Author: jason

Wednesday 9/30: Weather wasn’t exactly good, nothing on the res or Hardy.

Thursday 10/1: Thought about Waltham St but school is open in Lexington so parking would have been a pain. Upper Vine Brook was quiet, walked into Dunback and had a Connecticut flush just before the intersection. Got nice pics of the bush it was in but not the bird and not much else. Ringlet back by the car was a new October butterfly for me.

Friday 10/2: Tried North Bridge again. Was fairly birdy but Francis texted about a Sora in the gardens(!) at Rock Meadow, so I cut and ran. No luck with that, but 2+ towhees.

Saturday 10/3: Waltham St was very busy, almost 50 species including siskins, pipits, a grosbeak, and a parula. Meadowbrook had a late waterthrush. South end of the lakes had another parula and 3+ Catharus. Sandy Beach had a Philadelphia Vireo, 4 Blue-headed, 12 BW Teal, and a tanager. Tide was dead high so no space for the skimmers at Point of Pines.

Sunday 10/4: Started with a very quick check of Point of Pines, skimmers scopeable. Plan was Earhart, Torbett McDonald, Draw Seven, etc but saw the message about Dunback as I got to Earhart. Decided to bird there anyway, which was a good decision with no flycatcher at Dunback after the initial sighting and birds all over at the dam. Got 6 new species for Everett (although Red-belly and WB Nuthatch aren’t exactly exciting), Indigo Bunting, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Scarlet Tanager, and Palm Warbler, which got me town #23 over 100. On to Dunback, which was birdy but without too much of interest. Did have FOF BT Blue and Alan had a Connecticut while standing next to me (but I saw nothing).

Monday 10/5: Hobbs Brook had a few peep along the road, then decent numbers of both teal off the road. Since I didn’t check the power lines, I had time to double back to the road for another scan and had both yellowlegs and 2 Pecs plus more peep. Those were 3 of my bigger misses until now for the ‘commute’ Cambridge Region list, which is now at 156.

Tuesday 10/6: Mostly errands but a quick walk in Watertown had 20+ siskins go over.

Wednesday 9/23: Tennessee and Cape May at Rock Meadow plus first of fall junco.

Thursday 9/24: Lots of the usual at Kaveski, pipits finally and a kestrel.

Friday 9/25: Danehy was pretty birdy, thrasher and Pine Siskin were new for the prework list.

Saturday 9/26: Went to Westborough for a change. No Connecticut and a text about the Kentucky as I was walking in, but Swainson’s Thrush was new for Worcester. As was American Golden-Plover, which was quite nice even for a brief flyover. Skipped on nearby sites and went to Cold Spring. Ran into Max pretty quickly (who immediately waved a picture of a Connecticut at me). We went to where he had the Kentucky and I got the most minimal view of a bird chipping correctly and with the right rear. Lost it immediately and never found it again. It turned out to be chipping at a Barred Owl, which was super cooperative. A decent number of other birds in a couple hours wandering around too.

Sunday 9/27: Should have gone for the YH Blackbird yesterday, but went over first thing. Wasn’t there when I arrived at Mary Cummings, so I looped the trails and had very little only to find out that it flew off as I was returning. Too many flyers at that point, so a few of us went over to Horn Pond. FOF coot and Rusty Blackbird plus 2 PB Grebes and a few other things. Drive by Mary Cummings after still had lots of planes so no point in walking back. Stopped at Hobbs Brook, which had a GW Teal and the usual sandpipers.

Monday 9/28: Tried Mary Cummings again. No blackbird, not much else but did get Purple Finch and Swainson’s Thrush for Burlington.

Tuesday 9/29: Hobbs Brook had the usual, still can’t get a workday yellowlegs.

Wednesday 9/16: Quiet at BBN.

Thursday 9/17: Brush work kept me from actually reaching Weston Station Pond but a few Blackpolls and a Pine on the bike trail plus a singing(ish) Black-and-white in one of the fields. Nothing at the res.

Friday 9/18: Handful of warblers at Dunback, Chestnut-sided the most interesting (plus the couple calls that were probably a Connecticut that others had).

Saturday 9/19: Supposed to be a big migrant push, so headed out to Wayland. Not much for landbirds, a handful of warblers flying over at Heard. Did have a decent selection of shorebirds including a few Semipalmated and Pectoral Sandpipers plus at least 3 kestrels. After a quick scan of Heard Pond and the bridge, continued to the community gardens. A couple more warblers there including a slightly early Yellow Palm. Checked the Rt. 20 bridge briefly, no shorebirds or herons of note before deciding to try closer to home. Hobbs Brook had a Greater Yellowlegs and the usual, nothing much at Waltham St.

Got home and was about to take a nap when Marj called. Townsend’s Warbler at Sandy Beach! In the car a minute later and there in under 20. Walked up past where they had it and promptly found it in the middle of the woods. Waited around for others to start arriving and we soon refound back where Renee had it originally. It stayed there until I left almost 3 hours later.

Sunday 9/20: Decided to start with a Squantum run. Ran into Vin at Squaw Rock, who reported a handful of warblers. I didn’t have much luck with his but had a Chestnut-sided and FOF Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Also had a weird Swainson’s Thrush still showing a lot of juvenile plumage. Got back to the last thicket before the car and had a BT Green pop up, then 2 Empids, and then a Philadelphia Vireo. One Empid proved to be a Yellow-bellied, the other got away. Continued to Commander Shea, which had 2 Yellow Warblers but not much else. Decided to work home from there and headed to Earhart. Quiet by the casino, Black-and-white (eating a Catacola!) and a Blackpoll at Gateway Park. I originally thought those got me to 100 in Everett, but I had just forgotten to update the maps, so still at 99. Brooks next in case yesterday’s Golden-winged was still present. Practically no birds but I did find the Pileated again.

Monday 9/21: Forest Grove had a Tennessee but not much else.

Tuesday 9/22: Only had a few minutes, nothing on Hardy or the res.

Wednesday 9/9: Couple decent flocks of warblers at Prospect Hill included FOY Cape May finally, FOF Blackpoll, and a Blue-winged.

Thursday 9/10: Nashville, Blackpoll, more of the same warblers, Broad-wing, etc at BBN.

Friday 9/11: Wanted to look for a morning flight path in Concord but was slow moving and it was a bit dark, so went to Great Meadows. Seemed quiet but a Sanderling appeared on the mudflat, #200 here (finally)! It wasn’t cooperative, but good enough. 

Saturday 9/12: Tried Old North Bridge but no flight in evidence (but other reports of none meant it wasn’t necessarily the site). Couple Purple Finches the best there. Went to Hanscom next. Somehow no RB Nuthatch and the probable Mourning got away before I eliminated Connecticut. Hobbs Brook had the usual, Waltham St. had a Savannah and 3 ravens.

Sunday 9/13: Did the patch on foot for the first time in a few months. Unfortunately a very slow day. Buckeye at BBN along with FOF Blue-headed Vireo was about it. Gave up before I made it to Rock Meadow.

Monday 9/14: Only had time for a quick check of Watertown Square and just to the east and found nothing.

Tuesday 9/15: Gave Old North Bridge another try, no flight evident again. Did have a kestrel, harrier, and FOF Lincoln’s Sparrow. Checked Hobbs Brook after, usual shorebirds and a Philadelphia Vireo.

Wednesday 9/2: Hobbs Brook had a Prairie, a couple towhees (finally for the local ‘commute’) and the usual shorebirds.

Thursday 9/3: Nothing exciting at Dunback.

Friday 9/4: Tanager, Red-shoulder, Purple Finch at Rock Meadow, nothing at the duck ponds.

Saturday 9/5: Went out to Watatic. Five loons at Fitchburg Res on the way out. Good warbler show on the way up including 4 Tennessee plus a cuckoo and a few other things. Hawkwatch was slow. Shadow Darners but nothing better on the way back down.

Sunday 9/6: Horn Pond was pretty busy, Olive-sided the most interesting. No egrets though. Turnstones on Magnolia Beach later among the usual stuff.

Monday 9/7: Thrasher at Danehy. Nothing much at Draw Seven and Earhart (75 Semipalmated Sandpipers, RE Vireo). No parking by Point of Pines, nothing at Belle Isle, still no parking at Point of Pines.

Tuesday 9/8: Found the flock of warblers that the Golden-winged was with the other day at Dunback but it wasn’t among them. Also Veery, not too much else.

Wednesday 8/26: Least Flycatcher at BBN, bit disappointing otherwise. Red-eyed Vireo still feeding young was interesting, otherwise redstart and the usual shorebirds. Quick stop at Hardy Pond since I had to loop around had 2 kingfishers chasing each other.

Thursday 8/27: Figured Simon’s Lark Sparrow was long gone from Pine Hill but Kaveski and Meriam’s would be worth a try. Tons of House Finches, Mourning Doves, and a good number of Bobolinks but not much else. Wasn’t thrilled to see the nearby reports later.

Friday 8/28: Thought about Great Meadows but ended up at Hobbs Brook again. Semipalmated Plover for the ‘commute’ finally, 9+ kingbirds, and Least Flycatcher was #180 for the res area, and not too much else.

Saturday 8/29: Figured the storm would make for something at Great Meadows. Very little for the first hour or two, but eventually had a bit with Cliff Swallow, Pec, Semipalmated Plover, and bittern plus harrier and snipe. Quick pond loop after had nothing as the rain got heavier.

Sunday 8/30: Got a space at Deer Island. Very little in the trees, not too much on the water either. Seaweed bed at the tip had a bunch of shorebirds including 4 Ruddy Turnstone. Went towards Point of Pines after but the tide was too high. Same at Draw Seven, so went to Habitat to look for the GW Warbler. No luck with that or much else birdwise but 4 species of darner included a Swamp.

Monday 8/31: Back to Habitat. Had to leave before the GW showed up but had first of fall Magnolia and Parula among 7 other warblers. Pileated flying along Concord Ave on the way home.

Tuesday 9/1: More or less the usual at BBN, 6 warblers included Ovenbird and BT Green.

Wednesday 8/19: Falzone and West Meadow were fairly quiet. Hummingbird around the yard in the evening.

Thursday 8/20: More or less the usual at Hobbs Brook, Prairie, 3 Hoodies among the most interesting. Red-spotted Purple in the yard was new for the yard.

Friday 8/21: Quiet at Watertown Square, 5 minutes at the duck ponds had the usual sandpipers.

Saturday 8/22: Attempted a south shore loop. Squantum marshes had lots of peep but all in the sun. Too many cars at Squaw Rock. Went to Scituate Reservoir but looked like parking was all roadside and busy traffic, so gave up. Great Pond still had high water. Grebe was still at the res, Peregrine at Hobbs Brook (but no night-heron).

Sunday 8/23: Quick check of Nobscot had not much. Hager Land and Have Not Pond in Boxborough had the usual birds, got a decent number for the town list. Drive by off Hobbs Brook had a couple Lesser Yellowlegs.

Monday 8/24: Construction meant Hobbs Brook was the easiest place to hit. Egret and one night-heron at the Mill St marsh, couple Semipalmated Sandpipers among the Leasts, and a flyover Pileated.

Tuesday 8/25: Zabulon Skipper and lots of kingbirds at Dunback. Five nighthawks over the house later.

Wednesday 8/12: Broad-wing at Rock Meadow, couple Least, 5 Solitary, a Black-and-white, and a waterthrush at the Duck Ponds.

Thursday 8/13: Least, Solitary, Spotted, lots of Killdeer plus an egret and patch tick Pileated finally at Hobbs Brook. Nothing at the res.

Friday 8/14: Usual at College Pond.

Saturday 8/15: Not much at Pelham Island Rd or Nobscot. No terns, the interesting small gulls at Wachusett were too far out. Marsh Wren and Lesser Yellowlegs were Worcester county birds at Sterling Peat. Too cloudy along the Nashua for odes. Semipalmated Plovers at Hobbs Brook.

Sunday 8/16: Nothing of note but lots of birds at Sandy Beach. Pretty quiet at Earhart, a small flock of peep got away. Afternoon wander of Merrill’s neighborhood in Magnolia had a Bank Swallow among other things.

Monday 8/17: Virginia Rail, Bobolink, not too much else at Great Meadows.

Tuesday 8/18: Pair of Red-shoulders, Redstart, usual at BBN.

Wednesday 8/5: Quick check of the res and Flint’s had nothing, so rushed out to Wachusett. Also Worcester county Snowy Egret and Bonaparte’s Gull.

Thursday 8/6: Prospect Hill was very quiet but a Red-shoulder was apparently new for the park list. Didn’t see any Red-bellied Tiger Beetles in a quick check.

Friday 8/7: Young eagle and a Vesper Bluet about it at Forest Grove.

Saturday 8/8: Nothing much at Nahanton. Bunch of Semipalmated Plovers the best at Millennium. No parking at Ponkapoag which is where I actually was trying to go, so eventually ended up at the Charles River Peninsula which was quiet.

Sunday 8/9: Hobbs Brook was fairly quiet but a bit of mud is starting to show up. Nothing too exciting at Hanscom either. Cranberry Bog was quite slow, good tiger beetle show but little else.

Monday 8/10: Nothing exciting at BBN.

Tuesday 8/11: Gnatcatcher was a migrant at Dunback and Bobolink was a Cambridge Region pre-work year bird.