ages, a BBC one at Great Meadows. Group (probably) had Least Bittern, plus YB Cuckoo and most of the expected birds. Also FOY whitefaces and a few other odes and some Laphria mating.

Monday 5/24: Hanscom didn’t have a ton, did get most of the Bedford year birds I wanted. Also a few more odes, some Syrphids, etc.

Tuesday 5/25: Quietish at Forest Grove, Willow Flycatcher and a couple Orchard Orioles about the most interesting.

Wednesday 5/12: No YT Warbler or Summer Tanager at Mt. Auburn, Chestnut-sided new for the year about it.

Thursday 5/13: FOY Indigo Bunting and Scarlet Tanager plus a few other things at Weston Station Pond, although not as much as I had hoped. Orchard Oriole singing as I passed the res on the way home.

Friday 5/14: Orchard Oriole, redstart by the Braille Trail. Cape May by the pool, which was a patch bird for the Charles.

Saturday 5/15: Birdathon, repeated last year’s on foot attempt. Only had 70, which probably means last year’s was a good effort and not much higher is likely unless something dries out and gets shorebirds. Highlights were 2 Tennessee, a Bay-breasted, and Least Flycatcher.

Sunday 5/16: Did a loop of Mary Cummings, fairly quiet (and looked like that pretty much everywhere). Did have a Bay-breasted and a couple White-crowns. Saw a report of Lesser Yellowlegs in front of the Y, so stopped there on the way home, found 2 Solitaries. Had time to check the res too, loon was out in the middle but not much else.

Monday 5/17: Habitat was hopping. Blackpoll, Bay-breasted, Cape May, Blackburnian among 14 warblers plus a Swainson’s Thrush and 50+ species in total.

Tuesday 5/18: Bit slower at Tanner’s Brook. Another Bay-breasted was new for Lincoln. Also passed 1000 on my local towns yearlist project.

Wednesday 5/5: Gnatcatcher, Nashville, Black-and-white east of Watertown Sq (and Great Black-backed Gull was probably more interesting seasonally). Common Merganser by the dam with a waterthrush and couple other things. After seeing the waterbird fallout numbers from western MA, gave the res a quick look in the afternoon. Loon was the only thing of note and nothing on Hardy (although scoping the swallows may have added something if it wasn’t raining as hard).

Thursday 5/6: Finally got out to School St. Ibis flock remained plus yellowlegs, Spotted and Least Sandpiper, a pipit, and a Broad-wing. Another Spotted at Nine Acre but not much else in a quick drive around. Nothing at Flint’s, res, or Hardy either.

Friday 5/7: Reasonably good at BBN, 50+ species including 10 warblers plus FOY Wood Thrush and kingbird. Wish I got a bit more on what was surely a siskin. Something in there was #100 for the commute patch year list too.

Saturday 5/8: Attempted Squantum for the ebird big day. Started with a quick stop at Wollaston Beach for the Piping Plover then went to Squantum Point Park. Orchard Oriole was Norfolk #199. Also White-crowned Sparrow, a hummingbird, and a couple other things but not much. Squaw Rock was quiet. Orchard Beach had a couple terns and an oystercatcher. Quick stop at the marshes had egrets and yellowlegs. Res on the way home had a pile of swifts and 8 swans.

Sunday 5/9: Even though I would be too early in the day most likely, went to Two Rod to try for boghaunters. No luck with any odes but 13+ warblers including Prairie and Blackburnian plus a Broad-wing and what had to have been a calling loon overhead. Also would have been nice to get the very Worm-eating like triller to show in Concord.

Monday 5/10: Arlington Res was dead, Solitary the only thing new.

Tuesday 5/11: Usual migrants at BBN, Ovenbird singing from the yard.

Wednesday 4/28: Arlington Res had FOY Chimney Swift (‘commute’ #100!), Black-and-white Warbler, and Northern Waterthrush plus parula, lots of Yellow-rumps, a Purple Finch, etc.

Thursday 4/29: Yellow Warbler at Cookson, Warbling Vireo, Black-and-white, waterthrush, etc by Watertown Square.

Friday 4/30: Nothing much at the res. Kestrel at Hobbs Brook was somehow a patch bird (183). Had a few minutes still so walked up to Shade St. New trails have been cut but I only had time for the fire land, RB Grosbeak about it. Turkey in the yard later.

Saturday 5/1: Alewife, had almost 50 species on the north side then could barely find anything along the bike trail. Night-Heron and Rough-winged Swallows got me to 150 in Cambridge (minus Mt. Auburn), also most of the same warblers that have been in, a Green Heron, gnatcatcher, etc. Nothing at Blair Pond after.

Sunday 5/2: FOYs at Westborough WMA included oriole, Nashville, yellowthroat, YT Vireo. Nashville and RW Swallow were Worcester county birds as well. BT Blue and Yellow-rump in the yard later.

Monday 5/3: Eagle was the only thing of note at the res on the way to jury duty. Got out around noon, so made a loop of Horn Pond, which was pretty quiet for birds but had first Common Green Darner of the year plus a few butterflies.

Tuesday 5/4: Veery was new for the Charles at Forest Grove, plus Purple Finches and a few more patch commute year birds.

Wednesday 4/21: 

Thursday 4/22: BBN had 2 BH Vireo, a House Wren, ravens, and a few others.

Friday 4/23: Tanner’s Brook was fairly quiet.

Saturday 4/24: Went out to Assabet (south side) and the Desert. Flyover crossbills and a siskin or two plus lots of pine elfins and a few azures. No tiger beetles or other bugs of note. Got home in time for the DSA meeting.

Sunday 4/25: Went up to Essex county for my annual miss of White-faced Ibis. Started at Cherry Hill Res for the Cave Swallow though. Second pass it was perched along the side of the road (thanks Ava!). Spent half an hour with it and then half an hour waiting for it to come back. Rain started shortly after and no ibis were obvious as I drove by so I didn’t even stop (although as I write, no sightings yet today). Pulled in at Lake Quannapowitt on the way home just in case something came down in the rain, but Bufflehead was the only thing of mild interest. Even less at Cambridge Res.

Monday 4/26: Parula about it at Dunback.

Tuesday 4/27: Nothing new at BBN. Scanned Cutler Lake on the way home from a vaccine appointment, nothing there.

Wednesday 4/14: Fish Crow, Hermit Thrush, and not too much else at Falzone/West Meadow.

Thursday 4/15: Expected towhee, kestrel, Field Sparrow at Hanscom. No luck with a meadowlark or much else. Savannah Sparrows at Gaining Ground on the walk over.

Friday 4/16: Nothing of note on the res, nothing at Flint’s or Nine Acre, Tree Swallows in the snow at Hardy.

Saturday 4/17: Even less on the res. Great Egret at Fresh Pond was nice (and it was one of 5 new birds for me there, finally over 100). Nothing at Blair Pond or the duck ponds.

Sunday 4/18: Started at the Winthrop Greenway, which was fairly quiet. Stopped at Pico for oystercatcher and Revere Beach for Manx Shearwater (and got the Glaucous Gull without trying). Quick check of Earhart on the way home had a Harbor Seal.

Monday 4/19: Took the morning to work the Sudbury. Heard Pond had lots of Palms and Yellow-rumps plus a Bank Swallow. Water Row had another egret, a PB Grebe, a Merlin, and a harrier. Quick check of the res had 2 Bufflehead and a PB Grebe. Stopped at Waltham St and the ibis was flying around and visible from the car.

Tuesday 4/20: No solitaire or much else at Mt. Auburn. Did have a kinglet in the yard.