Author: jason

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.

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.