Author: jason

Wednesday 7/24: Started for BBN but noticed a tire was flat. Poked around the edge of the field at Lot 1 until AAA arrived, nothing of note.

Thursday 7/25: Water level was way up at BBN so minimal shorebirds, not too much else. Saw Nick Tepper’s Striped Saddlebags report from the office and somehow that was only a couple mile detour on the way to the DSA meeting, so gave it 40 minutes or so. No saddlebags but lots of common odes and birds. Continued from there to Vermont.

Friday 7/26-Sunday 7/28: DSA NE

Monday 7/29: Usual at Heard Farm.

Tuesday 7/30: Early check of BBN had about the same.

Wednesday 7/17: Took a short walk along Pelham Island Rd without much of interest. Had time after to scan Heard Pond. Quiet until a loon dropped in right through my field of view.

Thursday 7/18: Couple Least Sandpipers at BBN.

Friday 7/19: Nothing of note at Great Meadows.

Saturday 7/20: Went to Squantum before the heat got too bad. Got the 3 expected birds I needed for Norfolk (ibis, BC Night-Heron, Saltmarsh Sparrow) and a decent number of peeps plus a few dowitchers. Lots of Seaside Dragonlets too. Continued to Nut Island, where the breeze was nice but there weren’t enough birds to make it worth staying. Stopped at the res on the way home. Alan had found good dragonflies in the pond by Healthpoint, so I spent a few minutes there and had 2-3 Comet Darners and a Carolina Saddlebags.

Sunday 7/21: Did a short loop at BBN early. Ended up scoping the parkway marsh for a good hour, 40ish species almost all from the one spot including Least, Solitary, and Spotted Sandpipers, 13+ Killdeer, and waxwings flying all over. Did a short drive around elsewhere after, only thing of note was a loon on Flint’s.

Monday 7/22: Dunback had a woodcock, an Indigo Bunting, and hundreds of robins.

Tuesday 7/23: Busy getting ready for the next DSA trip but stopped at the res on the way home to see nothing.

Wednesday 7/3: Kaveski/Meriam’s. Fairly quiet in the initial loop, but Pileated flew down Shadyside as I was walking back, then an American Bittern (commute #224) went over.

Thursday 7/4: Long walk around BBN had the expected stuff but nothing beyond that. FOY Amberwings at least.

Friday 7/5: Didn’t hear the Chestnut-sided at Hobbs Brook although I didn’t climb through the thorns to get closer either. Checked Winter Pond after but didn’t find the Ruddy. Stopped at Sandy Beach on the way back. Was happy with the Orchard Oriole but scanning the Upper Lake and noticed a loon-like shape. Ran back for the scope and found it had a red throat! Second inland July record that I can find. Evening trip to Cambridge Res failed to confirm Neurocordulia but I got a patch tick woodcock.

Saturday 7/6: Walden BioBlitz. Scanned Hobbs Brook and Flint’s briefly (waiting on some opinions of exuviae but otherwise not much) then ended up joining Simon’s group at Pine Hill. Brutally hot but we had most of what was expected. After lunch, Jay and I tried the sand pits. Didn’t have much luck with tiger beetles but I had a couple Mocha Emeralds and a Swift River Cruiser and Jay caught an Edward’s Hairstreak.

Sunday 7/7: Fawn Lake had the usual odes (FOY Autumn Meadowhawk). Ode walk at the Cranberry Bog had nothing out of the ordinary.

Monday 7/8: Mostly prepping for travel, but did take a quick run along the Charles in Watertown, nothing of note.

Tuesday 7/9: Prospect Hill, was able to confirm the Red-bellied Tiger Beetles are still there, nothing much else.

Wednesday 7/10 – Tuesday 7/16: DSA meeting in Austin, report later.

Wednesday 6/26: Dunback had the usual.

Thursday 6/27: More of less the usual at Heard Farm, did finally get hummingbird for the SRV commute list.

Friday 6/28: Probable Purple Finch at Nobscot but not too much else.

Saturday 6/29: Canceled my Ashby walk because of thunderstorms, although it probably would have been ok by the time we got out there. Did a quick West Meadow and duck pond loop without much of interest, 2 perched Green Herons at the meadow the most interesting.

Sunday 6/30: Checked the Stony Brook Reservation in West Roxbury for a couple holes in my Suffolk list. Got the RE Vireo and GC Flycatcher very easily and then also found 3 new odes for Suffolk: Lilypad Forktail, Slender Bluet, and Unicorn Clubtail. Thought about looking for more odes at Millennium but it was clouding over so I ran to Draw Seven for a few and then gave up.

Monday 7/1: Made my annual Hamlen Reservation visit. One waterthrush and an eagle about it.

Tuesday 7/2: Finally got a commute Least Bittern at Great Meadows, plus Pileated.

Wednesday 6/19: Finally got the commute SRV Indigo Bunting at Sedge Meadow but not much else.

Thursday 6/20: Was pretty quiet at Forest Grove but as I was getting back to the car, lots of birds (Wood Thrush, nuthatch, couple chickadees, several robins, grackles, etc) were going nuts. Finally tracked it down to be a screech-owl, a nice overdue patch bird.

Friday 6/21: Ended up checking Knox Trail (no Ring-neck) and School St (Savannah I needed for second half of June).

Saturday 6/22: Pileated and not too much else at Prospect Hill. Got Jeff’s Ruddy at Winter Pond then a quick check of the Mystic Lakes and Meadowbrook without much.

Sunday 6/23: Did a speculative dragonfly trip combined with some town listing. Started in Dracut, where I had about 20 species (increasing that list from 1). Continued to the Lowell-Tyngsborough-Dracut State Forest, which was pretty nice. Nothing too exciting but most of the expected birds beyond thrushes and a few odes. Then did the speculative search for Cobra Clubtails along the Merrimack. No luck with that but a Common Buckeye at Sheehy Park and a few other things elsewhere. Worked towards Tyngsborough but didn’t find any river access there, so took 4 south. Had a Broad-wing fly over the Billerica Great Meadows unit, then stopped at Fawn Lake. Lots of bluets but the big bug was a bright red darner that buzzed across the pond then went up and out. Had to be a Comet but I really wish I had longer views.

Monday 6/24: BBN had a BB Cuckoo and a Red-shoulder plus FOY meadowhawk and spinylegs.

Tuesday 6/25: Nothing too exciting at Meriam’s Corner. Spotted Sandpiper, Great Crested Flycatcher, and Scarlet Tanager were new for me there but fully expected.

Wednesday 6/12: Rock Meadow survey about the same, then did the makeup one at Habitat which was pretty quiet.

Thursday 6/13: Too rainy, res, Flint’s, Nine Acre, Heard, and Pelham Island Road all had about nothing.

Friday 6/14: Osprey was the most exciting thing at Great Meadows.

Saturday 6/15: Started at Horn Pond but there was something going on and no easy parking, so went to Mary Cummings instead. Mostly looked at flower flies, had a few interesting ones. Continued to Horn Pond Mountain which was quiet. Did have both cloudywings but that was about it. Actually, I take that back as I just identified the mating robber flies that I had assumed were Laphria as Echthodopa formosa. Not fully sure of their status in MA, but no records on bugguide or iNaturalist for Mass (it is on Herschel Raney’s list which is how I got the ID). Gave the Peregrines a quick look without success, although I found out later I just wasn’t looking hard enough.

Sunday 6/16: Chased the Tropical Kingbird at Daniel Webster. Scissor-tailed had moved on and between allergies and rain, didn’t do much else.

Monday 6/17: Usual at Lot 1 and West Meadow, FOY Slender Spreadwing the most interesting.

Tuesday 6/18: Nothing much at Great Meadows.

Wednesday 6/5: Rock Meadow survey was quite birdy. Flyover loon and Red-shoulder were the most interesting, although the number of Great Blues has me wondering about a local rookery. Stopped at Pelham Island Rd on the way to work and heard YT Vireo finally.

Thursday 6/6: Dunback was fairly quiet. Alder would have been the highlight but a Great Egret flying over was my first in June (and probably the first egret for Dunback).

Friday 6/7: Checked BBN hoping the egret had put down. No luck with that but 40 other species including a few redstarts and Indigo Buntings. Also another Swamp Darner and a Tawny-edged Skipper.

Saturday 6/8: Started at Hobbs Brook. Chestnut-sided was still singing, not a ton else. Checked Gower’s Swamp in Concord next. Looked interesting even if the bog is hard to see. Joined the walk at the Cranberry Bog. Eastern Red Damsel the best, but 25ish species.

Sunday 6/9: Minuteman survey, nothing exciting. Checked October Farm without much after, then Farm Meadow. Spatterdock Darner there was nice, not a whole lot else.

Monday 6/10: Ended up at Round Hill. Got the Veery I wanted but not a ton else other than hundreds of Blue Dashers.

Tuesday 6/11: Rock Meadow survey abandoned after about 3 minutes as it was pouring. Gave Hardy a quick check, decided traffic was too bad for the res, so buzzed Nine Acre and Heard, nothing worth mentioning.

Wednesday 5/22: Bay-breasted at Forest Grove was new for the Charles (#165), the usual otherwise.

Thursday 5/23: Tennessee and the usual at Heard Farm.

Friday 5/24: Blue-winged and Tennessee among the regulars at College Pond. Also a few odes, a Monarch, a Question Mark, and some other butterflies.

Saturday 5/25: Started with a buzz through Nine Acre. 30ish Least, 2 Semi Plovers, not too much else. Full loop of BBN next. Orchard Oriole, Tennessee & Bay-breasted, YB Cuckoo, a few other birds plus a Swamp Darner and Painted Skimmer. Continued to Hobbs Brook which had another Tennessee and Bay-breasted (both new for there) plus a likely territorial Chestnut-sided.

Sunday 5/26: Great Meadows BBC/MBC walk had perched Least Bittern, calling Virginia Rail and Yellow-billed Cuckoo, and most of the other stuff. Alder was singing when I was the only one there and a Least calling along the river was also new for me at Great Meadows. I went to Prospect Hill after, an hour and a half watching for kites didn’t find any but a decent variety of expected stuff along with first duskywing and Common Whitetails of the year.

Monday 5/27: Went to the Heald St. Orchards. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher early on, then lots of the usual. Finally got pointed to the spot with the Brewster’s Warbler. Waited outside the tangle for a bit, then decided to just follow the semi-path in. Got the warbler quickly, then heard an Alder so went towards that and flushed a Mourning Warbler. Also BB Cuckoo and Silvery Blues around. Went back to the Two Rod Trail in Carlisle after as Alan had a boghaunter the day before. Had 6-10 or so! Plus Pileateds circling a tree for 10 minutes and FOY Chalk-fronted Corporal. Decided Hayden Woods was worth a stop, still think that looks good for boghaunters. No luck yet but a decent number of birds for midafternoon.

Tuesday 5/28: First Habitat survey of the year. Fairly quiet beyond 2 Least Flycatchers. Poked around for Jonathan’s Summer Tanager after without luck but Bob found a nice Mourning Warbler by the parking lot.

Wednesday 5/15: Water level was up a bit at Arlington Res so less mud. Still 10+ Least, 3+ Spotted, 1 Solitary but no yellowlegs. Pipits still there and decent variety of warblers including my first Ovenbird and Wilson’s for the res.

Thursday 5/16: Decided it was a bit sunny for Nine Acre, started for Wayland Community Garden but decided to pull in at Sedge Meadow instead. Wasn’t overly exciting, FOY Least Flycatcher plus a Bobolink, a few warblers, etc.

Friday 5/17: Tried Great Meadows again. Didn’t expect the tern to still be there and it wasn’t but hoped for a few other things. Did get a Least and a flyover yellowlegs plus the Cliff Swallow I needed for the valley commute but fairly quiet otherwise. Did the woods too and had minimal. Wilson’s at the tower would have been nice if I hadn’t had the one earlier in the week.

Saturday 5/18: Bug day. Started in Carlisle. Quick stop at the 225 bridge had a bunch of warblers and a Fragile Forktail. Went to Two Rod Trail next where a boghaunter had been photographed recently. No luck with that but more forktails and an Aurora Damsel plus azures, more warblers, and a Black-billed Cuckoo. Over to Assabet. Fisher Loop was quite ode-y, got up to 11 species on the day with all the expected ones (including a brief detour into the Desert). Not much for birds. No boghaunters there or on the Patrol Rd. Stopped at Knox Trail on the way home for the lingering Ring-necked Duck. Got home, had a snack, then got around to looking at email to see a Worm-eating was at BBN earlier. Ran back out. No luck with that (if it doesn’t sing, it’s a real needle in a haystack) but did have Blackburnian, Blackpoll, and Canada among other things.

Sunday 5/19: Walked the patch. 72 species total highlighted by 16 warblers, Swainson’s Thrush, and Green Heron giving weird calls. Took a nap and let most of the rain pass, then chased the Cattle Egret in Dunstable. Just about a drive-by. Went to Nine Acre after, hoping for Tim and Brian’s White-rump. The rain or a Peregrine seemed to have moved the birds on but a couple nighthawks were nice.

Monday 5/20: Gave Nine Acre a quick pass. Too much traffic to want to scan from the road, but a couple Semipalmated Plovers. Continued up to Heard Pond. Alder singing, a few warblers, etc.

Tuesday 5/21: Mt. Auburn again. Not overly busy, 3 Swainson’s Thrushes, a pewee, Bay-breasted and Canada Warblers about it.