Got around to a few flickr uploads, so here’s some recent highlights:
White-rumped Sandpiper and friends, Hobbs Brook (technically not new since this was the 2nd or 3rd of 3-4 this week).
Stilt Sandpiper, Old County Rd
Yellow-throated Vireo, BBN
Author: jason
WIR 8/31-9/6
Wednesday 8/31: Same at Hobbs Brook
Thursday 9/1: Nothing at the duck ponds or Rock Meadow. A few Bank Swallows mixed in on Pelham Island Rd and the loon at the res.
Friday 9/2: RB Nuthatch in the yard and then a raven and little else at Dunback.
Saturday 9/3: Out to Watatic for darners. Next to no luck with those but 8 warbler species including first migrant Parula and Canada of the fall (plus Redstart, Pine, BT Blue, Yellowthroat, Ovenbird, and Black-and-white), 2 sapsuckers, and a junco. Nothing on the Nashua. Lots of yellowlegs and teal on Old County Rd.
Sunday 9/4: Started at Millennium for the Red-necked Phalarope, which was basically at our feet. Continued to Horn Pond where I couldn’t find the Stilt Sandpiper or shoveler but did dig out a White-rump. Afternoon loop of the res had 45+ yellowlegs on Old County, lots of peep at Hobbs Brook, and 4 Ring-necks, a Wigeon, 4 Least and 2 Solitary Sandpipers, a Peregrine, and an Osprey at the res.
Monday 9/5: Wandered towards the coast, nothing much at Earhart, Belle Isle, or Deer Island.
Tuesday 9/6: Couple snipe but little else at Great Meadows.
WIR 8/24-8/30
Wednesday 8/24: Patch tick Yellow-throated Vireo at BBN.
Thursday 8/25: Nothing exciting at College Pond. Merlin on the way home.
Friday 8/26: Absolutely nothing at Forest Grove (plus a text about a Lark Sparrow at Hobbs Brook, which was the other spot I had debated for the morning).
Saturday 8/27: Nothing interesting at the res or Hobbs Brook. Laughing Gull was still at the Earhart Dam plus some interesting odes.
Sunday 8/28: Joined the MBC walk at Horn Pond. Had the Little Blue plus a GW Teal before joining the group and a couple Pecs and a BW Teal after the trip ended. Went up to Dunstable with Alan for odes after and saw very little.
Monday 8/29: Tons of egrets and a raven at Great Meadows.
Tuesday 8/30: Presumably the same YT Vireo and little else at BBN.
WIR 8/17-8/23
Wednesday 8/17: Very quiet at Dunback.
Thursday 8/18: Little drizzle as I was leaving, so went to Hobbs Brook (2 egrets, 2 Lesser Yellowlegs) and Flint’s (nothing much).
Friday 8/19: BBN had a RB Nuthatch and interesting Buteo that got away.
Saturday 8/20: Started at the Desert, which didn’t have the target but plenty of other stuff. Continued to Wachusett Res without the Laughing Gull (I think, one dark immature way out looked interesting) but a few Worcester county birds. On to Ashby, where the fire department was at the Watatic entrance, so I went to Ashby WMA instead and saw very little. Back down to the Nashua which was pretty much a repeat of last time. Stopped on Old County Rd on the way home and had 4 egrets (2 Snowy, 2 Great) fly in close.
Sunday 8/21: Start at Dunback got interesting when what had to be a Red-headed Woodpecker flew over. Couldn’t track it down and other than a few Broad-wings had little else. Went back to the Squannacook and had 7 rubyspots.
Monday 8/22: Checked Hayden but had nothing.
Tuesday 8/23: Nothing exciting at Dunback (beyond a possible Purple Finch). Had the loon and Ring-neck at the res on the way home.
WIR 8/10-8/16
Wednesday 8/10: Usual at College Pond. Picked up creeper for the first half of August finally (and then Bald Eagle at the res on the way home).
Thursday 8/11: Lesser Yellowlegs at Norumbega, usual at Purgatory.
Friday 8/12: Fairly quiet at Great Meadows, handful of shorebirds, cooperative Green Heron.
Saturday 8/13: Started at Horn Pond and made it as far as the second opening by the mud flat. Tons and tons of peeps with a White-rumped eventually appearing. Backtracked a bit to show others and get pictures and a second joined it, both eventually coming to naked eye range. Hobbs Brook had next to nothing but a Ring-neck and 4 GW Teal at the res were nice. Least Sandpipers finally at the duck ponds.
Sunday 8/14: Early BT Green at BBN, but otherwise quiet there, the West Meadow, and the duck ponds. Nothing much at Hobbs Brook, only 1 teal at the res, and a few more shorebirds at the Rt. 2/Old County end (plus an egret as I got on Rt. 2).
Monday 8/15: Heard Farm for a change, fairly quiet.
Tuesday 8/16: Waterthrush and not much else at Forest Grove (nothing at Norumbega on the way).
WIR 8/3-8/9
Wednesday 8/3: First Black-and-white of the fall at BBN.
Thursday 8/4: Blue-winged and the usual at Dunback.
Friday 8/5: Usual at College Pond.
Saturday 8/6: Two Snowies at Hobbs Brook, quiet ode walk at the Cranberry Bog.
Sunday 8/7: Went out to the Nashua and Squannacook with Alan. Caught a Zebras and had another briefly pose but no luck with Arrows. Got rather wet in the Squannacook and we were probably too early for rubyspots. Went to Horn Pond after for Karsten’s sandpiper, good show if a bit confusing.
Monday 8/8: Family of pewees and nothing else at Prospect Hill.
Tuesday 8/9: First redstart of the fall at Dunback.
DSA 2016 Day 2
Tuesday 7/12: Up early and out to Corn Creek. Couldn’t find the thrasher spot on the way in, but got Lucy’s Warbler stepping out of the car. Looped around a bit with Pale-faced Clubskimmer, my first Flame Skimmers, and a few other goodies. Flycatchers and hummingbirds baffled me a bit, although I’m fairly sure the hummers were all Black-chinned. On the way out, a couple juvenile Black-throated Sparrows were nice.
Next stop was Floyd Lamb State Park. Typical pond odes and birds, but a nice stop for a few minutes.
Off to Utah. Very few birds on the road. A brief stop in Arizona at the Virgin River campground had more confusing flycatchers and White-belted Ringtails, a major target. Got into Hurricane and grabbed Subway (partially for lunch tomorrow) before a brief meetup with the group.
DSA 2016 Day 1
Monday 7/11: Morning flight direct to Las Vegas. Arrived early afternoon, got the car, stopped for gas, muffins, pretzels, and water, and went to the Clark County Wetlands. Not overly wet but a few birds included lots of Chats, a Gallinule family, and an Abert’s Towhee (lifer #1). Odes were limited to a few dancers (Blue-ringed and Powdered), a Familiar Bluet, and some gliders.
Continued on to the Duck Creek trail on the other side, which was even drier. Eventually found a pond which had some avocets, a White-faced Ibis, and some Clark’s Grebes but no odes.
Given that it was over 100 and not shady, I gave up quickly and found the hotel (one of the nearby casinos). Had dinner at the burger stand inside, then crashed.
WIR 7/27-8/2
Wednesday 7/27: Fairly quiet at Rock Meadow and still nothing at the duck ponds.
Thursday 7/28: Most of the interesting shorebirds had left Hobbs Brook.
Friday 7/29: Nothing exciting at Great Meadows.
Saturday 7/30: Good numbers of shorebirds at Horn Pond included a Semipalmated Sandpiper and 2 Lesser Yellowlegs along with a RB Nuthatch. Great Egret at Hobbs Brook, nothing at the res or duck ponds.
Sunday 7/31: Snowy Egret at Hobbs Brook (plus an interesting emerald that didn’t slow down). Cliff Swallow at Great Meadows, loon and eagle at the res.
Monday 8/1: A few sandpipers at Norumbega (now to figure out how to really stop and scan), usual stuff at Purgatory with a few more Leasts flying around.
Tuesday 8/2: Pretty much the same at Hobbs Brook (2nd Great Egret was presumably new).
WIR 7/20-7/26
Wednesday 7/20: Usual at BBN in the morning. Got to work (with a Broad-wing flyover on the way) and got a call from Marj about ibises at Hobbs Brook, so stopped on the way home. Was rather surprised by a small white heron with them, although a quick check showed multiple reports of a Little Blue. Not often I get two new birds for a location like this anymore.
Thursday 7/21: Nothing of much note at Forest Grove.
Friday 7/22: Fox, lots of Wild Indigo Duskywings, and a family of Phoebes giving odd calls at Prospect Hill.
Saturday 7/23: Fairly good morning at the Desert Natural Area, nothing terribly exciting beyond first of fall Solitary Sandpiper and a woodcock. Ibis still at Hobbs Brook along with FOF Lesser Yellowlegs and Semipalmated Sandpiper plus baby Spotted Sandpipers.
Sunday 7/24: Quiet at Great Meadows, the same minus the ibis at Hobbs Brook.
Monday 7/25: Gnatcatchers and the usual at Dunback.
Tuesday 7/26: Family of Cooper’s Hawks and a Swamp Darner at the duck ponds.