Author: jason

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.

Wednesday 6/26: Rock Meadow was fairly quiet, couple Indigo Buntings the most interesting. Gave the duck ponds a look too, zero waterbirds but did finally get a ‘commute’ raven for the month.

Thursday 6/27: Nothing exciting along the river in Watertown.

Friday 6/28: Winter Wren and night heron at Weston Station Pond plus FOY Common Wood-Nymph.

Saturday 6/29: Planned on a Suffolk/Norfolk loop to pick up a few things but went to Burrage instead.

Sunday 6/30: Did the loop planned for yesterday. Started with the Cliff Swallows nesting(!) in Hyde Park. Two buzzed in and out a bit right at the middle of the bridge. Somehow those are my first in MA away from Middlesex.

Continued to Fowl Meadow, which was pretty quiet (RB Grosbeak was a Norfolk June bird but not much else). Did have some decent bugs including Appalachian Brown, Mulberry Wing, and Illinois River Cruiser. Blue Hills next, did a quick loop and the Acadian was noisy, although otherwise uncooperative. Also FOY Dun Skipper.

Pulled in at the res on the way home and realized the Healthpoint Pond was a good spot for the time. Got some decent Comet Darner photos, an Amber-winged Spreadwing, and a Swamp Darner.

Monday 7/1: Family(?) of Blue-wings at BBN.

Tuesday 7/2: Louisiana Waterthrush at Estabrook plus FOY Little Glassywing.

Wednesday 6/19: Pretty quiet at Arlington Great Meadows, FOY Holopogon the most interesting.

Thursday 6/20: Mystic Lakes didn’t have much going on but had a kestrel in Arlington center on the way home.

Friday 6/21: Prairie and a family of Orchard Orioles at Hobbs Brook.

Saturday 6/22: Did the Ashby BBC trip, unfortunately in poor weather again. Ed and I started with waterthrushes running along the beach(!) then looped the trails for a couple hours, a few more warblers, BH Vireos, thrushes, etc. Stopped at the reservoirs on the way out but they were fogged in. Should have gone to Belle Isle on the way home…

Sunday 6/23: Waited out the rain then went for the phalarope at Belle Isle. An hour on the platform didn’t turn it up, as did almost as long at Lawn Ave. Usual stuff, a few other shorebirds the most interesting. Gave the cemetery a quick check too without anything (and the knotweed was too thick to see the Key from there).

Monday 6/24: Mocha Emerald at Falzone, Blue-fronted Dancer at the West Meadow.

Tuesday 6/25: Great Egret, Osprey chasing an eagle at Great Meadows.

Wednesday 6/12: Hanscom had a few warblers and a Veery plus FOY Eastern Amberwing. Servers were being transported so didn’t have work for most of the day, so went out to Nashoba Brook and got county Blue Corporal.

Thursday 6/13: Night Heron at Cookson, nothing too exciting along the river.

Friday 6/14: Turkey, couple different Laphria, FOY saddlebags at Dunback.

Saturday 6/15: Decided to work on my June Essex county list which had a remarkable number of common birds missing. Mostly inland, so all my previous birding must have been from Plum. Went to Crooked Pond and went from 84 to 107 (including Green Heron over the highway). Baby Veery and Yellow-throated Vireos the highlights plus finally getting a Barred Owl for the county. No luck with Wood Thrush and the possible Broad-wing was seen too briefly. Checked for nearby hotspots when I was done and decided to make a quick stop at Farnsworth Landing, adding another 3 plus a Cyrano Darner and Unicorn Clubtail. Lynnfield Marshes had a Marsh Wren and a couple common things I needed for Wakefield.

Sunday 6/16: Went up to Dunstable to look for martins. No luck with those but 50+ species including a family of Barred Owl. Thought about a couple other spots but decided to go just over the border and see if I could pick up a few NH gaps. Got Warbling Vireo and Barn Swallow among 26 species at Lovewell Pond along with a Sedge Sprite. Stopped at River Front Park in Tyngsboro on the way home for a quick ode check, no clubtails but FOY Powdered Dancer and Stream Bluet.

Monday 6/17: BBN had Barred Owls making that weird noise I heard last year around the same time and a few other things of slight interest.

Tuesday 6/18: Couple Pileated about it at Great Meadows.